Pembroke Pines #1 city in FL to raise kids - Busines Week (Miami: real estate, crime)

[Raffeer]

According to Prashant Gopal of BusinessWeek winning communities were affordable, safe, and family-friendly. BusinessWeek teamed up with OnBoard Informatics, a New York-based provider of real estate analysis, to select one town and two runners-up for each of the 50 states. The selections were limited to towns that have at least 45,000 residents and a median income of between $40,000 and $125,000. The data included school performance, number of schools, household expenditures, crime rates, air quality, job growth, family income, museums, parks, theaters, other amenities, and diversity. Affordability, safety*, and school test scores were given the greatest weight.

BusinessWeek included the following information in its on-line article: Best Place to Raise Your Kids: Florida Pembroke Pines Nearest city: Fort Lauderdale; Population: 164,259; Median family income: $78,660; Runners-up: Sunrise, Tamarac. Pembroke Pines, a fast-growing city about 15 miles south of downtown Fort Lauderdale, Fla., is our top Florida pick for the second straight year. The city is popular with retirees but also has plenty of young families, many of which left Miami Dade County to fill its shiny new developments during the housing boom. Among the attractions for these young families: low crime, the Pembroke Lakes Mall, and the schools, which include a charter high school.
Article and Video Link: Best Places to Raise Your Kids: 2010: Best Place to Raise Your Kids: Florida - BusinessWeek

[BackHomeMIA]

I wonder why Weston never makes any of these lists (there was another list brought up here on the forum not long ago, mentioning Coral Springs and Coconut Creek as best places to live in the area). Is it maybe because it'snot considered "affordable". Just get 20% less square footage of house, and it is as affordable as PP.
Usually, "affordable" means not so good to raise kids, right?!
I would never choose PP over Weston to raise my kids, not in a million years.

[Momma_bear]

Originally Posted by BackHomeMIA

I would never choose PP over Weston to raise my kids, not in a million years.

Me neither. I would also choose Davie, Plantation, Cooper City, and Parkland over PP. IMO PP is overcrowded and inconvenient.

[Shoegal1075]

I will agree to disagree with everyone on this - Weston is nicer in parts than PP - but no where as convenient and as a package it is far better than any of the other cities mentioned - by package I mean housing, stores and schools - it has everything in close proximity and the people are so much more down to earth than in Parkland or Weston. I once had a conversation with a lady whose biggest issue with Pines was that there were kids playing music loud enough in their car on the street that she could here it - what is the world coming to when you play reggaeton loud enough that the person in the car next to you can actually hear it - I realize that it is crowded there but that just cements the fact that it is a nice place to live.

On another note Momma - you were so right when you said the schools here just were not acceptable. - I don't know what I was thinking!

[Momma_bear]

Originally Posted by Chelsa1075

I will agree to disagree with everyone on this - Weston is nicer in parts than PP - but no where as convenient and as a package it is far better than any of the other cities mentioned - by package I mean housing, stores and schools - it has everything in close proximity and the people are so much more down to earth than in Parkland or Weston. I once had a conversation with a lady whose biggest issue with Pines was that there were kids playing music loud enough in their car on the street that she could here it - what is the world coming to when you play reggaeton loud enough that the person in the car next to you can actually hear it - I realize that it is crowded there but that just cements the fact that it is a nice place to live.

On another note Momma - you were so right when you said the schools here just were not acceptable. - I don't know what I was thinking!

The schools are better in Weston than where you are now but they are still not that great.

[ruski]

Funny their list shows Tamarac as a runner up...

Nothing against Tamarac, but I wouldn't pick it as a place that is for kids.

It is just full of retirees. Many of whom are dangerous behind the wheel.

[ruski]

And PP people seem to be way more aggressive than Weston.

Maybe that's because it is closer to Miami.

[Momma_bear]

Originally Posted by ruski

Funny their list shows Tamarac as a runner up...

Nothing against Tamarac, but I wouldn't pick it as a place that is for kids.

It is just full of retirees. Many of whom are dangerous behind the wheel.

My dad lives in Tamarac. It's nice where he live but every restaurant is full of old folks who look down their noses at kids.

[♥♥PRINC3Ss♥♥]

Originally Posted by ruski

And PP people seem to be way more aggressive than Weston.

Maybe that's because it is closer to Miami.

the type of new residents Broward attracts are not known for their hospitality. I deal with many people all over the country and Broward is the top place for the rudest people, followed by the Orlando area. I don't know what's wrong with this state, must be the heat

[♥♥PRINC3Ss♥♥]

Originally Posted by Chelsa1075

I will agree to disagree with everyone on this - Weston is nicer in parts than PP - but no where as convenient and as a package it is far better than any of the other cities mentioned - by package I mean housing, stores and schools - it has everything in close proximity and the people are so much more down to earth than in Parkland or Weston. I once had a conversation with a lady whose biggest issue with Pines was that there were kids playing music loud enough in their car on the street that she could here it - what is the world coming to when you play reggaeton loud enough that the person in the car next to you can actually hear it - I realize that it is crowded there but that just cements the fact that it is a nice place to live.

On another note Momma - you were so right when you said the schools here just were not acceptable. - I don't know what I was thinking!

Chelsa I just came back from NYC. I find it really hard to believe that NYC can be a better environment. Maybe I just don't get the aggressiveness and rudeness of some of the youth there. Even people with private school uniforms behave so ghettoish and plain rude. I wonder how these schools are being compared. The kids in my area don't look like that for sure and I know our school is far from the best.