Please advise, Pompano beach,Citrus or lauderdale isles?? (Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood: apartments, renting)

[SierraDog]

Originally Posted by Nolefan34

That is true in the Western half of Pompano where crime is rampant. The area you're looking in is the Eastern portion of Pompano which is safe, nice, and predominantly white middle class.

Pompano Beach gets a bad rap around here because it has the highest crime rate in Broward County. But all of the crime originates from the Western portion of Pompano west of Dixie Highway where there is a very bad neighborhood. Many people here Pompano is bad so they think they should avoid the entire city. It is actually pretty safe east of US1.

I agree. As for East Pompano /Pompano Isles, we were looking for ocean access waterfront recently, and would have definitely bought in Pompano if we could have afforded a home east of U.S. 1 as well as private schools for a future kiddo... The OP's price range does allow him to consider that area. It's the best for easy and fast access to the ocean.

Citrus Isles in Ft Lauderdale is off Davie Blvd. and very desirable for ocean access properties as it's right off the New River and close to downtown. However, the homes there are generally smaller than OP would probably want, and the few larger newly built homes (teardowns replaced with McMansions) there are probably in the $700s and up from what I recall.

I'm also familiar with Lauderdale Isles - again, the homes there are generally small (less than 1600 s.f.) although some of the triplex "split level" style homes have been modernized and would be workable for a growing family. Also off the New River, but it takes at least 45 minutes to an hour to get to the ocean. The neighborhood is essentially a small enclave that is surrounded by some very marginal neighborhoods and seems isolated. If your home is near the river end of the canal, there will be some road noise from 595 but there's a new sound wall so it's probably not too bad. The upside is you're off the New River, the downside is that there isn't much in the way of parks, municipal services (the area was annexed from Broward County, and it shows in the condition of the roads and lack of sidewalks).

All three of the above neighborhoods will require private schools for the kids.

We live in Plantation Isles, which is west of 441 and east of University, the furthest west neighborhood with ocean access, with fixed bridges. People have sportfishing boats up to 30' or so, obviously no tuna towers. We don't have a boat yet but I understand it will take about 1.5 hours to get to the ocean. We compromised on this neighborhood because there are decent public schools, at least we can be confident that elem. school is covered. We have a 2 car garage which is pretty much nonexistent in the other ocean access n'hoods. Additionally Plantation has good municipal services and parks (there's 5 parks in walking distance including a huge dog park), sidewalks, landscaping and an overall more family friendly feel. There is a greater range of home sizes than in Lauderdale Isles. Homes in this neighborhood start in the mid to high $200s and go through the $500s.

[blueyfisher]

Thanks SierraDog

Some really helpful info there.
Lauderdale isles is off the list now, what you and others have said about that area has been confirmed in our talks today with someone out there and so that is leaving us with Pompano isles and Citrus and possibly lighthouse point as our best options.

With Pompano isles, and the negative reviews i am finding it curious that posters are saying you are next to Bad areas as even directly west of where we are looking at is the cypress lake area homes which are still really nice homes in the 4-500k range and they certainly do not look ghetto to me.

How are the "criminals" affording to live in areas like cypress lakes ?
Could there be some exaggerating going on here ?
I certainly want to know what people think of an area, just hopefully factual data

[blueyfisher]

Ok my curiosity was peaked to dig a little deeper on Pompano isles,
I am aware that others may want to look at this area for themselves and so i thought i would call the
Broward Sherrifs Office to get their take.
I just got off the phone with an officer that knows the area well
this is what i was told.

That area is very low crime and most of the calls they get to go out there, which are not very often are for medical issues.
The surrounding neighborhood directly west in cypress lakes is also a good area with very little crime.

The biggest fear for my wife would be a home break in, while i am away from the house.

i was told that they are almost non existant in those areas and that most of the crime we hear about would be west of Dixie.

So there it is from the horses mouth so to speak.
Hope this helps others asking the same questions about east pompano.

[Nolefan34]

blueyfisher-

There are a handful of posters on here, including vr2, who are convinced that because they read a newspaper and it said Pompano Beach is high in crime, that they know everything. The reality is that the eastern portion of Pompano Beach, which is to the east of Dixie Highway, is a very safe place and is pretty nice.

vr2 apparently went on a ride along with a police officer who told him crime is terrible all over Pompano. Well what does he expect the officer to say? There's no crime? Every police officer thinks crime is horrible where they are.

I bet you if you visited Pompano Isles, where you are looking to live, and you visited the other 2 locations you're interested in, you would think Pompano Isles is the most attractive area of the 3.

[Nolefan34]

Originally Posted by DavidSM

Yes, there are pockets of very nice areas, but you still have to drive through ghetto to get to the main highways or other places of importance. Let's say the area can be considered little Haiti or little Jamaica. Few Americans in Pompano Beach.

Actually, you are completely wrong. You don't need to drive through the ghetto in any part of Pompano to get to main highways. If you live east along the water in the nicer parts, you just have to stay on the main highways such as Atlantic Blvd, Cypress Creek Road, Copans Road, or Sample Road and it is very safe. You don't need to turn off into any ghetto's.

The shopping areas along US1 are very safe. I've spent a lot of time in Eastern Pompano as I have some friends who live there. I've walked the streets there. Never encountered any crime. Never had anyone try and pick pocket me or jump me. I see white blonde haired women jogging along US1 and A1A. They seem to be comfortable.

In fact, Eastern Pompano has very few bums hanging around on the streets like you see in Fort Lauderdale and Hollywood.

[SierraDog]

Originally Posted by blueyfisher

Thanks SierraDog

Some really helpful info there.
Lauderdale isles is off the list now, what you and others have said about that area has been confirmed in our talks today with someone out there and so that is leaving us with Pompano isles and Citrus and possibly lighthouse point as our best options.

With Pompano isles, and the negative reviews i am finding it curious that posters are saying you are next to Bad areas as even directly west of where we are looking at is the cypress lake area homes which are still really nice homes in the 4-500k range and they certainly do not look ghetto to me.

How are the "criminals" affording to live in areas like cypress lakes ?
Could there be some exaggerating going on here ?
I certainly want to know what people think of an area, just hopefully factual data

What I had noticed in the Cypress Isles /Garden Isles area just west of U.S. 1 is a lot of marginal looking apartment complexes scattered around the area. We drove through there at night to check out the security, and were not 100 percent comfortable. Yes there are plenty of very nice waterfront homes, but you just need to drive around and judge your own comfort level.

If you can manage to buy something east of U.S. 1, you'll be fine. We looked at a rental there a while back, in the Isles neighborhood east of U.S. and south of Copans I think, we'd have loved to buy something there would that we could afford it. The ocean access makes that a very desirable area.

[Nolefan34]

If you are south of Copans Rd, the areas on both sides of US1 are decent. North of Copans Road, the areas East of US1 seem good but west of US1 the area declines precipitously. South of Copans Road, the areas from the ocean all the way west towards Dixie Highway are pretty nice. Once you get within a few blocks of Dixie Highway, the neighborhood gradually becomes ghetto.

[sofla951]

blueyfisher I would recommend you visit these areas that's the best way to get a feel for these areas and to see if you feel unsafe there. I vastly prefer Pompano Isles out of the three. Pompano is rough west of Dixie save for Palm Aire. East Pompano is not dangerous especially Pompano Isles area which is right along the intercoastal. Please visit the area and you will see how ridiculous some of the posters on this forum are..... but I guess they have to find reasons to convince themselves its worth living out west versus east.

[sofla951]

Originally Posted by SierraDog

What I had noticed in the Cypress Isles /Garden Isles area just west of U.S. 1 is a lot of marginal looking apartment complexes scattered around the area. We drove through there at night to check out the security, and were not 100 percent comfortable. Yes there are plenty of very nice waterfront homes, but you just need to drive around and judge your own comfort level.

If you can manage to buy something east of U.S. 1, you'll be fine. We looked at a rental there a while back, in the Isles neighborhood east of U.S. and south of Copans I think, we'd have loved to buy something there would that we could afford it. The ocean access makes that a very desirable area.

Where are these marginal looking apartments......they are definitely not scattered throughout the area and all I have to is get a link to a zoning map to show this statement to be incorrect. Except for along 11th avenue before the bridge to enter in Garden Isles/Cypress Harbor its all single family homes.

[blueyfisher]

Originally Posted by sofla951

blueyfisher I would recommend you visit these areas that's the best way to get a feel for these areas and to see if you feel unsafe there. I vastly prefer Pompano Isles out of the three. Pompano is rough west of Dixie save for Palm Aire. East Pompano is not dangerous especially Pompano Isles area which is right along the intercoastal. Please visit the area and you will see how ridiculous some of the posters on this forum are..... but I guess they have to find reasons to convince themselves its worth living out west versus east.

Thanks Sofla, Yes i am planning on getting out there very soon and having a good look around. I agree you have to go and look for yourself and get a feel for an area and i will certainly be doing that and really taking time to know the areas first.
I understand people have differing opinions about things but in doing my own homework now and talking to the authorities that work in those areas day in and day out for a living, i think i will take their opinion along with yours and a few others on here and give that area very serious consideration.

Thanks to you and others for helping to shorten the learning curve for us.