Moving to FL and working in Sunrise- good areas for apts? (Fort Lauderdale: extended stay, real estate)

[christinealida]

I am moving from ATL to FL. I am working in Sunrise. I want to know a good area for an apartment with 20-30 year olds. What places are safe/fun/affordable (<$1,000-$1,200)? It doesn't have to be in Sunrise it can be in surrounding areas as well.

Any areas and apartment names would be great!

[ruski]

Plantation, Coral Springs, Davie come to mind.

[fkostas]

You would probably want to live in Ft Lauderdale if you're looking for a younger demographic and like to go out often. I also work in Sunrise, but I found the rents are higher there, and I prefer living in Ft. Lauderdale. The drive is easy, and you can find a good rental in your budget. If you stay east of US1, you won't have to worry about problem neighborhoods for the most part. You could likely get a large studio very near the beach if that's what you're looking for.

Try Poinsetta Heights, Coral Ridge, Victoria Park, and maybe even Lauderdale by the Sea. I used Craigs list to find my current apartment, but be wary as many listings are bait and switches. You may want to use an extended stay place until you're able to find what you want-I know there is one in Plantation. Once you're here, you can drive around neighborhoods you like, and probably see for rent signs.

[Thor88]

I am in my 20's. I work in Sunrise, and live in Fort Lauderdale. To me, living in East Lauderdale is the most ideal location in Broward. There are various neighborhoods that have lots of character; the area is walkable; lots of young students/professionals; lots of entertainment, restaurants, etc.; and most people are quite friendly.

Personally, I love Victoria Park. If you get in contact with a realtor who specializes in rental properties, you will find that there are tons of great apartments in East Lauderdale that are within your price range. There are large apartment buildings, garden style apartments, homes for rent, townhouses, etc.

The commute to Sunrise is 20-35 minutes depending on the time of day and the route you take. In comparison to other South Florida commuters, I think the trip from FTL to Sunrise hardly qualifies as a commute.

[Nolefan34]

Originally Posted by fkostas

You would probably want to live in Ft Lauderdale if you're looking for a younger demographic and like to go out often. I also work in Sunrise, but I found the rents are higher there, and I prefer living in Ft. Lauderdale. The drive is easy, and you can find a good rental in your budget. If you stay east of US1, you won't have to worry about problem neighborhoods for the most part. You could likely get a large studio very near the beach if that's what you're looking for.

Try Poinsetta Heights, Coral Ridge, Victoria Park, and maybe even Lauderdale by the Sea. I used Craigs list to find my current apartment, but be wary as many listings are bait and switches. You may want to use an extended stay place until you're able to find what you want-I know there is one in Plantation. Once you're here, you can drive around neighborhoods you like, and probably see for rent signs.

I disagree with you completely. Fort Lauderdale is NOT cheaper than Sunrise. Ft. Lauderdale is the most expensive area of Broward County. It will be extremely difficult, if not impossible, to find a decent apartment for under $1200 anywhere in Ft. Lauderdale that's not in a bad neighborhood. The best area for young people by far is Las Olas, and I have never seen rents in good buildings there under $1700 per month. The only exception might be Alexan Solmar which is a newer building. Either you dish out $1700+ per month, or you live in the ghetto. You can rent at Port Royale for around $1000 a month, but that is located 15 minutes north of downtown.

Sunrise on the other hand, you should be able to find decent newer apartments for under $1000 per month. It is much cheaper to live in Sunrise. You should also check out Plantation, Davie, and Coral Springs. Plantation and Davie have tons of apartment communities that are around $1000-1200 per month. Coral Springs is even cheaper, but is a bit far from the action. Most of the action for young people, as far as bars and clubs, happens at Las Olas, Ft. Lauderdale Beach, and Seminole Hard Rock.

[fkostas]

I disagree with you completely.

Feel free to do so. I was unable to find a studio apartment anywhere in a decent area of Sunrise for less than $950.00, yet found one in a great neighborhood in Ft Lauderdale for a meager $700.00. Sunrise is mainly single family homes and apartment communities from the 1980s. Ft Lauderdale has a a much greater mix of housing opportunities.

ETA: I don't live any where near the "ghetto". You really don't know Ft Lauderdale as well as you think you do.

[2ForTheSea]

Three years ago I lived in a small 1/1 on Isle of Venice right off of Las Olas and it was $900 per month. Right on a canal. The building was from the 60s and had character for sure, but there was a nice small pool as well as a laundry room and assigned parking. The buildings on my street ranged from kind of dumpy to ultra luxurious. The kicker though was that we looked across the canal to the backyards and pools of multi million dollar homes and they had to look at us!

Isle of Venice and Hendricks Isle have some small, older yet affordable for the area places to rent.

[SierraDog]

Originally Posted by 2ForTheSea

Three years ago I lived in a small 1/1 on Isle of Venice right off of Las Olas and it was $900 per month. Right on a canal. The building was from the 60s and had character for sure, but there was a nice small pool as well as a laundry room and assigned parking. The buildings on my street ranged from kind of dumpy to ultra luxurious. The kicker though was that we looked across the canal to the backyards and pools of multi million dollar homes and they had to look at us!

Isle of Venice and Hendricks Isle have some small, older yet affordable for the area places to rent.

Good call. Some of the buildings are a bit dated but I have seen good deals there and have had friends live there. You can't beat the location, and there are probably pretty good deals to be had when you are looking in the summer off-season.
There are also some older condo buildings around Coral Ridge and Galt Ocean Mile that rent for quite reasonable prices, and there you are near or on the water and the location and environment is great compared to a boring sterile apt complex with no character. A friend of mine rents a big two bedroom ocean front condo in a Galt Mile building with 2 bedrooms and 1500 s.f., for $1400 or thereabouts. She found this deal in the off-season. She has noticed more and more younger people moving into that area.

Listening to NPR this morning it seems apartment rents have risen 20 percent in Broward over the past couple of years, so the great deals may be becoming fewer.

[Nolefan34]

Rents have gone up substantially in the last few years. An apartment that cost $950 per month 3 years ago is probably closer to $1100 today. It is true that you have far more selection of apartments in Ft. Lauderdale. But in general, rents are higher for less of an apartment in Ft. Lauderdale. I can think of a few apartment complexes in Sunrise off the top of my head where rents are around $900, but in Ft. Lauderdale all $900 gets you is an efficiency or a small apartment with no amenities.

[Thor88]

Overall, the rents in the Broward suburbs versus downtown Fort Lauderdale are not that far apart. You have to be persistent in your search, but solid deals can certainly be found in FTL. And while there may be certain apartments that are very inexpensive on paper in Sunrise and out west, be mindful that your neighbors will be a different breed from what you will get in FTL.

The way I see it, East Fort Lauderdale is the only area of Broward that has character in its neighborhoods and real estate. The Broward suburbs all have the same look and feel to them, and are all becoming rundown. Houses and apartments out there that were nice when they were first built are now depressing to look at.