Relocating? Weston? (Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Plantation: rentals, low crime, townhouse)

[speechmommy]

My husband just received a job offer to transfer to a company in Miami- the Doral area to be specific. We are a family of 5 with three boys ages 6, 4, and almost 1. My husband is bilingual but I only speak English.
From my research it seems Broward county would be a better fit for us than Miami-Dade.

1. What would the commute time be for my husband going from Weston or Plantation to Doral for work each day?
2. Why do so many posts say Weston is so great?
3. We will rent first and our budget would be up to $2200. What are good family neighborhoods?
4. What are the best schools? My son has been in a kindergarten Spanish Immersion program in Texas. Does Broward county schools offer this type of program.
5. I won't work at first but I am a speech therapist who has worked in a hospital setting for 10 years. What are my chances of finding a job since I only speak English? I assumed they might be better in Broward County compared to Miami.
6. We are also considering Kendall Florida for a better commute for my husband. I worry about me finding a job and the schools in Miami Dade. Any thoughts on Kendall would be great.

Our priorities are good schools and family oriented neighborhoods with plenty of kids. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Scared to leave Texas

[ruski]

Hi Speechmommy, I live in Weston, and back in 2001-2004 I used to commute from Weston to Doral.

Weston is actually very nicely situated - there are two highways that you can take toward Doral - either I-75 or US-27. Closer to Doral, you have to jump from either one onto Florida's Turnpike for the last few highway miles.

It used to take me 45 minutes. Doral has become more congested since then, so now it will depend on where exactly in Doral his office is.

Weston is great because it:
- has good schools
- looks great
- is very well maintained
- is very safe (there are no bad areas)
- IMO is quite nicely situated geographically
- homes hold their value pretty well

Spanish immersion will come naturally - Weston's nickname is Westonzuela because there are a lot of people from Venezuela and Columbia live here (many are wealthy and well educated).

Most Weston's neighborhoods are kids oriented. My kids have had friends all over Weston, growing up.

I would suggest Savanna - a great neighborhood with a very nice commons area which includes a multi-pool complex.

The Ridges are also very nice.

Isles of Weston comes to mind too - very nice, and sits on a street that is a straight shot to US-27.

For rentals - look at the Courtyards at the Grove - it is a townhome community and many owners rent out their units.
Again, easy reach to either I-75 or US-27.

[ruski]

Oh, and

Weston, FL - Best Places to Live - Money Magazine

[wizrap]

I also commuted to Doral around this time last year from Weston -- did this for about a week. I think drive time from Weston to Doral is also going to depend on when your husband's shift begins and ends. It took me 45 fairly leisurely minutes to get to Doral (the Air Force base) from Weston, leaving at around 9:30 am. I wasn't hoofin' it. It took me about the same amount of time to return, leaving a bit after 4 pm. If your husband is leaving at peak traffic times (7:30 am and 5 pm) my guess would be that you could easily add at least another 30 minutes to the drive.

IMHO, Weston receives so many positive posts because it's family-friendly in many ways. It is considered to be a safe city, with a low crime rate by South Florida, and even national standards. Incidentally, it received a safety award from Neighborhood Scout, the website that compiles statistics on neighborhoods -- it was the only city in Broward County so honored. There are also several elementary schools throughout the city, most within walking distance in their neighborhoods, and I believe nearly all of them are "A rated." It is zoned for two highly ranked middle schools and two high schools. It is considered an affluent city -- I believe the latest US census data showed that the median salary was somewhere around $90,000 -- which is on the high side, especially for South Florida. It also is very "orderly." It is the only planned city in Broward County -- originally developed by the Arvida Corporation which owned Disney at one time, and it is a bit "Disney-esque." Lots of sidewalks, parks, trees, and strict zoning -- for some, it can be a bit much, the uniformity of it all, but I do like seeing the city always working on keeping the roads, parks and landscaping maintained. It also is a multi-cultural city -- about half of the residents are either Spanish or Spanish-speaking, mostly from South America. I pretty much have the United Nations of countries represented on my block, and I enjoy being among families that although do not share my background, do share my love for the neighborhood.

As far as neighborhoods and your budget ($2200 a month), the good news is that any neighborhood in Weston is considered "family friendly." It does not have any undesirable areas -- that's another nice thing about the city. However, your budget is going to be stretching it for a 3/2 -- I doubt you will find a 4/2 to rent at your price point. Your best bet is to go on the yellowkey website and type in what you are looking for and begin your search from there. The home next to me, a 3/2, was rented out for $2900 a month -- my guess is that you're looking at a townhouse at your price point.

As for schools, a really nice website that you can use to look at the boundaries, and Great Schools ratings is Redfin. Even though it doesn't list rentals, you can type in Weston, FL as your search, and then zoom in and click on the icons of the schools. You can read the comments from the parents too and look to see what special programs are offered. You can also look at the school's boundary, if a particular school is of interest to you. I took a quick peak at the Broward Schools website and saw that one elementary school that offered a Spanish-immersion program was Hawkes Bluff Elementary, which is just south of Weston, in western Davie, another nice area. You could also look in that area and see what rentals are zoned for that school, if that type of program is really important to you.

It's been a long time since I've done health care recruiting (I used to work in HR at a couple or so hospitals in South Florida) but I remember when we had an opening for a speech pathologist, I'd get a lot of resumes -- I don't know if the field is as competitive as it was back in the 80's (I am really dating myself!) I suspect your experience would be a plus -- and that if anything held you back, it would be your salary qualifications. Overall, South Florida is a health care mecca with many large hospitals, nursing homes, assisted living centers and physician practices of all specialties. I did a quick search and Holy Cross Hospital, located on the east side of Fort Lauderdale, is looking for someone to work per diem. Looks like some private practices were looking for someone too -- so I think you'd find something in Broward. I don't think it would be much different in Dade, at least not in health care -- other industries, I think you would see more of a preference for a Spanish-speaker.

As far as Kendall is concerned, that's a whole other county (Dade county) and different section of the Florida forum. You may find someone here in this section of the forum who has lived in both areas (Weston and Kendall) and can compare them for you, but your odds of getting a feel for Kendall is a lot better if you post your question in the Miami section, and then compare and contrast what you receive there with the comments you get here about Weston.

[speechmommy]

Thanks for all the information. According to Google Maps it is like a 30 min commute from Weston to Doral but I know real time is different. The cost of housing in South Florida is crazy compared to Texas. That is one of the biggest struggles with moving. Maybe we will get lucky and find a cheap gem.

[CrystalBond]

Just popping over, not to add any value - but simply to mention that the advice you've received about Weston is spot-on.

[OptimusPrime69]

Can't go wrong with Weston.

Only problem I have with it is it isn't closer to the beach!!! But that's just me. Otherwise, for a family, it's kinda perfect.

[ruski]

Not being close to the beach is not too bad... 25 min on I-595 and you are in Fort Lauderdale with some really nice beaches.

Some Weston residents are members of the Lago Mar beach club which has a really nice beach.

Here is what currently available for rent in $2000-$2200 price range (3-4BR).

Weston Rentals - $2000-$2200 - 3-4BR - 11 results

[jhlcomp]

Not only can you not go wrong with Weston (I have lived here for over 25 years) - the commute from Kendall to Doral can be just as long if not longer than from Weston to Doral.

Weston is so perfectly positioned to the airport - FLL (25 minutes) MIA (40 minutes) and to major highways. My husband and I have looked at other areas over the years and none have come close to the convenience of living in Weston. We are a beautifully manicured community, clean, good schools, great for families and all ages, excellent medical nearby, grocery stores etc.. If you want to go to Naples on the west coast (and great beaches) you are only 80 minutes away. Ft. Lauderdale beach 30 minutes.

We are a diverse community - and BTW we have lots of very good restaurants as well.

[amandaj001]

we are relocating from texas to miami as well and have considered moving to davie and weston. We are moving from TX and are a bit afraid ourselves. we have 2 boys that are going to be school aged and school districts are a big deal. Good luck!