24 yr old mother & Best Friend Mving 2 Ft Lauderdale (Need INFO.... HELP!!) (Jacksonville: relocate)

[Lucky730]

Hi everybody!!! Im frm a small town in Texas (San Angelo), My daughter (5), My BEST friend of 10yrs, and myself are making the BIGGEST MOVE of our lives to FL. I hve jst recently gotten a divorce, and my best friend came up with the idea "NEW YEAR-NEW PLACE-NEW LIFE" , and encouraged me to make a mve w/her to Ft Lauderdale, FL. I NEED help, though... We both hve looked at the statistics on the place as far as schools, pop, crime, etc. BUT, still wld like feedback frm the people who live or may hve lived there. We are young, so we wnt something w/lots of things to do, but also are very fam oriented, espicially when it comes to my daughter. Things hve jst been REAL tough for me these past few yrs, and I'm still young....I jst wnt a HEALTHY, HAPPY, FUN, and SAFE home for my daughter, best friend, and I. They are all I hve.....


P.S. I do appreciate everyones comments, but please jst be honest and not UGLY....It's not what u say it's how ya say it! Thanks again 4 taking time to read this. GOD BLESS....

[compelled to reply]

Here is what I have to say. If you are looking for an affordable place to raise your kids, start fresh, and find a job, Fort Lauderdale ain't it. If you can find a job that pays, about, say, 75 thousand a year, some areas can be surprisingly family friendly yet provide you close proximity to all of the action that is South Florida. If you can make that kind of income, look into the Cooper City/Davie area, which is the most affordable balance between decent (not crowded) schools, safety, overall family friendly, and location. However, South Florida is the last place I would be looking at if you are looking for a place to start fresh, build a career, and raise children. The cost of living here is very high; it would be about 1200 a month to find a 2 bedroom in those cities I mentioned, which are the most affordable cities, and general pay here is on the low side. While this can be an invigorating place to live, it's definitely not a startout/startover city.

The crime here isn't that bad. Statistically, the metro as a whole ranks about average. Like any other similar sized area, there are a set of neighborhoods you need to stay out of and you will be fine.

I would recommend looking elsewhere in Texas, maybe Houston? Tons of good jobs but very low cost of living and plenty to do, awesome place to start over.

[Lucky730]

Thanks...So basically you think I shld jst knock Florida off as a poss option all in all? Is there another place in FL you think might be somewhat of a better place to go, as far as in cost of living etc? Someone mentioned to me tht Jacksonville ws a nice and well-rounded place, but I heard that the crime rate is high and the school systems were poor....I don't mean to be bothersome, but what do you think?

DESPERATELY SEEKING CHANGE!!! lol

[compelled to reply]

Originally Posted by Lucky730

Thanks...So basically you think I shld jst knock Florida off as a poss option all in all? Is there another place in FL you think might be somewhat of a better place to go, as far as in cost of living etc? Someone mentioned to me tht Jacksonville ws a nice and well-rounded place, but I heard that the crime rate is high and the school systems were poor....I don't mean to be bothersome, but what do you think?

DESPERATELY SEEKING CHANGE!!! lol

You aren't bothersome at all .

The crime rate is high in and around JAX, and it is true that the schools are poor in Duval county. In Clay County however, the schools are supposed to be quite good, and St. Johns County schools are among the best in the state. FL schools are now ranked about "average" nationally and Duval schools perform significantly below the state average. Broward (Ft. L) schools perform about/above average, but the high schools have a notoriously low graduation rate that ranks near the lowest in the country. JAX might be a good option for affordability, but the job market/pay scale is even lower. I think it's definitely easier to "make it" there than here though (I live outside Ft. L).

You COULD look into the Tampa area. It's moderately priced (a little above average, but not asinine like Fort Lauderdale), job pay is about the same, and there are some good school districts around. I personally love the N. Pinellas County area, very laid back, friendly people, sense of community, family oriented, excellent Greek food in Tarpon Springs, nice newer residential neighborhoods in Palm Harbor and East Lake and older homes in Dunedin and Tarpon Springs.

BUT, you guys should really think about Houston. I can't think of a better startup/ start over city. How far away do you guys live from Houston? Don't knock off Florida all together if you think it might be the right place, but weigh out all of the factors and see if you can make it before you take the plunge.

[Momma_bear]

My cousin lives in San Angelo and he found the prices rather high in Fort Lauderdale. If you have skills where you can get a good paying job, then come on down to Broward County. If not, I am sure there are other places to relocate. I am not that knowledgable about other parts of FL, but this area (Broward) is pretty expensive. I would NOT move here without a job.

Good luck with your move. I think it's a great idea to relocate and start over after a divorce, but be sure you have a job lined up and are educated about your new location.

[Lucky730]

Thank you SOOO much 4 your responses, they have been a BIG HELP! After talking to my best friend and discussing it with my mother, I think that Houston might be a little bit more reasonable and realistic....I have looked into it and your right, A LOT cheaper, and tons of things to do, for all of us! My mother is also pleased, it's ONLY 6 hours away from her (San Angelo). I will look more into it, though. It's a HUGE city I do want to make sure the schools systems are good for my baby- girl. I do have 1 question (IF YOU KNOW) what's the pay like? My field is banking, financing (auto/house) things of that nature...Again thank you all and take care!!

[compelled to reply]

Originally Posted by Lucky730

Thank you SOOO much 4 your responses, they have been a BIG HELP! After talking to my best friend and discussing it with my mother, I think that Houston might be a little bit more reasonable and realistic....I have looked into it and your right, A LOT cheaper, and tons of things to do, for all of us! My mother is also pleased, it's ONLY 6 hours away from her (San Angelo). I will look more into it, though. It's a HUGE city I do want to make sure the schools systems are good for my baby- girl. I do have 1 question (IF YOU KNOW) what's the pay like? My field is banking, financing (auto/house) things of that nature...Again thank you all and take care!!

Check out the Houston forum. I'm not sure about salaries, but Charlotte is another good place to go if you work in banking, as it is now second only to NYC in that industry. I would say this (S. Florida) can be a good place to go if you already have a high paying job rounded up, depending on what you want, but Houston, Atlanta, Charlotte, Austin, Dallas are THE start out cities. Fort Lauderdale may very well be the worst city in the country for a single mom starting over.

[Lucky730]

GREAT!! Will do, thanks!!