Orlando, Fortlauderdale or Atlanta? (Jacksonville, Tampa: appointed, schools, quality of life)

[compelled to reply]

Originally Posted by staywarm2

Very few people FEAR Hispanics, they just don't like hearing Spanish spoken so prevalently.

So you fear the Spanish language? . . Seriously though, it's a preference. Some people can take it, and some can't...which is why I warn.

In my opinion, Weston would be too bland for me if it wasn't for that Latin flair to it. It adds a different feeling that I really enjoyed, upscale and Latin rarely coexist in the US. I would just live in PBC where most of my family lives. Wellington is practically the same thing, but the people there are the same as any other place in the US as are the businesses. If I had a family with kids I might live there but I could never live there now, just too bland. The appeal of this area to me was that everyone wasn't the same, although it helped that I didn't/still don't have any communication issues with people and I'm still not exactly a minority (there are more non-Hispanics than Hispanics and there are other types of people here too)... Well the central location helped more than anything lol.

I was just using Weston as my example because that's where I located. I like the mix all around the area too. Orlando has that too but you actually get the impression that people of different cultures TEND to get along here, and I found that people were open minded. I never felt that in Orlando and CERTAINLY not in Atlanta.

I guess it's subjective. To each their own .

[vcooney]

it's the perfect blend "beach towm/ city nigths"
I have 2 kids and every weekend we are doing something.
A lot of parks, free beach! and toms of cultural activities
If your inner city girl wants to come out at nigth and
go out with your husband to the new hip club or restaurant,
there is allways something new!

[CrystalLopez]

I am from the Greater Fort Lauderdale area (9 years), and i currently live in Orlando (3 years) so i believe i am more than adequately familiar with both of these places.

Despite having a deep rooted hatred for South Florida i do agree with 'compelled to reply' in saying that Fort Lauderdale is the safest place to live.

Keep in mind, however, that just like in every city it depends where you are exactly. Areas like Davie, Weston, Plantation, Sunrise, Dania Beach and Hollywood are all good choices. Stay away from Margate, Lauderhill, East Miramar, some not-too-nice areas in Hollywood, Oakland Park, and Lauderdale by the sea. Nicely put, these places are the ghetto's. Not as bad as "real" Miami ghettos, but still pretty bad. Not the place you want to raise a little girl.

I don't recommend West Miramar, and Pembroke Pines just because it is way too overcrowded and the prices of homes are just not worth it. Although, high housing prices is pretty common throughout all of south florida at this point. The schools are not the best, unless you enroll in the charter school (hands down, best decision you can make for her education!) which is the best! However, Charter is known to have an extensive waiting list if you don't get your child into the elementary school at an early age.

Orlando is crime ridden everywhere. Do not be lured by Disney or the tourist area. I hear about so many crimes on a daily basis (and i live in the better area) that it is honestly making me lose my faith in humanity. In November, the apartment right below mine was robbed in broad daylight. All four people in the apartment were duct tapped to their dining room chairs and held at gunpoint while they cleaned out. I came home to a crime scene and freaked out! And if it couldn't get any worse no one here knows how to drive. It's a wonder how people get their drivers licenses these days! Celebration is a pretty nice area near Disney. I imagine that because it is near Disney it probably has a lower crime rate than other areas, but that could be completely wrong. In Celebration you are close to everything except downtown (where you aren't missing anything), and UCF.

wow. now that i am reading this over i realized how negative i was!
sorry for the negativity, but this is the brutal honesty of what my experiences have lead me to feel for these places. i am counting down the days until i leave Orlando for good!

[compelled to reply]

Wait, Sunrise is OK but Margate isn't? Lauderdale By The Sea?!??!?!?!?!?!?! . There are sections of Sunrise that I wouldn't even touch (east of University) while most of Margate is kind of run down but not even close to unsafe. Granted the nice parts of Sunrise are nicer than anything in Margate but neither cities are even close to hard core ghettos (sans that section of Sunrise that is considered part of the "deepside").

[CrystalLopez]

Yeah, you are right.

I suppose i was only thinking about the nicer areas of Sunrise. Just like in every city, though, there are bad parts and good parts. Margate is definately run down and every time i have been there i just want to get out asap. That's why i put it in my "bad" list. And you are absolutely right, these places aren't hard core ghettos like (gasp) carol city, but to me they are definately some of the stand outs of the not so nice areas of Broward County.

[editorguy]

Originally Posted by CrystalLopez

Lauderdale by the sea. Nicely put, these places are the ghetto's.

I don't mean to offend, but I have to take issue with this characterization of Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, which is a funky little beach town with a lot of vacationers and seasonal residents. True, many of the buildings there are older, but the atmosphere certainly isn't rundown or dangerous.

Perhaps the poster meant Lauderdale Lakes or Lauderhill, which have their share of questionable areas.

[CrystalLopez]

dang.

i knew i forgot to address something in my response to 'compelled to reply'.

i DID mean Lauderhill.

thanks for pointing that out!!

sorry about that!

[**NoodLes**]

For the love of God please do not move to OrlandoRico, you WILL regret it!

[PBCboy]

My vote is going out to Fort Lauderdale. Central Florida blows and I wouldn't want to deal with the southerners in Georgia.

[REMiROMJONI]

Originally Posted by amhn

We currently live in Jacksonville area and are looking to relocate. We have been looking at the Orlando, Fort Lauderdale and possibly the Atlanta area. Looking for advice in regards to quality of life. We are have job opportunities in all these areas and because we also have a little daughter, we also have to consider schools, housing, safety and as mentioned quality of life. We are looking to rent first and then buy. We are usually bored on the weekends in Jacksonville, so someplace with much more to do both for adults and children would be great for us.

Miami is in the process of self-implosion, both financially and socially. The aftermath of the RE market have left over 50,000 hi-end condos, 70% purchased to flip, empty. At night you drive through downtown and see about 10 to 15 high-end condo buildings, some with 30+ stories completely dark, except maybe for one or two occupied units.

In the last four years the saturation of traffic, cost of living, crime, and road-rage demeanor is frightening. Several prominent articles in newspaper track the Exodus from Miami. Gay life evaporated in the process, and social interaction with what remains is difficult at best.

I moved temporarily to Wellington with a sister in order to take care of my ill mother. I soon discovered gay life here is non-existent; that is the gay/bar scene. I did find however a great deal of gays interested achieving long term goals than just getting ready for another alcohol binge night. You know, the perennial classic free-drinks between 9-12 on Thursday night mentality.

I must admit for a while I missed that hedonistic, self-indulged personality I thrived on in my 20's, but I think I a bit wiser. That life provided no return on investment.

I did rent an a very nice apartment for two month; that's all I could take of Ft. Lauderdale. Ft. Lauderdale's Gay life is transient at best.

It's one of Gay's epicenter in the US, soon to reach critical mass: It just feels like a huge group of atamatons; sequential, mechanical, predictable: A decentralized society, without cohesion living together. This in turn creates by proxy the circular reference of The Gym, a trick, and 241 happy hours; been there, done that.

After I returned back to Wellington, I decided to purchase a home, and move my great mom with me. She's well now and an excellent cook. I am now in the process of working with gay activist groups here that really share a genuine concern for gays to give something back to the entire community, not just gays.

Hope this helps.

REMI