Plantation vs. Weston (Davie: hoa, gated, houses)

[Robbied]

I like Plantation much better. HOmes start at 800-900k in Hawkes Landing and it is a nice community with nice people, at least the ones I know . In weston you have Windmill Ranches (more snobby, less friendly). Hawkes Landing is closer to 595/ whereas Windmill is closer to 75 . Both have easy access to get to downtown courthouse area.

I enjoyed living in Plantation more so. I am happiest now out West in Davie.

[compelled to reply]

The Windmills aren't any more or less friendly than Hawks Landing, and the houses are certainly nicer (they are actually custom homes). Let's face it, neither community is known for being "friendly". If you want down to earth in that price range, than thats what SW Ranches, west Davie and to a lesser extent Plantation Acres are for. Hawks Landing is like the tract homes sections of Weston Hills (heck even one of the upscale sections of Savanna) for a Windmill Reserve price to me. To me the advantage of Plantation is that it isn't about gated communities...

[JSnFla]

isnt everybody in broward county super friendly, trustworthy and kind?

[compelled to reply]

Originally Posted by JSnFla

isnt everybody in broward county super friendly, trustworthy and kind?

Oh yeah, of course. If you meant the inverse of that.

But really my neighbors are like that, I swear! I just won't say exactly where I live, I want it to stay that way! It doesn't really exist, mmmkay?

But yeah, most people are not naive enough to move to South Florida for warm and friendly people, nor are they naive enough to think there is a place where every other person is warm and friendly.

[casualobserver]

Thanks for your insights, gang. I know the school thing is pre-emminent for a lot of folks, but my daughter is already fixing teeth for a living. Eventually, I'll have to get my keister out of downtown and look around out west to get a sense of these neighborhoods. I am most attracted to the Weston Hills course and I've got a 4 bedroom house with a basement filled to the gills in New England, so that's why I am looking for some non-traditionally SE Florida square footage.

Some trees would be nice, but I've noticed up in Coral Ridge that too much shade tends to produce a funky looking lawn underneath. I can take or leave the gate thing, but what do you guys mean by restrictive HOA covenants? I don't have an RV to park or a moon bounce to put on the front lawn, so I need to know why I should fear these. Admittedly, the one Weston gate I was able to get past did tend to have the houses awfully close together except for some irregular lots....I would enjoy not hearing my neighbors conversations (or vice-versa), but I am happy to leave my acre of lawn behind in NE.

I understand that if I buy something built 2000 or later, I will have a more hardened house. Otherwise, I understand it's about 50-60K to retrofit to best wind-resistant standards...ergo, Weston seems to win that one.

I understand what is being said about cookie-cutter similarity in Weston, but
if we're also saying Plantation Acres/Westport/Hawks gets me less modern and less square footage than Weston for a similar cost, then I'm still undecided for the moment.

[compelled to reply]

Plantation in GENERAL wont get you less square footage. Anything after 1997 is also plenty fine, really anything after 92. Westport I believe was built within that timeframe, as are a lot of the homes in Plantation Acres (which are on, as suggested in the name, acres of land). A lot of homes in Plantation Acres were also built in the 70s or before, and those houses are built like tanks (even better than current homes). I wouldn't touch anything built in the 80s or early 90s if your in that price range.

Davie gives you the best value per square foot. And yes, the lowest "rude people rate" if that's your only priority. I actually kind of like the "rude" people here. I don't really need my ass wiped for me when I go to Subway, nor do I need to make lifelong friends. I just want to get in and get out and I find that is the pace this area operates on. "Rude" to someone who does not accept anything less than the utmost in phony hospitality but completely normal for most other people. Closer to a northeast feel. It's definitely not like, say, Miami, which kind of has the worst of both worlds...

[Rcm58]

Originally Posted by JSnFla

isnt everybody in broward county super friendly, trustworthy and kind?

Yes they are, head on over to Sistrunk Blvd, people come running up you won't even know.

[Momma_bear]

Originally Posted by AJGIANTS

yeah we are pretty much resigned to having to pay for private schools. but I thought maybe in weston we could get away with at least the elemenatry grades.

We kept our kids in public/charter schools through 5th grade and moved them for middle school. It wasn't the best, but it was acceptable. We still have one in elementary now.

[Momma_bear]

Originally Posted by casualobserver

Thanks for your insights, gang. I know the school thing is pre-emminent for a lot of folks, but my daughter is already fixing teeth for a living. Eventually, I'll have to get my keister out of downtown and look around out west to get a sense of these neighborhoods. I am most attracted to the Weston Hills course and I've got a 4 bedroom house with a basement filled to the gills in New England, so that's why I am looking for some non-traditionally SE Florida square footage.

Some trees would be nice, but I've noticed up in Coral Ridge that too much shade tends to produce a funky looking lawn underneath. I can take or leave the gate thing, but what do you guys mean by restrictive HOA covenants? I don't have an RV to park or a moon bounce to put on the front lawn, so I need to know why I should fear these. Admittedly, the one Weston gate I was able to get past did tend to have the houses awfully close together except for some irregular lots....I would enjoy not hearing my neighbors conversations (or vice-versa), but I am happy to leave my acre of lawn behind in NE.

I understand that if I buy something built 2000 or later, I will have a more hardened house. Otherwise, I understand it's about 50-60K to retrofit to best wind-resistant standards...ergo, Weston seems to win that one.

I understand what is being said about cookie-cutter similarity in Weston, but
if we're also saying Plantation Acres/Westport/Hawks gets me less modern and less square footage than Weston for a similar cost, then I'm still undecided for the moment.

Hawks will get you less square footage for the same price and same small lot as Weston. However, the houses are quite nice and modern.

Plantation Acres gives you more land and a slightly smaller house for the same money without restrictive HOA covenants.

Westport is much like Weston without the gates. It's pretty nice. When we looked there was little on the market there. I am sure things are different now.

Restrictive HOA covenants vary development. In Weston most communities have restrictions about maintaining landscaping, not parking trucks in the driveway, cleaning rooves, colors of houses, etc. Some people really do not like that sort of scrutiny. It doesn't bother us. You have to make your own decision.

if schools truly do not matter to you look at the area off of Fig Tree Lane, north of Broward Blvd. Very nice sized homes, on nice properties close to downtown.

[Cane Fan]

Originally Posted by casualobserver

Well, I'm here almost two months now and from the very beginning, I have been hearing a lot about Weston both in this forum and outside of it.

Nonetheless, as I dig a bit deeper, I'm now hearing about places called Hawkes Landing, Lago Del Mar, etc in Plantation. I'm also told it's a straight shot down Broward into downtown as opposed to needing to use 595.

Anybody care to throw out a comparison between these two communities?

Thanks in advance.

Weston is more upscale , has better schools and is safer than Plantation .... period .

Now that said I do like Plantation ... just like Weston much better .