Does anyone of you feel like South Florida is a dead end like a dead end street? (Miami: best city, apartments)

[Lost in Translation]

Originally Posted by Caleb Longstreet

I could go on for days regarding South Florida. Oh, how I hate it so. It's the people that grind your gears, period. It's the only place I know where you can spend over $200/night for a hotel and get treated poorly.

I've written volumes about South Florida, look them up. Regardless of how you feel, you will laugh your rear off. 8 years....felt like I got paroled when I left. I got down there in 89 and wanted to leave within a year...unfortunately, it took 7 more to get out. Most companies will relo you down but precious few will take you out. It leaves them with a hole that is hard to fill....but I digress....

Leave as soon as you can. It's just not worth it. The man is right. There are truly 2 classes. But the following statement kind of says it all.....

If you were to walk down Federal Highway on a Sunday afternoon and yell, "stop thief", probably half the folks walking would run....there's a reason that the show COPS spends most episodes down there. There's always a plethora of crack heads with split lips ready to go on camera about how their wife-beating spouse just laid her out....

That and their stylish attire....always a guy without a t-shirt, always a pencil-think crack headed woman going on about he has to change.....jeeeez, why would he....best thing one can say is "what's a matter, didn't she listen?"

Oh....the flavor of South Florida.....hey, and if your company bills anyone for anything, good luck in getting paid. You'll spend 1/2 your time collecting and enjoy a good 5-7% bad debt write down...get used to it.....

Man, you just made my day. I'm so glad I left it 11 years ago....the nightmares are almost gone....good luck!

Another proxy malcontent who spends his time here spewing hatred of a place he has long, long ago abandoned. Ah, the mystery of it all....

[NEWTOSFLA]

just an update, i may have to stay here longer, because of the my baby's father..errrrrr!!!..
Does anyone know of a decent place to rent preferably north broward. My budget $600-750--1 bedroom. I would love to live in a mixed area with some children, right now i live in east fort lauderdale...not family friendly..any suggestions y'all....oh and i prefer to rent to a private owner

[Caleb Longstreet]

Originally Posted by Lost in Translation

Another proxy malcontent who spends his time here spewing hatred of a place he has long, long ago abandoned. Ah, the mystery of it all....

Mal-content who left but still goes down there routinely....hey, everyone is entitled to their opinions. Even you. Even me. There is no mystery. I'll say it like it is.

It's/was a great place to ***** around. Can't argue that....like all single havens, expensive. There's more credit-card eating bimbo's down there than AMEX/MasterCard and Visa could possibly handle and yet, they keep coming.

Enjoy it if you like. I enjoyed the diving off Elliott Key and below. Great fun that was. However, you have to work and "live" there. Neither seemed all that great. And I did give it 8 full years and 11 since. Not much has changed, just more bad debt.

But don't take my word for it. Get out there and sell something down there would ya'. Always an interesting mix between the 3-week tenured Receptionists to the AP folks to the ever elusive tenants.

Now, I go down there and it doesn't even bother me. Actually, I rather enjoy it. No shortage of folks to bring back the awful memories on a daily basis but there is hope. I now laugh.

Kind of like WC Fields' quote when accosted by a women who accused him of being drunk when he leveled the comment about her being ugly...."yes madam but, in the morning I'll be sober!"......yeah, that's kind of how I see it.....I might have to work the area but, I can always smile as I know I'm LEAVING shortly and within a couple of hours, I'm back to a more normal lifestyle....as defined by the other 70% of the US population.

It's all yours my friend....it's all yours....

[RMD3819]

Chelsa-are you still moving here?

[Shoegal1075]

Still trying why do you have a job for me? LOL - I'm trying to figure things out - with the economy it is difficult to leave a good job and say let me hope for the best.

[JSnFla]

chelsea1075 DO NOT LEAVE NY for florida.....florida is a DEAD END....PERIOD.....im form NY and i know this....stay in NY...or come here learn your lesson and go back...youll end up in north carolina...DONT move to FLORI-DUH

[RMD3819]

Originally Posted by Chelsa1075

Still trying why do you have a job for me? LOL - I'm trying to figure things out - with the economy it is difficult to leave a good job and say let me hope for the best.

No-sorry, I don't have a job for you.

Do not, no matter what, move here without a secure job or a huge wad of cash. There are many, many posts on this forum (especially the main FL forum) about people who move here without jobs, housing, or family support.

They all share something in common: They move here to escape the cold and/or life. They use phrases like "stepping out on faith", "fresh start", "I'm a hard worker and will work any job.".

Then they arrive and discover the reality of the payscales, housing costs, poor schools, cost of living etc. Life in Florida is not like on the postcards.

And this was during the boom economy.

Florida is a beautiful place to live, and you don't need to be a zillionaire. You have to have realistic expectations. Don't let the weather hypnotize you.

In your situation, you appear to have common sense and not move until your job is in place. I commend you for that. Don't get impatient and move here prematurely.

Do you have a husband or boyfriend that needs work also? If so, what field?

[Shoegal1075]

Yes, my husband needs work as well. He is a steamfitter/pipefitter/hvac mechanic/plumber. I put all of those because it seems that plumbers do all the stuff the only steam/pipefitters do here in NY. Either way he is versed in all of that with over 12 years experience and time in the Union.

RM - believe me i'm not living in a fantasy world at all. I know that I'm going to struggle in Florida the same way I do here. I understand everyone when they say that the housing prices are inflated in comparison to your pay. They are here as well believe me. I did a salary compare on the net and my 85K is equivalent to about 55K in Florida. Now that being said, the difference is what native floridians and people who have lived there for a while take for granted. 2 bathrooms in an apartment versus 1, w/d/dishwasher in your home, versus goint to the laundromat every week, a pool, tennis court, basketball court, play area for the kids, gym, etc. All of this is in your apartment complex and a lot of home with HOA's have this too. Now let me tell you what I get in my Queens apartment. It is about 1000sq ft (give or take). I have one really nice sized bedroom that I had to take because I have a king bed that would not fit into the 9 by 11 room my 2 boys share, it has 2 closets that are shallow but tall so not really practical, my boys don't even have closets (poor kids). My living room is also tiny, I fit an apartment size sofa and one chair in there. I have something that a lot of apartments don't have in Queens, a dining room, so that is a nice plus. My kitchen is maybe 5 by 8, but it is open to the living room so it appears bigger, but I don't have much cupboard space. Oh I have 1 nice size bathroom, but it is the size of the extra bath in the average Florida apartment, well a little bigger, but not much believe me. All of this for 1500$ a month. Can I get that in NYC? Sure if I live in a building and pay between 3k and 5k a month. Now do you see what I mean. I know the whole story about kids not going out cuz it is so hot, but if you have a pool at least you have an option. When it is cold here there are no options, hell there are not many options for pools either. You couldn't pay me to go to the public pools where I live. It is just very different here and it isn't the way I want my kids to grow up.

I don't have the personality to throw caution to the wind and just go, part of me wishes I could do that, but with 2 little people who depend on me to make intelligent decisions, I can't do that. So, I will bide my time and keep searching for a job that will pay me a decent wage.

[Shoegal1075]

You know what - I wouldn't mind NC - I just don't want to be in NY anymore. I would prefer NC, Virginia, MD even texas, but my DH will only go where his family is. The life here has taken its toll on me. I know you guys feel like that, but I have a support system there, so I am pretty sure I'll be okay. I live here in NYC with NO ONE. An opportunity will present itself when the time is right. I'm sure of it.

[Lost in Translation]

Originally Posted by Chelsa1075

An opportunity will present itself when the time is right. I'm sure of it.

Chelsa - if you want it bad enough it will happen!