Miramar (West), FL to DT Miami

[MisterNY]

Originally Posted by crisp444

Bad trafic is Kendall's biggest problem. The extension of 836 out to SW 137 Ave. has alleviated some of the surface street traffic during rush hours, but in general you are right that south of 836 there really aren't any good E-W options to get across town fast. But isn't this a problem in Miramar and Pembroke Pines as well? I hear Pines Boulevard during rush hours is just as bad at Kendall Drive.

That's exactly what some planners wanted to prevent in the mid to late 90s; Pembroke Pines/West Miramar becoming another Kendall Dr. But greed and carelessness superceded everything else.

So yes, to a certain extent West Miramar and Pembroke Pines have similar issues Kendall has, except of course they are smaller, nicer, cleaner and less run down than many parts of Kendall. And yes, Pines Blvd is a nightmare to a certain extent on most days around 7-8am and 5-6pm.

[StilltheSame]

If you are headed south on Miramar Parkway - it is the worst, Pines is bad and if there is an accident - dont even bother. That being said, it doesnt come close to the disaster that is Kendall.

[compelled to reply]

Originally Posted by StilltheSame

If you are headed south on Miramar Parkway - it is the worst

I agree! It's probably best to flow with the traffic- east or west!

Anyway, take Pembroke Rd, that's the best option. It's usually not too congested and traffic lights are timed well. Pines Blvd (as mentioned) sucks. Miramar Pkwy hasn't had bad traffic in my experience, but it does has awfully sequenced traffic lights and loads of hidden traffic cops.

[305guy]

No road in Broward is as congested and backed up as Kendall Drive is. Kendall Drive is a parking lot all the way from 147 ave to 87 Ave at any time of day. Is this the character that Crisp is referring to that Miramar lacks? Same as kendall, just not as run down and congested.

[crisp444]

The great majority of Kendall isn't gated, and although most of it is very suburban and auto-oriented, it isn't cookie-cutter. Some of the brand-new stuff in far west Kendall by SW 157 Ave. is just as bad as West Miramar. Most of Kendall, fortunately, is older, more lived-in, and not quite as hostile to the pedestrian/biker as West Miramar. And where in Kendall is run-down? I can think of only a few very small areas of working/lower-middle class apartment complexes that qualify. The great majority of Kendall is well-kept, but not sterile. To illustrate my point, compare Pembroke Lakes (area between Pines and Sheridan, east of Flamingo) to the gated, new stuff west of I-75. Personally, I find Pembroke Lakes FAR nicer than the cookie-cutter gated stuff... but I know, I know... most people will disagree with me.

[305guy]

Well it's subjective I guess but I disagree that Kendall has character over Miramar because it doesn't have gated communities and it is "lived-in". Kendall has the same cookie-cutter subdivisions called silly things like :Mansions II and Winston Park. Kendall's "run-down" area is off 152 ave north of kendall drive with those hideous apartments next to that new library they put up. There is also a behemoth apartment complex off 136 ave that looks like a prison due to the 6 foot fence.

I'm not saying all of kendall is run-down, but kendall is just older, traffic is terrible, lanes are really narrow and there was terrible planning. There was growth and expansion in mind when West Miramar was developed as traffic isn't that bad. In the end, I think they are both "cookie-cutter", just that West Miramar is newer, cleaner and planned. And at least they made bike lanes as no sane person would ever ride a bike in kendall.

[TrafficTime]

I agree Crisp444, West Kendall does have more character than West Miramar. East Miramar has potential. Guess I'm just a fan of the 50s-70s ranch houses, and both West Kendall and East Miramar have those. West Miramar is sort of sterile and bland. It seems cold and the maximum security gated communities seem a little much for me--I mean especially if you're living in a townhouse--what exactly are you trying to protect? Kendall gets a bad wrap, mostly because of the heinous traffic. But after you drive through it for a while you're numb to it, and you learn back routes, etc., that being said, I think its time for us to move.

[compelled to reply]

East Miramar has a very convenient location and at least compared to similar working-class areas in Broward and NE Dade, it isn't all-around crime ridden. I could see a renaissance in the next 10 or so years because of the location being relatively central and the housing being of decent quality despite it's age. West Miramar is pleasant in the same way that a nicely decorated hospital lobby is. I prefer it to west Kendall (like 305guy said not as much traffic, cleaner) but not at all to east Kendall. Still, the layout is decent for what it is and they seem to be doing a nice job developing the new town center. If you are moving up to Broward and want a newer area, I would look more at Weston, however, which is only another 10 minutes up I-75.

As far as Pines Blvd/west Miramar becoming like Kendall Dr, it will never happen as the whole area is as built as it's ever going to get now and the traffic is still much better. There is a tiny, tiny bit of developable land left off of Miramar Pkwy west of Red Rd and that's about it.