Where are the best neighborhoods in South Florida? (Miami, Orlando: low income, section 8)

[Ginger_beauty]

I plan on moving to South Florida and I don't want to live in the ghetto or anything even close to it.
I'm 75% African American (25% Native American) and have grown up around low income people who didn't want to do anything with their lives.

I've done some research, and it seems like Pembroke Pines, Coconut Creek, Davie, and Hallandale would be places I'd like to move.
Are these cities ideal places to live in? Or are they bad neighborhoods as well?
What are some good neighborhoods? And I wouldn't exactly encounter racism would I? (Even though it is an extremely diverse Florida, I'm sure prejudices and stereotypes still probably do exist, I just want to know, but racism won't really stop me from moving at all)

I understand no place is perfect but the ghetto is the ghetto and I am straying far FAR away from that heh. I know how that type of living is and I refuse to live that way any longer.

<3

[StaceyThought]

Go to WESTON, FL

Weston FL (Florida) ZIP codes, schools, jobs, demographics & more

[vvolin]

There are many neighborhoods that are safe and nice to live in. "Bad" and "good" areas are often sketchy, more so as you get closer to the I95 corridor. The more west and more east you go, the more often you will find desirable neighborhoods. Where to look at depends on what you like. On this board many people like Weston. I don't, as I view it as suburbia. I like the coast line and the communities along the coast. The west is often chosen by families with children, the east by younger couples and singles. But this is a big generalization.

I realize that racism is pervasive in the American society, therefore I am not going to play down its role in perpetuating an economic and social status in the black communities around the country and maintaining certain model behaviors children absorb during their formative years.

With this said, you will find Broward Country much more welcoming to you than you may expect. I lived both in Wilton Manors on the water and in Hollywood on the intracoastal. These are both very desirable areas. I have always had black neighbors and I did not notice any racist attitude towards them from the rest of the neighbors. Both private schools I sent my children to had a very little representation of blacks, as it is expected because of the financial status difference, on average, among whites and blacks. However, the few African American families weren't even noticed, since the variety of ethnicities in some of those schools was huge.

Of course you will find jerks everywhere, and possibly many of those. But your life will be made up of just a few people in the end: your friends, nice neighbors, families you get to know from schools or activities or the gym. And to find open minded ones won't be too difficult in Broward.

I had a few experiences that bothered me immensely in the beginning. I am from northern Italy, many Americans can't tell a difference between Spanish and Italian, and I was sometimes treated poorly because they thought I was Hispanic. Then I learned that it is just a sign of ignorance and close mindedness, a shortcoming on their side, not mine, and learned to deal with it. In the end, those experiences, although painful at the time, were very rare, probably more so than if I lived in many other parts of the country.

[westondailyphoto]

check Weston

[Rock Newman]

Originally Posted by Ginger_beauty

I plan on moving to South Florida and I don't want to live in the ghetto or anything even close to it.
I'm 75% African American (25% Native American) and have grown up around low income people who didn't want to do anything with their lives.

I've done some research, and it seems like Pembroke Pines, Coconut Creek, Davie, and Hallandale would be places I'd like to move.
Are these cities ideal places to live in? Or are they bad neighborhoods as well?
What are some good neighborhoods? And I wouldn't exactly encounter racism would I? (Even though it is an extremely diverse Florida, I'm sure prejudices and stereotypes still probably do exist, I just want to know, but racism won't really stop me from moving at all)

I understand no place is perfect but the ghetto is the ghetto and I am straying far FAR away from that heh. I know how that type of living is and I refuse to live that way any longer.

<3

Weston , Western Pembroke Pines , Coral Springs , Coconut Creek , Parkland , Plantation West of University , West Boca and Wellington in Palm Beach County all diverse and very African American friendly

[Ginger_beauty]

Thank you all ^_^ I will definitely put all of your suggestions into consideration

Would any recommend Miramar?

[Tiger Beer]

Originally Posted by vvolin

I had a few experiences that bothered me immensely in the beginning. I am from northern Italy, many Americans can't tell a difference between Spanish and Italian, and I was sometimes treated poorly because they thought I was Hispanic.

Is 'American' code word for 'white people - non-hispanic'?

What do they say or do exactly that confuses you with Hispanic (the mass majority) to make an Italian feel treated poorly by them?

[compelled to reply]

Originally Posted by Ginger_beauty

Thank you all ^_^ I will definitely put all of your suggestions into consideration

Would any recommend Miramar?

Yes, anything west of Red Rd is good (but the further west the better), and demographically it's probably your best fit. It does tip more Hispanic but blacks make up at least a quarter of the area. I would add that area to Rock Newman's list. West Miramar is a brand new upper-middle class area that I think is actually preferable to Pembroke Pines and much of west Broward. It's cookie cutter, but nearly everything is brand new with an airy, sparking clean, and blandly pleasant look to it that I actually think makes the area second to Weston, Plantation and Parkland in aesthetics as far as the western areas. It most closely mimics the Palm Beach County look IMO. I find Miramar especially relieving to look at after coming out of Pembroke Pines. The schools are some of the better ones in Broward, but not the best, with some exceptions in the elementary schools which range from average to exemplary. The rest of Miramar is also actually not that bad either, with the exception of some section 8 clusters and a couple bad pockets of extreme east Miramar, but it sits too close to Miami Gardens which is exactly what you DON'T want, and the schools mostly suck.

Skip most of Hallandale, as that's a very segregated area for Broward with a historically poor black population, and a lot of the "white" areas suck too. East of US1 it's nice, but I can feel some of that 1950s Miami-Dade vibe in the air there. Still, you will probably be fine in the good part of Hallandale and it's changing into a younger area which helps. Davie has a lot of nice areas and you probably won't have any problems, but that's also an area with a historically low black population that is probably due to it's reputation for being Broward's most "racist" city. Sans Ft. Lauderdale and some parts of Hollywood, pretty much anywhere else in Broward is at least fairly well integrated and more aligned by social class.

[vvolin]

Originally Posted by Tiger Beer

Is 'American' code word for 'white people - non-hispanic'?

What do they say or do exactly that confuses you with Hispanic (the mass majority) to make an Italian feel treated poorly by them?

American code is for Americans, the majority of whom does not speak another language. Of course it is a generalization, if nothing else, because there is a large Spanish speaking population in some areas.

Their attitude is what annoyed me, the way they addressed me. Or when they thought I was the nanny rather than the mother of my children, stereotyping an entire ethnicity. The fact that thinking I was Hispanic would naturally make them treat me as inferior, and then, when I would say I am Italian, then they would completely change their attitude.

I must add that in most cases I was mistreated by ignorant people. The educated ones, when they have a bias towards you, don't even bother to come close.

[jeejee1206]

I am thinking of moving to FL as well, and wanted to ask the same question. I too, am African-American from Brooklyn, NY. I recently graduated with my BA in Public Administration with a minor in Accounting. I want to move to FL to leave the EXTREMELY high cost of living in NY and to improve the quality of life for me and my two kids (ages 11, and 8). I have family in Miami, Orlando, and Fort Lauderdale so I won't be alone. I also plan on getting a job prior to the move. I am experienced in the healthcare field and work in one of the leading healthcare hospitals in the US. Any suggestions on which hospital in South Florida is the best to work in? If so, any names? I am thinking of applying now so hopefully I can get a position while school is out. I really appreciate any response.