My New Lifestyle and Furnished Rentals in Hallandale/Hollywood (Miami: real estate, oceanfront)

[mylesfire]

I'm moving out of the suburbs of Lake Worth and Boynton Beach to be closer to the beach and into a different life, from married to single, from a house to a condo, where you can possibly walk to some stores or at least not have to drive 20 minutes for a decent meal, to be closer to the "action," etc.

I have to check it out in person but I am thinking of Hallandale and Hollywood, with a budget of $2,000 to $3,000 for a two bedroom furnished rental. As a former New Yorker, I am not looking to recreate that experience as that is hard to do. Also, I think I may have gotten softer as I've aged when it comes to traffic, congestion and seedy characters in my face. I just don't connect that much to Miami and Fort Lauderdale is too limited in its offerings (sort of a joke city) to be living with tarmac.

I've heard of a few enticing looking "mondo" condos: Beachclub, Duo Condo and Intracoastal Yacht Club (Sunny Isles). What else is out there? I want a killer view with ocean proximity, a health club, variety of restaurants, and some other singles (age 40-50) around. Just started the search and have not talked with a realtor yet. Any general or specific advice is appreciated.

[heydade]

my sister lived "south of 5th" in South Beach. South of 5th is magical in it's own way and is not the typical other side of Miami Beach with the clubs and crowds. It is highlighted by sophisticated, classy living and there is much to do within walking distance. She lived at the Courts of SoBe and she was paying 3,000 for a 2/2. Her job has forced her to move to SanFran. Anyhow, I highly recommend you take a look at the "south of 5th street" area of South Beach, I think you will be pleasantly surprised. Many places try to duplicate, but cannot. This is the real deal. Good luck and I am sorry about the divorce if that was the case. You seem to have a optimistic outlook, so I'm sure you have already picked yourself up, dusted yourself off and looked for bigger and better things in your life. Carpie Diem !


All about "South of 5th" > http://www.southbeach-usa.com/news/t...t-kept-secret/

[fauve]

When you say you have gotten softer as you have aged when it comes to traffic, congestion and seedy characters, do you mean you're more or less tolerant of them? If less tolerant, I would advise you to stay away from Hollywood & Hallandale, and look more towards Sunny Isles/Aventura.

[Nolefan34]

Yeah I think Sunny Isles and Aventura might be your target area. The area is very congested with traffic, but you don't have to drive far to get to shopping and you can walk places. If you live in the Country Club Drive area I'm pretty sure you can walk to Aventura Mall and other shopping along US1. Also, you are very close to the beach. Aventura is very safe compared to the rest of South FL including Lake Worth and Boynton.

Another option you might want to consider is the Mizner Park section of Boca Raton. I'm sure there are a good number of middle-aged divorcees in those parts.

[mylesfire]

thanks very much to for the initial responses.

<< When you say you have gotten softer as you have aged when it comes to traffic, congestion and seedy characters, do you mean you're more or less tolerant of them?

less tolerant. and that includes massive traffic, so i am leery of the legendary traffic of Avventura, too. is the traffic there that bad? still have to suss out H-dale and H-wood. the latter is reputed to have had a bohemian aspect and i would like that. as far as the Avvi mall, i am not a mall person, but i suppose the proximity is helpful for the few times when i have to shop at a mall. but a variety of restaurants, a supermarket, liquor store, pet supplies store, etc. are more what i need. what is the deal with that?

if you live in Aventura, then your playgrounds for dining and entertainment are where? miami/miami beach, hollywood, fort lauderdale?

"HeyDade" - thanks for the encouraging words on my new lifestyle as a single.

<< South of 5th is magical in it's own way and ... highlighted by sophisticated, classy living and there is much to do within walking distance.

will check it out. but doesn't it feel closed in by the more youthful SoBe scene on one side and the water on the other, with little options of a community there to relate to? i will have to see. i know the high rises are amazing looking and the views, like towards downtown miami, must be really great. is there a "lock-down" with traffic in certain hours getting off the islet of miami beach, heading toward miami? i do not have to travel at rush hour so i could avoid that.

<< Aventura is very safe compared to the rest of South FL including Lake Worth and Boynton.

six years back, when we relocated from manhattan to florida, Aventura was a big option. we looked at buying pre-construction on an 8th floor apartment in Hamptons South. the apartment views were great and i liked the feel of that circular drive around the park in the middle of all the new and old high rises. also looked at sunny isles (i think it was one of the Ocean buildings) where the views were amazing, the newness and scale of these high rises were impressive, and where the monthly maintenance would certainly one day hit the roof! had no sense of the eventual demographics for the new buildings, while suspecting that hispanic would dominate. what was the outcome demographically in aventura and sunny isles?

i like the idea of a building where you walk out of it and to somewhere, as compared to always hopping in your car and feeling isolated from the pavement and the people. (i never owned a car until i moved to florida from new york.)

one thing about the suburbs where i live now in lake worth/boynton beach is that obviously there is some nature and, more importantly, dog parks. on the east coast, your nature is the ocean. as real estate is more expensive on the southeast coast, how far do you go for a dog park with decent size and trees?

as for Mizner Park, i know that strip of stores and restaurants, the art museum, the concerts and the apartments very well. for me, it is too much of a zoo to live in. there are some options for a high rise rental along highland beach and boca raton coastline, but i was thinking of heading south for a change.

[fauve]

hmmmm...I'm trying to think of a place with a bohemian feel, but no seedy characters and I have to go all the way to New Smyrna Beach! Definitely check out downtown Hollywood and Hollywood Beach. I am a HUGE fan of it and it seems to get better everyday. There are people on this board who vehemently disagree with me about it and have no tolerance for its growing pains. According to the naysayers there are homeless there and there are halfway houses there, so you will see dregs. However, hang out on the broadwalk, walk the strip. walk downtown Hollywood and see if they effect you. I am also from Manhattan and I can honestly tell you, I have never seen this element, so I may have built-in blinders. for instance, I laughed when I first moved here at what people considered traffic. Over the years I have softened (thanks for my new word) and now have joined the ranks of those who complain about traffic! In my heart though, I still know the traffic here is a joke compared to NYC.

Also, what say you re downtown Delray Beach? Sounds to me like another potential fit.

[mylesfire]

fauve, about delray beach. still a little too suburban for me, not to mention too close to my soon-to-be ex-wife. plus i want something new. as a resident of lake worth/boyn beach for 6 years now, i went there often and quickly used up its offerings. it is a bit small for me. i imagine hollywood has more to offer and is more diversified. i am open to your positive outlook about it and am going this weekend to check out the town and some oceanfront condos. rent for 2/2 furnished apartments on the ocean but not necessarily facing it (intracoastal and city instead) are asking $1400 (ML#: D1333104) to $2000 (M1309871). same for hallandale. what do you know of the BEACHCLUB?

[fauve]

Originally Posted by mylesfire

fauve, about delray beach. still a little too suburban for me, not to mention too close to my soon-to-be ex-wife. plus i want something new. as a resident of lake worth/boyn beach for 6 years now, i went there often and quickly used up its offerings. it is a bit small for me. i imagine hollywood has more to offer and is more diversified. i am open to your positive outlook about it and am going this weekend to check out the town and some oceanfront condos. rent for 2/2 furnished apartments on the ocean but not necessarily facing it (intracoastal and city instead) are asking $1400 (ML#: D1333104) to $2000 (M1309871). same for hallandale. what do you know of the BEACHCLUB?

I know little about Hallandale except that it's a great place to go to find granite! Pembroke Road is about as third world as Broward gets - fun for great deals though I wouldn't want to live there. I know it's a lot nicer by the beach. I suspect people who live there end up going to Hollywood and Aventura a lot for entertainment, though both are very close so not an issue. You would also be giving up some walkablity - if you were to find a condo above the broadwalk, you could stroll out your backdoor and be among the activity. Though of course you could stroll north on the sand till you reached the broadwalk, so also not a dealbreaker.

Also, if you want to post links to places rather than MLSs it's fine on here - there are no restrictions about that. I took a look at both places you're looking at and the price difference seemed a bit dramatic considering it looks like they have the same view and are just on different floors. Maybe because they're on the intracoastal side and there might be more traffic noise on a lower floor? I know on the beach side apartments that are lower are more attractive because you can hear the ocean and better see the waves from the balcony. Now you have me wanting to live on the beach again

[precisio]

Originally Posted by mylesfire

i am open to your positive outlook about it and am going this weekend to check out the town and some oceanfront condos. rent for 2/2 furnished apartments on the ocean but not necessarily facing it (intracoastal and city instead) are asking $1400 (ML#: D1333104) to $2000 (M1309871). same for hallandale. what do you know of the BEACHCLUB?

I'm interested in what you thought, because we seem like we have some things in common, but I'm coming straight from Manhattan, so would be interested in your view of Hollywood and you whether you think its safe or not, esp. for a woman.

[mylesfire]

gosh, how things change, precisio and fauve.

i wound up, through a friend, being able to get a month to month furnished in midtown Miami at a great price... and i like it A LOT. yes, Miami is much larger and more anonymous than hollywood would have been. but, as an ex-Manhattanite (57th and ninth), i like the larger scale and diversity. midtown is adjacent to both downtown and the arts/design district, and it is just a short causeway ride to miami beach (although i have not gone but once and for dinner). if i was inclined, hollywood is 20+ minutes away for night time fun. midtown is also not so loud and congested. (in fact, as you may know, miami hardly seems like a city anyway compared to what new yorkers know). there is a great park nearby -- pace park, with wholesome sports and tons of dogs and their owners (i am one). there are a handful of restaurants i can walk to, and downtown is literally 7 minutes away including parking there. so, in short, i was unaware of midtown miami and now i really like it.

there are many unfilled condos on the biscayne bay with really great views. plenty of rentals. your choice. buyer's market (same for rental).

i do not go clubbing. i go to museums, concert and restaurants. the 60% hispanic population does not bother me (except when i get a little peeved when a wait person or dog groomer at petsmart does not understand me).

so i cannot comment on hollywood.