Palmetto Bay and Pinecrest and info (Miami, Miami Beach: house, living in, restaurants)

[tallrick]

If I had to live anywhere in M-Dade county it would have been sunniland/palmetto/pinecrest/King's Bay before 1980. That is a great area with higher elevations and had great residents. Now it is an overpriced collection of white collar crooks with a "village" that makes its money from speedtraps and harassing longtime residents.

[flyers29]

Originally Posted by tallrick

If I had to live anywhere in M-Dade county it would have been sunniland/palmetto/pinecrest/King's Bay before 1980. That is a great area with higher elevations and had great residents. Now it is an overpriced collection of white collar crooks with a "village" that makes its money from speedtraps and harassing longtime residents.

That is the one downside of Pinecrest (besides the expensive houses of course)--low crime means the police spend their time on STRICT traffic enforcement. Interestingly enough it's actually declined in Palmetto Bay lately...used to see regular speedtraps in the few years after the village incorporated, but I don't think I've really seen any in the last couple of years.

[SARAHSELLAR]

And the houses off of Old Cutler in those areas are actually the more expensive ones if anything.


the realtor told me nearer to old cutler road is cheaper and further up you go towards pinecrest it is more expensive??

[grandcentraluk]

the realtor told me nearer to old cutler road is cheaper and further up you go towards pinecrest it is more expensive??

I'm wondering if your realtor was talking about Cutler Bay, which is the town south of Palmetto Bay and also located off Old Cutler Road. Generally, the housing gets less expensive as you travel south on Old Cutler Road from Pinecrest down to Cutler Bay. Regardless of the town, I would say that the pricier homes are located near Old Cutler Road and that you'll find it gets cheaper as you head west, away from the water and closer to US1.

[doggiebus]

^^^That is probably what the realtor meant.

[SARAHSELLAR]

yeah I think so.......for me thought the houses seem nicer and more character in palmetto bay than the houses in pinecrest. the Pinecrest ones seem more basic and bland, does anyone else find this?

[flyers29]

Originally Posted by SARAHSELLAR

yeah I think so.......for me thought the houses seem nicer and more character in palmetto bay than the houses in pinecrest. the Pinecrest ones seem more basic and bland, does anyone else find this?

Pinecrest does have a ton of McMansions that have popped up in the last 10 years if that's what you mean. I'd say that many homes in Pinecrest/Palmetto Bay were built from the 80s onward though, so depends on how you're defining character.

[soflobound]

Originally Posted by SARAHSELLAR

yeah I think so.......for me thought the houses seem nicer and more character in palmetto bay than the houses in pinecrest. the Pinecrest ones seem more basic and bland, does anyone else find this?

I think you are probably talking about the original development homes. I'm looking in both areas too. It seems that Pinecrest was developed with a lot of simple ranch style homes in the '50s, while Palmetto Bay was more like the '60s, with with homes built departing from the basic ranch style home.

Either way, I like the older homes because they seem really solid. Our dilemma is whether to buy an updated one, or to buy one on the cheap that needs renovation (roof, windows, kitchens and baths) and deal with the hassle of updating it ourselves. There are a lot of homes that need updating on the market.

We're also considering East Kendall, where the homes were more often built in the '70s. To me, the houses may have more variety but the neighborhood has less character. Cheaper though, both in terms of home price and because wind insurance is more expensive (citizen's only) east of US 1.

[SARAHSELLAR]

i agree with you, we seem to favour the older style ones, as they look more solid.... we also would not mind a bit of diy, ie ddecoration, new bathrooms and kitchens etc but would draw the line at new roofs!!!

[Manolón]

Sarah

Living in an American suburban area such as Pinecrest is not like living in an English suburban area. Distances are very big, you'll need the car for absolutely everything, and you won't have much social life since your friends will be spread out. The only livable part for an European is Miami Beach. Americans are used to live in desolate places and drive all day, that's why they are always complaining about "rude driving". They spend their entire day driving. Driving in Miami is not nice, a lot of rain, scorching sun that melts some cars (Fiats for example), bad driving not only by illegal immigrants and local yokels but by extremely old people, and you can't drink a pint of two if you drive.

Miami Beach is different.