Need to know about moving to Miami with young children! (Hialeah: rental, crime)

[surfermami]

My husband and I are planning on attending FIU in the fall and have to relocate our family. Our kids will be 5 and 3. What areas near there are best suitable for raising a family and which need to be avoided? Also any info on elementary schools would be very helpful. We both speak fluent Spanish, my husband is Colombian, so we already have latin influence in our family. Thanks a mil!!

[planetsurf]

Check out which areas are zoned for Sunset Elem -- one of the best Elem school in the state. You will only have a decent chance of getting in IF you are already a resident before April and your oldest is heading to kindergarten -- 1st grade is usually too late. (Once people get in for K, they tend to not leave.)
The other 2 good elem schools I'M familiar with are Pinecrest and Coral Gables. CGables is also a lottery, but MUCH more likely to get in b4 K. Pinecrest is zoned, but I don't think there are too many lower cost rental units in that area.

I don't doubt there are other good elem schools -- possible in E Kendall?? Maybe someone else can help there.

Good luck.

[Marlin331]

There are plenty of good elementary schools in Kendall. Go to greatschools.net and search for schools in the zipcodes 33156 (far east Kendall and Pinecrest), 33176 (central Kendall), and 33186 (Kendall west of the Turnpike). I believe 33196 is far west Kendall (often called "The Hammocks"), and I believe 33183 is Kendall Lakes, which is also part of west Kendall. South Miami, Pinecrest, Coral Gables, and Doral are also good areas to live with a family.

[HowGoesIt]

Doral is a really nice town. I use to think of that entire area west of the airport as being strictly commercial, but it is not. There are a lot of nice new houses and townhomes close to the turnpike. I believe the high school was given an A rating also.

[ddez29]

Originally Posted by surfermami

My husband and I are planning on attending FIU in the fall and have to relocate our family. Our kids will be 5 and 3. What areas near there are best suitable for raising a family and which need to be avoided? Also any info on elementary schools would be very helpful. We both speak fluent Spanish, my husband is Colombian, so we already have latin influence in our family. Thanks a mil!!

I personally am not a fan of Miami although I live here. I don't think this is a great place to raise kids but is only my personal opinion. There are many good areas which have little crime around FIU. I live in Miami Lakes but is a bit expensive but a great area in my opinion.

**Miami Lakes is one of the best areas but expensive and a bit far from FIU (20 minutes)

Kendall is very crowded with a lot of traffic but overall is not a bad area and housing can be cheap. This would be a good choice for you since is close too.

Doral is where most businesses are at so it has a lot of traffic. The housing is expensive since is a very centralized area. If you can live here great because is a good area with higher end people.

Sweetwater is close to Kendall and is not my own favorite area since is ugly and full of low class people (not meaning crime though). But is cheap though.

Hialeah is very crowded and kind of ghetto.

**Avoid Liberty City, Carol City, Downtown etc... There is a lot of crime in this areas!

Good Luck!

[fau2010]

Coral Gables would definetly be the best area. School in Miami vary greatly, make sure you check your school district because there are many that are horrible, check the schools stats as well.

[Mtgirl0416]

I like the South Miami/ Sunset Schools. THey are good schools. The Magnet program at Sunset Elementary for languages is unique. I think these schools are Great.

[somiami]

Move to Doral. It is 10mn from FIU (without traffic ;-). Very family oriented, very clean, very nice and VERY SAFE - most gated communities. Parks, Dolphin mall biggest mall outlet and Intl mall - right there. Airport 10mn, turnpike or expressway. Lots of hispanics but I don't think it would be a problem for your family since you mentioned you both speak spanish. Lots of good schools. Renaissance (formely Rider) one of the top five in Florida, and Doral Academy both charter schools - you get in - through lottery process. All other public schools are A + in the area, just a bit overcrowded but fine. I have been living in Doral for 10 years and I am from Europe. I would not live anywhere but Doral in South Florida.

[big mean bear]

Doral is new, fake, and right in the landing path of 3 of the 4 runways at Miami International Airport (8R, 8L, 9). They line up planes over the Everglades and by the time they fly over Doral en route to the runway are at about 2,000 feet.

Other than that, Doral is overcrowded and full of rude people. Traffic is an absolute nightmare, as the 'grid' of Miami is cut short by the large townhome communities... Therefore, if you want to head North or South off of an East-West road, you only have 3 opportunities, 87th ave, 97th ave, and 107th avenue (the latter is an absolute nightmare). I live downtown and I don't experience half the rudeness and other things people always associate with Miami. Traffic and people alone ruin Doral.

[Marlin331]

^^ I have never lived in Doral but I must say that I have visited my friend a few times there and have shopped there... I have never had trouble with "rude people" and I think the traffic is just average, not terrible. Doral is a middle class and upper middle class community with lots of families and well-regarded schools. It is very close to FIU and by taking 836 you have a straight shot to Downtown and Miami Beach. It is a fairly convenient location and I would recommend it.