Plantation..Cheaper substitute for Boca Raton? (Fort Lauderdale, Davie: real estate, renting, crime rate)

[rickyd]

Ok...once again, here I go looking for an in-depth answer...

Is there anyone here that lives in Plantation Fl? If so, can anyone tell me what life is like there? Not really looking to hear answers from people who only "Heard" about the place. Sorry. Only looking for answers from people who actually knows what they are talking about.

Anyway, this is my story....I was actually planning on moving to Boca next year (Some people on here already know that) and getting a home in the 300k-250k price range and maybe renting for the first year or so til I can earn enough money to buy other home necessities. I felt that by getting a home in this price range, life in Boca would cost me a little less, but still, everyone says that even stuff like gas, fast food restaurants such as Mcdonalds, , etc is more expensive in Boca than in other cities, so that kind of turned me off from living there.

My next city of choice is Plantation. Going by all of the qualities that I am personally looking for that fits my lifestyle, I feel it is a good substitute to Boca, but what I was wondering is how much affordable it is to live there compared to Boca, as far as housing and everyday items go.

Other things I would like to know about it is........

* What are the best and safest neighborhoods to live around Plantation? Also which ones to avoid, if any.
* Are there any good jobs in the city limits?
* Does it offer it's residents a similar lifestyle similar to that of Boca's? (I am talking about both good and bad points here)
* I heard the schools are pretty good in Plantation, is that true?

[ivcceo]

Plantation is not a bad choice. The nicer areas are to the western side around Pine Island Road. I would avoid the areas closer to Lauderhill. There are huge corporate complexes in Plantation and lots of businesses in the surrounding areas. Quite a few upper tier hotels as well. It is centrally located so you can even work in Fort Lauderdale. I think you can get 3/2 and smaller 4/2 homes in your price range. As for activities and such it has good parks, country clubs, and golf courses. There is a very good horse community as well. Major malls such as Sawgrass Mills and Broward Mall are located quite nearby. What other factors are you considering in lifestyle?

[rickyd]

Hi, thanks for a pretty much in-depth answer. I think I will like it in Plantation. Sounds pretty much like my type of lifestyle, esp. the hometown charm that it suppose to have.

In terms of other factors I'm considering in lifestyle, I'm pretty much laid-back for a 22 yr old. Not real active nor am I into material things. I like to spend my time going to peaceful-family oriented nature parks and the like. I'm satisfied with what I read, but hey, if you or anyone else has any other info to offer about Plantation (Both good and bad), I will be here and waiting. Thanks

Oh yea, still would like to know how much less expensive Plantation is compared to Boca though, or better yet, if it is affordable for the average person anyways...

[TriMT7]

Gosh, if "laid back" lifestyle with a small town feel and less materialism is what you're looking for, have you looked into the treasure coast, specifically Martin County? It's much more affordable and just North of Palm Beach County.

[rickyd]

Originally Posted by TriMT7

Gosh, if "laid back" lifestyle with a small town feel and less materialism is what you're looking for, have you looked into the treasure coast, specifically Martin County? It's much more affordable and just North of Palm Beach County.

I don't want to be anywhere else. Sorry. Just my own personal choice. The southeast part near Broward has more of a caribbean feel that I love. I made up my mind about that ever since the early 90s.

Look, as far as less materialism goes, that depends on what the individual person makes of life. That's not a rule that goes for every single person.

[rickyd]

[quote=just replying to this;1477241]I am a former member (Fort lauderdale to be specific) who felt compelled to reply to this post..so go ahead and do what you gotta do after this, mods

I do not recommend Plantation if you have children.

Ummm...but it's a family oriented city yes?

The city is generally very aesthetically pleasing, safe, and clean west of Pine Island Road, and gets a bit more inconsistent east.

I've heard this from two people so far, so i'll take the advice. Hopefully I can land a place out in the western half.

There are some alright elementary school districts on the western half (like Central Park Elementary), but the middle and high schools flat out suck.

The Elementary schools are fine for now. I don't have any children as of yet, and if I do decide to have any, it will only be one, but I just wanted to be in a city that has good consistent schools just in case, ya kno.

As far as jobs, Plantation is home to many corporations, including the headquarters of DHL, with other major high tech companies having a major presence in the area.

Sounds like a winner. This will save me a long and hected commute if I could land a job at one of these places. If not, Ft. Lauderdale is right next door. Many jobs there.

Overall, its no more expensive than other Broward cities, and a bit cheaper than Boca Raton, and Broward County in general is far less materialistic and a bit more down to earth (dare I say normal?) than sometimes pretentious Palm Beach County (where Boca Raton is). Still, people in Plantation can have that materialistic "attitude", and it's becoming less and less of a family area.

Glad to hear that it is not pricey like Boca, that's for sure. The materialistic attitude is something yur going to see everywhere though. I really don't like materialistic people, but I know that I can't get away from it as long as I am in a world like this so I'm not even worried about that, all that matters is if I myself don't stoop to that level.

It's upscale on the west, but it's just not the feeling you are looking for, from what I have gathered.

On the contrary, it pretty much does have the feeling I'm looking for. I visited Plantation last yr and I loved the feeling I got and from what I've seen, it is beautiful, and alot of my fellow caribbean people are there. However, that was only in one section and it was at night, so I didn't get the overall feel of the city. I am not looking for anything rural and extremely low key. Sorry if I didn't make myself clear on that. I basically have that here in S. Carolina and after a while, it gets so boring. Davie may not be what I'm looking for. Great reccomendation though and I'm glad that you went in-depth with it. Those are the type of answers I am looking for. Still, I am not going to cross Davie off my list though.

Oh, and the prices of everything really are jacked up in Boca.

Thanks for the tip on this. A few other people were saying this too, but I just wanted to be sure. This issue is the only thing that turned me off from moving to Boca. Contrary to wat people say about homes being expensive in Boca, I have found very decent homes around 250k, but since everyday items are more expensive than normal, that is a no-go for me.

[rickyd]

Thanks once again for some very good insight. You seem to know what you are talking about.

Sounds like Plantation has some issues huh? Darn. In all truths, I don't feel that it will affect me all that much, especially coming from an area like Dillon, South Carolina, where the academics are among, and probably are the lowest in the country.

The fact that I am not planning on having a big family is a reason why I am not going to let the school issue bother me as of yet. Whenever I do, I could always send my child to a school in Davie. I have a cousin who lives in Plantation but goes to Nova High School, which is in Davie I think? To tell the truth, really, if I had the money, I would rather send my child to a private school when he/she gets to junior high age.

Yes, I have considered west Miramar before but my girlfriend complains because it's too far inland. She likes to be closer to the beach, so that is why I had to toss that idea. lol.

All in all, I think I would be pretty happy in Plantation (The southwestern half anyway). I am attracted to the city's beauty (There is just something about it that naturally attracts me, I guess it's the tropical look and feel combined with the hometown charm), safety, pleasant atmosphere, etc.. Plus it's not too far from the beach, which going there nowadays is not a big issue anyway.

Again, thank you so much for the info. This site needs more posters like you who actually try to look out for people.

[stacylee926]

Rickyd -
We were just on vacation in FLL and as we drove around trying to get a feel for the neighborhoods (due to a job opportunity for hubby) I felt that Plantation definitely had a 'good' feel to it. You have that tropical living feeling (at least for me from VA) with the housing styles. Yet you have all of the typical suburbia stuff close by - shopping, restaurants etc.

I will say I absolutely disliked Sawgrass Mills. It had a very bad vibe to me. We have Potomac Mills Mall which is just like it so I knew what to expect, but somehow they were totally different. Oh well.... if and when I ever move down there I'm sure I will deal with it just fine .

It sounds like Plantation is for you.

[PeteU]

I live in West Boca and work in Davie, right next to Plantation.

Plantation does seem to have some of the characteristics of West Boca (but not necessarily all of Boca), except it is not quite as upscale. But many parts do strike me as being family oriented, "soccer-mom" type places to live.

The big downside of Plantation to me is that it just seems so congested. If you are looking for a place to "get away from it all" from time-to-time, Plantation's not going to offer any sort of open space, spare for a baseball field or two. But if that doesn't bother you, I wouldn't discourage Plantation, as you can do far worse.

Dillon, South Carolina, huh? I always found the South of the Border rest stop to be an interesting piece of highway kitsch, in its own unique, extremely wierd way. Always made our summer family road trips from Maryland to Florida interesting as a kid.

I will say one thing about South Carolina. Your barbeque is the absolute best. I love the mustard/vinegar/red pepper blend style of sauce.

[rickyd]

To stacylee926 - Yes, Plantation definitely does have that special charm to it. No doubt about it. As for the mall, I guess it feels that way because it's so big and probably attracts so many young folks, most of them probably the thug or materialistic-hip hop type. I don't know though because I've never been there, but I can almost assure that whereever there's a big mall, you will find those types there and will get some negative vibes. All in all, I think it's a pretty good place as well. I think you will probably like it better than FLL though for a number of reasons. You can always live in Plantation and work in FLL. That is what I was planning on doing.


To PeteU - I agree that Plantation is pretty much like west Boca. Plantation isn't as upscale but they both have similar home types, definitely...at least from what I've seen from real estate photos anyway. That is another reason why I'm so attracted to Plantation.

I've also heard about and seen how congested Plantation is, and yea, it somewhat bothers me, but it's like that in all of Florida, except maybe the real rural parts, so it's not something that I don't know about already. I mean, if I can't have any peace out and around Plantation, then I can always have it at my home you know. After all, I'd rather put up with the congestion than with having to watch your back for thugs or live in a city with high crime rate altogether.

Yea, South of the Border is very, veeeeeeeeeeeeeery wierd. lol. I mean, I have never in all my life seen a roadside tourist area so bizarre. I live like 5 minutes away from the place and it gets weirder everytime I pass by it. As a KID, you might enjoy it, but as you get older, you find out just how mediocre and sick it really is. Basically, there is nothing good I can say about SOB nor this dump they call South Carolina.