Thinking of Moving to Hollywood,Florida (Miami, Fort Lauderdale: rentals, condo, sex offenders)

[connie28]

My Husband and I really enjoyed it. We played golf and went to Hard Rock. Everyone was really very nice, at the hotel, the golf courses,restaurants, etc., except for those cabbies! Wow, talk about an attitude! The guy said he didn't know where the golf course was (Emerald Hills!) so he'd drive around. I said , I'll get out and take another cab! He miraculously found it quickly! The next day another cabbie started ranting at us about getting all the short runs! Give me a NYC cabby anyday! Maybe they drive like maniacs but they're pleasant!

ps If you live there and drive this won't be a problem.

[2legit2quit]

Hollywood is ok. Its a bit too country/rural looking for me. If possible, visit for a week, rent you a car and get a feel for the area as well as nearby neighborhoods.

[vigo]

Country/rural looking? Where exactly in Hollywood were you????

[northbeacher]

Originally Posted by vigo

That's not a barrier island. It's part of the mainland. Islands are by definition surrounded by water.

Barrier islands: a coastal landform and a type of barrier system, are relatively narrow strips of sand that parallel the mainland coast.

I live on the beach. The intracoastal waterway and miles of mangroves (West Lake Park) are too my west between this spit of sand and the mainland. The Atlantic of course if to my east. The water filled Port Everglades "cut" is to my north. There is another water filled "cut" to my south at Bal Harbor. Water, water, water, water - on all sides. Nowhere does this spit of sand connect to the mainland (unless you count drawbridges?), what we sand-spit dwellers refer to as "inland", meaning not of the oceanic, waterway/swamp buffered island.

Yeh, this is not an island like Tahiti, but everything I can find, defines it as a barrier island, even wikipedia depicts it as such...

Barrier island - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

And below is a link to a map of the sandy spit of land where I dwelleth...

5600 north surf road hollywood florida - Google Maps

If the above link is not clickable (?), you can just do a search for "5600 north surf road hollywood florida"...

[northbeacher]

Originally Posted by vigo

Country/rural looking? Where exactly in Hollywood were you????

If y'all go west from what most people here call the "barrier islands", a.k.a. the beach, out to the nether regions of Hollywood, there are 'burbs like Cooper City and Davie that are about as "country" as it gets. No joke, you will see people riding horses down the street out there. I am not making this up. So, yeh, if anyone happens to run across areas like that, you may well run into someone that sneers something like, "Y'all ain't from round here, air ya?" We got it all down here, ain't nothin nor no type a area or peeple you won't see -- and some you won't want to see (that's why I stay on my so-called "barrier islands" and don't go inland to the so-called "mainland")...

[northbeacher]

This is for anyone not familiar with navigating the back alleys of this forum, that might like to view the personal websites of other members. Go to the members profile by clicking on their member name in the upper left hand corner of the post, then find "contact info" and click on that panel. If the member has a website it should be there. I note this because my website has videos of the area in question which I thought might be of benefit to anyone not familiar with the area that would like to get a better perspective of what it is like here without having to travel here Moderator cut: discussing moderator actions is against tos

[vigo]

OK, northbeacher, I guess you're right - I had never thought of Hollywood Beach as a barrier island but it does fit the definition

But I'm still wondering where 2legit2quit found a "country, rural" area within Hollywood city limits. I've lived here for 59 years and haven't seen anything that remotely qualifies (at least not since the '70s or '80s)!

[minitech2010]

A friend and I just found work in Miami and are looking for a place. We are considering Hollywood near 4400 SW 32dr. Just south of the bottom portion of lake Helen. Any thoughts on the area? Thanks so much.

[vr2]

This thread needs some clearing up.

Hollywood is a rather large city, in fact, Fort Lauderdale Airport is named "Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International". The Hard Rock hotel, while called "Hollywood" is on Seminole land and is NOT Hollywood at all.

I lived in Hollywood on 20th Avenue just a few blocks from downtown and have seen the transformation first hand over the years. I moved out about 1 year ago after 6 years living there.

Would I recommend Hollywood to anyone? HELL NO. While downtown is nice and bustling, you are likely to run into drug dealers, bums, and homeless people just 1 block from downtown. US1 is absolutely mobbed by prostitutes, drug dealers, and pay-by-the-hour motels. It's disgusting.

There is NOWHERE close enough to downtown that is safe walking distance, so the benefits of downtown require a car anyways - may as well live in a nicer suburb. During the boom times Hollywood was trying to build expensive condos downtown, they all busted and failed and even if you were to buy into one, less than a block away are thugs and gangsters. The east end of Young Circle is downright dangerous. Walk into the Publix Grocery Store at Young Circle and you will see how dirty it is and the true demographics of the neighborhood.

Keep in mind - Hollywood Beach and Hollywood, while technically the same city, are miles apart. Hollywood Beach requires a drive through the mangroves and over a bridge and it's a small strip of land that is really quite nice. But it's NOT "Hollywood" and I wouldn't take that into account unless you are buying on the beach.

Right now I'm in West Tamarac, and it only takes me 15 - 20 minutes to get to downtown Hollywood or the Hard Rock hotel if I wish, and I'm about 15 - 20 minutes from Lauderdale-by-the-Sea which is bar none the best beach area in the Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood Area.

Don't be silly and move to Hollywood - all the benefits are accessible by a 10 - 20 minute drive from MUCH nicer and safer areas.

Plus Hollywood rents are surprisingly expensive, mostly because they try and do weekly rates for the poverty stricken criminals who live there.

You either buy a house in a mediocre/declining area of Hollywood, or a condo in the 'hood - THAT's Hollywood. It's not a good place for singles or families - you would be a fool to buy a home of any kind there with MUCH better places to live.

Weston has a great town center, Delray Beach has a stunning downtown, and there are plenty of places like that.

[learjet25d]

My Partner and I live in Hollywood. The Hollywood Lakes area between US1 and the Intercoastal, south of Hollywood Blvd.

This is a wonderful neighborhood. We moved from Atlanta a year ago and do not regret picking Hollywood.

We walk to downtown and the Circle almost everyday. There is so much to do here.

The beaches are very touristy, but that only lasts during the winter. The beaches are really nice.

Hope you find what your looking for. If you need any assistance in neighborhoods, I would be glad to recommend what is the area your looking at.

Originally Posted by scs

I am thinking of moving to Hollywood as well, and have been getting good feedback about options from this site. Thanks!