HELP!!! Single 30M Professional Moving to FLL (Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood: apartments, condo)

[Gator CPA]

Hey All,

I've just been offered and have accepted a position with a company in the Fort Lauderdale area. My office will be on Commercial Blvd between I-95 and Dixie Hwy. And I start in 2 weeks!!!

I'll be making somewhere in the $50K range (Aprox $4.2K gross/month) and don't mind spending a little extra for a nice place. I'd like to find an apartment/condo with a reasonable commute to/from my work location. I would also like to be in an area where other single professionals live (all women would be perfect) and reasonably close to the singles' scene.

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[alwaystraveling25]

Originally Posted by Gator CPA

Hey All,

I've just been offered and have accepted a position with a company in the Fort Lauderdale area. My office will be on Commercial Blvd between I-95 and Dixie Hwy. And I start in 2 weeks!!!

I'll be making somewhere in the $50K range (Aprox $4.2K gross/month) and don't mind spending a little extra for a nice place. I'd like to find an apartment/condo with a reasonable commute to/from my work location. I would also like to be in an area where other single professionals live (all women would be perfect) and reasonably close to the singles' scene.

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

First of all, you posted two EXTREMELY similar threads. Posting just one thread is the best idea.

50K is not a lot for Fort Lauderdale. You indicated you are coming from Naples, and you can expect a higher cost of living. I currently live in Oakland Park (by no means a prestigous area of the city) and pay 900 for a 2/2. Most of the younger, single people live near Las Olas or downtown, but costs there are a premium. You will pay way more than 1000 a month for a place there.

The general rule of thumb for Fort Lauderdale is live east of I-95 or live west of the Turnpike. Since you are looking for younger areas, I would live east of I-95, since the western part of Broward County is very suburban and family oriented.

I STRONGLY recommend you come over here and look for apartments. Places vary street by street, so there may be an address in Fort Lauderdale that is awesome and a mile away it's a high-crime area. You would have no way to tell what's what until you visited and saw the immediate surroundings.

So my recommendation is Downtown or near Las Olas. Work with a realtor and they will help you. I used a realtor for my current apartment and am very happy there. Also avoid Wilton Manors, since you indicated you are straight and that is a predominantly gay city (disclaimer: I am gay so I know what I am talking about in regards to that).

Good Luck!

[Gator CPA]

Thanks for the reply. Sorry, I re-posted becasue it appeared as though my initial posting came through all scrambed for some reason. I will be heading over this weekend, and I'll definately be checking out Las Olas thanks to you. Good idea with the realtor too, didn't think of that.

[Nolefan34]

Gator CPA-

The hottest area for younger singles and nightlife is Las Olas, but it is very expensive and on your salary it isn't really affordable. You can check a newer building called Alexis Solmar located in downtown. It is really nice and only 1 year old and is all younger people. Lots of UF and FSU grads living there and walkable to nearby nightlife. There is also Fort Lauderdale Beach and Lauderdale By The Seas which are slightly less but still on the pricey side for a 1BR condo.

A cheaper location is Port Royale Apartments located in the Northeast section of the city about 15 minutes from downtown on US1. It is very close to your work and only 1 mile from Commercial Blvd. Rents are around 1000/mo. It is a nice community, but the downside is that the apartments are small and there are tons of dogs.

If you want cheaper options, look in the suburbs of Plantation and Davie. They are reasonably close to your work and have tons of apartment communities. They are also only 15-20 minutes from downtown Fort Lauderdale nightlife and close to the Seminole Hardrock Hotel and Casino.

[Gator CPA]

Nolefan, thanks for the info. I'll definetly check out those buildings you mentioned. I appreciate the help.

[Mike10693]

Hollywood is cheaper also and close to Fort Lauderdale. Hollywood has fun nightlife also Congrats on the job What company?

[Gator CPA]

Thanks Mike. I'll check out Hollywood. In that I've spoken about my salary, I'd prefer to keep the company that offered it to me anonymus.

[Nolefan34]

Downtown Hollywood is a cool area, but a rough commute to to Commercial Blvd. You'll have to deal with a 30 minute commute on I-95 each morning and afternoon.