Families who have lived in ny/nj and south florida - where is it better to raise your kids...in your opinion - Fort Lauderdale area - (FL) -Broward County - Page 2 - City-Data Forum

slopecouple · 05-14-2013, 11:36 AM

We live in Brooklyn with our kids (5yo) and have often considered moving to SoFla (where I was born and raised), however we have decided to stay in NYC for a few reasons:

1. Livability: it's really important to us to have a neighborhood that is walkable and has a variety of places to go within walking distance. We haven't been able to find anything like this in Florida, except for a few neighborhoods in Miami. The closest that Ft Lauderdale comes in this dept is Lauderdale-by-the-Sea (which I love) and Victoria Park.

2. Culture: when it comes down to it, New York just has more going on. It's fair to say that we're progressive people and South Florida just doesn't feel progressive. It's a suburban culture more or less and so many people we know there are all about the mall, fast food (or Olive Garden-type) dining, and consumer culture. I know that's not an absolute, but I feel like it's much easier to connect with a lifestyle in NYC that doesn't revolve around those things.

3. Weather: ok, Florida wins in this department. I love the hot and humid weather. On the plus side, NYC feels like Florida in the summer!

4. Variety: Florida really feels like an endless sea of suburbanity stretching forever. Getting out the city involves going to the Everglades, which dont' really offer much in the way of recreation if you're not into fishing, or driving north for soooooo long before you start to see hills. Contrast that with NYC. We live in Brooklyn, which is a lovely tree-lined street Sesame Street kind of environment. We can go to Manhattan in 20 min. We can be in the mountains and hiking in 40 min. We can be on the beach in 30 min. New England is a couple of hours away. There's so much variety and I love that.

So, here we are in Brooklyn. We do visit Ft Lauderdale often. My ideal world would be to split time between the two.

Mattie · 05-14-2013, 01:21 PM

I think a child who is raised in NYC is a lucky child indeed, as long as the parents have the means to take advantage of the best the city has to offer.

Swimmom32 · 05-14-2013, 02:04 PM

We were born and raised in Brooklyn and wouldn't change my upbringing for the world...We lived in South Florida for 3.5 years and love it...although we are heading back to Charlotte for dh's Promotion and business opportunity we are looking to split our time and possibly buy something in South Florida although we havent made that decision yet...I must say I wish my kids who lived in NYC and NJ up until my youngest was in 2nd grade, they will never know how awesome it was to live in Brooklyn..With that said what we love about South Florida is what it has to offer our family..We were happy with the Schools, We made some great friends and I have family there...We love being outdoors and dining out being near the water!! It just feels like home maybe because so many people are from NY and NJ...

gateway142 · 05-27-2013, 01:07 PM

Thanks everyone. Everything considered we have decided to pack up and move to North Jersey. I'm so glad we made the move here. Taught us a lot. We definitely took a lot for granted up north. Ideally we would love to buy a vacation apartment on the beach. To me that was the best part of Florida...and I will miss it.

cfbs2691 · 05-27-2013, 01:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gateway142

Thanks everyone. Everything considered we have decided to pack up and move to North Jersey. I'm so glad we made the move here. Taught us a lot. We definitely took a lot for granted up north. Ideally we would love to buy a vacation apartment on the beach. To me that was the best part of Florida...and I will miss it.

Best of luck to you!

Swimmom32 · 05-27-2013, 01:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gateway142

Thanks everyone. Everything considered we have decided to pack up and move to North Jersey. I'm so glad we made the move here. Taught us a lot. We definitely took a lot for granted up north. Ideally we would love to buy a vacation apartment on the beach. To me that was the best part of Florida...and I will miss it.

I have to agree this is what we miss the most also..but you did the right thing for you and your family )
We are looking into possibly buying something on the water we will see

Good Luck with your Move

mom2justynsarah · 05-28-2013, 11:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gateway142

Hi,

I am a New Yorker who moved to South Florida (Parkland) last year. We were living in NY and considered moving to either NJ or FL. My husband was a huge advocate of FL. Now that we're been here a year...I have to say - we are very confused. The warm welcoming weather is now getting a little too HOT to handle. The school that my kids attend which was rated "A" doesn't begin to compare to our old NY school. While we are saving money on tolls and taxes...everything else is a fortune here! I am just so confused. There's very little culture and diversity and I am thinking that going to the pool/beach every weekend may not be the best way to raise kids. I am seriously considering packing up and moving to North NJ - where I KNOW the schools are top notch. Again, this is just my opinion. I'd love to hear any thoughts anyone may have. I know the North East isn't perfect and life is hard and winters are harsh...but will my kids be better off being raised there? HELP!!!! Any thoughts/opinions are welcome.

I am a former New Yorker who has been living in S. Florida (West Sunrise area) since 1997. I suggest you give it more time. How old are your kids? There are TONS of things to do down here aside from the beach/pool every weekend. My husband and I are NOT beach people. Have you checked out meetup.com? Are your kids involved with the girlscouts/cub/boyscouts? Check out the following website: South Florida Parenting: Things To Do - South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com and livingfla.com, All Fort Lauderdale Deals | Groupon.

You can also check out the different museums, the Wowfactor, planetairsports, Boomers, Adrenalina...

If interested, send me a private message. My hubby and I are ALWAYS happy to befriend New Yorkers who have moved to S. Florida. I believe friends have made all the difference in the world.

ruski · 05-28-2013, 11:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mom2justynsarah

I am a former New Yorker who has been living in S. Florida (West Sunrise area) since 1997. I suggest you give it more time. How old are your kids? There are TONS of things to do down here aside from the beach/pool every weekend. My husband and I are NOT beach people. Have you checked out meetup.com? Are your kids involved with the girlscouts/cub/boyscouts? Check out the following website: South Florida Parenting: Things To Do - South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com and livingfla.com, All Fort Lauderdale Deals | Groupon.

You can also check out the different museums, the Wowfactor, planetairsports, Boomers, Adrenalina...

If interested, send me a private message. My hubby and I are ALWAYS happy to befriend New Yorkers who have moved to S. Florida. I believe friends have made all the difference in the world.

In addition to Girlscouts, there is a very nice YMCA-based program called Indian Princess

http://www.iprincess.org/index.php/about-the-program

mom2justynsarah · 05-28-2013, 11:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ruski

In addition to Girlscouts, there is a very nice YMCA-based program called Indian Princess

http://www.iprincess.org/index.php/about-the-program

Yes, absolutely!

mom2justynsarah · 05-28-2013, 11:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gateway142

Thanks everyone. Everything considered we have decided to pack up and move to North Jersey. I'm so glad we made the move here. Taught us a lot. We definitely took a lot for granted up north. Ideally we would love to buy a vacation apartment on the beach. To me that was the best part of Florida...and I will miss it.

Best of luck to you!