Can anyone tell me about Hollywood FL area??? (Miami, Tampa: fit in, apartment)

[Wild Style]

Originally Posted by compelled to reply

Are you sure you have been there? There are definitely no wood planks. It's solid concrete, thus the reason it's called the "Broadwalk", although I could do without the overweight half naked French Canadian tourists, manboobs flapping around. Second that "mall" though LOL! I haven't been in there in centuries, I thought they boarded it up.

I was there a month ago, went to the "farmers market" they have there every weekend. They have wood planks over there, you should go check it out.

[Mr.Patron&Redbull]

It's a mostly livable small city in my opinion. There are some sketchy parts: along US-1 from Sheridan St. to Johnson St., then in the square with a perimeter of Washington St to Pembroke Rd (north to south), I-95 to Dixie Highway (west to east). Everything else in Hollywood proper is manageable. One real estate guy I know who's lived in Hollywood all his life said to just stay between Washington and Johnson (presidentially-named streets ha!) and east of Dixie Highway. That was his rule-of-thumb and I'm passing it on because it's quick and simple.

On another note, what is Carver Ranches? I've never been there.

[Wild Style]

Originally Posted by Mr.Patron&Redbull

On another note, what is Carver Ranches? I've never been there.

It is the "hood" area of hollywood. I drove through there this past Friday, not to bad. Seems like a lot of lower income, working class families.

[compelled to reply]

Originally Posted by Wild Style

I was there a month ago, went to the "farmers market" they have there every weekend. They have wood planks over there, you should go check it out.

Over by the farmers market? Oh yeah, forgot about that. But I didn't know the planks were new. That's the single worst part of the broadwalk, I must say. That Ramada needs to get demolished.

[heydade]

WE CALL IT " HOLLYHOOD" Notice the H in HOOD. Nuff said !

[Muzikgirl]

I work in Hollywood, and I agree with the posters here...run down,not a "family setting"..You can go west into Pembroke Pines, west of University ave. to get nice areas.
Or move North to Palm Beach.

[Crew Chief]

What malls are still in Hollywood? I lived there from 1969-'74, first on Moffett Street just East of U.S. 1, then on Van Buren Street next to Orange Brook Golf Couse. The Hollywood Mall (on Hollywood Blvd just West of I-95) was mostly offices and Dollar General" type retailers the last time I saw it. And the Hollywood Fashion Center (Hollywood Blvd @ U.S. 441) was boarded up the last time I drove by about 8 years ago...)

[compelled to reply]

Originally Posted by Crew Chief

What malls are still in Hollywood? I lived there from 1969-'74, first on Moffett Street just East of U.S. 1, then on Van Buren Street next to Orange Brook Golf Couse. The Hollywood Mall (on Hollywood Blvd just West of I-95) was mostly offices and Dollar General" type retailers the last time I saw it. And the Hollywood Fashion Center (Hollywood Blvd @ U.S. 441) was boarded up the last time I drove by about 8 years ago...)

Pembroke Lakes killed Fashion Center (Boarded up now) and they have a large busy strip mall that replaced Hollywood Mall. They are trying to attract a "national retailer" on Young's Circle but it doesn't seem like they are...over the past three years they started heavily policing that area 24-7 to make it safe, started renovating the park/etc and they did a nice job, but now they need more tenants. It's safe to say that with the known exceptions like Emerald Lakes, the rest of the city is as run down as ever. The motels along U.S.1 have started becoming a hot spot for homicide, the city broke a homicide record last year and most of the murders were in the crappy motels.

[Wild Style]

I was reminded of a story a co worker told me. He used to live in Hollywood in a efficiency a year ago. Anyway, it was a cold not and he wakes up early in the A.M. because it was exceptionally cold in his house. He goes to check the A.C. and notices the A.C. is off. Goes to the door and it is wide open! Make a long story short, while he was sleeping, someone came in, stole his money, laptop and the money out of his car. Lucky for him he didn't wake up and startle the person, he could have easily been killed. Needless to say he left hollywood. This place was not to far from that young circle area. Crime happens everywhere but Hollywood is just plain seedy.

[compelled to reply]

But this is a common case. I have family members in west Boynton Beach that had their beautiful home burglarized while they were sleeping. In fact, it was ransacked, and several homes on the block experienced the same thing. And the spree was ungoing and covered a huge amount of west Boynton Beach. Now burglary is practically endemic to that area, and west Boynton is far from seedy, in fact it's kind of upscale and mostly newer.

Bottom line, the burglar didn't wave a gun at the guy, so that could of happened anywhere. You are right though, it could of went the wrong way, but they say every 14 seconds a home is getting broken into somewhere. Most burglars that strike at night just take off and run if the owner wakes up. They are like cockroaches when you turn on the lights, and I haven't heard of anyone being killed in a home invasion (even checking the homicide database). I would be more worried about going outside and getting MUGGED in some of the neighborhoods WEST of Young's Circle. Those alleyways near Dixie Hwy ARE seedy and also have lots of drug sales.

Bottom line is that something way worse could of happened back there than a simple breaking-and-entering type crime and I wouldn't live there. Some of the businesses there have bars on there windows.