Best area outside Lauderdale commute/living (Miami, Coral Springs: rental car, rental, school)

[ruski]

For best results commuting from Weston to Fort Lauderdale in the morning - avoid hours between 7:30 and 9:00am.

[dk22]

Originally Posted by Rhodeislander

Thanks again all.
I will look into the private school and lighthouse point. My wifes commute to Newport is 40 min. Not a big deal, we just have heard some horror stories about traffic in FL. Then again with snow your talking and hour and 40 min!!!
Florida is large and overwhelming coming from a small close knit state. Just looking to research as much as I can. Thanks again!

My wife works right on SE 17th street causeway and makes that commute everyday from where we live. It's not that bad at all from there. Going west from east seems to be the worst drive I've been through around here.

[Shoegal1075]

I'm planning to move Coral Springs from NY, however, I have no idea where Pier 66 is, I have done all my homework on the Coral Springs/Parkland area and they are great areas for kids and the schools are the best in Broward County.

[dk22]

Originally Posted by Chelsa1075

I'm planning to move Coral Springs from NY, however, I have no idea where Pier 66 is, I have done all my homework on the Coral Springs/Parkland area and they are great areas for kids and the schools are the best in Broward County.

Pier 66 is near the Broward County Convention Center and not too far from the south end of Ft. Lauderdale beach. The communte from there to Coral Springs/Parkland area is terrible.

[Shoegal1075]

really, what makes it so terrible? Please tell me!

[ruski]

^^^^
if you choose highway, you would have to get on the very crowded Sawgrass Expressway - people from Parkland and Coral Springs all jump on it, hoping to make it to FL Turnpike or I-95.
Without traffic, it would take you ~15 minutes from Parkland to I-95.
Not to mention that Sawgrass Expressway turns into a local street with traffic lights before it meets I-95.
Then you will need to go 6 or so exits South on I-95, pretty bad during rush hour.
And you are not done yet. You will have a few local street to navigate after you eventually get off I-95.

Actually Google Maps doesn't even do it this way. They put you on Sawgrass Expressway south, loop by Weston and continue on I-595 (not a walk in the park either)
from: 6100 Heron Bay Blvd, Coral Springs, FL 33076 (Heron Bay Commons) to: 2301 SE 17th Street, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316 (Hyatt Regency Pier 66 Resort) - Google Maps

[ruski]

Generally speaking, there almost aren't any East-West highways and the major local East-West streets are pretty crowded and too many lights.
So a diagonal commute is a pretty bad idea.

[compelled to reply]

Originally Posted by ruski

^^^^
very crowded Sawgrass Expressway

That is an oxymoron. The commute is not that bad to Ft. Lauderdale ether, take Copans to 95, 95 moves along fine until you hit the Golden Glades in Miami-Dade County. The real pain comes from heading east on Broward Blvd into downtown. That is a 2 mile trip that can take in excess of 15 minutes, and that has just as much to do with the atrocious timing of the lights as the traffic.

But the drivers are awful everywhere.

[dk22]

Originally Posted by Chelsa1075

really, what makes it so terrible? Please tell me!

When we first moved here and lived in Coral Springs, my wife had to make that trip there to the Pier 66 area. She had 3 choices, but 2 worth taking. We now live about the same distance from where we work right now, but we live on the east side of Fed Hwy instead of out west. Going to work isn't as bad as it use to be. There's about a 10 minute difference in drive time from the east compared to the west.

1. Head from CS to ake Sample or Coconut Creek Parkway entrance on the turnpike. She either gets off on the 595 exit to go through Port Everglade to get to her workplace. Nowadays I wouldn't go through the port because of the checkpoints now there. That normally took her about 35-40 minutes on a good day.

2. Go on Sample Rd to get on I95 towards Davie Blvd exit. Take Davie to Fed Hwy. Head south on Fed Hwy to SE 17th Street. That probably took more than 40 minutes on a good day. Imagine what it would be like if it was raining and it does that pretty often here.

3. Drive on Sample Rd. to Fed Hwy and go all the way to SE 17th Street. I wouldn't ever take this route from Coral Springs unless I95 and Turnpike have accidents.

[Shoegal1075]

This is exactly what I need someone who lives in the area and knows it pretty well and is able to tell me some short cuts around town. Guys I live in NY, so believe me I know what traffic is, but I'm just trying to get an idea of what type of traffice you guys deal with. I take the train to work everyday, because there is no reasonable parking in NY otherwise believe me I would much rather be in my car. That being said, I don't really want to spend my life in traffic either. I have 2 boys who I want to get home to so, obviously the less time on the road the better. I'm just trying to get an idea of the best area for me to work. If I can avoid Miami I would love that, but it seems that the better, high paying jobs are in that direction. I would like to see if Boca has the same opportunities job wise, and work there. In this market though, beggars can not be choosers.