Moving to Broward County... (Miami, Fort Lauderdale: low income, to rent, crime)

[nancynshawn]

My husband, baby and I will be moving to the Ft. Lauderdale area at the end of the year. I've done a lot of research and came up with the following areas as being decent/safe to live in...

Coral Springs
Coconut Creek
Margate
maybe Tamarac?

Does anyone have any advice or anything good or bad to say about these cities? Any input would be greatly appreciated. We plan on renting for about 2 years before buying and I want to rent in a nice, safe area. I have really been eyeing Coral Springs a lot. Anyhow, please share any info you might have! Thanks!!!!

[jhlcomp]

Dont't forget Weston, Parkland, and Plantation. Margate and Tamarac would not be my first choice. You really need to see the areas including Coral Springs.

I make these comments because of preference, desirability of areas (mind you, there is nothing that much wrong with these areas), etc.

[Momma_bear]

Originally Posted by nancynshawn

My husband, baby and I will be moving to the Ft. Lauderdale area at the end of the year. I've done a lot of research and came up with the following areas as being decent/safe to live in...

Coral Springs
Coconut Creek
Margate
maybe Tamarac?

Does anyone have any advice or anything good or bad to say about these cities? Any input would be greatly appreciated. We plan on renting for about 2 years before buying and I want to rent in a nice, safe area. I have really been eyeing Coral Springs a lot. Anyhow, please share any info you might have! Thanks!!!!

None of the areas you mentioned are bad areas but Margate and Tamarac may be a little old for you. Coral Springs and Coconut Creek are a bit younger and have some nice neighborhoods as well as some sketchy ones.

Don't forget Weston, Parkland, Plantation (west), Sunrise (around Sawgrass Mills), Davie, Cooper City, and Pembroke Pines (west).

[Nolefan34]

Plantation is a great area of younger people and families. And it is the closest commute to Fort Lauderdale of all the places mentioned. You've got everything in Plantation. A mall, plenty of restaurants and other shopping.

[nancynshawn]

Thanks everyone! I never gave Plantation a thought... I'll have to check it out! We're going down in September to look around a bit so I'll definitely put Plantation on the list.

[stelsells]

Hello Nancy & Shawn,

If proximimity to all major areas and easy access to shopping & highways, airports and entertainment, then perhaps Plantation would be ideal for you and your family. I would seriously look at Parkland which is a little west of the center, but there are many family oriented neighborhoods, beautiful homes, parks, etc. . . It is also a throws away from Boca Raton & Deerfield Beach. I have sold many homes in these areas and continue to receive requests on a regular basis because people feel comfortable, safe and AT HOME. I hope that this helps.

[nikkir386]

Definitely visit Coral Springs, it's a very family oriented city in Broward County. Are there some shady areas? Hardly...and the areas that are, aren't nearly as bad as most other places in Broward. Also, check out Parkland.

[Nolefan34]

Coral Springs, Parkland, Coconut Creek, Plantation, Cooper City, and Weston are very good areas. Pembroke Pines has some nice areas, but some sketchy ones too. Same goes for Sunrise. Davie is mostly lower-income and college students. Tamarac and Margate are mostly old people and lower-income.

Avoid Lauderdale Lakes, North Lauderdale, Pompano Beach, Davie, West Hollywood, and Miramar.

[fauve]

Davie is mostly lower-income and college students.

Huh? You could possibly say this about east Davie, though you'd get an argument out of me, but WEST Davie? I'm sure the people living in Stonebridge Estates, Highland Ranches, Whispering Woods, Shenandoah, Oakhill, Forest Ridge, Laurel Oaks, Imagination Farms, the 2 - 20 acre estates, etc., etc., etc., might have a pretty good argument that they're neither low income or college students!!

[compelled to reply]

Originally Posted by Nolefan34

Coral Springs, Parkland, Coconut Creek, Plantation, Cooper City, and Weston are very good areas. Pembroke Pines has some nice areas, but some sketchy ones too. Same goes for Sunrise. Davie is mostly lower-income and college students. Tamarac and Margate are mostly old people and lower-income.

Avoid Lauderdale Lakes, North Lauderdale, Pompano Beach, Davie, West Hollywood, and Miramar.

I have a lot to dispute here. First of all, Miramar is way nicer than Sunrise, especially the west half. Even the east part isn't that bad unless you are standing right on State Road 7 or Pembroke Rd. Black and working class doesn't necessairly mean bad. The west half is actually one of the more pleasant areas to live IMO, if bland. Central Miramar (between University Dr and say Red Rd although maybe I-75) is where most of the crime is, but there is really only one bad spot in the area itself (Sherman Circle). The rest of it tends to be frequented by robbers and burglars from Miami Gardens, not the community itself. Second of all, what applies for east Miramar applies for North Lauderdale. North Lauderdale is acutally fairly clean and pretty safe with only a few bad blocks. Third of all of all, west Hollywood has some very poor and unkempt areas on the west side (particularly west of State Road 7), but the crime hot spots are mostly east of I-95 but west of US1. This is where most of the shady characters, prostitution, drug dealing and a lot of the armed robbery, burglary, etc occurs. West Hollywood could be best described as "slightly above average" as far as crime goes, mostly property crime. Fourth of all, Davie west of University Dr is acutally very affluent and home mostly to families, and easily ties with Weston, Cooper City and Parkland in the "best" list. The worst part of west Davie is a mobile home park off of 136th Ave where almost nothing happens. Fourth of all, where are the shady areas in Pembroke Pines? Yes some parts are shinier and fancier than others but again, lower income doesn't necessairly mean shady. Not that much happens in east Pembroke Pines, and you can look at their monthly crime map for proof.

I would lay it out like this, in no particular order however...

First tier ("best" overall, factoring in schools, crime rate, upkeep, etc)

Weston
Parkland
Cooper City
Davie (west of University Dr)

Second tier (low crime, above average income level, clean, may or may not have good schools, etc)

Pembroke Pines (west of University Dr)
NW Ft. Lauderdale (let's say north of Oakland Park Blvd and east of Dixie Hwy)
Coral Springs (all)
Miramar (west of Red Rd)
Hollywood Hills/Emerald Hills/Oak Point area of Hollywood
Deerfield Beach west of 95
Coconut Creek
Plantation (mostly west of University Dr)
Sunrise west of Pine Island Rd, the further west the better
Davie by the colleges
Palm Aire section of Pompano Beach



Niche areas (might not necessairly make the most sense for everyone or have mass appeal, but nice and have their own "special" feel)

Southeast Ft. Lauderdale
Hollywood east of US1
Hallandale Beach east of US1
Lighthouse Point
Wilton Manors east of Dixie Hwy

Third Tier (working class areas that aren't all around awesome but are nothing to be afraid of)
Most of west Hollywood
Most of east Miramar
Tamarac
Margate
Most of North Lauderdale
Lauderhill to the north of Oakland Park Blvd
East Pembroke Pines

Stay away

Almost anything in Ft. Lauderdale west of Dixie Hwy, except some spots around Commerical Blvd/Cypress Creek Rd
Hollywood between US1 and I-95, exception Hollywood Blvd corridor
Dania Beach
Downtown Davie away from the main roads (sorry fauve, personal experience I was just there two days ago around Potter Park and it was shady, I consider between Griffin and Stirling an exception)
Oakland Park
Most of Pompano Beach
"Deepside" section of Lauderhill (this also means eastern Sunrise)
Much of Lauderdale Lakes
Pembroke Park
West Park
Eastern Plantation, stay away from State Road 7

It sounds complicated, but basically, stay east of US1 or west of University Dr if you want to live in a decent area no matter what city it's in. It's the in between areas that are complicated although there are plenty of nice spots in between.