best areas to rent an apartment (Miami, Fort Lauderdale: foreclosures, condos, hotel)

[awleavingNYC]

hi there,

my husband and i are looking into leaving nyc and moving to south florida. he can transfer his job to fort lauderdale, so that looks to be the place for now. what are the best places to rent for newlyweds looking for a 1-2 bed/1 bath in a safe area with nice amenities. we're hoping for under 1k a month. is that possible? we'd like to save some money so we can purchase a home in a few years.

thanks in advance!

also, would commuting to miami be feasible if that's where i got a job?

[fauve]

Your budget sounds fine for most everywhere, tho depending on how upscale you want you may be limited to a 1-bedroom. What kind of neighborhood do you like? Suburban? New? Established? Town-like? Near the beach? Around young singles, families, or degenerates? Oh and is a commute okay, or would you rather not? As for Miami, definitely feasible, but not fun.

[awleavingNYC]

thanks so much for responding! i really appreciate it. we're coming from nyc, so our biggest desires are a bigger space, and something close to the beach! also, near restaurants, shopping etc. doesn't have to be in the center of everything per se, but close would be nice. we like to walk. we're used to it having lived in nyc for a while.

a commute would be fine, but considering the job market (only one of us would be coming in with a job) i'd like to stay in FTL or on the south side (if it's not completely sketchy) as i might have to commute to miami. who knows, we might end up in miami!

[fauve]

Check out Hollywood Beach and downtown Hollywood. Zip is 33019 if you want to look on realtor.com. It's sketchy, but a good kind of sketchy, at least imo. Take a look at the "why is Hollywood Beach so skeevy?" thread. You can find a high rise condo right on the beach or something more urban in the downtown area.

Aventura or Sunny Isles Beach in Miami might work too depending on your personality and what you like. I think it could be helpful to drive along A1A south from the Las Olas area in Ft Lauderdale down through Hollywood and into Aventura and Sunny Isles and check out the different neighborhoods.

[Nolefan34]

You can live just about anywhere in Broward County and have a pretty easy commute to Fort Lauderdale. I would recommend staying further to the east though so you don't need to use 595 or I-75 to commute. Also, you're a lot closer to the beach and there's more to do the further east you live. Hollywood, Las Olas, Fort Lauderdale Beach, and Pompano Beach all have nice condos. One area I'd recommend with great beach condos is Lauderdale-By-The-Seas. Also check out Plantation. Out of all of the Broward suburbs, Plantation has the best location IMO because its so centrally located and you have easy access to 595 and the Turnpike. And all of Plantation is very safe and nice, and its a more laid back but younger crowd. Plantation is also a short commute to the airport, the Sawgrass Mills mall, and the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. You can easily jump on the Turnpike and take it down to Miami too.

Other areas to consider are the western suburbs like Weston, Coral Springs, Parkland, Sunrise, Cooper City, and Pembroke Pines. They are all very nice places except you are further west and you will have longer commute times to Fort Lauderdale, the beaches, and most of the entertainment. THe western suburbs are more family oriented and since you don't have kids that may not be your thing. Boca Raton is a great area, except its further north and you will be miserable if you have to commute to Miami from there.

[Wild Style]

Originally Posted by awleavingNYC

hi there,

my husband and i are looking into leaving nyc and moving to south florida. he can transfer his job to fort lauderdale, so that looks to be the place for now. what are the best places to rent for newlyweds looking for a 1-2 bed/1 bath in a safe area with nice amenities. we're hoping for under 1k a month. is that possible? we'd like to save some money so we can purchase a home in a few years.

thanks in advance!

also, would commuting to Miami be feasible if that's where i got a job?

what is your monthly budget

[fauve]

Originally Posted by Wild Style

what is your monthly budget

It's in the OP you quoted

[Wild Style]

Originally Posted by awleavingNYC

hi there,

my husband and i are looking into leaving nyc and moving to south florida. he can transfer his job to fort lauderdale, so that looks to be the place for now. what are the best places to rent for newlyweds looking for a 1-2 bed/1 bath in a safe area with nice amenities. we're hoping for under 1k a month. is that possible? we'd like to save some money so we can purchase a home in a few years.

thanks in advance!

also, would commuting to Miami be feasible if that's where i got a job?

For your price range and a 2 bedroom look at Victoria Park, Rio Vista, Tarpon Bend, Collee Bend. I would stay out of hollywood, that place has nothing to really offer in terms of safety especially given you want to live close to the beach. Read this thread link it has recent news articles I posted about that area. I also have a co worker and a acquintence that works over there. I also have a realtor friend who does a LOT of work in that area and all agree. That place is not the best

Happy hunting

[fauve]

yeah wild style has made it his personal mission to keep people out of hollywood I wouldn't try to debate him out of it. He's no fun and takes his positions very seriously! But, as a former nyc-er from the upper east side (so, you'd think I'd have thinner skin and be more attracted to Las Olas type places), the place is tame at best - keep it on the list until you've checked it out. Just stay east of A1A around the Lakes neighborhood or in a condo along the beach. The broadwalk is very cool, and getting to be very Venice Beach-y.

[Wild Style]

Originally Posted by fauve

yeah wild style has made it his personal mission to keep people out of hollywood I wouldn't try to debate him out of it. He's no fun and takes his positions very seriously! But, as a former nyc-er from the upper east side (so, you'd think I'd have thinner skin and be more attracted to Las Olas type places), the place is tame at best - keep it on the list until you've checked it out. Just stay east of A1A around the Lakes neighborhood or in a condo along the beach. The broadwalk is very cool, and getting to be very Venice Beach-y.

You admitted you based your opinion of HOllywood on you frequenting restuarants in the area. I on the other hand have provided first hand knowledge of the actual neighborhoods in downtown Hollywood from news articles, from what I have seen first hand, what 3 people I know who have lived there and a realtor friend who handles a lot of the foreclosures in that area for two banks. I also had a friend living there who now lives in North Miami. His apartment in downtown Hollywood was burgalrized while he was sleeping inside.

To recommend something like this to a person based on non facts is irresponsible. Never knew wanting to be safe should be taken so casually :S


To the OP there are about three or four news articles I provided in the link I gave about Hollywood, I think a few of them are not even two or three months old. By all means read them and go check the neighborhood out for yoruself if you can. Don't just go to restuarants or to the beach as you will not be living in either of those. Go into the neighborhoods, walk around and see the people and whats going on in the neighborhood itself.

The places I named that I would suggest I have gone in on foot. I have walked around and I have gone in to these areas on SEVERAL occasions. One place downtown Fort Lauderdale I would avoid like is Flagler Village. It is over priced and there are tons of homeless and shady motels and duplexes. There is also a problem with prostitution and drugs in the northeast section of Flagler Village.

Best of luck on your apartment hunt