info on sunrise (Plantation, Tamarac, Sawgrass: to rent, condo, home)

[nankjay]

ok...so i found an awesome realtor i feel extremely comfortable with...after a LONG convo listening to my needs, she strongly feels that the most important needs, which is to be close to my sister for assistance and my limited budget and need for a larger space needs to take precedence...for this reason..she is strongly recommending that my husband and i look to rent in the sunrise area and vicinitiy...we discussed many areas and my desire to be in a younger, more "hip" area, if you will...however alot of those areas will be either too far from my sister or will be out of our price range for what we need..

She explained that although there are definitely older people in sunrise than some of the younger neighborhoods...there is still diversity and we will still be close enough to entertainment, highways, and alot we need as a young couple with no kids.

She also is a FL native and seems to know alot about different areas...

so..i just wanted to get some input...is sunrise all old people or are there young people there too (I ask also because i cannot travel too far and even here where i live my friends are no more than 15 minutes away so i'd hate to move right near my sister but then have no friends under 80

I've been lied to before by realtors that is why i am asking..though she did seem so genuine and knowledgeable and really tried to zero in on my needs in order of importance.

Of course, if strict budget wasn't an issue, a need for a larger space, and proximity to my sister, we'd be able to consider tons of other neighborhoods. An acquaintance of mine lives in hollywood and he keeps saying I will be bored out of my mind in sunrise and not to move there....he is always tells me about all these neighborhoods,....south beach, miami, near ft lauderdale, and so many more that he says are so happening but he doesn't truly understand my budget or need to be close to family.

The realtor said alot of the entertainment is less than 20 minutes away. Hope she is right...i might be disabled but I LOVE to have fun and my sister and i lead very different lives, not only because she has kids but because she doesn;t like to do very much

[SierraDog]

I think there a plenty of neighborhoods in sunrise that have more younger people and young families. If you are working with a good realtor, she should be able to steer you towards them. Western Plantation is also an option. I wouldn't say either area is "hip" but more of a suburban area for families. Both cities are well-managed and do a good job with parks and recreation, but if you are looking to buy a single family home be sure to evaluate the schools you are zoned for, because that will affect your resale value regardless of whether you personally have kids. My understanding is that Plantation has a better reputation as far as schools.

[mom2justynsarah]

My husband and I are raising our two kids (10 and 4) in West Sunrise. We are 5 minutes from the Sawgrass Mills Mall and have very easy access to the Sawgrass Parkway, 595, 75, 95 and Florida Turnpike.

The schools are fine. My son goes to Sandpiper elementary (which is an "A" rated school.) His middle school will be West Pine (which is a good school). The only thing I don't like is Piper high. However, I am not worried about that now.

I enjoy living in this area. It's very kid friendly, and lots of young couples with and without kids live here. There are only very small pockets of senior citizen areas. Tamarac is much more known for senior citizens than Sunrise.

Sunrise has a lot of diversity, and most (if not all) of Sunrise is part of the Welleby management company. As a homeowner, you do need to follow their rules and regulation. If you don't want to be "ruled" by the Welleby management company, than don't buy a home here....

[nankjay]

i just read this about diversity of couples with kids and without..good to know. thanks!!! I think because it is so close to tamarac and my parents bought a condo there in 55plus community i was under the wrong impression about sunrise as having tons of old people...very good to know!!!! thanks

oh..i think it might have been you that mentioned that it is hard to make long term friendships in fl....that will be nothing new for me...it's nearly impossible here in az...everyone here is either totally...they call it flaky..i call it inconsiderate or everyone eventually moves around alot and az is a very transitional state...it's a shame since it is hard enough making friends in your late 30's but i guess everyone is set in their friendships and doing their lives they don't want to let anyone else in...i hope i meet people who are exceptions to this

we should meet once i move since we seem to feel the same way about stuff unless you are adverse to meeting someone without a child...i can't afford a child for play dates or anything like that ;(