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I thought it was really revealing that you liked Delray Beach. I love Delray Beach and seriously considered moving there. Now, you'll love this. Delray is a LOT more snobbish and exclusive than South Beach. The population is richer and older and you will see enough plastic surgery to make you an expert on what's been done in no time at all. South Beach is MUCH larger, MUCH younger and a LOT chiller. Im probably too old for South Beach, but about the right age for Delray. You are definitely too young for Delray, but just the right age for South beach. Dont let the spanish thing scare you. Most people on S Beach are not Hispanic.
I lived in Tampa for 9 months. I thought the nightlife was weak, but I liked it because it looked like New Orleans (the ybor city nightlife part), and the music was more to my liking than normal club music, but all in all I thought it was boring. I like Hollywood Beach a lot too - down to earth, kind of a younger Delray with a bit more of an edge. I spent one night in downtown Orlando and I definitely cant judge, but people that I know who have lived there (18-32) who absolutely hated it and have all since left or are in the process of getting out. One of those people moved to Tampa and was much happier. He ultimately left for New Orleans and was finally satisfied. Another person I know left for Los Angeles and is no happier. The third is now living in NYC and was happier for awhile, but is actually talking about buying a condo in pompano beach going almost full circle, but he's now 45.
As for Ft lauderdale Beach, it's just okay...not worth moving for, but if you grew uphere or moved here for other reasons it wouldnt be horrible. because you are actually MOVING for the nightlife, move to Miami Beach. Also, something to keep in mind...buses run down A1A...you do not have to live in South Beach...it is a lot cheaper to rent on the north end of the beach around Normandy Isle and then you can take the bus. You probably could find something you wouldnt even have to share if you didnt want to.
I thought it was really revealing that you you liked Delray Beach. I love Delray Beach and seriously considered moving there. Now, you'll love this. Delray is a LOT more snobbish and exclusive than South Beach
I LOVED DELRAY. I was dressed as a bit of a rocker and no one judged me, one girl even told me I was hot. lol. The girls were flirty and friendly and the guys were very stand up guys and classy. It was a young hip crowd. I went into a venue that was a bar that played music and had a tiny dance floor. There was an outside area with tables and chairs that connected to another bar. It was the perfect blend. I could socialize and dance in the same place.
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South Beach is MUCH larger, MUCH younger and a LOT chiller. Im probably too old for South Beach,
I have no doubt that southbeach would be the king of nightlife, I just worry it will be the king of bankrupsy too.
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Dont let the spanish thing scare you. Most people on S Beach are not Hispanic.
I love diversity and actually took a couple years of spanish back in highschool. I can understand a lot of simple words but thats it. My concern is being limited in job oppurtunity because of a lack of fluent spanish.
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I lived in Tampa for 9 months. I thought the nightlife was weak, but I liked it because it looked like New Orleans (the ybor city nightlife part), and the music was more to my liking than normal club music, but all in all I thought it was boring.
Fort lauderdale has better nightlife than tampa right?
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I like Hollywood Beach a lot too - down to earth, kind of a younger Delray with a bit more of an edge.
MMM. Sounds good.
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I spent one night in downtown Orlando and I definitely cant judge, but people that I know who have lived there (18-32) who absolutely hated it and have all since left or are in the process of getting out.
THis is what worries me the most as I cant figure out why that is. Im afraid there might be something im missing and that worries me. Again would you say it's worse than fort lauderdale?
One of those people moved to Tampa and was much happier. He ultimately left for New Orleans and was finally satisfied. Another person I know left for Los Angeles and is no happier. The third is now living in NYC and is actually talking about buying a condo in pompano beach, but he's now 45.
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As for Ft lauderdale Beach, it's just okay...not worth moving for, but if you grew uphere or moved here for other reasons it wouldnt be horrible.
THe thing that intriques me of Fort lauderdale is that it is somewhat cheaper and still close to stuff. If its nightlife is as good as orlando (which I doubt) or even CLOSE to it, i think i could be happy and its only 30 minutes from miami and close to hollywood. Maybe I should look at hollywood over fort lauderdale but i think theres more nightlife in fort lauderdale. What is it about fort lauderdale that doesn't impress you specifically when compared to places like hollywood or delray beach?
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because you are actually MOVING for the nightlife, move to Miami Beach.
This is where your logic is a little off. YES I want to be able to enjoy nightlife, but I want to also be able to pay my bills and have the money to go out a lot and socialize and network and meet people. Im trying to find the perfect situation for this in florida and Im still hesitant that I will be able to take advantage of what southbeach has to offer.
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Also, something to keep in mind...buses run down A1A...you do not have to live in South Beach...it is a lot cheaper to rent on the north end of the beach around Normandy Isle and then you can take the bus.
I will have to look this up and see if it's safe and if the buses run all night so I can still go out. Southbeach has a lot of barriers for relocation with housing.
Thanks for all your advice. This is the kind of advice that gives me perspective and hope that I can do this up right. In a few years I am going to be back in school and catching up for lost time. I dont want to have any regrets. I want to be able to move on knowing that I had a blast.
I decided to sleep on this decision and may even take the weekend to decide. Then Im definately out of time and have to go for SOMETHING.
The reason I dont comment much on Ft Lauderdale nightlife is because Ive never really experienced it. Because there's Hollywood Beach and Delray Beach that had places with music I liked I never bothered to check out the clubs in Ft Lauderdale because they seemed more velvet rope and dance music-ish. Im definitely more of a rocker or blues person and the rock and blues place that Im aware of are in Delray and Hollywood. South Beach is so big that it just has everything you could want, which is why it's ideal. There are multiple places for every mood, budget & music style. Some are exclusive I know, but many are not. And getting a server job wont be as hard as you think. Especially now with the economy coming back somewhat.
The main problem I see with Delray and Hollywood for you is that they're small and they'll get boring and you'll want a car to get to other places. The buses on Miami Beach run very late but definitely best to double check how late.
The reason I dont comment much on Ft Lauderdale nightlife is because Ive never really experienced it. Because there's Hollywood Beach and Delray Beach that had places with music I liked I never bothered to check out the clubs in Ft Lauderdale because they seemed more velvet rope and dance music-ish. Im definitely more of a rocker or blues person and the rock and blues place that Im aware of are in Delray and Hollywood. South Beach is so big that it just has everything you could want, which is why it's ideal. There are multiple places for every mood, budget & music style. Some are exclusive I know, but many are not. And getting a server job wont be as hard as you think. Especially now with the economy coming back somewhat.
The main problem I see with Delray and Hollywood for you is that they're small and they'll get boring and you'll want a car to get to other places. The buses on Miami Beach run very late but definitely best to double check how late.
I pretty much have decided that if I come down Ive got my heart set on living in either fort lauderdale or southbeach. There's an outside chance i could live more north than that but Id like to avoid it.
Then of couse there is still Orlando.
I think either way it will meet my needs. All I really want is a good sized selection of nightlife that is easily accessible. Im not really THAT hard to please. The problem I had with Daytona is that there were only really 2 places that got busy and the only one that had a somewhat good layout was 509.
The rest of the places were sports pubs, which you can find anywhere.
Spring break was a massive disappointment, although I didnt get to go out very much due to work.
The block parties were the best part about daytona.
Also I lived 15 minutes from the nightlife or a round trip 35 dollar cab ride. By the time I would get out of work often my friends were already out. When I could catch a ride down there it had it's moments, but with such little selection and an overwhelming number of dudes to every girl I found myself mostly associating with the girls I would go out with, or the many dudes that frequented the bars. lol.
In Orlando I went to citywalk and had lots of great conversation with all kinds of people and had a blast. The malls are the same way. people are very friendly. There seems to be a lot to do.
Cute girls and foreign girls with nice smiles are abundant.
When I went out in downtown orlando there were 3 streets lined with bars and clubs. One had club after club with lines waiting to get in. I havent even got to check out some of the more top notch well known places there yet.
What impresses me about south florida is there seem to be some intelligent classy people down there. This can be a problem if their snobby or judgemental but usually ignorant people bring out the worst in me and tactful classy standup people bring out the best in me.
The best times I've had is when I live within walking distance to nightlife districts. It makes them easily accessible to me. I once lived on an island with a very small nightlife. They had one street mostly with bars. One place was 3 stories. Bottom floor was bar and pool. Second floor dance music or live music, 3rd floor vip. That was the best place and the only place. There were other smaller spots.
I had a blast though because i could walk there and back and often we would invite people back to the pad and party til the break of dawn. It was a great summer.
Im trying to relive that on a larger scale in my free time, while still being responsible and keeping some extra money in my bank account.
Okay, I just checked the bus schedule and the one that runs right through Normandy isle and down to South Beach runs 24 hours: Transit
I understand that wanting to live right where your life is. Delray would probably be too expensive to do that unless you lived in a fairly unsafe area (Downtown Delray is dicier the further west and south you go) or lucked out with roommates. This is much easier to do in downtown Hollywood. Not perfectly safe, but as a guy you should be fine. With South Beach, you could manage with roommates or you could bus from further north on the beach. Safety would also be an issue as you'd be walking from the bus to your apt at odd hours on empty streets. I actually think your best bet South beach-wise would be to find some really nice roommates who could serve as a built-in welcoming committee as well. From your last few posts, it sounds to me as though Hollywood might be the right place for you. Oh and I forgot Ft lauderdale. Here too, in the better areas you'll need a roommate. It's also really easy (like Delray) to find yourself in an unsafe neighborhood if your budget is low.
Daytona Beach. I visited there recently, during 'Spring Break' no less. What a disappointment. I think since you lived in Daytona, than Orlando probably did look really good. Daytona was just 'sad'. I felt like any college campus anywhere in America was a whole lot more exciting than what I saw in Daytona when I recently visited there - on a Saturday night no less.
Anyways, having just read the last page to catch up again. The prices of roommate situations between South Beach and Orlando seem to only vary by about $100, right? That is very little - about a night's worth of tips working as a waiter. Being that tips will be much better in South Beach, that alone makes it more worthwhile.
In addition, in Orlando, you'll be pretty much 100% required to spend money everytime you try to socialize (i.e. no beach, so you'll be paying to drink or dance, etc.). In South Beach, you'll probably socialize half of the time at the beach and half of the time at night.
Years ago, I took a shot at living in Rio de Jainero, Brazil. Originally I was intending to 'go out a lot', and found that it quickly shifted to beach daytime activities being a whole lot more interesting, and had a much better vibe/feeling/more fun than sitting in clubs trying to drink enough or fall into some interesting way to socialize, etc. So, what I'm saying is, don't overlook the BEACH as a great way to both seriously socialize AND save a lot of money.
Don't feel bad for the OP. I recommend you read all posts before you jump into conclusions. We answered his question a long time ago with all those "logical" and "honest" actual facts. He decided to open another thread with the same questions and demanding answers that were given to him a long time ago. Every time someone points something positive about S. Florida, he gets confrontational and resorts to personal attacks like you have no life or are a troll. Please...
And yes Miami Beach has its share of prostitution and drugs. It's not a cliche, I have seen the it with my own eyes, I didn't "hear" it. The prostitutes there literally walk down the streets and I guess the police doesn't care. It's worse than even the worst neighborhoods of Miami. I guess because of tourists with money make good clients. Even the ShamWow guy hired one.
Ok I do agree with you 100% about not jumping to conclusions and I hope you know that I am sorry if you personally felt attacked by me, and I love Miami, Miami Beach and I know first hand the vast distinction between all parts of South Fla compared with each other. That being said, obviously I do love Orlando more, I am from there originally and have never found a place that fits me more like a glove than Central Florida. South Florida to me is more like a stiletto and I'm a guy so that's not exactly what I should be rockin' .
And you are right it is not exactly a cliche, however, there is a general perception that I've encountered both in the Miami area and abroad that believes those things about the area and as you've indicated, for good reason. Now, I am willing to call the OP out on his dismissal of good advice bout his decision as much as the next guy, however I thought the poster Daily is downright rude in bashing Orlando which is not what the OP wanted or what anybody should want. Never would I bash a city for not being like my city, Orlando is king of theme park entertainment, South Florida is king of a different kind of entertainment. But that doesn't mean that what the OP is searching for isn't available in either city. I mean come-on aren't you being a tad picky when debating a move to two of Florida's coolest cities? Either one would be a huge step up for what he's looking for. So this really isn't a battle of my city is cooler than your city.
Ok I do agree with you 100% about not jumping to conclusions and I hope you know that I am sorry if you personally felt attacked by me, and I love Miami, Miami Beach and I know first hand the vast distinction between all parts of South Fla compared with each other. That being said, obviously I do love Orlando more, I am from there originally and have never found a place that fits me more like a glove than Central Florida. South Florida to me is more like a stiletto and I'm a guy so that's not exactly what I should be rockin' . .
I never said I feel attacked by you, I said reread his posts. He is going in circles and being confrontational.
The OP belongs in Orlando. He feels out of place in Miami(thinks everybody is rich and stuck up) He bashes Miami all the time in the Florida forum. Miami now days(not 10 or 20 years ago) is not easy for the white nonhispanic unless you are very opened minded and don't mind all the Spanish. He already has a bad impression because of all the things "he heard" Also Miami is more Hip Hop and less Rocker type. Sounds like the OP is the latter. Yes Miami has a better night life but he doesn't fit here.
I never said I feel attacked by you, I said reread his posts. He is going in circles and being confrontational.
The OP belongs in Orlando. He feels out of place in Miami(thinks everybody is rich and stuck up) He bashes Miami all the time in the Florida forum. Miami now days(not 10 or 20 years ago) is not easy for the white nonhispanic unless you are very opened minded and don't mind all the Spanish. He already has a bad impression because of all the things "he heard" Also Miami is more Hip Hop and less Rocker type. Sounds like the OP is the latter. Yes Miami has a better night life but he doesn't fit here.
I never said I feel attacked by you, I said reread his posts. He is going in circles and being confrontational.
The OP belongs in Orlando. He feels out of place in Miami(thinks everybody is rich and stuck up) He bashes Miami all the time in the Florida forum. Miami now days(not 10 or 20 years ago) is not easy for the white nonhispanic unless you are very opened minded and don't mind all the Spanish. He already has a bad impression because of all the things "he heard" Also Miami is more Hip Hop and less Rocker type. Sounds like the OP is the latter. Yes Miami has a better night life but he doesn't fit here.
Fair enough about the Spanish part which I do speak really well for a so-called white person by the way. Miami does have a better nightlife in some respects and Orlando in others, it isn't as black and white as some people (and I'm not saying you necessarily) suggest. I know that you have expressed frustration that Eagle bashes Miami all the time because of what he's heard and has never been there, well some of the posters on this forum are doing the exact same thing to Orlando so I can understand why he feels that they should be cross-examined as in any good debate, and that is after all this really is.
To generalize about either city is dumb, and plain useless. Okay seriously South Florida, yes you are bigger but metro Orlando has a total population of just over 2,000,000. Please give us the respect of quoting our metro pop. correctly. The same way I would quote that Miami metro has a total population of over 5,500,000 not 4.5 mil, 600,000 makes a difference. By saying metro Orlando has only 1.5 million you are suggesting that all the growth the area has seen since 2000, which BTW was a decade ago, doesn't count. When in actuality metro Orlando's growth rate was more than double of metro Miami's. Yes, that is still comparing apples to oranges, however I am only asking that we look at what a growth rate of +26% does to an area like downtown Orlando and it's most walkable suburbs. Trust me, the nightlife is pretty sweet and cheap, I can spend a total of $20 on cab, cover, drink specials and even have enough to grab a slice on my way home. So that is a big plus!
All in all, I am not trying to debate you on Orl vs. Mia, it's no competition (unless we're talking Heat/Magic) for many reasons with some battles going to Orlando's win column and others to Miami's. I am only asking for both sides to be more factual no matter what forum this is or how many threads talk about this subject. Maybe if there was better feedback on this or any CD forum, posters wouldn't have to resort to posting duplicate questions and misguided opinions that should be accepted as fact.
Hasta Luego, Miami, hope to see you all soon as I always try to escape to South Florida for it's Caribbean charm and a chance to enjoy excellent Cuban food and beauty. The same is true of you guys, where do you take the family on vacation, it's Orlando or at least you are very welcome to. But I do understand that SoBe & Miami's nightlife are a destination unto themselves. Let's give credit where credit is due and help this guy find his happy medium.
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alright I'll let up
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. The same is true of you guys, where do you take the family on vacation, it's Orlando or at least you are very welcome to. But I do understand that SoBe & Miami's nightlife are a destination unto themselves. Let's give credit where credit is due and help this guy find his happy medium.
