Moving from NJ to Miami...HELP!!! (Orlando, Fort Lauderdale: renters, car insurance, violent crime)

[compelled to reply]

Originally Posted by Musclehead

doggiebus .... never confuse a New Englander with a New Yorker / NJ you will have an enemy for life LOL .... come to think of it I guess the area is simply called NY / NJ not sure if it has any "historical " tag like New England ?

Funny that you mention that, I actually was just a tad insulted by it being referenced to as "New England" and Manhattan being spelled as "Manhatten" as an Ex- NYer myself, as well as seeing someone say it has "the friendliest people on earth". Thats just as blind of a view of New York as many people on here claim to have have a blind view of Miami.

[compelled to reply]

Originally Posted by doggiebus

So is Maine or Vermont considered part of New England? Or are they something else?

Maine, Vermont, Mass. , Connecticut (sometimes), R.I are referred to as New England states. NEVER EVER EVER mention New York of New Jersey as an New England state. I do not mean to be hostile, in fact, i'm mostly over the whole "I'm From NY" thing, but regardless, some people are not, and DO NOT refer to NY as New England!!!!

I apologize if I came off as hostile in both posts, it is just that I become really passionate about that..heh

[esantana]

Thank you all for your advice - I've found it all very helpful. While I've found some folks to be a bit on the negative side, overall I've gotten a good indication of what we could be in for. We do have family and friends in the area which have also given us guidance, but I am glad we got the "unbiased" point of view from the various posters.
Thanks again!

P.S. - for those of us who live here, NY-NJ-CT are considered part of the "NY Tri-state Area" - and not New England. As for the third world commentary, not sure exactly what was meant, but we've been here all of our lives and truly love the richness and diversity in culture it has to offer....

[Cabernet]

Originally Posted by esantana

Thank you! What makes it a diamon in the rough? Is a an area that is coming back?

Miami Shores Village is a LOVELY neighborhood; actually, it is a MUNICIPALITY of its own, with its own Mayor, Police, etc. Homes "east of the boulevard" are very expensive nowadays, with almost 20 currently on the market asking OVER $1 million!! Many lovely older homes from the 1920's, '30s, '40s and '50's are in the area from Biscayne Blvd west to Miami Avenue, and then on west to the Village Limits. Many are renovated and updated, but a few are still in "original" condition. The bungalows and cottages in the areas west of Miami Ave towards the Village limits are somewhat smaller, and are in various stages of reclamation. The Village's fairly high tax rate supports a host of facilities for old and young alike, including the Miami Shores Golf and Country Club, the Aquatic Center, the Community Center, the Tennis Center, the Athletic Fields, the Concert in the Park series, the annual Halloween Howl on 2nd Ave, and the new Charter School. Miami Shores Elementary School is "A-Rated", but does have a large "minority" enrollment, which sends many students to the many, uh, "less-inclusive" private schools in the neighborhood. The Shores boasts larger than normal house lots (avg 9,600sqft) with a fairly lush tree canopy. Most homes are above the flood plain. The shops along NE 2nd Avenue are s-l-o-w-l-y becoming more interesting, and 2 cafes, a wine shop, and a Starbucks have opened up to booming business! Ft. Lauderdale to the north, Miami Beach to the east, and downtown Miami to the south are all within easy commute...30 minutes or less, the Lord willing and the crick don't rise!

[stat3man]

Originally Posted by esantana

Thanks for the info Rich, I appreciate your response. This has been helpful. Looks like we're going so the scoop is extra appreciated. Its a little sad to hear a fair amount of negativity about the general area, but sounds like there is enough good stuff to keep us excited. Will keep you posted.

BTW, where in NJ are you from?

Hi, ESantana. I'm glad to be of help. If you have any further questions, I'd be glad to answer them without the melodrama that so many posters on here engage in.

I was born in Newark (yikes!), but my family lived in Union City and North Bergen before moving to Miami. I have relatives in North Bergen, Old Bridge, Cliffside Park, Paramus, and Elmwood Park. What part of Jersey are you coming here from?

Rich.

[esantana]

Rich, what about Miami Lakes?

My husband now works in Newark so I know he sees it all. My parents and my husbands parents grew up in Union city too! I grew up in Watchung west of Summit (people have usually heard of summit)

[compelled to reply]

Originally Posted by esantana

Rich, what about Miami Lakes?

My husband now works in Newark so I know he sees it all. My parents and my husbands parents grew up in Union city too! I grew up in Watchung west of Summit (people have usually heard of summit)

I know that this question is not directed at me, but I can tell you that Miami Lakes is a nice looking area that is safe by Miami standards, but the schools are not very good past elementary, and the Miami language barrier is still a major issue. I really recommend moving into Broward and having a slightly longer (but far less traffick-y) commute. Since you have the money to spend on a nice home, I really think it is worth it to live in a far more family friendly area. Your children can be raised to appreciate diversity around here, as there is a lot of racial diversity, but not much poverty and crime, and this is a popular spot for upper-middle class families fleeing Miami Dade to bring their children into a far better environment.

[stat3man]

Originally Posted by esantana

Rich, what about Miami Lakes?

My husband now works in Newark so I know he sees it all. My parents and my husbands parents grew up in Union city too! I grew up in Watchung west of Summit (people have usually heard of summit)

esantana, i'm glad you brought this up. i was going to mention it. i actually grew up right outside miami lakes, and i lived in the town itself for about 6 years, having owned two condos there. i think it's a lovely town. there's lots of trees and immaculately landscaped medians. there are two public elementary schools, both of which are "A" schools. the middle school and high schools are average, though. that ought to be a pretty tolerable drive to north miami for your husband.

the town really is mostly a full-service town. you can probably get everything you need without leaving the town. they just built a beautiful, new, large publix supermarket, and there are shops, restaurants, etc. nothing fancy, though. it's funny. despite being a relatively upscale town, there's not too many upscale establishments there. pretty down to earth stuff. still, one thing i don't like is that a lot of people from less-desirable surrounding areas tend to come into the town to avail themselves of what it has to offer. that kinda bugs me.

you'll get much more house for the money in miami lakes than you will in miami shores. it'll also be a bigger house. most of the single-family homes were built in the 60s and 70s. the only thing i'd caution you about miami lakes is that there's a non-commercial airport directly east of it. so, there are quite a few private, corporate jets, etc., that tend to fly in and out over the town. despite that, though, it's extremely quiet there.

oh, and finally. if you choose miami lakes, be sure you actually choose the REAL, TRUE Town of Miami Lakes. There are a lot of realtors, homesellers, etc., that identify their properties as being Miami Lakes, when in reality the property is OUTSIDE Miami Lakes proper, and the surrounding area is considerably less desirable than Miami Lakes proper. The Town of Miami Lakes has its boundaries; make sure you're in them. I can help you with this info if necessary.

Rich.

[compelled to reply]

Originally Posted by stat3man

esantana, i'm glad you brought this up. i was going to mention it. i actually grew up right outside miami lakes, and i lived in the town itself for about 6 years, having owned two condos there. i think it's a lovely town. there's lots of trees and immaculately landscaped medians. there are two public elementary schools, both of which are "A" schools. the middle school and high schools are average, though. that ought to be a pretty tolerable drive to north miami for your husband.

the town really is mostly a full-service town. you can probably get everything you need without leaving the town. they just built a beautiful, new, large publix supermarket, and there are shops, restaurants, etc. nothing fancy, though. it's funny. despite being a relatively upscale town, there's not too many upscale establishments there. pretty down to earth stuff. still, one thing i don't like is that a lot of people from less-desirable surrounding areas tend to come into the town to avail themselves of what it has to offer. that kinda bugs me.

you'll get much more house for the money in miami lakes than you will in miami shores. it'll also be a bigger house. most of the single-family homes were built in the 60s and 70s. the only thing i'd caution you about miami lakes is that there's a non-commercial airport directly east of it. so, there are quite a few private, corporate jets, etc., that tend to fly in and out over the town. despite that, though, it's extremely quiet there.

oh, and finally. if you choose miami lakes, be sure you actually choose the REAL, TRUE Town of Miami Lakes. There are a lot of realtors, homesellers, etc., that identify their properties as being Miami Lakes, when in reality the property is OUTSIDE Miami Lakes proper, and the surrounding area is considerably less desirable than Miami Lakes proper. The Town of Miami Lakes has its boundaries; make sure you're in them. I can help you with this info if necessary.

Rich.

If she would consider Miami LAkes, why doesn't she just move to west Miramar. It's one (traffic free) city up, and just far superior in every way precievable, with nicer people (yet more multicultural, try finding Asians in Miami-Dade), more room to breathe, far superior schools (you could even send your kids to the high school if you had to, the HS is not even that bad, 87% grad rate), a bit lower crime, I jus't don't understand why somebody would direct somebody to live in Miami-Dade, especially if they have children and they don't have to. Broward is just a far better bet.

[stat3man]

Originally Posted by fort lauderdale

If she would consider Miami LAkes, why doesn't she just move to west Miramar. It's one (traffic free) city up, and just far superior in every way precievable, with nicer people (yet more multicultural, try finding Asians in Miami-Dade), more room to breathe, far superior schools (you could even send your kids to the high school if you had to, the HS is not even that bad, 87% grad rate), a bit lower crime, I jus't don't understand why somebody would direct somebody to live in Miami-Dade, especially if they have children and they don't have to. Broward is just a far better bet.

Dude, do you work for the Broward County Chamber of Commerce or something? Can't the Broward-pushing/Miami-Dade bashing types get a forum of your own?! This is the MIAMI forum. Isn't there a FORT LAUDERDALE forum for you guys? Many of the people who now live in Broward abandoned Miami long ago, but they still want to be involved in all things Miami. Come on, get your own identity. Broward people always seem to me that they resent living in the shadows of Miami. They never miss an opportunity to berate Dade County and extol the virtues of Broward. The woman was asking me about Miami Lakes; I answered her question.