Young family looking for good schools and safe neighborhood (Miami: apartments, rental)

[recadna]

really happy to find this forum and have learned so much about Miami. Here is my snapshot:

Moving from: Midwest
Family: wife, two kids (will be 6 and 3 next year)
My work: JMH
wife work: work from home, taking care of kids

We value family time and kids' education. Since we will be Miami for only three years, we will rent (townhome, apartment etc). For kids, it looks like we have to send them to private schools. Anyway, I am asking your locals about:

Which cites/neighborhoods do you recommend? Any good managed apartment/TH complexes (we had bad experiences with private owner's rental properties before)? Any good private elementary schools nearby these complexes? Any review sites I can get more info?

Coral gables is nice and Gulliver looks OK but there are not many apartments/THs in the city. At least, I could not find them online.

[compelled to reply]

Originally Posted by recadna

really happy to find this forum and have learned so much about Miami. Here is my snapshot:

Moving from: Midwest
Family: wife, two kids (will be 6 and 3 next year)
My work: JMH
wife work: work from home, taking care of kids

We value family time and kids' education. Since we will be Miami for only three years, we will rent (townhome, apartment etc). For kids, it looks like we have to send them to private schools. Anyway, I am asking your locals about:

Which cites/neighborhoods do you recommend? Any good managed apartment/TH complexes (we had bad experiences with private owner's rental properties before)? Any good private elementary schools nearby these complexes? Any review sites I can get more info?

Coral gables is nice and Gulliver looks OK but there are not many apartments/THs in the city. At least, I could not find them online.

MOST managed complexes are worse than landlords in So Fla, and so many of them turned into condos conversions. You are really better off renting a condo/townhouse/SFH in a neighborhood like Coral Gables, South Miami east of the tracks, Pinecrest, or Palmetto Bay.These will all take about 30 minutes to get into downtown (the traffic is a mess), but are probably the closest to what you are looking for. As far as schools,I would recommend the Gulliver schools, from what I have heard. Miami Shores is a possibility, but truthfully, it has seen better days. Closer to Downtown though, but I am not sure about area private schools.

[compelled to reply]

Where in Miami are you working? You might want to live in Broward and just go public if at all possible, depending on where you work. If you work Downtown, it will honestly take just as long to get to downtown from Pinecrest as it would from Weston. U.S.1 is a dead standstill, while the highways you could take to get to Miami (I-75, turnpike extension, 95) are at their worst, a crawl. Actually I-95 sucks through Miami. Lol Go Palmetto Bay if you can go private.

[recadna]

Thanks for the replies.

I will be mainly working at Jackson Memorial Hospital. Working time is typically 6-4 or whenever I get things done.

[compelled to reply]

You should look into Miami Shores more seriously, then. Thats a drag to get there from Pinecrest/etc. I am still hesitant to recommend Broward, even though you wont be caught in the brunt of rush hour. Morning probably won't be a huge issue, but the afternoon on the Palmetto Exwy. or I-95 into Broward will. Basically, the longer you commute north and west, the better the public school situation looks and the safer the neighborhoods are.

[doggiebus]

These are the best Prep Schools in Miami Dade, they average about 13k-23k a year.

Westminster Christian School located off Old Cutler Road.
Ransom Everglades School in Coconut Grove.
Gulliver Prep has different campuses depending on the age.
Our Lady of Lourdes Academy (all girls school) in South Miami
Columbus (all boys school) Coral way and 87 ave
Palmer Trinity
Beleen Jesuit Prep
Carollton (all girls school) in Coconut Grove

[rogerbacon]

Originally Posted by recadna

Thanks for the replies.

I will be mainly working at Jackson Memorial Hospital. Working time is typically 6-4 or whenever I get things done.

Jackson? Boy, you really are going to se the best of Miami (heavy sarcasm).

[recadna]

Originally Posted by rogerbacon

Jackson? Boy, you really are going to se the best of Miami (heavy sarcasm).

Hehe, that is probably the reason I chose the hospital

[Chelito23]

If you work at JMH...and you will rent....I say rent in Coral Gables, Coconut Grove or South Miami. They are all great areas and adjacent to the metrorail, which would take you to Jackson's doors.

In the Grove there are many beutiful duplex and condos being built (Spanish Mediterranean style) with the old trees preserved...and you are close to the shops and highways, beach downtown etc...

Gables is a good way to go if you want to rent a small house. Also very beautiful. South Miami and Pinecrest are nice, but farthur, but would have larger homes to rent.

These are all great areas near good private schools, and in the case of Pinecrest and part of South Miami, the public schools are fine(rare for Miami Dade).

[Weston_in_the_Pines]

"good schools" pretty much does her in. florida is renowned for it's lousy schools.