Relocating to Miami from Tampa with a child (Hollywood, Pembroke Pines: rental, low crime)

[niccimarlena]

So, I am planning on moving from Tampa in about 6 months..lived in Tampa for 10 years. I am moving because I think it is too slow/ boring..etc. I need a change of scenery..I have only visited SoBe- but ♥ it!
I am looking for more diversity, more of a true city life feel and need to get away from the under educated rednecks in the Tampa Bay area.

I am a 31 year old Nurse with a 9 year old daughter so I def want to be in an area with great schools, but not too far from the city or beach!
I need to know what areas to avoid in Miami.. Currently I am looking into Aventura, Brickell, Coral Gables.. How is Kendall??
I am looking to keep rent under $1200/ per month for a 2 bedroom (small is ok)..need to find that middle ground, is this too much to ask when trying to live in Miami??
Low crime, fairly inexpensive rental but yet centrally located..

[roadtrip75]

I'll resist the urge to make snide remarks about this, too easy ...

You will find diversity in Aventura, Brickell, Coral Gables. They are pricy, but since you are willing to be cramped you can definitely find a place in your budget. Scanning around on Zillow, I see plenty of 2-bedroom places in Sunny Isles for under $1200. You will not find diversity in Kendall.

[niccimarlena]

Thanks I think...so just curious, why the need for snide remarks? Broward County is also an option as I am finding jobs in Hollywood and Miramar..what is your opinion on those places? If you don't mind sharing

[MiamiLIFE]

Originally Posted by niccimarlena

So, I am planning on moving from Tampa in about 6 months..lived in Tampa for 10 years. I am moving because I think it is too slow/ boring..etc. I need a change of scenery..I have only visited SoBe- but ♥ it!
I am looking for more diversity, more of a true city life feel and need to get away from the under educated rednecks in the Tampa Bay area.

I am a 31 year old Nurse with a 9 year old daughter so I def want to be in an area with great schools, but not too far from the city or beach!
I need to know what areas to avoid in Miami.. Currently I am looking into Aventura, Brickell, Coral Gables.. How is Kendall??
I am looking to keep rent under $1200/ per month for a 2 bedroom (small is ok)..need to find that middle ground, is this too much to ask when trying to live in Miami??
Low crime, fairly inexpensive rental but yet centrally located..

I like Brickell a lot as well as Coral Gables. I am not as big a fan of Aventura. I feel like Aventura requires you to get into a car all the time, whereas Brickell and CG you can walk around, especially true of Brickell.

All that said, I don't see how you can live in those neighborhoods for $1,200 for a 2 bedroom.

[luvsofla]

He said the comment about snide remarks because of the diversity comment. There is no diversity in Kendall. Most people are Hispanic. But most are also middle class people who work for a living. Like me! I'm a teacher and I live in West Kendall. I have a 3/2 and pay $1350 a month. Lots of good schools around here too. I know because my kids are in public schools and I am a teacher in a public school as well. If you have any questions you can send me a personal message.

[niccimarlena]

Thanks! I guess I will not rule Kendall out yet. Good to know there is a good school system, one of my biggest concerns!

[JimboUSMC17]

If you are looking in Broward I'd recommend West Pembroke Pines. Bought a house there with my wife in 09 and we only pay a little over $1200/mo. However, this price is not typical of what other P. Pines residents are paying in mortgage. I think we got real lucky.

[unkindravens]

note to the OP Kendall and West Kendall (as a locally defined congomerate of several neighborhoods west of Kendall proper and south of like bird road) are very different. IMO West Kendall is very far out, congested with traffic and a rather bland area - especially when i see you wrote things like you want to be near a city-type area or the beach no less. Kendall is also wealthier and closer to the more dense parts of the city. West Kendall is not as wealthy and very very far out depending on where you are. Also im not sure how good schools around there generally are though i can't speak much about elem or middle.

Btw, aventura/ coral gables are expensive....look for a cheaper area, especially if you don't mind hispanics, you're bound to find more affordable rents with a closer distance to both downtown/central areas and of course the beach.

[cixcell]

"especially if you don't mind hispanics"

ouch. it really should be phrased majority hispanic areas or something. it just makes me think of the time i was washing my car and this black woman realtor is showing a townhouse 2 doors down from us and as they were walking back towards her car asked this younger black woman who seemed to be the head of the household and was interested in the property if she had a problem living next to white people. i was kinda floored that that is an actual realtor question here.

[unkindravens]

Well maybe you'd rather phrase it in that context but i didn't mean it in a pejorative way. I wrote that because i often find that when people on this forum ask for advice on places to live that are "safe, nice, desirable, etc etc", you often hear the same areas mentioned over an over again such as pinecrest, south miami, coral gables, the grove, palmetto bay, Biscayne etc etc and its seems to me (and i wonder if others share this notion) that those areas, while nice, also happen to be the areas with large anglo populations in Miami. Now, i know of many other perfect nice, safe areas which people could recommend that are often overlooked because I believe people shun them since they're places where Hispanics are in the majority. Simply put, if the poster does not mind Hispanics, well then you're range of areas that are both safe, nice and certainly more affordable have opened up dramatically. If however you don't want to live in those Hispanic areas, for whatever your reason, then that's fine - just know that the options are much more limited.