Miami - Ft Lauderdale differences (Fort Lauderdale, Wilton Manors: living in, nightlife, beach)

[Opt_10]

Originally Posted by thinkertinker

If you want a more international (specifically Latin and European vibe) and a more urban city like environment then Miami by far.

If you want a more American vibe that has some diversity and more suburban in nature then Ft. Lauderdale is your best bet.

Personally, I have found Ft. Lauderdale to be a little sterile for my tastes. Outside from Las Olas/downtown I don't find it to be that interesting, and doesn't really seem to have too much character. Doesn't mean it's boring, but I just find it to feel sterile.

I actually prefer West Palm Beach than Ft. Lauderdale, just because it seems to have some more character.

Let me ask you this. Are you looking for a city more akin to a NYC, Chicago, LA, Atlanta, SF? Or a city more akin to a San Diego, Phoenix, Tampa, San Antonio? If the former than Miami for sure. If the latter then Ft. Lauderdale for sure.

IMO they are vastly different experiences similar to what you would get with SD vs. LA. So it really shouldn't be too hard to decide. The nice thing is you regardless which you pick you will be super close to the other, so you can still enjoy that city.

Interesting. I think I will try Ft lauderdale first.. I have had long vacations there and enjoyed it a lot. If I get bored, I can always try miami. I like somewhat of a quieter vibe along the beaches (as opposed to the crazy spring break curfew that happened this past year in miami).

[elchevere]

the 10 block party spring break zone of Ocean Drive is but a sliver of Miami Dade and FtL has had its share of spring break incidents in the past…regardless, FtL is definitely more chill than Miami overall.

Originally Posted by Opt_10

Interesting. I think I will try Ft lauderdale first.. I have had long vacations there and enjoyed it a lot. If I get bored, I can always try miami. I like somewhat of a quieter vibe along the beaches (as opposed to the crazy spring break curfew that happened this past year in miami).

[pierrekid]

Originally Posted by Opt_10

Interesting. I think I will try Ft lauderdale first.. I have had long vacations there and enjoyed it a lot. If I get bored, I can always try miami. I like somewhat of a quieter vibe along the beaches (as opposed to the crazy spring break curfew that happened this past year in miami).

As someone that lived in Brickell for many years, as well as coral gables, pinecrest, coconut grove and south miami... The narrative that Ft. Lauderdale is boring is a bit exaggerated.

Now having lived in in ft. Lauderdale for the past 9 months, I would say it is a slightly toned down version of Miami, which in many ways is a good thing. Where I live in Weston, the demographic is almost a mirror to Miami. Tons of parks, the beaches ( east) are significantly better IMO ( cleaner, easier access in terms of parking, tons of restaurants less touristy and walking distance to shops).

Almost every weekend there is a cultural event ( we used to drive up from brickell to attend before we moved). Miami have more international large scale events ( boat show, Basel etc..) but ft.lauderdale has some incredibly large scale international events as well ( car and boat show, riverwalk art festival etc..)

Restaurant comparison is a wash, both have great choices and variety.

Both places great, it just depends on what you are looking for. At this stage in my life, with young school aged kids and not going out every night of the week, ft. Lauderdale fits our lifestyle. Before our kids, brickell was absolutely the best place to live, followed by a close second coconut grove and then Las olas.

Hope that helps!

[thinkertinker]

Originally Posted by Opt_10

Interesting. I think I will try Ft lauderdale first.. I have had long vacations there and enjoyed it a lot. If I get bored, I can always try miami. I like somewhat of a quieter vibe along the beaches (as opposed to the crazy spring break curfew that happened this past year in miami).

By no means am I saying Ft. Lauderdale is boring, rather it's just a little sterile in it's character. Kind of like a Phoenix or Tampa, that there are plenty of things to do in both, but they just can feel sterile as a cities. I would put Ft. Lauderdale in the same boat.

Also, I live less than a mile away from where all the crazy Spring Break stuff happened, on West Avenue in Miami Beach, and honestly, I didn't even noticed the difference in the area that I lived. It was quiet and same as usual. For the most part the crazy tourist activities are very contained to one specific area. It's very easy to avoid. And that's if you live in Miami Beach. If you live on the mainland in a place like Coconut Grove, Little Havana, Coral Gables, MiMo District, Midtown, etc, the touristy stuff that happens, won't impact you at all as you will be far removed from the craziness.

[Opt_10]

Originally Posted by pierrekid

As someone that lived in Brickell for many years, as well as coral gables, pinecrest, coconut grove and south miami... The narrative that Ft. Lauderdale is boring is a bit exaggerated.

Now having lived in in ft. Lauderdale for the past 9 months, I would say it is a slightly toned down version of Miami, which in many ways is a good thing. Where I live in Weston, the demographic is almost a mirror to Miami. Tons of parks, the beaches ( east) are significantly better IMO ( cleaner, easier access in terms of parking, tons of restaurants less touristy and walking distance to shops).

Almost every weekend there is a cultural event ( we used to drive up from brickell to attend before we moved). Miami have more international large scale events ( boat show, Basel etc..) but ft.lauderdale has some incredibly large scale international events as well ( car and boat show, riverwalk art festival etc..)

Restaurant comparison is a wash, both have great choices and variety.

Both places great, it just depends on what you are looking for. At this stage in my life, with young school aged kids and not going out every night of the week, ft. Lauderdale fits our lifestyle. Before our kids, brickell was absolutely the best place to live, followed by a close second coconut grove and then Las olas.

Hope that helps!

Definitely helpful. As far as the social scene goes, I know Ft Lauderdale has a vibrant gay community and wilton manors has a great nightlife. This is important to me in terms of meeting people, having a good time, and making friends. I have to explore miami a bit more to find out what the night life is like. Although rumor has it Ft Lauderdale is the gay mecca of southFL

[pierrekid]

Yes Wilton manors has a massive gay community, as does the rest of Ft. Lauderdale. That being said, Miami also has a vibrant gay community. Good luck! This board and the fort Lauderdale one are a wealth of information. So if you have any more questions, I'm sure this community will have an answer

[djmanu]

Just move between the 2 cities, in Hollywood or Hallandale, best compromise lol, Fort Lauderdale and Miami are both a 30min drive from there.

[Opt_10]

Originally Posted by pierrekid

Yes Wilton manors has a massive gay community, as does the rest of Ft. Lauderdale. That being said, Miami also has a vibrant gay community. Good luck! This board and the fort Lauderdale one are a wealth of information. So if you have any more questions, I'm sure this community will have an answer

Thank you and I wild definitely reach out here with more questions.

[thinkertinker]

Originally Posted by Opt_10

Thank you and I wild definitely reach out here with more questions.

I am gay and live in South Beach.

If living in a gaybhorhood is really important to you then Wilton Manors could be a good bet. I prefer the Miami gay community for two reasons. One it's more international and secondly, it's a lot more integrated. SoBe as far as I know used to have elements where it was more like a gayborhood, but I don't sense that all anymore.

It really feels like an integrated area that has a lot of gay people living here. For the most part, gay and straight locals in SoBe hang out in the same places (with the exception of the few gay bars).

So really if you want to live in a neighborhood that caters and revolves around the gay community, Wilton Manors is much better for that. If you want to live somewhere with a very high gay population, but it's well integrated within a straight and international community, SoBe, is more aligned to that.

I suppose it depends on your preferences.

[sobchbud1]

Originally Posted by Opt_10

The diversity is a good point. I find people from all over the world in Ftl and I really enjoy it. This is exactly one of the reasons I am planning a move. Ft Lauderdale has such a vibrant gay community/night life and I have heard it's way better than maimi beach for the gay community.

Funny you should mention that. I am moving from CA. I tried CA for a few years, was fine initially, and after the pandemic hit and the way CA handled it and with the insane housing prices, I am done.

I have heard the drivers are somewhat less crazy in ft lauderdale than miami. It does bother me but it is something I can live with. Not a biggie.

I think you will be very happy on this point in with Ft. Lauderdale. I live in Miami and enjoy it down here, but to be honest I don't recommend it for everyone - especially anyone who has any apprehensions, lacks confidence or exhibits a hint of xenophobia. Fort Lauderdale is more accessible and much more suited to a wider range. Luckily both cities are so close together that going back and forth is no problem. Many of my gay friends now live in Wilton Manors so I find I spend a lot of time up there. I even ditch the car sometimes if I don't want to drive and my Lyft trip is usually $35-40 from Upper East side Miami.