House near FIU (low crime, metro, areas)

[Erick V]

Originally Posted by hayajav

ugh yea i wanna stay away from all that, tell me a nice, affordable area!
what abt the other areas that have been mentioned? Doral, fountainbleau?

Fountainebleau is mostly composed of condos and townhouses. Mostly all gated communities and 5 minutes from FIU. This is a nice place to be you shouldnt run into any problems here.

Doral is more expensive and will probably take 20 minutes to get to FIU because of traffic. Its a nice area mostly Colombians and Venezuelans. Nice restaurants around and a mild nite life.

[hayajav]

Originally Posted by Erick V

Fountainebleau is mostly composed of condos and townhouses. Mostly all gated communities and 5 minutes from FIU. This is a nice place to be you shouldnt run into any problems here.

Doral is more expensive and will probably take 20 minutes to get to FIU because of traffic. Its a nice area mostly Colombians and Venezuelans. Nice restaurants around and a mild nite life.

what about coral gables? btw do you know any websites where i can check out condos and such?

thanks for ur input, id ont feel that lost anymore!!!! lol

[compelled to reply]

Originally Posted by hayajav

t
well my main priority is just to be close to FIU, because my uncle lives near nova southeastern uni - and the drive from there to FIU (kendall) is arnd 40 mins and plus tolls and stuff. so yea i wanna live near FIU

You could also look into Pembroke Pines or west Miramar, which is pretty good piece of mind for someone first moving into the Miami area. That would also be about halfway between FIU and NSU and 15-35 minute drive, but would involve a toll. Around Flamingo/Red Rd there is some nice housing and this is a less-trafficked access point to the turnpike than the I-75 interchanges. In fact, you wouldn't have much traffic at all in that commute, a lot of it is actually open road, semi-rural 70 MPH speed limit driving. In Pembroke Pines, you could look into communities in the Pembroke Lakes area, this is classic established suburbia, lots of trees, green space, maybe a little "boring". The communities south of Pines Blvd are more mediocre but still an upgrade from Westchester or Fountianbleau, if not a significant one, and also much cheaper than Kendall or Doral. For Miramar, just stay west of Red Rd and north of the Turnpike, and there is a pretty large selection of nice housing there in the low-mid 200k range, and a very clean and new area. Monarch Lakes is a good starting point, and I would stay EAST of I-75 in both communities, as the traffic can be a pain around the interchanges at rush hour (not nearly as bad as Doral/Kendall though). If you are leaving at non-peak times, then that's even better and you could expand your search west of I-75.

[Erick V]

Originally Posted by compelled to reply

You could also look into Pembroke Pines or west Miramar, which is pretty good piece of mind for someone first moving into the Miami area. That would also be about halfway between FIU and NSU and 15-35 minute drive, but would involve a toll. Around Flamingo/Red Rd there is some nice housing and this is a less-trafficked access point to the turnpike than the I-75 interchanges. In fact, you wouldn't have much traffic at all in that commute, a lot of it is actually open road, semi-rural 70 MPH speed limit driving. In Pembroke Pines, you could look into communities in the Pembroke Lakes area, this is classic established suburbia, lots of trees, green space, maybe a little "boring". The communities south of Pines Blvd are more mediocre but still an upgrade from Westchester or Fountianbleau, if not a significant one, and also much cheaper than Kendall or Doral. For Miramar, just stay west of Red Rd and north of the Turnpike, and there is a pretty large selection of nice housing there in the low-mid 200k range, and a very clean and new area. Monarch Lakes is a good starting point, and I would stay EAST of I-75 in both communities, as the traffic can be a pain around the interchanges at rush hour (not nearly as bad as Doral/Kendall though). If you are leaving at non-peak times, then that's even better and you could expand your search west of I-75.

She said her main priority is distance why would you recommend her a whole different county? Theres too many nice places between FIU and miramar to go that far. And it would involve TWO tolls each way that means FOUR tolls each day she goes to class.

Hayajav, No need to go to Coral Gables unless you plan on attending University of Miami.

Trust me, your top three choices would be Fontainebleau, Doral, and 5 minutes West of FIU which is composed of nothing but new construction properties. Some gated ones and some open ones, mostly high middle class income type of people.

[compelled to reply]

Originally Posted by Erick V

She said her main priority is distance why would you recommend her a whole different county? Theres too many nice places between FIU and miramar to go that far. And it would involve TWO tolls each way that means FOUR tolls each day she goes to class.

It's a whole different county, but distance is only psychological because its a 15-20 minute drive from central/west Pines/Miramar to Doral. The toll part is true but you could find a rather large house in the area for around $250k vs a smaller condo. There really isn't much in Doral for 250k and that might even take 15 minutes anyway due to traffic, Kendall is good but would be closer to 25-40 minutes anyway at peak times, and Fountianbleau/Tamiami/etc are perfectly fine but might seem overpriced to the OP after looking at what they can get in the two areas in comparison. You could probably find a similar sized home but the neighborhood isn't as high of quality. The main advantage would be not paying a toll. As far as areas going between FIU and Broward, there isn't much past Doral except for Miami Lakes which is nice but also expensive.

[giz2000]

[quote=Erick V;13016579]I don't recommend sweetwater or Westchester. Theres much nicer areas around whether to rent or buy.

In Sweetwater youll find 10 people living in a 2 bedroom apartment and junk cars parked in everyones driveway.

Westchester has a strong bad influence essence to it. Old houses and apartments.[/quote]

I totally disagree....Westchester is an established neighborhood that has a lot of nice areas in it...I should know..I've lived there all my life and there's nothing wrong with the area...and FIU is smack in the middle of the neighborhood.

[Erick V]

[quote=giz2000;13018910]

Originally Posted by Erick V

I don't recommend sweetwater or Westchester. Theres much nicer areas around whether to rent or buy.

In Sweetwater youll find 10 people living in a 2 bedroom apartment and junk cars parked in everyones driveway.

Westchester has a strong bad influence essence to it. Old houses and apartments.[/quote]

I totally disagree....Westchester is an established neighborhood that has a lot of nice areas in it...I should know..I've lived there all my life and there's nothing wrong with the area...and FIU is smack in the middle of the neighborhood.

Westchester is fine and it is an established neighborhood but the youth/teens are pretty wild. Some gang activities(wanna-b thugs) and car racing and all that. It is NOT a ghetto but the youth there live it as if it is and I believe the OP is a 20 year old female who will be living by herself.

[giz2000]

[quote=Erick V;13020722]

Originally Posted by giz2000

Westchester is fine and it is an established neighborhood but the youth/teens are pretty wild. Some gang activities(wanna-b thugs) and car racing and all that. It is NOT a ghetto but the youth there live it as if it is and I believe the OP is a 20 year old female who will be living by herself.

I know kids like that who live in Pinecrest, Coral Gables and Cocoplum....

[Erick V]

[quote=giz2000;13021548]

Originally Posted by Erick V

I know kids like that who live in Pinecrest, Coral Gables and Cocoplum....

LOL..Chances are you DONT know any kids from Pinecrest or Cocoplum. I understand youre trying to prove your point but theres nicer areas surrounding FIU than Westchester.

[giz2000]

[quote=Erick V;13022548]

Originally Posted by giz2000

LOL..Chances are you DONT know any kids from Pinecrest or Cocoplum. I understand youre trying to prove your point but theres nicer areas surrounding FIU than Westchester.

It's sad that people assume things just because of where someone lives...how do you know who I know?

FYI- I teach at Palmetto High...and have taught at Ransom Everglades and Gulliver...so, yes...I DO know kids in Pinecrest and Cocoplum.

*silence*