Buyer - 12/15/2008

Looking for markets of value to invest in, We now live in the central Fl area that is very convenient.

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Quiet place - 9/18/2008

good city overall

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I've had enough - 8/16/2008

I've lived in Broward County for 25 years, and it's time to move on. The changes have been drastic, and not many have been for the better. Weather: I can't take the summers any more. If you live on the west side you don't get the breezes and the mosquitoes are awful. We worked very hard to buy a home and fix it up, and we can't afford to have Mother Nature pick our pockets every couple of years. We've spent $40k in the last 5 years hurricane-proofing the house. The fences, sprinkler system, trees, and outbuilding that were damaged in the last several years aren't covered by your insurance policy. You get to pay to fix all that yourself. Try to save for college or retirement now! Culture: I'm ready for a different cultural influence. Anyone with money in Venezuela is getting out and coming here. West Broward will be "little Caracas" in a few more years. I don't like what has happened to Dade and I see it coming here. You start to feel unwelcome in your own hometown if you don't listen to the "right" music, dress the "right" way, speak the "right" language. Remember, we have the rudest drivers in the country. Courtesy is non-existent. I travel and go to places where people are actually nice to each other, and I hate coming home. This is the number one reason I'm ready to go. Money: Ignore people who complain about taxes here. Folks down here don't know what real taxation is. Nobody wants to pay for anything, and the greater good is rarely considered. The schools are horrid (just try to hire people to work for you.) I think the problem is that everyone's driving flashy cars, spending too much money on clothes, hair, tans, etc. Being shallow can be very expensive. The housing market is giving a big spanking right now to speculators and folks that decided to live beyond their means. This is part of what's driving the current wave of immigration. Home prices are falling rapidly right now. Because we live out here at the end of the earth, everything costs more. It's still a tourism-based economy, and you know what pay is like in those kinds of places. Saving can be difficult, even when you budget. If your retirement allows for the price of living here, or you're beautiful on the outside and want to spend beach time with other "pretty people," then by all means come on down. I don't recommend South Florida (not just Fort Lauderdale) for people, especially with children, who want other parts to their life- family, community, education, financial stability. It's a shame, because there are beautiful places here. The fishing is still very good, and it's heaven for birdwatchers like myself. Like anywhere else, people come in and mess everything up.

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Native of Ft. Lauderdale - 7/6/2008

There are pockets of nice, educated people in Ft. Laud., and there's actually quite a lot of family-oriented activities. Fantastic children's art and science museums. beautiful nature centers and parks, and good city-sponsored sports programs for kids of all ages. Excellent private schools, but lots of iffy public schools; the state spends little on education. The state university system, until this year, had some Ivy League-level majors and programs, but state budget cuts are now decimating the colleges. For single people, especially in the age range of 30-50, Ft. Laud. is a terrible place to be. The scene is materialistic, with lots of plastic surgery-enhanced women looking for meal tickets, and paunchy, flashy men who take full advantage with revolving bedroom doors to the gold-diggers. Cost of living and housing remains extremely high, even with the real estate slump. It's brutally humid from mid-May to mid-October, making it unpleasant to do anything outside. Atlantic ocean breezes do make it less miserable than Florida's central and west coast cities, though. The pop. is very diverse, with Hispanics now the slight majority. If you are a well-to-do married couple with children who enjoy a mix of different cultures and hot weather, Ft. Lauderdale is ideal. If not, re-consider. As a 43-yr-old Ft. Laud. native and now a single mom, I'm ready to find a city with more down-to-earth, smart, non-gay men, where public schools are more of a priority. Any suggestions?

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water sports - 5/1/2008

if you love the water this is a great place to visit and is reasonably priced. kite surfing, fishing and diving are all easily accessable.surfing is not so great especially if you are a beginer. if you swim laps check at the swimming hall of fame which has daily lap swim available

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Best place - 4/21/2008

Fort Lauderdale is a great palce to live. Not too big, not too small. The waether is perfect, hot im the winter and hotter in the summer. Paul

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The ideal place for single persons with good incom - 3/15/2008

As the city of Ft. Lauderdale has grown, native floridians have moved out of the state and almost everyone in the city is from the NE. Many snowbirds become regulars to the area with repeat visits every winter. Cost of living is extremely high, especially taxes and property. Nevertheless, there are more expensive places such as Miami and West Palm Beach. Crime rate is about avarage but varies as to where in The Fort you hang out and around. Even though tourism is the main source of income, people tend to be rude and almost every visitor complains of how they are treated even in expensive restaurantes and hotels. Good nightlife and fairly safe city make Fort Lauderdale ideal to those who can not tolerate the cold anymore, must live in the warm & humid weather and don't mind the hurricanes. An excellent place for single persons or couples with good income. Not a city to raise kids/family or where you will find your next six figures job. And not the place where you want to retire.

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PLACE TO RETIRE TO - 3/14/2008

RESORT AREA, EXCELLENT CLIMATE BRIGHT AND SUNNY, ALL TYPES OF FRIENDLY PEOPLE YOUNG AND OLD, LOTS OF ORANGE JUICE

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Great Weather - 2/28/2008

The weather is always wonderful in sunny South Florida. What a great place to live!

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The hot and expensive American Venice - 1/10/2008

First, I apologyze for my grammar since I am not using word processing...too lazy...When reading people's reviews, I think it is important to know a bit about the person writing the review, to get a better grasp on his/her point of view on the matter. I am a Cuban born and raised. Moved to Venezuela in my teens and lived there for 5 years. Then moved to Florida and have lived here for 10 years, between Miami and Fort Lauderdale. A bit shallow sometimes, and deep some others...who in florida isn't shallow or vain at times? Contrary to what many caucasians think about the latin community, many of us are well educated and socialy behaved. Some of us have a complexion darker than the night, an some of us are lighter than the whitest of caucasians, with everything and blue/green/hazel eyes. "the ghost latins" in your community, you don't even know we are your neighbor. Unfortunately, the group that stands out is the one that many of you write about. I have traveled, and I know that all sort of people can be found in all races and places of this world, america is not an exception, nor it is any particular ethnicity. So in talking about beautiful Fort Lauderdale: The best and worst thing here is the weather. The temperature is only tolerable in the "winter" that last for a few weeks, maybe 4 in the whole year, split into days here and there from December to late March, and occasionaly april. After that, it is a messy misture of heat and humidity. If you love the beach, then you might enjoy the crazy hot days here...but even the water in the ocean feels hot! The summer also brings the hurricane season...not a biggie there since I have lived through many of them, and it is more media hysteria than reality. Yes it can be dangerous, but get almost a whole week to prepare! To me tornadoes are far worse, and earthquakes too. There is no telling when those are coming. The cost of life here is high, but not imposible. Now with the real state crisis in South Florida, you can buy homes that used to be 500 grand for about 350, and for the average person, a house that used to be 350, is now about 200 grands. But this is also foreclosure galore, you can find houses for 100 grand in good areas as long as you have the money to pay the 30% that I believe is required to buy those. Cinch your belt tight after that though,'cause the insurance premiums (absurd rates) and the taxes are about the worst in the nation. The city is a melting pot of cultures, It is rich and diverse, with the many amenities and flavor this kind of communites bring. Food, music, places to see, people to share with. There is plenty of Art to go arount, right now we have the Bodies exhibition in the Museum of contemporary art (real corpses disected in a very elaborate way to present the human body in a way many f us have never seen...good for the health care professionals like myself, and anyone who appreciates the cultural value of such presentations) We were also honored with the Tutankamen presentation from the Museum of Cairo, shown at only two cities in the nation, with everything and the gold sarcophagus included. The biggest compliment to the entire South Florida area: OPEN MINDED Very welcoming people. Yes they are also rude in the streets, the traffic is terrible with people showing no respect for the signs posted in the street, cutting you off, and making you drive like a spider, with eight eyes in your head, particularly in Miami and Hialeah. Education is not good at all up until High School, we had many troubles with our nices, had to turn them into adults way ahead of time to protect them from others who would teach them things in a destructive way...one of them loved the music from the "artist" 50 cents that is pretty strong, sexually charged...kind of obsene. It was a tough time. Kids in school learn less about the courses and more about adult life than in any other place I know. Colleges are very good though. Also, Miami is a third world country, and I am latin! I love my people, but the corruption, the lack of manners, the dirt all over the place is nausiating. A balance in cuture is healthy for everyone, the problem is when foreigner culture takes over the native culture and exterminates it. When I lived in Miami I felt like I was living in latin america, and I did not come to the states for that, first and foremost, because in latin america the corruption in the governments, the police force, pretty much in everything like food prices, education...you name it...it is so common and natural, that it becomes a cancer with mets. No cure for that. We come here for a better life and to integrate, not to take over and turn it into mud. Nevertheless, there are many great people in Miami, and I hope that not everybody gets offended with this. Like I said before, not everybody is the same, and there are people out there like myself, trying to make a difference. You will either love, or hate south Florida. The best thing is to visit...and for a long time, not only a few day...in a few days you will see half naked people all over the place, and that is something appealing to almost everyone, myself included, but it is a marriage destroyer, in all walks of life, straight or gay. So stay beyond the warm and glittery first days of beauty and fun...and then decide. I had enough and need a change, but still love Fort Lauderdale, and I think that it is a beautiful city.

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South Fl. in general - 1/8/2008

I have lived in Broward for 20 years. It has gone from a nice average inexpensive place to live, to a residents worst nightmare. Housing has gone through the roof,ha, ha. Wages have not kept up with inflation, illegals are everywhere, crime has increased to the point that cops can't bust all the petty drug dealers who run the streets and cheap residental neighborhoods, even at town meetings the cops admit that they can't arrest them as fast as the judges let them go. You are on your own on the street, the only thing that has kept carjackings at bay is the consiled carry permit, punks are afraid to jack a local for fear that they are carrying. I can't get enough ahead to escape,so I am trapped and family can't help. Best wishes, alive and well in Ft.Lauderdale, the new third world.

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FLL rent - 1/6/2008

The cost of living in Fort Lauderdale is ridiculously high and overrated. It's an average of $1200/ mo. for a one-bedroom apartment and $1800 for a two-bedroom (you'll pay much more for living downtown or closer to the beach).

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Fort Lauderdale is okay - 1/6/2008

I currently live in Davie, which is a large town a little west of Fort Lauderdale. The housing prices are high, but have recently been dropping slightly. The downtown area of Fort Lauderdale is fun, there is the beach, plenty of shops, restaurants, nightlife and things to do. I have enjoyed living here but am ready to move on to a new place. It is hot, hot, hot in the summer and still hot in the winter. There is a lot of sunshine which is nice, but a change in seasons would be nice. There is a lot of diversity with the population, a lot of Hispanic cultures are moving into the South Florida area. The diversity is nice but the area has become more populated and crowded. The people are not that friendly and nice. There are benefits to living here because there is always something to do. There are cons however as well

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Great Climate, beautiful surroundings - 12/19/2007

South Florida is a year round beautiful place with a great deal of things to do.

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Fort Lauderdale metropolitan area has the second h - 12/1/2007

As of 2007, the Fort Lauderdale metropolitan area has the second highest AIDS rate in the nation at 45.8, just ahead of the New York City metropolitan area at 45.4.

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Can't afford to live here, but it is awsome - 9/13/2007

If you make great money (75k+) it's great. Otherwise, you can't afford to live here.

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Fort Lauderdale Politics - - 9/11/2007

Fort Lauderdale is one of the "old time" sites of political corruption. The Sheriff's office has a particularly bad history. There is hope, for term limits are about to kick in and cleanse Fort Lauderdale of its major embarrassment, Mayor Jim Naugle.

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It costs a lot to live here - 8/31/2007

South Florida is getting more and more expensive -especially housing. Middle class families are starting to move away because they can't deal with the housing costs. Those who work in civil service jobs such as police, firefighters, teachers, etc. are also leaving for the same reason. Teachers are especially vunerable since Florida salaries for that profession are exceptionally low. If this trend continues, only the very poor and the very rich will live down here. This has been happening in Miami for years already. Fort Lauderdale is very likely to be the same.

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No quality dating life - 8/24/2007

If you are a man over 50 making over 1 million a year and like fake blondes in their twenties who rely on your to finance their plastic surgeries in exchange for being seen with you in public, welcome to paradise! For everyone else, this is a great place to visit but think twice about living here.

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Lauderdale is a Toilet - 8/7/2007

When I first moved to Florida 4 years ago, I worked in Lauderdale and it was the worst. Homeless people are everywhere and are waiting to wash your windshield for a quarter while you gas up your car. Speaking of cars, mine was keyed while parked off of A1A while I walked the dirty, overcrowded strip. When you drive, keep your doors locked and windows rolled up at all times, as you will most likely encounter a road rage incident or two. Rednecks, obnoxious New Yorkers, cheesy older men who think it's still Spring Break 1985, drunk older women with tattoos and no teeth, and a host of other undesirables are waiting to show you a good time in Fort Lauderdale, so make sure to reserve your room at the Sleazeball Inn today!

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