Too hot for too long - 5/20/2007

I've lived in Fort Lauderdale for 50 years. October used to be gorgeous. Now, there's no difference between October and July. The increase in population and cars, the fewer trees and more buildings to hold in the heat, Ft. Lauderdale has unbearable heat for at least seven months of the year.

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lived there 15 years - 4/10/2007

I can't emphasize how scary hurricanes are. People who don't take them seriously haven't lived there long enough. One day, the big one will hit South Florida. Hurricane Andrew didn't even hit me, it went south of Miami, but it scared me so much I vowed to leave as soon as I found a good job elsewhere. I lived there 15 years, and am glad to be gone. There's also very little sense of community. People live there 10, 20 years, and still somehow feel like their roots are elsewhere. Everybody's in it for themselves, or their own group. That goes for ethnic groups, churches, municipalities, and especially, walled communities.

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Trying to offer an objective view - 1/15/2007

Having lived in several states and several metropolitan areas, I know that no place is perfect...and if there was a place, then I couldn't afford it. Ft. Lauderdale has its ups and downs. So it's important to recognize what you value and what doesn't bother you. Weather: Warm weather all year round. Some say humid, but always has a breeze. Hurricanes are hit or miss (unless we get a direct hit, which has happened, then it's not a big deal). I know it sounds strange, but I get tired of wearing shorts every weekend all the time. The media freaks out about a cold front when it dips below 70 degrees (at night). I would love to comfortably wear jeans, but it's just easier to wear shorts all the time (that is while I am not at work). Housing/Cost of Living: Honestly, the price of gas, milk, movie tickets, etc. won't break the bank, but the cost of housing is really out of control. Remember, property taxes and homeowners/hurricane insurance is based off housing price. If you earn a pretty penny or are moving into the area with a lot of equity, then it's not that offensive. However, if you are starting off, or wanting to buy a first or second house, then, this is not the place for you. Even condos cost more than houses do in the rest of the country. If you are moving here from NY, then you might see this as a good deal. If you are from the south or midwest, you will wonder why places cost so much for such a little space. Housing is certainly the biggest concern. Traffic: Enough already. Every city has unbearable traffic at 7am and 5pm. South Florida is a metroplex, therefore expect traffic. The one thing I don't like about South Florida's traffic is that cops don't pull too many people over like I see in other cities. I know this sounds stupid, but this translates to lots of cars with no brake lights, people driving too fast or too slow, lots of red light runners, etc. It makes you a more aggressive driver. Diversity: This is a tricky one. Although you get a lot of Latin culture down here (which is nice), there are a alot of vocal minority groups. I must explain that "minority" does not referance race. Certain groups down here alienate themselves so much that you get forced into a group yourself(which is so wrong). These groups are so vocal, that they end up getting listened to, which makes the majority worse off. People down here aren't as open to each others views as you would hope. Once again, if you are coming from the

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Thinking about moving to Fort Lauderdale... - 12/30/2006

Hello, I am thinking about moving from San Francisco, CA. I have found that after 1 year, CA is NOT for me. I moved here from Honolulu and I have lived in other parts of the U.S. I have read some posts about the skyrocketing cost of living in Fort Lauderdale but, please know that this is all relative. I'm guessing that its less expensive than San Francisco (housing starts at $1 million) and cheaper than Honolulu but, I don't know if this is accurate, first hand. What concerns me is that when I'm on job boards for Fort Lauderdale, salary info is rarely provided. I've heard that the economic indicators on this site are not very accurate. I deduce that this site gathers information that is provided to them and, trust that the info is correct. I am also deducing, from other posters, that the salaries there are not commesurate with the cost of living. Is this the case?

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Please Think Again-- - 10/18/2006

I Moved to Fort Lauderdale, FL 9 years ago and believe me, it's not the same, housing is sky-rocketing but sadly the minimum wage has not improved much to meet the demands, the traffic??? let's says it's awful, just like any other large metro areas, but south florida driver's are extremely rude and violent. Insurance price is sky rocketing, last but not least get ready for the 5 months hurricane season, trust me you might need to think again about relocating here

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Are you sure you want to live here??? READ THIS!!! - 9/3/2006

I've been living here for the last four years and trust me unless your are planning to retired to south florida or are over 55 and you are looking for a quiet nest then this is your place. However if you are young, have the chance to move to someplace more interesting and hate hurricane and really hot weather this is not for you. Life is not that expensive but quality of life is not that great, job market sucks and the public transportation as well. You are gonna need a car here!!! Beaches and night clubs are really good. Life is in slow motion. There are lot retired people down here so is really normal to find people over 80 driving by themselves or shopping at local store daily. Summer is just HOT!!! and humidity is awful, winter are likely to be cool. Hurricanes are the main topic between june and november, trust me you are gonna get to see all types of categories of hurricanes here, is awfull because everytime ones comes the city literally shoot down. Can be insane. But if you are willing to try it go ahead!!!

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Beautiful place with beautiful people - 8/22/2006

People here have lots of money. It is very competitive! You have to be beautiful, have beautiful kids, be married to someone beautiful, live in a beautiful house, drive beautiful cars, be the best at sports and school, you even have to have the best looking pets. It is a very materialistic area. However, I am use to it. The people are rude here but again, you'll get used to it. The music is good, the food is good, there are a lot to do. If It's a great place to live if you are a millionaire or living off your rich parents. If I had the money, I would move back...assuming I can get my house insured at a reasonable rate.

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Leaving for Arizona - 7/31/2006

Please don't move here. Fort Lauderdale used to be a great place, but after leaving for a while and moving back, I can honestly say that this is one of the rudest areas I have lived in (NYC included). Not only are the drivers bad but they are rude to boot. In additon, the housing market has gotten out of hand- prices have tripled over the past several years, as have property taxes and homeowner's insurance. It has become increasingly expensive to live her, especially when you factor in that the kids have to go to private school because the public system stinks. I am moving to Arizona next year. I hope I have been able to deter at least one person from making the mistake of moving to South Florida. Trust me- the weather just isn't worth it!

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Not so great anymore - 7/17/2006

This used to be a great place to live, the majority of the ppl here were nice, there wasn't much traffic and real estate was affordable so was home owner's insurance. Now with so many ppl having moved here from all over and seriously adding to the overcrowdedness and the road rage it's not worth it. The school system here is very poor, a lot of ppl here are miserable, angry and always pushy and in a rush now, the road rage here is just so bad - I've even seen a man getting out of his car with his baseball bat approaching another car who had cut him off,it's like in NY as soon as the light turns green there's at least one car honking at whoever's at the front, real estate is RIDICULOUSLY high and with the raises they give you you just get poorer at a slower rate (my hubby and I make more than average and it's like that even for us), the home owner's insurance is crazy because of the hurricanes - a lot of policies drop their customers and then charge a higher percentage each year just to try to get back on. And yeah, the beach is right there, but with hurricane season taking up months june - nov it rains A LOT so what good is the beach then?

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Fort Lauderdale - 6/24/2006

Crowded city with poor public transportation, insufficient parking, no classical music radio, and of course the hurricane issue each year. Ocean is only outdoor recreation. The lack of cold weather seems to be the only draw and that feature is available in many other places.

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FLL Beach - 6/23/2006

Fort Laudedale Beach (Birch State Park)

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southeast florida - 6/22/2006

hot & humid from May-Sep; beautiful from Oct-Apr

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Still Nice people here, but high real estate cost - 6/20/2006

Hello everyone, I am a white South Florida native. Yes, I know you are shock that I am a native, wow. 16 years ago, South Florida was paradise. There was friendly people (even the African American people was kind), affordable housing, no traffic problems, and beautiful weather. Unfortunately, now because people from all over the country heard what a great place this was, those people has corrupt it over the years. As the years go by everything change. Like they say "nothing last good forever". Now, South Florida is becoming more like New York City everyday. I even heard people calling it "The Big Orange". The cost of living has skyrocket. Higher home insurance. The traffic gets worse by the day. If you are a tourist, this is a good place to visit, but not a good place to live and raise a family. I cannot stress this enough, do not live here if you want to raise a family here! For those who were born here, the people are still very nice and kind. Those who are not from here (Ex. New York City, or up Northeast region), they are not so kind. So this is my opinion of this place, but you really need to visit this place to check it out for yourself.

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Fort Lauderdale - 6/19/2006

Its the best city that I've been in USA...

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Leaving the area - 5/22/2006

As a native South Floridian, I have seen the Miami/Ft Lauderdale/Palm Beach metro area changing over the course of my 35 years. I no longer choose to live here due to the overpopulation, high cost of living, ridiculous housing cost, crime, etc. Although we have wonderful weather in the winter, the summer's are long, humid, hot and stressful due to the hurricanes. My husband and I do not consider South Florida an ideal place to raise a family. You have to be wealthy to live comfortably otherwise struggle to make ends meet. Although jobs are plentiful, the pay is horrible compared to other major metro areas, and has not even remotely kept up with the cost of living increases that the are has incurred. So many of my friends and co-workers have either left or are planning to leave for the same reasons.

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Ft. Lauderdale Is The Place For Me - 5/20/2006

Yes, Ft. Lauderdale is an expensive place to live. I've had to sell my Lexus and move into a 550 square foot condo (not on the beach) just to affort to stay in spite of making double the median salary, but it's worth it. I'm just a short rollerblade journey from the beach; the sun is always shining; and there's water everywhere. What else could a man ask for?

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a good place to live - 5/13/2006

I have lived here since 1992, and except for the occasional hurricane, it's a pretty nice place to live. It takes awhile to get used to the climate, but once you do, it offers a pretty nice lifestyle.

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Sr. Network Engineer - 4/21/2006

Sub tropical and loving it. Lives right on the beach with great views of the ocean, beach and the city lights.

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Outrageously expensive and not worth the Price.... - 4/20/2006

Don't move to South Florida...the pay here isn't enough to compensate for the cost of living. It's not only sky-high real estate prices, but the taxes and insurance are also outrageously high, thanks to being in hurricane central. And they're only getting higher every year, thanks to the onslaught of recent hurricanes. Also, if you want a place with a lot of historical character and beautiful scenery, this is not the place for you. Fort Lauderdale has virtually eliminated all of its historical buildings in the name of progress. The limited tree canopy we had was destroyed or heavily damaged in last year's hurricane and all that's left is a concrete jungle. Furthermore, the weather can get overbearingly humid and hot in the summer, especially for those from up north. If you want to live in an area with nice weather and an expensive cost of living, try San Diego instead...I don't think South Florida can handle any more people...there is no land left!

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What About Ft. Lauderdale? - 4/4/2006

After a year of investigating, I had finally decided to move to South Florida (June of this year). Initially, I planned to move to Miami. I took a 2 week vacation in August 2005 to see if I would like it (it was great). Since then I have been looking into the cost of living, insurance quotes, apartments and searching for jobs--but when I try to call and get info on prices, an apartment or a job, I keep on getting push-back, or ignored. I started reading about how people hate how Miami has declined, and I am now realising that they just don't take kindly to outsiders. Unfirtunately it is like that where I live, Richmonders are the same with people who come from up north. All I want is a change. I am 26, divorced and I want to explore outside of New Jersey or Virginia (VA my current home). I want to live and work in a warm climate. I am licensed as an Insurance Agent in VA, previous business owner of a cleaning business and a construction company, and have experience as an Account Rep for Electrical Distribution products. I speak conversational spanish (Mexican dialect). I own a car and am hard working. Is there anywhere within a 30 mile radius of Miami that might work for me? I liked Ft. Lauderdale, and even Hialeah was nice. Any suggestions???

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