Relocating to South East Florida, seeking FChat opinions, I come in peace

Boca is Karen hell! As much as I despise Miami I think I’d pick there before Boca unless I enjoyed asking to “talk to your manager” and reporting people to the HOA.

 

Haha this all speaks to something nice about Florida.. you have a number of options to choose from

To be honest both perspectives (other than the golf) seem pretty damn good! But I think the east coast of FL may be more my style for now

 

I've considered this, prices are pretty wild when I'm looking for something luxurious enough to avoid riff raff and feel confident my Speciale is safe in the shared parking garage not that me or the car are likely anything special in Miami, plus I need regular power socket there (not EV 220 ha) for trickle charger which was a nightmare for me to find here in LA so I ended up just buying a house here... that Porsche tower in Sunny Isles Beach seems to have that issue fixed

Tough part for me is weighing house vs condo in SE Florida, the garage/flooding situation, and also costs... have yet to vet the insurance rates, and how that all works whether you're paying large maintenance/community fees for condos, or large home/flood insurance for a house

Work from home/remote fully, so only commute I hope to be making is either cruising the A1A, going to the gym, or out running errands/checking out the sights

My top communities so far I've noted to check out are Coral Gables, Coconut Grove, Surfside, Ft Lauderdale, Delray, Manalapan and West Palm Beach.. have also heard good things about Normandy Shores, and maybe North Beach area..

Appreciate any input, thank you

edit - just wanted to add Capri does look super nice, and location too.. only see units for sale, not rent, but I'm open to all considerations and will work with my realtor friend as well down there.. being next to the water definitely a plus, but still have the same thoughts above

 

Hahaha. So funny and interesting that this isn't the first or second time I've heard someone say that about Boca... that might be a pass for me!

 

If you like the outdoors and fishing there are still a few spots left that are an outdoorsman’s paradise. Unfortunately most of Florida is now rapidly being ruined by New Yorkers/developers so the clock is ticking.

Not posting them online though so you’ll have to DM when you’re ready

 

The only decent way to live in South Florida is on boat, away from the chaos with mostly constant breezes.

Bring your checkbook.

 

After you catch your first snook on topwater you'll never bass fish again!

 

I’m in coconut grove with a house .
My office is in coral gables

I’m 47, two kids, dos perros. If you need any advice on the area DM me. Been in south Florida for 25 years ,


Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat

 

Curious that you would have Manalapan on your list. A "vibrant, walkable community with energy" it is not. For starters, other than a few trophy wives of 75 year olds, the only 34 year olds in Manalapan are the children or grandchildren of residents. No beaches or place for that jump in the ocean. No clubs/bars. No fine dining unless you deem the restaurant at L'Eau Palm Beach Hotel qualifies. No condo buildings. No home either facing or with an ocean view unless you have between $20M and $80M in spare cash to spend. No place to walk with your dog along the ocean unless you want to dodge cars while walking directly along A1A. The only place for walking your dog on a sidewalk would be in the residential neighborhoods on Manalapan's Hypoluxo Island (which is bordered by the Lake Worth Inner Channel, not the ocean). In sum, no energy unless grocery shopping at the Publix in the shopping plaza that anchors the town is your thing. On the plus side your Speciale wouldn't feel lonely, as there's usually about 5 or 6 Ferraris in the Publix parking lot. All that being said, I really do like Manalapan and almost bought a home there, but I'm an old geezer!

I second the Delray suggestion.

 

I think you should check out Pinecrest, which borders Coral Gables. Large lots (generally 1 acre), leafy suburb, very nice housing stock...15-20 minutes to airport, less to Coral Gables and all of its dining options, and not too bad to downtown Miami/Edgewater/Design District depending on time of day (an easy, cheap Uber).

Depends what you mean by close to vibrant areas, but for me, it is close enough while also being far enough removed to be quiet and very safe. Lots of parks and quiet streets to walk. Extremely safe, has its own police department separate from Miami Dade County (FYI, Coconut Grove is definitely NOT safe, relatively speaking, as there are many bad areas surrounding and within it). Coconut Grove can have a ton of traffic and lots of break-ins...Coral Gables is a much larger area, but it can also have a lot of traffic.

I am your age with no kids and have lived here for years very happily (with 2 Ferrari's). It is definitely more family-oriented, but young families and frankly the population has become a lot more vibrant in the past 5 years. It also has a bit more value on the real estate side than Cocount Grove or Coral Gables, in my opinion. Lastly, Pinecrest has more of a "local" population...people who actually live and work here full-time, so I like that rather than the seasonal crowd...and there are zero loud tourists here.

Feel free to message me with any questions, but in general I think you can't go wrong with Pinecrest (or Coral Gables).

 

Appreciate it very much, might take you up on that as my travel dates get closer thank you

 

Manalapan came from the recommendation of a good friend who lives on Hypoluxo island who is my age, but he is married with kids.. I've found homes to rent around 10-12k/mo, but that's literally the only time I have even heard of the area so I do appreciate your thoughts and considerations considering what I am looking for.. maybe more WPB area specifically then if going north of Ft Lauderdale and Delray..

I really know nothing about SE Florida so hearing from everyone has been very helpful for sure

 

I've heard good things of Pinecrest, will add to the list to check out, thanks and I'll DM for suggestions if I end up spending time there this trip

To be honest, after owning a few large houses I'm hoping to find a home to rent with a smaller footprint that is close to the water ideally, not looking for much other than that ideally (whether intracoastal or beach), a pool would be nice to beat the heat, and a 2 car garage for the cars

As far as vibrant areas and walkable, not sure how to describe it but just being in a quiet suburban residential neighborhood *without* walkable easy close by shops restaurants or waterways of some sort is something I'm trying to avoid if that makes sense (as nice as that is..meanwhile in Syria), I've done that in different cities where it was just too quiet and lonely as a guy with a dog versus having a big family etc in all honesty... but also don't want to be in Brickell or South Beach specifically

South of Fifth and being near South Pointe Park is probably what I'm hunting for but I'm reticent being in an insanely expensive condo versus the privacy of my own home and garage, maybe Normandy Isles, Surfside ($$$), or near Las Olas?

Absorbing what you guys are all saying and it's very helpful, as mentioned I know nothing about SE Florida

 

Quiet is good at my age. Going to Da club in Miami which doesn’t open until 11pm is not for me.

 

Also mid-30s. We're in Ft. Lauderdale and highly recommend it. We tried south beach for a bit but just wasn't our gig, and definitely felt awkward with the cars in certain situations. Much calmer here, and not a tough trip down to enjoy their great restaurants down there.

 

I have been in Southeast Florida since 1993, first South Beach, then Sunny Isles, now Key West with second and third homes in Weston(not recommended) and Hallandale Beach (nice/redeveloping). My Sunny Isles place, a 3/2.5 townhouse on Poinciana Island with private dock, sounds close to what you seek and I was your age when I lived there. It was great- Sea Ray in the backyard, 911 Turbo Cab in the garage and beach across the street. My only hesitation about buying there now would be the ever escalating HOA and insurance rates. If you can pull it off, pay cash for a single family home on the water, then you can forgo the condo/ HOA fees and ruinous windstorm insurance if you don't mind the risk. Keystone Point/San Souci and Aventura/Golden Isles have nice waterfront homes. Those areas and Hallandale/Hollywood used to be too far from the "action", but now there's weekend action just about everywhere east of I-95. Good luck and enjoy the search!

 

Del Ray is as good as everyone above has said, but keep in mind it’s a small area.
We moved to Parkland, for the kids, just west of Boca. We chose that area due to its proximity to everything from WPB to Miami. I can be anywhere between there within an hour. Keep that in mind.
Oh, as a former Cali resident myself, prepare yourself for the lack of drivers roads here in SoFlo. there are NO fun roads. If I’m missing some, please chime in!

 

Nope, you are not missing any. There are NO fun driving roads in southeast Florida, as in none, zip, nada, zero.

 

There's a 0.15 mile stretch of a banking, elevated overpass connecting Palmetto Expressway North with 836 West that is all I ever liked...

 

Oh please please let me be wrong! Seriously!
If I’m missing out I really need to know

 

No, he’s right. Sadly driving down here has taken the joy away from driving I once had.

Gotta drive pretty north to enjoy it again.

 

Welcome! I am originally from MI, but have lived in Palm Beach County for 50+ years. My management career with the largest company in FL took me all over the state and managed many locations. I love the Atlantic Coast and may become a Summer Bird, as the heat has become too much for my health conditions. My 2 favorite places in FL are Venice, FL and of course Palm Beach County. Dealing with a lot of exotic car owners, I would suggest Jupiter and then South to North Palm Beach. Safe quiet communities with some nice places. The Palm Beach Gardens area has some really nice places and upscale communities. Just really nice. I am a community person/personality. If you choose to come this way, reach out and I can meet up and show you or direct you to some places. Living here for 50+ years, I know a lot of people and places. I actually worked for F Lee Bailey in late 80s early 90s and some other interesting and famous characters. Anyhow welcome and wishing you the best.