Fort Lauderdale

Fort Lauderdale is a kind of sister city to Miami (about 1 hour drive on the I-95 Expressway) though it is the more quiet and less glamorous of the two cities. Both cities are immensely international, with populations of immigrant Cubans, Haitians, and many other ethnic communities commingling. It also is home to a large retiree population (more so than Miami) and to the "winter birds"--people who have their main residences somewhere up north like New York or New Jersey, but also own winter homes in South Florida to take advantage of the mild wintertime climate. Compared with Miami, Ft. Lauderdale is more typically a place where people might choose to settle down and have a family, whereas Miami is more typically a party city and host to a jet-setting rich crowd. Ft. Lauderdale's incredible beaches attract tourists from all over the world. It has some excellent schools for those who live here. If you can stand the brutal tropical heat (only bearable in wintertime, but otherwise truly repugnant) then it probably is a nice place to raise a family.

Ft. Lauderdale is a large, populated city. The entire county (Broward) has a higher population then some STATES! If you enjoy great shopping, the beach, a large assortment of dining, tons of nightlife, and don't mind the large amount of traffic, people, and different ethnicities everywhere you go- this is for you! I recommend this city for singles or couples. However there are parts of Ft. Lauderdale that I do recommend for families, just specific areas such as Davie, Weston, Plantation, and Coral Springs.