Fort Lauderdale, Florida

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armedpolak

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What do you guys think of Fort Lauderdale, Florida? Is it a nice place for gun owners? CCW'ers? I'm considering moving there :D

Please advice. I started an interview round there :D

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Are there any city restrictions on CCW and other HAND GUN related things ???
 
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I think Ft Lauderdale is a dive. The ocean is nice, but its way to crowded and built up for me. Just north of it is Boca Raton - serious Barbara Streisand territory - but within an hour of Ft Lauderdale you can get to some nicer places in Florida on the coast or head south to Miami. And, if you head inland its more bearable (and cheaper).

I've got an apartment just outside Stuart, FL - about 90 minutes north - and I really like it up there (except for all the Yankees)
 
I am in MIA and I can say that it is pretty nice down here for gun owners, however, I haven't been able to walk outside my house and ask the neighers what they though with my .40 cal on my hip :D
 
Florida = gun.gif (gun friendly)

I live in Boca Raton -> 15min north on the coast and its great...save all the hurricanes we had the past 2 years. Ft lauderdale is nice but there are better areas around like boca, coconut creek, delray, lighthouse point, etc that I like better, and can be commuted to in bad rush hour in less than 45min if you work in ft laud downtown. As for ccw'ing Florida is a pretty open state and has some newer laws helping out ccw'ers protect their cars/houses/property/life, etc! If you get in a major city like mia or ftl, you may find some laws preventing certain things so check it out, but where I am the only thing a CCW cannot do (within reason), is ccw a class 3 full auto -> which is a FL state law. Pretty much everything else is fair game. I've lived in Texas (10 years) and throughout FL (10 years - Jacksonville, Orlando, Boca), and have to say that Texas used to have the better laws (80s-90s) but now Florida seems to! The past few years we've had some stuff come down in terms of "private sale" and "gun show" legislation, however your rights as a private citizen have been upheld to the nth degree (go Jeb Bush)! The state pretty much leaves the big laws open or in the ccw'ers favor, and leaves the little things to the county/city level. I live near by, and havn't heard any grumblings from my friends in broward county (I'm palm beach), but you'll need to check with the exact area you are looking in. Also there are some tyrannical neighborhood HOA's that can dictate certain stupid policies and force you to sell if you dont comply so be more aware of where exactly you are looking to move. The area and state as a whole has to be in the top 10 in the US!

PS - Home prices are pretty high down here. They have fallen the past 6 mos, but be prepared to spend 400k+ on a decent small home in a decent small neighborhood with a decent commute...its just life in South, FL. And if you want a water view, I hope your interview is for CEO!

Good luck on the interview! Its hot down here all the time, and the hurricanes make life interesting to say the least, but the good news is its 80 degrees in December, there are plenty of ranges, and you can even rent full autos and suppressed weapons at pretty much any of them! Markham park also has a cool walking skeet gauntlet if your into it.

PSS - Florida Gun Laws

Is there a one-handgun-per-month limit on gun sales?
No

Are there limitations on assault weapons and magazines?
No

May Attorney General regulate guns?
Yes

Do state police perform a background check in addition to federal NICS check?
Yes

Must handguns be ballistic fingerprinted prior to sale?
No

May police limit carrying concealed handguns?
No

Are gun owners held accountable for leaving guns accessible to kids?
Yes

Must locking devices be sold with guns?
No


Do cities have authority to hold gun makers legally liable?
No

Are background checks required at gun shows?
Partial

Are minors restricted from possessing guns?
Yes

Is it illegal to sell guns to kids?
Yes

Is a license/permit required to buy handguns?
No

May cities enact laws stronger than the state's?
Partial

May police maintain gun sale records?
No

Are all guns registered with law enforcement?
No

Are there consumer safety standards on guns?
No

Is safety training required for handgun buyers?
No

Are there limitations on 'junk' handguns?
No

Is it illegal for CCW permit holders to carry guns into schools?
Yes

Are background checks required on 'private' gun sales?
Partial

Is there a waiting period on gun sales?
Yes - 3 days

From: http://www.bradycampaign.org/legislation/state/viewstate.php?st=FL

Also, heres a link about the (new) self defense gun law for Florida:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/04/25/AR2005042501553.html
 
As a North Floridian, I am not too enamored of anywhere in South Fla. I-4 cuts across the state from Daytona to Tampa. I am a proponent of cutting all of the bridges on I-4, and letting the rest of the State float away. To me So. Fla is either a hot N.Y. or a cool Cuba. NY liberalism is very much alive and well down there.
 
hey I just happen to have my house for sale in Miami,3-2 in a middle class neighborhood,on a fresh waterway,quiet and virtually crime free,close to the ocean.Houses are in the mid 3's around here.Lets make a deal haha!
 
liberalism isnt as bad here as say California,its a mixed bunch down here and gun laws are pretty lax.There is a 5 day waiting period on a purchase if you dont have a CCL.
 
Is there a waiting period on gun sales?
Yes - 3 days

This is ONLY true if you do not have a Concealed Weapons Permit.

If you do pay your $$$ and take your Weapon
 
Stay away from South Florida, try somewhere North of I4 like someone else mentioned. I cannot wait to move......
 
My Grandparents moved there in the 1960s, it has changed alot since then, and not in a good way. Way to much like Manhatten or at least people have that famous NY attuide. It is also more prone to direct hurricane hits. And it is hot year round. It is not a place I would move to but then again I really can't stand any part of the state. Having been to most parts of Fl, except the pan handle. I would say north of Orlando(either coast), is best. Closer the Gerogia boarder. Jackisonville is very nice, though it seems to be going through a crime wave.
 
general information about that area...

I worked on a storm relief project in that area in 11/12-2005. I worked in Coral Springs Florida. Ft Lauderdale is ok but I wouldn't live/work there full time. Toll roads are everywhere, traffic is a mess and many people are over stressed/unfriendly. The crime rate is high. Every morning local TV news would go on for 10 min about rapes/agg assaults, carjackings, home invasions, homicides, sex crimes, etc. :uhoh:

Many people live in the area and unless your work office is close by you'll be in your car a lot.

As far as Florida, the gun laws are very pro-gunner. :D New Florida laws allow citizens to carry firearms and use them in protection/use of force incidents w/o legal issues. Armed criminals can't file a bogus lawsuit if you use a weapon to protect yourself or your family.

See www.myflorida.com www.packing.org for more details.
RS
 
It's really no different than North Jersey, Except the roads are better, the weathers better, the taxes are lower, the laws are less restrictive..... wait a minute, maybe it is better than New Jersey! But seriously, there are a lot of people down here. It's definately urban, but in a low-rise way. More of a big suburban sprawl. There's only two toll roads in Palm beach county in broward that I'm aware of, the turnpike and the Sawgrass. I drive the local roads anyway. If you like urban with lots of stores and such, it's great, but if you're looking for rural, stay north.
 
Just remember a good majority of the liberals in South Florida are not Florida residents, but visitors from other states who spend 4 months a year down here...hence they dont vote, so dont worry to much about liberalism, its pretty much a redneck state and there are several of us peppered throughout the south FL area. (Please do not attack my use of redneck..I are one, and mean it in jest, and just look at our awesome governor!). Also, I dont know why you would call south florida little cuba, its mostly just Miami (and surprisingly parts of Orlando)

Again, just be aware there may be different laws in the city limits. As for CCW, I think its state issue not county so I only think there may be some extra restrictions that the city can impose (ie certain places) but not effect overall ccw. Check it out though I live close to FT Laud, but I stilol dont live there.

For an idea of the area, Miami is very latin, Ft lauderdale is mostly retired folks, Boca has a strong jewish population and alot of new yorkers but its not bad 8 months a year, West Palm beach has a strong old money crowd and alot of euro money, but in between you have alot of nice areas - coconut creek, pembroke pines (one half the other is a murder a day), parkland - ranch folks, west boca raton (ultra safe/new construction and lots of amenities -> most crime is white collar or domestic, a few thefts during xmas, I live in cental boca but have considered moving west), delray beach - hardworking folks (part is somewhat bad), boynton beach - more hardworking folks, Lantana - ranch folks. I'd steer clear of most of Deerfield, Pompano, Lake Worth (though there are some nice areas), and definately Riviera Beach (unless you want to use your CCW actively).

I hope I dont offend anyone, or where they live as there are some good exceptions or leave anything out, but I have lived down here for some time and have worked in the auction business liquidating estates and have a knoweledge of many of the neighborhoods and areas of all of south florida. Davie and Dania are more older florida, and remind me of jacksonville years back with bikers, country boys, car shows, etc and they would also be a good choice if you want to be near all the hustle and bustle, but still a little bit out.

Ft lauderdale is pretty big, and the retirees are all around. There are hugh retired communities and the galt ocean mile (one mile of beach front condos in as my dad would say "heavans waiting room")

If you look around there are plenty of nice areas you'd be happy in, you just have to know what you want and where to look.

Unlike most states or areas, all of the cities are connected and you flow from one to another down I-95 from west palm to miami without a break. Each area is different and there is also alot to choose from (but housing costs can greatly change in 1 mile increments). I'm kind of getting sick of all the traffic, but when I go back to orlando, they have built a sea of houses out past ocoee (the last exit on the turnpike) into claremont and beyond which only 5 years ago was just orange groves and miles of clay! Anywhere you go in Florida (except north central) is going to be crowded so thats the only real thing you may not like.

Good luck to you. You may not like Ft lauderdale unless you get into a lively younger area, but you can live just outside in several decent areas that aren't entirely retiree communities.

PS - traffic in miami is horrible, ft lauderdale is bad, and west palm is bad beacuase of their never ending "repair" (ten years and counting) on the same stretch of I-95. However there are alot of major roads - I-95, Turnpike, US1, A1A, and others like military and dixie, which allow alot of north / south movement. If you are working in north ft lauderdale you can live anywhere up to delray and probably not have a bad commute as its a pretty smooth stretch, but if you work in south Ft L and live in davie, you may have a pretty bad drive.


Just my 2 cents.
 
I'm in Boca Raton, go to Tampa for college. Being in the two places quite a lot, I still like the south FL ways better then Tampa, which is more like the mid-west. Although, I spent my whole life in S FL so maybe that's why.

S FL is very fast paced compared to Tampa. People are in a rush all the time, and not everyone is as nice as you would like them to be.

Depending on where you are from, you might like it, you might not. Tampa is like the mid-west, Ft Lauderdale is like the NE, Miami is like Cuba, Orlando is like a Disney movie complete with Mickey Mouse and tourists :neener:.

All of the west coast is laid back, and when you get north of West Palm Beachish, the east coast is pretty laid back too.
 
Oh, and I *thought* I read somewhere that there is a state law that prohibits the counties and citys from creating more prohibitive laws on firearms, but don't quote me on that.

I do know I have NEVER heard of any sort of special law for Broward, Dade, or Palm Beach County, but that doesn't mean it doesn't exist.

Check out Floridashootersnetwork.com, as you can get more opinions from people that currently live in the area.
 
Glock 10 pretty much nailed it. Keep in mind the current sheriff of Broward County (where Ft Lauderdale is) is the same guy that tried to get the county comission to pass a county-wide "assault weapons ban". (He failed miserably.)

Depending on the location of the job, and the distance you want to commute, you can find pretty much whatever living conditions you want, from a nice quiet "gated" community, to a more upscale urban high-rise. If you have kids, our schools have never been accused of academic excellence (but generally speaking, they're okay). Keep in mind that some of the worst schools are in the best neighborhoods, and vice-versa. That may have an impact on where you choose to move.
 
Oh, and I *thought* I read somewhere that there is a state law that prohibits the counties and citys from creating more prohibitive laws on firearms, but don't quote me on that.

I do know I have NEVER heard of any sort of special law for Broward, Dade, or Palm Beach County, but that doesn't mean it doesn't exist.
Click to expand...

You're absolutely correct in this. Our state constitution designates that ONLY the state has the authority to pass laws relating to the right to bear arms. The counties can, and do make some administrative type changes in the waiting periods as far as the number of days, but nothing more substantial than that.

If you can put up with the traffic, mass of people, and exhobitant real estate prices, it's not a bad place. Just not for me. I prefer the relative solitude and peacefulness of central Florida myself.
 
Fort Lauderdale could be a great place to live. It isn't far from Miami either. Although I have heard there are some bad areas there where you'll want to CCW.
 
Keep in mind "traffic" is relative to where you live. I've been going into downtown Chicago and out at rush hour, and after that experience, I don't consider south Florida to have bad traffic.

If you live in Montana, yeah, Ft Lauderdale's traffic would be a nightmare.
 
I've lived in Miami since the late 70s. There's been a lot of changes. The Mariel boatlift caused a massive spike in crime. Lots of residents (green card holders) are criminals (don't ask me how I know. I'm in the business...). Crime is probably comparable to any other large metropolitan areas with excellent CCW laws. There has been mass migrations of latins trying to move their money out of south america. Colombians (the hottest ladies and not all are in the drug trade) and Venezuelans are in abundance in the nicer areas. Out of country buyers are what has massively increased real estate prices. Some day all of those "tourists" will forget to go home (a totally relavent subject). Climate is great (our temps usually stop at 92. I look at 100+ temps all over the country but not here). Night life is SUPER! I don't have kids so I don't have to be concerned about that area of life. To cut it off here I like S. Fl. You just have to accept what it is and realize what it isn't. :D
 
I lived in Lauderdale in the 80s, and loved it then. Of course, I was in my 20s, so was my beautiful bride, and we were living on a 35 foot sailboat on a canal off Las Olas Blvd, a few blocks from the ICW and the beach. (No kids tjhen, needless to say!) Those were great days for singles and young marrieds without kids.

Now, after 6 years in San Diego and the entire country to choose from, we chose NE Florida, just below Jax. Two decades after our South Florida era, we have different priorities, but I'll always remember those days with great nostalgia.
 
No don't do it!!

I've got friends in the area and visit with them often. They hate spending 45 minutes in rush hour traffic. They feel that crime is a big problem and they live around the corner from Janet Reno.
Me, I wouldn't live there unless I had to. And you better learn Spanish, most of the shop keepers won't talk to you if you don't. Just my $0.02
 
quote;Night life is SUPER

phttt!...I guess that depends on your lifestyle and if you like latin,hiphop or techno music of Miami beach.Personally for me as a rock n roller I have drive to Lauderdale to find a decent club with live music that draws a decent crowd.National acts dont even come down here anymore cause there's no market.
The only thing diverse about Miami anymore is the diversity of people who have fled south and central America for Miami.If you are not latin you will be an outsider.If you like live rock or even country music the only places you'll find for nightlife are a couple sports bars that dont have alot of patrons.
Miami is 90% latin now,if you are looking for a job chances are you'll get past over if you dont speak fluent spanish cause the money to be made by companies are from clients who are predominently hispanic.
Crime isnt that bad compared to other large cities,crime is mostly in the ghetto areas like overtown,liberty city and such.If you like fishing then this would be a mecca for you.

Personally I cant wait for my house to sell,then Im Tampa-Orlando bound.I tell ya' Tennessee aint lookin' to bad these days either.
 
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