Miami. Cue Will Smith playing in your head.
Here is a review on what I learned working at GRECC during the Covid Era down in South Florida. Also some South Florida recommendations.
Research and opportunities:
Area:
My husband, our dog, and I lived in Davie which was cheaper than Brickell and more downtown areas. It was surprisingly a bit of country where you could see farms with horses and a rodeo. Probably a better area for families that don't mind taking buses or commuting but if you are younger or without transportation than another area my be better suited for your lifestyle.
One of the greatest aspects that I didn't learn until several months in was there was a bus stop right in front of our apartment that had an express bus. It was a lifesaver from the traffic (yes, even during the Covid era). It would literally pick me up from a bus stop in front of the apartment, and drop me off in front of the Miami VA with no stops or exchanges in between. It took 15-20 minutes on a normal day, about 30 minutes on a bad day, and about 45 minutes on a really bad traffic day. Usually in the mornings I would catch the 7:15 am bus and had very little trouble getting there. Evenings were a little longer and more of a chance that traffic was bad.
Parks:
T.Y. (Topeekeegee Yugnee) Park - Probably our favorite park. Loved taking our boy Max there. Plenty of squirrels to chase. Had a Renaissance Fair that was fun. Plenty of picnic areas and places to have a birthday party. Apparently it has a swim park and RV park as well, but we never used them.
https://www.broward.org/Parks/pages/park.aspx?park=37
Markham Park - another favorite with many many things to do. Camping, RC plane field, disk golf, dog park, shooting range, bow and area shooting area, mountain bike trails. Only thing about the dog park is that you have to bring in your dogs vaccination records and pay a fee to enter. I think it was $5/day or $50/year.
https://www.broward.org/Parks/Pages/park.aspx?park=23
Tree Tops Park - They had a nice Halloween drive thru but no idea if they do that during regular times or just during Covid. Overall a nice park for some peace and quiet.
https://www.broward.org/parks/Pages/Park.aspx?=40
Wolf Lake Park - Small park with a trail around the lake. Very pretty. Dog friendly.
https://www.davie-fl.gov/Facilities/Facility/Details/Wolf-Lake-Park-34
Recommended Restaurants:
Little Hen - Highly recommend the crap cake benedict.
Baires Argentinian Grill - Fantastic empanadas.
https://www.bairesgrill.com/weston/
Chill-N Nitrogen Ice Cream - I'm just saying if you mix chocolate, coffee, and biscotti together, you might experience the best ice cream of your life.
https://order.toasttab.com/online/chill-n-nitrogen-weston-2238-weston-road
