Relocating To Fort Lauderdale? A Neighborhood Guide For Incoming Residents
Fort Lauderdale has changed so much since its boom as a spring break destination. The South Florida city now offers so much more and serves as a sought-after global hub for many different professionals. From tech specialists to maritime experts and families seeking a better quality of life, there’s something for everyone relocating to Fort Lauderdale.
Long mooted as the “Venice of America”, Fort Lauderdale is exemplified by more than 165 miles of man-made waterways and a complex grid of coastal and inland suburbs. Getting around can be a bit of a gamble unless you come prepared with a bit of local knowledge. This guide that we have set up will acquaint you with some of the best-known neighborhoods and school districts to help empower your move to start vetting moving companies Fort Lauderdale residents trust.
Choosing A Neighborhood
The choice of neighborhood in Fort Lauderdale depends on a few factors, such as budget and lifestyle. Since you will already be in one of the most exciting places to live in South Florida, your next decision is which niche of the city would best fit your lifestyle and family. Discovering your ideal zip code could mean the difference between living in a high-rise loft or settling into one of the many quality suburban estates.
The City Center of Attention
If a vibrant, busy nightlife mixed in with a splash of artistic flair and brewery-focused food trucks, then perhaps something in the center of town is more your style. Fort Lauderdale has a few options, but we think two of them stand out from the rest.
Flagler Village
Many tech startups have taken root in Flagler Village in recent years, lending to its moniker of the “Silicon Beach” movement. As a hub for artistic and gastronomic creativity, there is also a host of craft breweries that have popped up, creating a state-of-the-art and modern artisanal charm.
Victoria Park
For some, the modern amenities are a must-have, but they want to live in a place that has culture and can command an historic sense of belonging that creates an old-world place, reminiscent of a suburban oasis. For this reason, we have chosen Victoria Park as another great option close to the urban core. Victoria Park is slightly to the east of Flagler Village and has a rich mix of modern luxury mansions and 1930s-built Florida bungalows nestled under the massive shaded canopy of old-growth oak trees.
Boating Lifestyle
For some families relocating to Fort Lauderdale, the abundance of water sports and leisure lifestyle opportunities the main attraction. To make the most of this situation in Fort Lauderdale, you’ll have to consider being on the canals.
Coral Ridge
Coral Ridge is one of the best areas to indulge in canal-front living in Fort Lauderdale. There is a real mix of available real estate in this family-friendly area. There are many canal-front properties that all have deep-water docks with no fixed bridges, making them ideal for easy ocean access.
Rio Vista
This is a much quieter area where the streets are winding, and the architecture is timeless and tasteful. Lying south of Coral Ridge, it is one of Fort Lauderdale’s oldest and most prestigious suburbs. This area is a popular choice for established families and executives looking for a fresh start.
Suburbs For Family-First Living
It’s common for many moving to South Florida to eventually start looking at more western regions. For many families, the initial investment to live closer to the beach and canals may be a bit steep, and so more family-focused areas such as Weston and Parkland are favorite choices. Both of these areas are master-planned communities. They are known for their beautifully manicured aesthetics as well as safety and security. There are many world-class park systems, and also a plethora of community-based sport programs to indulge in that will make these areas a favorite for active families who enjoy the outdoors.
School Districts And Education
The Fort Lauderdale community is served by Broward County Public Schools, which has seen a surge in top-rated institutions in recent years. It’s quite common for those looking to relocate to Fort Lauderdale to first begin their investigation with the school system and then move on to housing.
Stand Out Public Schools
In Weston, Cypress Bay High School is an excellent public school that has been leading the trend in recent years, with some of the best academic performance in the state as well as extracurricular funding. In Parkland, Marjory Stoneman Douglas is leading the way with similar funding and support for their extracurricular activities and state-leading academic performance.
Magnet Program School
Virginia Shuman Young is a Montessori magnet program school based in Victoria Park that specializes in the exposure of students to scientific exploration. As a proud A1A school, they have been acknowledged as a 2025 Florida School of Excellence, 2025 Magnet School of Distinction, and as an A-rated public school; they are 4th in the list of all Broward County Public Schools for exceptional academic performance.
Private Schools
Two prestigious schools known for their STEM pipelines and excellent Ivy League placement rates operate in the area. Pine Crest School is located just north of Coral Ridge, and the American Heritage Schools, Broward Campus, is between 12 and 22 miles from Weston and Parkland, respectively.
Commuting in Fort Lauderdale
For those relocating to Fort Lauderdale, the preference is still to use a motor vehicle to get around. The state of transport in Fort Lauderdale has changed. In fact, there are enough modes of transport to perhaps coax Steve Martin into doing a sequel to Planes, Trains, and Automobiles (rest in peace John Candy).
Roads
The I-95 expressway is still the main way to get around the Broward County area. You can make use of the A1A and US-1 routes for North-South travel and then use the Broward and Sunrise Boulevards for East-West travel.
Rails
There are two main options to make use of one of the modes of transport that made America – Passenger Rail. Brightline is a high-speed rail service that operates out of 101 NW 2nd Avenue and goes all the way to MiamiCentral and West Palm Beach. As a premium service offering, it has onboard Wi-Fi and leather seats that can turn your commute into a 35-minute power session.
A more budget-friendly option is to make use of the Tri-Rail service. The Tri-Rail Commuter service connects Fort Lauderdale to 18 stations across the tri-county area (Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties).
Waterways
There are two main ways to get around the waterways of Fort Lauderdale, and one of them is free! The LauderGo! Water trolley is a free service that operates daily between 10 AM and 10 PM. It’s a great way to get from the Tarpon River area to Los Olas and loops through the New River.
Water Taxis are another way to get to many more destinations across the Intracoastal Waterway and New River. It’s a great way to “lifestyle commute” if you are going from Victoria Park or Coral Ridge to downtown Fort Lauderdale.
Cost Of Living
Fort Lauderdale is a premium destination, but in many ways is more affordable than some of the ultra-premium living in Miami’s South Beach and Brickell.
We have included an overview summary table for comparison:
| Fort Lauderdale | Miami | West Palm Beach | |
| Median Home Price | $725,000 | $810,000 | $640,000 |
| Rental Avg. (2-bed) | $3,400 | $3,900 | $3,100 |
| Groceries/Utilities | +5% National avg. | +12% National avg. | +4% National avg. |
Tax Relief
It is important to note that one of the big attractions of living in Florida is that there is no state income tax payable, so be sure to factor that into your budget for the move. If you are relocating from a high-tax area such as New York or California, this could essentially mean a 5% – 10% increase in your purchasing power.
Moving to South Florida Essential Checklist
This short checklist is an essential to-do exercise before your move:
Hurricane Preparedness
Ensure that the home you are buying or renting has impact-rated windows and/or shutters to protect the windows.
Florida Power & Light Account
Be doubly sure that you have set up your account with Florida Power & Light ahead of time so that you can start running your AC as soon as you arrive. You’ll need it!
Vehicle Registration
The state of Florida provides you with a 30-day grace period to obtain your Florida license and registration after relocating, so don’t wait too long in order to avoid traffic fines and headaches.
Allegiance Van Lines: Fort Lauderdale Relocation Specialists
If you are moving to Fort Lauderdale from another state or even within the state of Florida, why not partner with a mover that has over 20 years of combined experience in the moving business?
We’re local to South Florida and cover the following areas:
- Boca Raton
- Coral Springs
- Fort Lauderdale
- Jacksonville
- Miami
- Orlando
- Port St. Lucie
- Tampa
- West Palm Beach
If you’re looking for more information, then check out our information page on relocating to Fort Lauderdale. Alternatively, if you’d like to start the conversation with one of our experienced moving agents, then you can call us at (561) 210-5120.