munkanu

Hi all,

New member so please excuse me if I’ve posted this in the wrong place....

I have been working for an international telco in London for the last two years and a few months ago they moved me to their Coral Gables (Miami) office on an L1A visa. I’m originally from Scotland but have been living near Winchester (Hampshire) and London for the last 15 years so I’m very mixed

I bring with me a wife and 8 year old son and have moved into a house in Weston this week. My family are still a month away from wrapping up their work & school commitments and joining me.

South Florida is very Spanish and I’m feeling a little out of place, which my company provided Spanish classes should help with. Nevertheless I’m feeling a little homesick and would like to know if there are any Brit expat meetups in the Fort Lauderdale area? A few beers in a pub would go down well.

Many thanks!
Chris

old_spaghetti

Hi Chris - shame you got no responses on the forum. I'm looking for some support and suggestions as I'm considering moving from the UK with my wife and kid to Fort Lauderdale area, so my wife can take a job with a company not far from the airport. I've never been there (more than driving through) and would love to hear your thoughts about where a good place to live is and what it's like settling in (sounds challenging). I've looked at Weston as a nice suburb and hopefully an easy commute to the area around the airport, but I've read a couple of things that maybe people aren't so friendly there (as my experience in the US mainly in Minnesota, everyone is friendly there), we would love to become a part of community where we can feel comfortable and not feel like an outsider. If you would like to chat, please PM me, maybe with a view to meeting up for a beer sometime (once my dry january is over!).

Rete

As you can see, the OP has never returned after posting this one post. I doubt that he is around to see your response. Hopefully, someone else will. My daughter lived on the other side of Alligator Alley in Naples (Gulf Coast) and it was a lovely town. Ft. Lauderdale is more of a young community than Naples, although Naples demographics are changing.

Check the cities you are interested in here: http://www.city-data.com/

Pulaski

Old Spaghetti, you are going about it the "right" way - it seems to be very rare that a single post in the BE Meet-ups forum generates the desired outcome, whereas those who hang around in the public forums are much more likely, IMO, to create on-line friendships that have the potential to turn into face-to-face meetings.

munkanu

Hi old_spaghetti, thanks for the reply. The notification for which dropped into my junk email folder so I didn't see it until today.

Having lived in Weston for the last few months I can certainly help you with info! I was going back and forward between blighty and Miami for a few months before moving into a place in Weston in October. My family eventually made the move over in November and we're all settled in now with my son at school in Weston, and already a member of football (soccer!) and rugby teams. Weston is very nice - but really depends on what stage of life you're at. If you have a young family or are considering starting a family then it's ideal. It's setup exactly for this purpose and has all the facilities you can imagine from hospitals to great schools to great sporting facilities. It's a family area, which means it's a bit light on bars & restaurants although there are some. It's mostly a collection of gated communities which makes it extremely safe. My 8 year old son has more freedom to go out and play with friends on their bikes than he had in the UK. Fort Lauderdale airport is 20 mins away, the beach is 30 mins away so it's all very accessible. Have you made a decision re moving yet? I'd be pleased to get in touch directly, I have no experience of using this site so not sure how PM'ing works but will try to work it out if you want to drop me a PM.

Best
Chris

old_spaghetti

Chris - thanks for the reply - I sent you a PM.

munkanu