charbel2

Hello- my mom, sister and myself are traveling with kids to florida next february and looking to rent a house or villa near or on the beach, preferably with a pool, but also walkable to beaches and restaurants. Need suggestions to narrow down the search, I am allover the map, literally, Miami, keys, marco island, captiva, even considered north or miami up to Hollywood. help! I need focus!
thank you!

Dukey1

Why stop at Hollywood?

mabella101

The places you mention don't really have homes on the beach. Would mainly be Condos and resorts. Sanibel is very family friendly with alot of Condo rentals and less expensive then Captiva. Ft. Myers has a few house rentals that are directly on the beach as well as condos. Will you have access to a car? Give us more information to better help you.

ekscrunchy

What's the budget?

loisebond23

Hello,
Advanced Reservations For USS Arizona Memorial; Pearl Harbor Museums; Where do I Find the Legal Vacation Rentals? Where should we stay?

schmerl

loisebond23,
You have posted your question on a thread about south Florida. I suggest you start a thread with your question.

fishee

I like Sanibel a lot -- things are spread out but it's perfectly flat and people bike to all the restaurants and shops, farmer's market, etc. Almost all accommodation on Sanibel are also condos with full kitchens which is convenient with kids. You can get an oceanfront condo where you are steps away from beach or pool. Sundial Resort has good onsite sushi (and kid-friendly pizza near the pool) and free kayaks and bikes. Pointe Santo (the E building) has less resort amenities but they are less expensive units that are also close to the water. Sundial has large 3 bedroom oceanfront units: https://sundialresort.com/stay/three-bedroom/

ekscrunchy

There are some great-looking houses in the historic area of Delray Beach, near Swinton, and near Pineapple Grove, just off the main E-W drag, Atlantic Avenue. I have no idea if this is the case, but I imagine there is a good chance that a few are available for rent. Some have pools, and unlike many areas in SE Florida, there is also an abundance of historic charm. They would be within doable walking distance to the ocean beach for those who are fit to walk, and an easy Uber ride of a few minutes for those less mobile. You'd be within blocks of restaurants and bars of all types, many geared to a younger and more stylish crowd than many towns along that stretch of Palm Beach county. If I can find links I will post them, but do see what you can find on the rental sites.

Another area that might lead to rentable options would be West Palm Beach, east or west of Dixie Highway. You'd need to drive or Uber a few minutes to the ocean beaches along A1A in Palm Beach, but there are tons of private homes, many of which are enclosed in a historic district. Again, there is charm here, although there is big variety from street to street and house to house.

Lake Worth has the same type of neighborhoods.

Maybe I am all off base and you want something marbled and bling-ey. If not, take a look at those areas; there are no doubt many more but those are the ones I am familiar with since I have a condo in the area that I use in winter.

charbel2

Thank you for your suggestions. My mind is still reeling from all the VRBO and Homeaway listings. My first attempt was Bal Harbour and the property manager tried to jack me on the price up from what was advertised to almost 5K a week citing his rates werent current and there was some event in Miami. . No thanks.
The second place, a beautiful, 3 story, beachfront condo in Pompano wanted 2K up front with no cancellation policy, meaning you lose your money if something happens and you can't make the trip!
I then moved on to one near Lauderdale By the Sea, a bit outside of the main commercial area. Seemed nice, but again, a very unforgiving cancellation policy with vague language about possibly being able to re-book. Finally, I found an awesome hacienda a little outside of LBTS, considered Pompano Beach, not as close to the beach, but the house has a pool with linai and whole outdoor patio with seating and curtains and even a tv. Very chic and comfortable. The reviews were awesome. The owners are friendly and they have free cancellation up until a month before. Phew. I can rest now, knowing that whatever horrible weather comes to upstate New York next year, I will have this south florida hacienda to look forward to. Happy travels!

Dukey1

Well, I am glad you got off the below Hollywood thing and found a place in Pompano; it is basically impossible to tell where Pompano ends and LBTS begins and I suspect you'll be pleased. I used to live on the beach (Fort Lauderdale beach to be exact) just a bit south of where you will be and the other homes around us, when and if they were rented out, were not cheap.

ekscrunchy

In case you are looking for a restaurant near there, I recently had a good meal (large portions, rustic Southern Italian cooking, fair prices) at Casa Calabria, on the ocean. (no view) Lots of diners were speaking Italian; very active bar scene, too:

Menu ? Casa Calabria

Blue Willy's on Commercial Blvd if famous for their BBQ pastrami, Thursdays only. It's a bit of a dive on the tracks but food is great.