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Traffic is a problem in every major US city. The rudeness of Miami I can do without, but you take the bad with the good.
I lived in Minneapolis, and various cities in Michigan. Still have family back in the Midwest and in the Northeast. You couldn't pay me to live there again. Don't get me wrong, I love traveling to see snow over the Holidays but always with the mentality that I will see it for 1-2 weeks and then come back to where it's warm and nice. Growing up (in the midwest) I always associated coconut palms and turquoise waters with paradise - now I have both in my front yard.
I also have to say there is something quite nice about having your best season in the winter. Even in SoCal, their best season was summer to early fall (July - November). I think Miami is unique for this in the continental USA. Even in other humid areas of the South - such as Houston - I still think their summer is better than winter but certainly their fall and springs are better.
Also summers, while not my favorite, are not bad. You still see many people out here and about - dining outside, jogging on the beach not to mention boating, swimming, and water sports! In the midwest, it was basically cabin fever season. You ventured outside when you had too. We don't have mountains like Colorado or Utah does so there was no big incentive to do winter sports either. Some people in rural areas did things like snowmobiling but that's a)expensive and b)something you need to be in a rural area for otherwise you will hardly do it.
Minneapolis traffic is like Dallas after a zombie apocalypse lol. Doesn't even come close. Also, itts not just traffic. Its the driving habits of South Floridians. Whenever people say that Minnesotans are "bad drivers" I've wondered if they've ever been to Louisiana or Florida lol. Minnesotans are like Texans. Some bad drivers, but over all, most people at least understand the rules of the road. Minnesotans tend to follow the speed limits though and Texans drive extremely fast. Hell, I caught myself going 80 even close to 90 on the highways here because thats what I'm used to in DFW. But in South Florida, the bad driving isn't the speeding, its the cutting people off, the lack of blinkers, the running of red lights, turning LEFT on red lights, cussing in Spanish lol the crap you see there you don't see up here that's for sure.
No its not the same in all cities. And don't get me started on the honking. You'll hear honking in Dallas and Houston but most Texans don't use the horn, almost never. Its considered rude. Anywhere in Dade-County people use the horns, most often for no reason at all, they're just jerks. Aside from driving, the customer service is pretty non-existant (and if you're lucky you'll get employees who speak English) If I treat my customers the way people get commonly treated in Miami, I'd be out of a job in two shakes of a lamb's tail.
Summer is actually the best season in Miami because its when the beach is best enjoyed. I don't mind the heat in the summer as long as it says in the summer. I disagree that there's no winter sports in the Midwest. Not only do we still have skiing and snowboarding, we also have snow mobiling and ice skating, hockey and snow shoeing. I guess snow mobiling is expensive but so is its water equivalent; jet skiing. Ice skating is cheap, though. I got a perfectly good pair of hockey skates for 40 bucks. The lakes stay frozen solid for 3 months here.
Theres lots of activities that you might have to go to a rural area for. Lots of folks in the Twin Cities drive 45 minutes out of town to ice fish or snowmobile. People do similar stuff in Miami, too. A lot of my family down there likes to drive out of the city and go off-roading. Doesn't matter if you have to leave the city to do it, as long as you have the means to do it, you can do it.
Last edited by Pincho-toot; 02-07-2018 at 01:56 PM..
Minneapolis traffic is like Dallas after a zombie apocalypse lol. Doesn't even come close. Also, itts not just traffic. Its the driving habits of South Floridians. Whenever people say that Minnesotans are "bad drivers" I've wondered if they've ever been to Louisiana or Florida lol. Minnesotans are like Texans. Some bad drivers, but over all, most people at least understand the rules of the road. Minnesotans tend to follow the speed limits though and Texans drive extremely fast. Hell, I caught myself going 80 even close to 90 on the highways here because thats what I'm used to in DFW. But in South Florida, the bad driving isn't the speeding, its the cutting people off, the lack of blinkers, the running of red lights, turning LEFT on red lights, cussing in Spanish lol the crap you see there you don't see up here that's for sure.
No its not the same in all cities. And don't get me started on the honking. You'll hear honking in Dallas and Houston but most Texans don't use the horn, almost never. Its considered rude. Anywhere in Dade-County people use the horns, most often for no reason at all, they're just jerks. Aside from driving, the customer service is pretty non-existant (and if you're lucky you'll get employees who speak English) If I treat my customers the way people get commonly treated in Miami, I'd be out of a job in two shakes of a lamb's tail.
Yes, Minneapolis doesn't have the traffic Miami or Dallas have but then again the entire metropolitan area is about half the size of those cities. So we're talking about cities in two different categories. Also, have you tried to drive during some of those cold Minneapolis mornings? After the temperature falls below a certain degree, maybe -10 F, the salt stops working and black ice begins to accumulate. I've never had white knuckle driving in Miami but I've had in Minneapolis during some of those very cold and icy mornings or winter storms that cause white out conditions and make the roads slick.
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Summer is actually the best season in Miami because its when the beach is best enjoyed. I don't mind the heat in the summer as long as it says in the summer. I disagree that there's no winter sports in the Midwest. Not only do we still have skiing and snowboarding, we also have snow mobiling and ice skating, hockey and snow shoeing. I guess snow mobiling is expensive but so is its water equivalent; jet skiing. Ice skating is cheap, though. I got a perfectly good pair of hockey skates for 40 bucks. The lakes stay frozen solid for 3 months here.
I disagree on that one. Summer in Miami is maybe better for the beach, but that's about it. Summer means 24/7 AC, and usually avoiding being outside from around 11am to 5pm (unless you plan to be on the beach or the water or a boat). Whereas in the winter, the AC is turned off, balcony doors open, and what's more you can still use the beach. I just got back from a swim - it was refreshing. Water temperature is 74 degrees according to this (https://www.seatemperature.org/north...ates/miami.htm). Yes, in the summer it's a bathtub, but refreshing water has its beauty as well.
And yea, jetskiing is expensive as well. But, at least in Miami you can do it year round without any inconvenience. In Minneapolis, snowmobiling is a 3 month window. It's a bit expensive to have a toy that you can only use 3 months of the year.
I forgot to add that people in Minneapolis cross country ski as well, but I never got into that sport. I like to downhill ski. Nearby Minneapolis, there are only bunny hills. You have to go to Duluth for skiing that is somewhat good but not world class. When I lived there I flew to Colorado for skiing, which was around 2-3 hours by plane, from Miami it's around 4 hours. The difference for me is almost meaningless there.
The SAD thing must be faulty brain wiring. I have no problem with the weather in Chicago, enjoy Winter and look forward to all 4 seasons.
Enjoying Chicago climate seems like faulty wring to me. I get SADD in the PNW winter every winter I'm there. We bought a winter house Phoenix that I hope to enjoy when I retire in the next few months. Wife is also negatively affected by the gray winters but not nearly as much as I am. She claims that you just need to force through SADD which doesn't work for me. Looking forward to next winter in Phoenix.
Down south I always noticed an uptick in anger and depression during the long, hot, and humid summers.
Fall was a glorious relief.
Then, 50 degrees ends up being "too cold" for them, which leaves a very narrow window for outdoor activities that involves anything other than BBQ and hunting. Up north, people were far more physically active outdoors regardless of the season.
This is just taken from my personal experience, not meant to lump all of the south or all of the north together.
I think the difference for this conversation is that people in certain areas have a name for it, while others don't recognize or give much credence to psychological effects that weather sometimes has.
Enjoying Chicago climate seems like faulty wring to me. I get SADD in the PNW winter every winter I'm there. We bought a winter house Phoenix that I hope to enjoy when I retire in the next few months. Wife is also negatively affected by the gray winters but not nearly as much as I am. She claims that you just need to force through SADD which doesn't work for me. Looking forward to next winter in Phoenix.
I wouldn't call what I had SAD but in the winter in the midwest I did notice some marked loss of energy come the winter months. I just felt more lethargic, and less focused. I attributed that to normal since our days were a lot shorter - I often came back from work in the nighttime.
Having moved to Miami - the days are also not that long in the wintertime (annoying daylights saving). Around 6pm is sunset - so while not dark - the dark is coming soon after. But I don't experience that loss of energy I did in the midwest. So either that extra 1-2 hours of daylight is the difference, or something else is at play. Also, the sun is stronger here, so what you get counts more.
Down south I always noticed an uptick in anger and depression during the long, hot, and humid summers.
Fall was a glorious relief.
Then, 50 degrees ends up being "too cold" for them, which leaves a very narrow window for outdoor activities that involves anything other than BBQ and hunting. Up north, people were far more physically active outdoors regardless of the season.
This is just taken from my personal experience, not meant to lump all of the south or all of the north together.
I think the difference for this conversation is that people in certain areas have a name for it, while others don't recognize or give much credence to psychological effects that weather sometimes has.
Here in Miami, my least favorite of the traditional seasons (Dec-Feb -> Winter, March - May -> Spring, so on..) is fall. Summer is hot and humid here, but it's hot and humid almost everywhere.
September and October here are more or less just as hot and humid as the summer - the only difference I notice is that our days are a bit shorter, that's it. But the AC is still whirring 24/7. This is when I start dreaming of fall colors and crisp air. Funny, back in the midwest I did not care for Fall because I knew winter was just around the corner.
So I make sure to take my vacations during this period. I go up north, to Europe, sometimes to South America (accessible from Miami).
Before I know it, it's November and I can turn the AC off during the night on some nights. By December (or some years January) it's off completely until March.
Yes, Minneapolis doesn't have the traffic Miami or Dallas have but then again the entire metropolitan area is about half the size of those cities. So we're talking about cities in two different categories. Also, have you tried to drive during some of those cold Minneapolis mornings? After the temperature falls below a certain degree, maybe -10 F, the salt stops working and black ice begins to accumulate. I've never had white knuckle driving in Miami but I've had in Minneapolis during some of those very cold and icy mornings or winter storms that cause white out conditions and make the roads slick.
I disagree on that one. Summer in Miami is maybe better for the beach, but that's about it. Summer means 24/7 AC, and usually avoiding being outside from around 11am to 5pm (unless you plan to be on the beach or the water or a boat). Whereas in the winter, the AC is turned off, balcony doors open, and what's more you can still use the beach. I just got back from a swim - it was refreshing. Water temperature is 74 degrees according to this (https://www.seatemperature.org/north...ates/miami.htm). Yes, in the summer it's a bathtub, but refreshing water has its beauty as well.
And yea, jetskiing is expensive as well. But, at least in Miami you can do it year round without any inconvenience. In Minneapolis, snowmobiling is a 3 month window. It's a bit expensive to have a toy that you can only use 3 months of the year.
I forgot to add that people in Minneapolis cross country ski as well, but I never got into that sport. I like to downhill ski. Nearby Minneapolis, there are only bunny hills. You have to go to Duluth for skiing that is somewhat good but not world class. When I lived there I flew to Colorado for skiing, which was around 2-3 hours by plane, from Miami it's around 4 hours. The difference for me is almost meaningless there.
Well that just goes to show, not all cities are the same. And 3,000,000+ people in the metro area is still a crap ton of people. Miami is only 2 million more, yet it worse for congestion and driving habits, because of the way the city is spread out. Stretched from north to south between the Atlantic and the Glades.
The best thing Miami offers is the beach. Aside from visiting family (both my parents live in different Florida cities now, so I will visit less than before) the only other thing that interests me is the beach. I don't do night clubs and Miami lacks in outdoor activities that aren't ocean related. I don't find the ocean in Miami too hot in summer, on the contrary its just perfect. In mid-fall through mid-spring I personally find the water too chilly
You can do year round jetskiing in Miami, but thats the thing that I love about Minnesota is that its not all the same year round. In summer I can go boating or water skiing (invented here), in winter I can snow mobile. At least I can theoretically jet ski in Minneapolis if I cared enough to, but I can't snow mobile in Miami! Also, a three month window... but those three months happen every year (And according to some people, 6 months ) and lets be real, most Miamians even if they own a jet ski, only have time to go a handful of times a year anyway. Minnesotans are more opportunistic with their seasonal activities because the weather constantly changes.
As far as skiing, ehh, there's hills you can ski down from here. Sure it doesn't compare to actual mountains but ehh. I'd say we at least have better skiing than Miami has surfing I don't need huge hills anyway, though. I've only been skiing once so far and it was in Tennessee. The bigger slope was big enough for me!! I can't imagine Colorado!
Its cool that you prefer Miami. Its for some people but not everyone, but its a lie to claim that we lack outdoor activities, even more a lie to claim we lack WINTER activities. Also, you didn't comment on ice skating, and that's admittedly our best outdoor activity.
Also it has only gotten under -10 once this winter. Not a common occurrence and the iciest conditions happen right after a thaw, not really when its been super cold for a long time. I don't drive right now, though, but I drove in December in sub zero weather and it was fine. 99% of the roads in the city were clear of snow or ice. Funnily, the only street with snow on it was my own.
No worries, we will prefer different things. As for ice skating, you can ice skate year-round in Miami in rinks. There is even a night club in Miami Beach that built an ice rink inside for whatever reason.
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Originally Posted by BadgerFilms
Also it has only gotten under -10 once this winter. Not a common occurrence and the iciest conditions happen right after a thaw, not really when its been super cold for a long time. I don't drive right now, though, but I drove in December in sub zero weather and it was fine. 99% of the roads in the city were clear of snow or ice. Funnily, the only street with snow on it was my own.
Hi everyone! I'm hoping to spark up a discussion and hear from anyone who has moved to improve their climate and surroundings and hear if that substantially changed your quality of life. Every winter I find myself feeling depressed, lethargic, uninspired, grumbling about every little thing including scraping ice off my car, worse traffic, limited things to do, sickness, etc. I've wanted to live somewhere scenic and warm my whole life but so far careers, marriage, etc. have kept me in the cold Midwest.
A little background about me:
-in my late 20's
-grew up in the Midwest and have lived in the Midwest my whole life, currently live in Chicago suburbs
-enjoy outdoor activities including hiking, biking, four wheeling, paddle boarding, walking my dog, boating, having barbecues, drinking my coffee on the patio, just anything involving fresh air
-currently considering moving to the west coast (Arizona, California, etc. - don't need recommendations on places at this point, doing lots of research and visiting )
-I am sure I have SAD and have tried remedies including more exercise, vacations every winter, crystal salt lamp, vitamin D, etc. and still experience winter depression
So here's what I want to hear from you! Did you make the move to a better climate and if so, has it improved your outlook on life and quality of daily life? In what ways? Did you give up something such as career advancement, proximity to family, etc. to make the move and was it worth the sacrifices you made?
Wow, really great thread and close to my heart. Mostly because of my job in consulting, I've lived for at least a year in the following locales:
1.) New Orleans
2) College Station, Texas
3) Portland, Oregon
4) Richland, Wa
5) Greenville, SC
6) baghdad iraq
7) Mongolia
8) Moscow, Russia
9) Kirkuk Afghanistan
10) jubail, Saudi Arabia
11) Shangahai, China
12) Seoul, Korea
13) Arequipa, Peru
14) Kuwait
And actually a few more. While I would say climate is far from the most important factor in where I would choose to live, I do find that I'm happier in sunny climates...while I prefer moderate temps, I can take hot if also dry with low humidity. By far the best climate that I've lived in was Arequipa, Peru.
The SAD thing must be faulty brain wiring. I have no problem with the weather in Chicago, enjoy Winter and look forward to all 4 seasons.
We think you have faulty wiring to enjoy Chicago
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) and lets be real, most Miamians even if they own a jet ski, only have time to go a handful of times a year anyway. Minnesotans are more opportunistic with their seasonal activities because the weather constantly changes. 
I don't need huge hills anyway, though. I've only been skiing once so far and it was in Tennessee. The bigger slope was big enough for me!! I can't imagine Colorado!
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