South Florida is not getting any better.

[PBCboy]

Some of my best friends in my neighborhood are originally from the Dominican Republic but then came to NYC... then finally here to West Palm Beach. They say that the people that live here are far less friendly than those back home in NYC...

[compelled to reply]

Originally Posted by PBCboy

Some of my best friends in my neighborhood are originally from the Dominican Republic but then came to NYC... then finally here to West Palm Beach. They say that the people that live here are far less friendly than those back home in NYC...

It's true, NYers are great people. I kind of didn't want to come home when I was up there last week. A lot of NY's worst actually moved down this way...

[blackklight]

charlotte doesn't have a higher crime rate - the fbi is investigating miami's crime so why would you say something like that lol. i wasn't talking about you in particular, though.

[compelled to reply]

Originally Posted by blackklight

charlotte doesn't have a higher crime rate - the fbi is investigating miami's crime so why would you say something like that lol. i wasn't talking about you in particular, though.

I was talking about Minneapolis, oh well lol. Charlotte as a metro is actually right behind Miami-Dade though. I know the FBI is investigating it because they have to.

Actually I just pulled Charlotte's stats and it was higher than Miami 2006.

Miami, Florida (FL) Detailed Profile - relocation, real estate, travel, jobs, hospitals, schools, crime, news, sex offenders
Charlotte, North Carolina (NC) Detailed Profile - relocation, real estate, travel, jobs, hospitals, schools, crime, news, sex offenders

None of Charlottes metro area cities ranked among the 100 safest either. Here Coral Springs, Coconut Creek, Tamarac, Boca Raton, Pembroke Pines, Davie, Sunrise all were the top 100 safest. For some reason Weston wasn't ranked (even though it's over 50 thousand people), but I compared it to the top 10 and I couldn't find data for Brick on CD but it was ahead of the rest.

[Valea]

Originally Posted by CiXeL

"matter how hard you work honestly, you will never have the "American dream" in Miami."

true. very true.

living here you also have at least one event a week that undermines your faith in humanity.

I disagree with that as you could be one of the many politicians or sea of never ending assistance and all these made up positions that dont exist anywhere but Miami and steal left and right knowing you will be reelected (thats the real horror of Miami)

# Not all politicians or their armies of assistance are corrupt though most are inept

[Saritaschihuahua]

The U.S. has lots and lots of problems and Miami is no exception. Particularly from Reagan to the present. The difference between Miami and other U.S. cities might lie in the intensity of the problems and the vast variety of them. They seem to be somewhat magnified here.

First of all, this is a somewhat small geographical area, yet everything is sprawled nightmarishly, making traffic and just living a nightmare. The water table doesn't allow for underground trains, and overground are difficult to build so we have dismal public transportation. Instead of a downtown that is reachable from 360 degrees all around, we have a downtown that is reachable by less than a 180 degree area because our downtown has water on the other 180.

Then there's the fact that this has been an enclave since the 1960s. The enclave was created by wealthy folks running away from a Caribbean country that had been dominated through history by U.S.-backed dictators, and suddenly was taken over by a Communist man who turned the tables on them. Since then, our politics in Miami has been run by the offspring of these people, and has a "flavor" similar to that which existed in Cuba prior to Castro: everything goes (for the rich), the poor are ignored and exploited, and there's a very warm, loving relationship between them and the George Bushes of the world.

The result is a city that has zero planning, where anyone with money can buy the right to do or build anything anywhere, it's chaotic, has very high crime, construction is shoddy, streets are cheaply made and designed, nothing has been planned, or kept up, or repaired, etc., and no thought is given towards the future (just towards whatever project will fill their pockets with ever more money).

Lastly, because there's Spanish spoken here everywhere, this has become a magnet for Central Americans immigrants, so there are always mass quantities of poverty-stricken people living 5, 6, 7 and more per room or apartment. Also, since so many fascist criminals have lived long protected lives here in Miami, many other fascist criminals come here to live.

It's one crazy-azz area, Miami. Wonderful for whoever loves the totally unsettled, kitsch and bizarre.

[gzo13]

Originally Posted by sergio

But the moment we arrived in Miami you could sense a difference in the air. People didnt say hello, thank you or excuse me. There was an arrogance around us. My girlfreind looks very American but speaks Spanish as do I. But the moment we walked up to people they treated us in a cold and non-caring way until we spoke to them in Spanish. For the first time I was seeing how non-spanish speaking people were treated in Miami.

I was born/raised in Miami and my family is Cuban. I speak Spanish and look "very American" as well (i.e. white). On numerous occassions, I got treated like crap by "fellow" Cuban-Americans and other "Latinos" who thought I was "Anglo". I left Miami to go to college in Michigan (1993). I then returned to Miami (1997) and left again to Wisconsin (2001). During my time in the Midwest, I have never encountered as much racism and pure hate than I did in Miami. I am in the extreme "minority" in my town in Wisconsin, yet the most vile racism I have ever encountered came from members of my supposed "ethnic/cultural" group. Go figure.

After driving around visiting some friends and getting food I already felt like I had left the United States. Until you leave for a while and return you dont realize how much Miami is like a 3rd world country!

I agree with your statement here. When I was in college, I was watching my high school's senior class tape with my roommates. The footage showed shots of the neighborhood surrounding the high school (Miami Senior). My roommates joked that I lived in the slums, but I argued with them that Little Havana was "better" than other areas in Miami.

Driving in Miami is unbelievable!! I can not imagine that all these people are driving legally in this country!! After being away for a while I couldnt believe how bad the driving is down there. WOW! People have absolutely no consideration or manners. These people just basically threw there cars at us since we are used to driving like normal people. And the traffic is horrible. 836, palmetto, I95 or any of the highways are a nightmare.

Driving in the middle of a blizzard with 6-7 inches of snow on the ground is easier than managing Miami's traffic, even if it's a short drive from downtown to 50th ave NW straight down Flagler.

Upon visiting Dolphin Mall with a group of friends I see a vendor selling underwear I might be interested in. I go up to the kiosk somewhere around old Navy and pulled on the material to see what it felt like. This obnoxious woman comes out from around the other side and tells me with an accent "if your not going to buy, dont touch!!" I was amazed!! I said "You need to look for a better job" since she is obviously not happy doing what she does. I was interested in the merchandise but lost interest because of the service. This was common on our trip. In most places people working there either dont look at you, dont hear you or dont care.

I agree that customer service in Miami is horrible. Right before I left for good in 2001, I remember taking my mom shopping at the stores on NW 37th and 7th. Music was blasting from one of the stores. It was in Spanish, but had a thumping house beat and was describing oral sex in a very graphic way. My mom and I were laughing outwardly but digusted at the raunchy lyrics. In addition, there were many little kids out and about in the general area. By the way, does Dolphin Mall still have a problem with its ventilation? I always got a headache everytime I visited that mall and I attributed that to how dim the mall appeared to me, plus a weird smell I always sensed in the air.

I know now that I made the best choice in my life to move from that area. I might not live in a "metropolis" and I might not have all the fun things that come from living in a city. But I have 3 major cities within driving distance. I dont deal with the traffic, the over crowded streets and most of all the people. Miami could have been a major city in this country and a nice place to visit or live in. But its major low point is the people that live there. From the corrupt polititians that keep it from prospering to the lady at the cafeteria that ignored me when I was trying to order a cuban cofee. Or the guy at the rental car agency that tried to charge me $14 for gas that I had already put into the car and then wouldnt even stand still long enough to talk to me. These arrogant and ignorant people are the main reason Miami will never be the major city it thinks it is. There is no culture since there is no education. And there is no history since everything is being torn down to build more condos for rich people that want to live in a 800 sq ft apartments for 300k. When I got back it took me a few days to get out of what I called "Miami Mode". Where I was constantly looking over my shoulder, driving like I was always in a rush and very aggitated.

I agree that Miami is one of a kind. Of all the major urban areas in decay, I think only Detroit is worse than Miami-Dade County. I visited Detroit with some college friends on several occassions in the 1990s. They gave me "insiders" tours of the worst neighborhoods and I was very numb after we were done. I took some pictures of some of the areas we saw and even my Miami friends were floored by the dirtiness and general disrespair of Detroit. (Look at YouTube and type in "Detroit ghetto" for a general idea of what I saw).

But unlike Miami, Detroit does have a vibrant downtown, comparatively speaking. In addition, Detroit does have more "culture", because of its historical significance in America. But Miami resembles one of those "fake" cities that a person can create on Sim City 2000 (i.e. "build, tear down, build some more").

I completely agree with you that Miami makes people rougher around the edges. It usually took me five days to get over my "Miami Mode" whenever I returned from a visit during my college days. I went through culture shock when I had to live in Miami for four years after graduating from college.

I have tried in the past to warn people thinking about moving there. But then you have all the people in denial that want to argue and say that we are making it worse than it is or that we are bitter people. I say to those thinking about moving. PLEASE GO AND VISIT FOR AT LEAST A WEEK!! Imagine living there and dealing with all the rudeness and congestion on a daily basis when you are trying to just live your life and not on vacation.

I'm not bitter about having to move from Miami. I haven't visited in over six years, but plan on doing so soon. I do miss Cuban coffee and food, plus some of my family members. But overall, I am very happy in the Midwest. I have seen a lot of personal and professional accomplishments since I moved for good in 2001. In Miami, I would have not had the opportunity to achieve them because I am not prone to kissbutt, gossip, or manipulate; all of these are skills necessary to navigate the Miami workplace. I am continually amazed at people who want to move to Miami just based on the images they see in the media (i.e. South Beach, fun n sun). Those folks are a train wreck waiting to happen in many cases. But for some people, Miami is great. To each their own.

This was a great post.