Why is Cutler Ridge/Bay so da*n ghetto? (Miami: apartments, houses)

[cuba libre]

Originally Posted by crisp444

There aren't many areas like that in Miami-Dade County, so although Cutler Bay has a less-than pristine reputation, I must give it some credit for its diversity.

That's the part of "Cutler whatever" I was talking about. The new parts of Cutler Bay. The whole area is brand new, and it seems to have taken on an Afro-Caribbean or at least Afro-centric feel to it. You'll see lots of colorful garbs, robes; cars painted goofy, rare colors with ridiculous chrome rims speeding around. With rampant foreclosures and moneyless, impotent HOA's, I see these places going downhill like other areas of Dade in the years to come.

[jcblanco22]

Originally Posted by muscleman305

I read in the paper today that 4 masked men touting handguns and a shotgun barged into a pool bar in Cutler Ridge the other night and robbed patrons of their personal belongings. If that's not ghetto, than what is?

And that incident follows one last week were 2 tourists were robbed in the hotel suite at the Best Western in Cutler Bay by 3 men posing as hotel security. Worse yet, about two years ago, 5 men barged into a room at the same hotel at about 4 am and raped and robbed a couple of women in their room.

[crisp444]

JCBlanco, this is only tangentially related to what you are saying, but is the Best Western the multi-story hotel that's just north of the mall? One of my most vivid Hurricane Andrew memories was driving by the hotel (in the car with my mom, I was just a kid ) and seeing all of the windows blown out, glass everywhere, and ripped, shredded white curtains blowing in the breeze. I know this is a random story, but when you mentioned that hotel, that vivid image came back to me.

[crisp444]

Originally Posted by cuba libre

That's the part of "Cutler whatever" I was talking about. The new parts of Cutler Bay. The whole area is brand new, and it seems to have taken on an Afro-Caribbean or at least Afro-centric feel to it. You'll see lots of colorful garbs, robes; cars painted goofy, rare colors with ridiculous chrome rims speeding around. With rampant foreclosures and moneyless, impotent HOA's, I see these places going downhill like other areas of Dade in the years to come.

I honestly am not familiar with the new-construction neighborhoods. What you have described has to be a pretty interesting contrast to the neighborhoods on the other side of Old Cutler (but east of Franjo Road) up to Palmetto Bay... unless it has DRASTICALLY changed in a very short period of time. Before all of the new construction, eastern Cutler Bay was a middle/upper middle class Anglo/Cuban-American area.

[Kathleen1971]

Originally Posted by crisp444

JCBlanco, this is only tangentially related to what you are saying, but is the Best Western the multi-story hotel that's just north of the mall? One of my most vivid Hurricane Andrew memories was driving by the hotel (in the car with my mom, I was just a kid ) and seeing all of the windows blown out, glass everywhere, and ripped, shredded white curtains blowing in the breeze. I know this is a random story, but when you mentioned that hotel, that vivid image came back to me.

IIRC that was a Holiday Inn. I still have pics of it somewhere.

[crisp444]

Originally Posted by Kathleen1971

IIRC that was a Holiday Inn. I still have pics of it somewhere.

Thanks, Kathleen. There are a few things I remember vividly coming back after Hurricane Andrew and that is one of them.

[Kathleen1971]

Originally Posted by crisp444

Thanks, Kathleen. There are a few things I remember vividly coming back after Hurricane Andrew and that is one of them.

You are welcome. That one would be hard to forget. I used to see it twice a day going back and forth from Caribbean Blvd where my bf lived to Kendall where I ended up and it never failed to shock me.

[jcblanco22]

Originally Posted by crisp444

JCBlanco, this is only tangentially related to what you are saying, but is the Best Western the multi-story hotel that's just north of the mall? One of my most vivid Hurricane Andrew memories was driving by the hotel (in the car with my mom, I was just a kid ) and seeing all of the windows blown out, glass everywhere, and ripped, shredded white curtains blowing in the breeze. I know this is a random story, but when you mentioned that hotel, that vivid image came back to me.

Yes crisp, what Kathleen said in a subsequent post is correct, it was a different hotel. I'm not even sure if the Best Western was around in '92 yet.

[rogerbacon]

Originally Posted by cuba libre

A From what I can tell, the brand new sidewalk-less townhome communities are mostly being inhabited by minorities who took advantage of the Martin Luther King mortgages forced upon lenders during the mid-2000's.

There are a lot of houses where the owners (who were speculators) are renting to mroe than one family, even though it is against association rules. That is why you see some houses with black families and like 6 cars parked in the driveway.

Originally Posted by crisp444

Though I have heard that some blacks and many "darker" Latins have moved into the single family home section between Franjo and the Turnpike and into the new construction east of Old Cutler, I would be very surprised if the demographics of the nicest part of Cutler Bay (bordering Palmetto Bay) have changed much.

You are right. That area is still nice. It is the only area of Miami-Dade where I see lots of American flags in front of people's houses. It's not a rich area, by any means, but it is a well-kept area with low crime and a sense of community.

[cuba libre]

Originally Posted by rogerbacon

There are a lot of houses where the owners (who were speculators) are renting to mroe than one family, even though it is against association rules. That is why you see some houses with black families and like 6 cars parked in the driveway.

The same thing happens in Illinois, only with Mexicans. My family's home town had to pass an ordinance to keep the cars off the grass on the main streets. It was like a parking lot around one part of town, no joke!

Originally Posted by rogerbacon

You are right. That area is still nice. It is the only area of Miami-Dade where I see lots of American flags in front of people's houses. It's not a rich area, by any means, but it is a well-kept area with low crime and a sense of community.

The part of Cutler Bay you are referring to is the older, single family home area. West of the Turnpike is 100% ghetto, while there are both "bad" and "decent" areas sprinkled on the East side of the Turnpike. (Note: I think 10 years ago, the "decent" areas were GOOD and the "bad" areas were DECENT) The "newer area" I referred to was practically built overnight, with hundreds if not thousands of townhomes, and it is delineated by Old Cutler Road to the North, SW 87 ave to the East, and the Turnpike to the West. Check it out on Google Earth if possible, it shows up pretty good.

The "new area" is where I said it seemed like there was a "colorful" Caribe/Afro feel. Lots of Chrysler 300's, Dodge Chargers, Caprices, Cadillacs on rims, etc. No kids on the street though.