Can you please tell me what you enjoy about Miami? (Orlando: rental, condo)

[C515]

Hello. I would love to consider moving to Miami, but I need everyone's honest opinion on this fantastic city. I have heard so very much about this city and I want to get a true grip on how it is living in Miami and South Florida.

I am from the very middle of the Midwestern United States. I will be graduating with a Master's of Finance/Accounting, with a minor in Marketing, Spanish and French. I am also working on getting a minor in Italian and Portuguese, I love to travel and learning new things.

I have always loved Miami, it is just hard to really get an idea of what it would be like to live there when you get so many different ideas from television, movies, etcetera.

I was hoping that you could answer a few questions that would help me in my possible move to Miami.

I have visited Miami many times. We would stay in nice hotels downtown or near the airport, but never got a real idea of how big the city really is. People say that Miami is like a small town, you eventually get to know everyone and so on. Would you agree with this? Say you live in Coral Gables, do you shop, dine and work in Coral Gables? Or do you go everywhere? I am asking this because the city I live in, I tend to never leave the neighborhood I live and work in. Everything is conveniently located, and unless I am with company, rarely go out of my normal radius.

Are people nice in Miami? I am a white male, but I have been spoken Spanish to many times, and I enjoy it. I have had always excellent service in Miami with taxis, restaurants, check-in at hotels and airports and so on. Is this just because I am in highly-traveled tourist areas, or just because people are nice in Miami.

Would I be welcome in Miami? I do not have Latin or Cuban roots, but I speak Spanish fluently. I don't know since I do not have these roots that I would sort of looked at differently or not. I could easily carry on a conversation in either language. I do like looking nice, I like to drive nice vehicles and so on, which is not the case where I live. Most people have never even heard of Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Mercedes-Benz or Porsche.

Obviously a major question, housing. Coming right out of school, I will be looking for a full-time job, so I am going to say I would be comfortable with maybe a rental or to purchase a home, but on a limited budget. No more than $200,000. I have and seen a lot of nice homes in Coral Gables, Brickell, Downtown, Doral and Coconut Grove. Would these be affordable areas? Nice and safe areas?

Crime. How does Miami feel on a daily basis to you? I unfortunately see Miami in dangerous city lists, but I have really never felt that way. Always been treated well in Miami, never any trouble.

Weather. Coming from long and cold winters, the Miami weather will be a breeze. I love sunshine, so I am sure there is nothing to worry about. I have heard that it can get very humid in the summers though, but that is absolutely fine. Any comments on the weather?

Anything that I missed that you think I should know about Miami? Please let me know.

Finally, what do you like and dislike most about Miami? Is it a good place to live? I really enjoy Miami and would love to potentially make it home. Please tell your honest opinion.

I really value all of your opinions and I thank you for your help. I would love to make South Florida my home someday and thanks to you all it could really help me decide. Thank you again.

[Miami Vice]

One thing is to visit Miami and love it, and another thing is to actually live here. Especially if you are visiting nice places and staying in nice hotels. Miami is a big city, so you will get everything that comes along with it. (i.e. crime, rude people, bad drivers, etc) I would look into other areas of Florida. Parkland, Jupiter, or Lake Mary would be the places that I would look into.

[perry335654]

Miami is a miniature New York City, except a whole lot cleaner. There are rude people not all, this isn't Mayberry where you will get a friendly hello from Andy and Barney, however some here may actually look your way with a smile.

Speaking Spanish fluently is definitely an asset and being that you are from the midwest you probably will get along with most people as most midwesterner have a friendly demeanor. Crime is bad but it is bad in most big cities, you just have to have a large city mentality and you will be fine.

Miami is an expensive city, I would definitely have a job lined up before you arrive.

[cixcell]

"Miami is a miniature New York City, except a whole lot cleaner."

FALSE. nothing like new york. any new yorker will tell you that. just the people who WISH miami were new york and have something invested in it like a condo.

"however some here may actually look your way with a smile."

never. happened. ever.

"being that you are from the midwest you probably will get along with most people as most midwesterner have a friendly demeanor."

that is a flat out LIE. i've found midwesterners here hate it the most. anyone with a strong sense of ethics or morals as many midwesterners do, will find miami repulsive. most of the population has criminalistic tendencies.

[Venezuelan]

Originally Posted by cixcell

"Miami is a miniature New York City, except a whole lot cleaner."

FALSE. nothing like new york. any new yorker will tell you that. just the people who WISH miami were new york and have something invested in it like a condo.

"however some here may actually look your way with a smile."

never. happened. ever.

"being that you are from the midwest you probably will get along with most people as most midwesterner have a friendly demeanor."

that is a flat out LIE. i've found midwesterners here hate it the most. anyone with a strong sense of ethics or morals as many midwesterners do, will find miami repulsive. most of the population has criminalistic tendencies.

Miami is not the problem. I think your problem is your attitude. I read so much negativity in your post that I am sure you have some sort of negativity cloud/karma that scares away all the people you meet at work/school.

Change your attitude, then you will be able to make friends.

Op:

Miami is a fantastic city. The second most visited city after NYork. Home of many nationalities. Nice weather. Tropical. 3 official languages. Water everywhere. Clean city/air. Parks. Tourism industry. No Fortune 500 companies. Cost of living is high. You will never be bored. There is always something to do. Terciary education is cheap compared to other states. Concerts, restaurants, events, beaches, ocean drive, proximity to Orlando, cruises, a nice airport with international flights to every important city of the world. When you live in Miami, you feel as if you lived in the epicenter of the Americas with a short bridge to Europe.

When you get to Miami, try a Churrasco steak at La Carreta (bird road/87 avenue) with white rice, french fries, and Chimichurri. ;-)

[perry335654]

Like one of the above poster stated, visiting here is much different than living here, I love Miami for it's beauty, the palm trees, blue skies and clean air, these amenities are not found in many cities.

Miami is second to New York City in internationa bankingl, along with the garment industry and is known as the "Cruise Capital of the World" and is the "Gateway to Latin America", this city is also a popular international tourist destination, where tourism is soaring because of the weak dollar.

[cixcell]

Originally Posted by Venezuelan

Miami is not the problem. I think your problem is your attitude. I read so much negativity in your post that I am sure you have some sort of negativity cloud/karma that scares away all the people you meet at work/school.

Change your attitude, then you will be able to make friends.

Op:

Miami is a fantastic city. The second most visited city after NYork. Home of many nationalities. Nice weather. Tropical. 3 official languages. Water everywhere. Clean city/air. Parks. Tourism industry. No Fortune 500 companies. Cost of living is high. You will never be bored. There is always something to do. Terciary education is cheap compared to other states. Concerts, restaurants, events, beaches, ocean drive, proximity to Orlando, cruises, a nice airport with international flights to every important city of the world. When you live in Miami, you feel as if you lived in the epicenter of the Americas with a short bridge to Europe.

When you get to Miami, try a Churrasco steak at La Carreta (bird road/87 avenue) with white rice, french fries, and Chimichurri. ;-)

ok miami defender. funny but every place i work at here in miami seems to have the same attitude that i do. i just voice my opinion online whereas they do it in person because they arent as computer literate or geeky. After meeting plenty of people here i DONT want to make friends. its safer that way / i dont have anything in common with most of them anyway. i share much more in common with people at my work but most of the people in the city itself? yuck.

"The second most visited city after NYork."
i think that title goes to los angeles.

the thing about proximity to orlando and deals on cruises is correct though.

don't buy it op. if someone is giving you nothing but bright sunny views what sounds too good to be true, usually is.

[Coconut1]

Originally Posted by cixcell

don't buy it op. if someone is giving you nothing but bright sunny views what sounds too good to be true, usually is.

And if somebody is claiming it's hell on Earth, it usually isn't.

Miami has many positives and negatives, but is overall a fantastic place. I will type more later because I have to roll!

[cixcell]

Originally Posted by Coconut1

And if somebody is claiming it's hell on Earth, it usually isn't.

Miami has many positives and negatives, but is overall a fantastic place. I will type more later because I have to roll!

its not hell on earth but everything i said was true.
what is very much true though is that people really have to harden up if they want to make it here. you cant be soft, shy or non-confrontational.

[boxus]

Liking Miami depends mostly on how much money you have.

A person's experiences will vary greatly depending on area they live and people they have to associate with on a daily basis, those are things past the universal items such as weather and traffic.

I moved here about the same time another poster did, he has had a miserable experience while mine has been great. But I live in a much better area than he does, plus I make a lot more money; I am not looking down on him or anyone else, it is just an example on how money can really make a difference here more so than many other places.

I am in Miami for two reasons; the weather and ocean. I like both and I have the funds the insulate me from most of the riff raff that is in and around Miami.

By the way, I am from the midwest, but I have to agree with the other poster here, everyone I know from the midwest pretty much hates Miami, but they do not like city life in general, most call it "Northern Cuba" and have no desire to even visit here.