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I think catt6 touched on it earlier in the thread. There definitely is a more prevalent focus on outward appearance of wealth in Miami than other similar sized cities but I think it actually has roots in practicality. And I think you can point to the influence across the state as well for similar reasons.
I think its both, the influx of wealth, and the reason for influx of wealth historically. Whether that be vacationers, snowbirds, or full-time transplants.
It starts with the very affluent making Miami (and other FL cities to lesser extents) their personal vacation paradise. They go there to relax, be entertained, and generally have a good time. For them, $1,000 watches are a "bargain". A BMW is what you drive to work while the Ferrari sits in the 10 car garage. In other words...these are not (typically) the affluent people who drive a Subaru because "there's nothing wrong with it". These are the wealthy people who are willing to pay for a good time, and have no issues affording it. These are not the "aww shucks" wealthy people who are uncomfortable with their wealth, or too modest to tell you how wealthy they are. In fact, they may be the same people that create businesses in Miami because (a) wealthy people like dealing with other wealthy people & so there is more money to be made...and (b) because its ingrained in them to see opportunity & capitalize on it.
So then you get to the more "middle class" Miami (as an example...it happens elsewhere of course) business owner. He/she wants to attract the business of such affluent people as well. After all...wealthy people are spend lots of money while vacationing & poor people don't. But it takes more than just "wanting" to serve the affluent to actually serve the affluent. The business owner (hotel, resort, restaurant, lounge, clothing, etc.) needs to show that their establishment is "worthy" of such patronage. So the (modestly paid) staff of this business gets selected based on how well they appeal to very wealthy people. In other words...does this 20 yr old waiter look like the son of a wealthy person or a poor vagrant farmhand? After all, people prefer to deal with people who are similar to them. Or, at least people who are similar "on the surface". They aren't going to spend a great deal of time with the waiter (or concierge, golf caddy, etc.) but feeling like this person comes from wealth makes them feel like they are in the same "class".
This type of (micro) example is how a culture starts. It seems completely shallow or impractical for a waiter to drive a BMW, and in many examples people definitely go too far, but the reality is that there are special "norms" that become adopted by people in different parts of the world, country, etc. based on what people perceive is their key to survival. And being outwardly perceived as having "some level of wealth" is almost needed for a lot of people (or perhaps in some cases, they themselves "perceive" this as necessity).
But its ultimately how they find work, how they develop business, and how they feed their family at the end of the day. While shallow by "midwestern" standards, its utility is akin to investing in a certification course.
You don't have to know EVERYTHING, let that which does not matter truly slide
Quote:
Originally Posted by pmichaeljones
Just some background on myself: I'm a Midwestern Miami transplant.
I've been in Miami for about 16 months now. I moved here from Minneapolis (my college town) to get out of the winter, live near the ocean and try something new. I grew up in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
That said, my question for you all:
Why is perceived status so important in Miami and the surrounding cities?
If you've lived here for over a month, you start to realize that BMWs, Mercedes and Porsches are like the Honda Civics of the north. You see them EVERYWHERE. However, it's also pretty easy to figure out that not everyone can afford them. I've heard about some of the ridiculous loans people take out to buy these luxury cars, and it blows my mind. A Coral Gables friend of mine has something like a 14% interest car loan!!!
Beyond the cars, you have the watches. I've never lived in a place where the size and brand of your watch was so important. I know a guy, a server, who has an $8,000 watch. WTF! Why???
Why is it that people in the majority of the US (think Minneapolis, Chicago, Ohio, Seattle, Virginia, Tulsa, Austin, Denver, Portland, etc) are more content wearing $150 watches and driving reasonably priced cars, that they can afford to pay off, than the people of South Florida?
My friends and I have pondered the idea.
A couple say it's because of the Cuban population and the fact that so many of them (or their parents) had NOTHING when they came here, that they now want to show off how they've succeed in the USA, so they finance a car they can barely afford and wear a watch the size of a hubcap.
Others say it's because of the foreign wealth that uses Miami and Broward as their playground. Regular citizens have gotten so used to seeing billionaire Russians and Venezuelans cruising around Biscayne and eating in Midtown that they've embodied that similar lifestyle, even though they can't afford it.
The rest of us are just plain confused. Some grew up or lived in NYC, where they witnessed similar spending habits, but the rest of us are Midwesterners, and we grew up in a place where your possessions did not determine who you were. The richest guy in my city, a millionaire, drove a Chevy Tahoe...without rims!
So my question for all of you locals and transplants, why is appearing wealthy and having a high "perceived status" so important in Miami when it isn't that important in many other parts of the USA.
Thanks!
Lived in three different states one of those states being Florida in the miami metropolitan area and central florida, been to about half of the states in the U.S. at least once or a couple of times including the midwest and all the major metropolitan cities such as LA, San diego and New York some of those more than once been to other countries since my age was in the single digits and Miami is definitely unique.
The thing is though you sound to be someone in his/her mid 20s maybe older and at that point you should just have an open heart and mind and stop trying to over analyze everything and understand everything, you don't have to know everything man you don't have to know the "why" of everything. That being said...
Miami, LA, NYC and Vegas are probably the four major places in the U.S. where people like to flaunt their "wealth" with flashy cars that are leased not even owned, people are draped from head to toe in dior, michael kors, hermes, ferragamo, and chanel and tourists visiting these cities are stunned that everyone seems to be a wealthy millionaire. In NYC its more of a refined "show offy" vibe though unlike Miami, LA and Vegas where pretty much anything goes.
Miami is magic city, and with so many celebrities and actual millionaires and billionaires living throughout the Miami area, Fort lauderdale, Palm beach and fisher island people feel they must show their absolute best at all times which means everything from head to toe must be polished to a tee and accessories must be current and in style at all times.
The golddigger + player is always happening in Miami so if you want to get those models, stunners and 10s as a male you have to have money or at least trick them into thinking you have money, and those gold diggers looking for a sugar daddy to finance them have to compete with 4 million (from palm beach gardens to homestead/kendall there are over 6 million residents and women outnumber men so Im going to round off and say there are 4 million women in the area) other bettys who are dressed up to the nines 24/7 looking for that trout to pay them and wine and dine them
To be fair, South florida is too hot for people to really wear designer jeans and clothes all the times and REALLY dress as if they are wealthy, only the old senior citizens in palm beach who are old and literally cold can really wear $3,000 coats in the dead of summer with gold diamond earrings the size of quarters and cruise around in their bentleys (OLD FOLKS SNOB CENTRAL) Im going to assume the OP has never been to LA where designer jeans are a MUST and you are what you wear there, if you don't have $400 jeans on then assume that people won't even talk to you there, I think it's the hollywood and immigrant influences in LA that make that city the way it is with materialism but come on have you lived in any places with REAL wealth where people are oil billionaires and the houses are built from real brick and hard labor?
The OP being from the midwest you think Miami is flashy when in reality its tacky and honestly disgusting in some parts (coming from someone whos favorite city in the U.S. is Miami but my love for Miami does not mean I will not be honest about the city) compared to cities with LEGITIMATE wealth seeping through the pores, the ghetto concrete buildings built ten years ago look like theyre falling apart, every 5 cars someone has a ghetto blasters with some 2chainz song blasting on full volume, driving is the worst in Miami who gave these people their licenses?! even palm beach is crowded and ghetto ( Driving through Palm beach island with all those hedges feels like you're suffocating, what a shame you pay 5-10 million for a house just to have your neighbors house be 5 inches away from yours and hedges all around that make you feel like youre in prison) especially if you go into west palm beach. Most of Miami is like those Easter bunnies you see on shelves around Easter time, looks so good from the outside but then you bite into it and realize its HOLLOW -YOU WERE SCAMMED!
At least the plastic surgery isn't as bad as Los angeles. LA out-does Miami is terms of designer clothes and flashy outfits because the weather there permits it you can wear thick designer jeans and long sleeve henleys, pullovers or sweaters in Miami you'd have a heat stroke so if you think Miami is showy well um... don't ever go to LA or Vegas.
The black culture influences south florida a lot as well and by black I mean black not being racist, most black people in south florida are not african americans they are mostly from the Caribbean with ancestors who were all from the Caribbean so to say african american would be inaccurate. You ever see those flashy hip hop videos with the rims, chains, ice and bling? Thats what a lot of black people follow across the U.S. not just south florida (once again not being racist but in high school half of my school was black and I noticed certain things about their fashion choices, culture and trends) and you better believe selling rims and chains is BIG business in south florida.
It's just the way it is in Miami, people enjoy looking their best and having nice cars and big watches (EVEN IF they cannot afford it and they have to go into debt to have those things) I mean what do you want people to say to your question- its Magic city the city where all the girls are models and the guys are 30k millionaires, or actual millionaires/billionaires, the russian mafia imports exotic looking europeans to south beach every year, the tourists and even the natives are in thongs or topless in south beach, everyone is on that michael kors trend right now with those big ticky tacky watches and 85% of the population now tries to follow the fashion trends they see on pinterest and tumblr without stopping to think if they should be following such trends.. I hate it and love it most people feel the same way they hate certain parts of south florida and love other parts of it. Most of the seemingly wealthy people are new money who want to show off or no money who want to show off like "LOOK AT ME LOOK AT HOW WEALTHY I AM, LOVE ME, VALIDATE MY LIFE."
Have you seen the way Michael Bay dresses? Hes worth $400 million and from the looks of his clothing he looks like he's one step above homeless. Thats how real billionaires and millionaires dress. Look how steve jobs used to dress (a step above homeless) and how mark zuckerberg and the olsen twins dress (like they are hobos) = people with real money have no desire to show off because they are content they dont need validation from others monetary-wise because they know in the bank at this very moment they have more money than 99% of the population in the United States they know they have 5 houses across the U.S. and one in the Bahamas and a penthouse in Paris, why be flashy and ostentatious when it would only mean that some hoodlum might start stalking them and follow them home and kill them for their money or kidnap their kids? There is a difference between the cultures of people with real old money like the kennedys and new money like the kartrashians.
When you see some flashy, ostentatious people draped from head to toe in "designer" brands like Chanel, Dior, Michael Kors, Ferragamo, Tommy H, Lacoste, and Varvatos in Miami driving a BMW or lexus well 9.9 times out of 10 they are dirt poor living in the poor cities like Hollywood or Hialeah or the extra rough parts of Miami in a single bedroom apartment that looks like a crack house from the outside. You want to hear some funny stories search through these forums and read about the girls who go home with seemingly rich guys from the clubs at night only to find out that the guys entire life is leased and he doesn't have a legimitate dollar to his name.
Every city and state is vastly different in culture, mentality and style from what Ive seen in my travels however the best part about south florida in my opinion is how little everyone is in other peoples business. In the midwest or states that arent as richly mixed and developed as LA or south florida you would NOT believe how much other people care about what other people are doing or wearing or where they are going or who they are dating or what they did wrong or what they did right or what they named their child ... etc. it is mind numbingly sad that in certain areas of the U.S. there is absolutely NOTHING better to do than to constantly think and talk about what other people are doing. I feel bad for those people, they just don't know better because they think its normal. Meanwhile in South Florida, LA, Vegas, NYC no one cares if you are the most beautiful or handsome person on the face of the earth, if you are the wealthiest person in the entire universe, if you have three legs, if you just got a divorce NO ONE CARES and its absolutely liberating and a breath of clean fresh beautiful air compared to 85% of the U.S. Even in central and nothern parts of florida where I have also lived people are very much into other peoples' lives (sadly) and activites because there is nothing better to do and the populations and cities are so small and underdeveloped mentally and culturally that anyone who is different, prettier, wealthier, or happier will be ostracized out of envy and jealousy. Meanwhile in South Florida even the hooters girls could beat out all of the Miss USA contestants of other states, (such as Amanda Jemini or Amanda Tam) one trip to the beach and I see someone who puts all of the Victorias secret angels to shame such as Jenna Renee Webb who is from Delray but living in California and one trip to Bal Harbour and I see filthy rich senior citizens buying $50,000 watches... Its paradise my friend. Its an oyster waiting to be eaten with the biggest pearl inside. The world is yours in Miami because no one will care enough to try to take it away from you. Be happy youve had the blessing of having the opportunity of living in such a beautiful and unique place. Everyday I'd wake up ecstatically happy just to have the blessing of living in a big, beautiful city in the US. Next stop Orange County?
(Replied to this because I feel strongly about the topic don't care if the last post is a year old, heres a recent post for the new readers)
In some big metro areas, it is not uncommon to see this type of behavior frequently. I am glad I grew up elsewhere, where what you appear to be is not as important as what you truly are. I am adjusting to this, seriously! I am not going to deny the fact that I would not like to drive a Maserati or the latest MB - I am sure one day it will happen, if I really want it to be that way. In the meantime, I will keep on making wiser investments and saving for the future, while driving my 02 Dodge truck
:-)
In some big metro areas, it is not uncommon to see this type of behavior frequently. I am glad I grew up elsewhere, where what you appear to be is not as important as what you truly are. I am adjusting to this, seriously! I am not going to deny the fact that I would not like to drive a Maserati or the latest MB - I am sure one day it will happen, if I really want it to be that way. In the meantime, I will keep on making wiser investments and saving for the future, while driving my 02 Dodge truck
:-)
That's true, someplaces like here, NYC, LA, (etc.), are like that. Only further up it gets somewhat more normal and proper (Broward - partially -, places after Palm Beach Gardens/North Palm Beach, etc.). I also don't understand this urge to drive idiotic compact BMWs and MBs Sedans and SUVs, which we all know are leased and most times is someone from the middle or middle-lower class showing off trying to live Upper Class standards, not to mention that they're pretty basic and small. Even my Dodge (Dodge owner as well ) has more equipment than these cars, I'd like to see a nearly 9" LCD HD screen and a gigantic trunk in a little BMW or little Audi. It makes way more sense to save money or make investments. Not to mention that we're supporting our Country in times of economic trouble, and not sending our money to Germany.
I haven't had a car payment in nearly five years. I am mid 20s, earn $50k salary, my housing expense including utilities is less than $1,100 a month.
I am planning on purchasing a used bmw M3 for about $50k, est. car payment + ins will probably be around $800-$900 a month.
I am still able to contribute to retirement funding, have full benefits, allocate a portion of every paycheck to my savings, pay school loans, and various other expenses.
I don't see the issue. Yet there will be people that consider me superficial for working hard and living frugal for several years in order to afford and maintain a lifestyle I wanted for myself once established.
To address the question of "why" I would want to spend that much money for a car when I could..I guess..save it for other things?
Well I guess it's because I can. I don't plan on buying a house any time soon as it is highly prospective that my company will send me to NYC or LA to work, and the industry I work in is also highly stable and structured in such a way that I can expect a $10,000-$15,000 increase in salary in the next 1-2 years. Or also have the option to move into another sector within the same industry for even higher pay.
Seems to me some people just don't have the options I've worked hard to achieve and choose to question/criticize this type of lifestyle rather than accepting some people have earned the right to spend their money as they see fit.
Oh yea, and an M3 is a lot more fun to drive than, say, a Camry by the way. Maybe that has something to do with it.
I just ignore those type of people. I don't need to impress others because of the car I drive or whatever else. I just live my life take care of my responsibilities and be happy. Those people chasing for material things and working so hard to impress others are probably miserable inside.
I just ignore those type of people. I don't need to impress others because of the car I drive or whatever else. I just live my life take care of my responsibilities and be happy. Those people chasing for material things and working so hard to impress others are probably miserable inside.
That's right on point...
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You don't have to know EVERYTHING, let that which does not matter truly slide
) has more equipment than these cars, I'd like to see a nearly 9" LCD HD screen and a gigantic trunk in a little BMW or little Audi. It makes way more sense to save money or make investments. Not to mention that we're supporting our Country in times of economic trouble, and not sending our money to Germany.
