Moving back to Miami: am I crazy?? (Kendall, Homestead: middle-class, violent crime)

[Surf&Turf]

Hi all,

My wife and I moved from Miami to Chicago about 6 years ago, mainly because we couldn't take all the craziness that comes with living in Miami any longer. And I have to admit I had come to this forum several times to vent my frustration and distaste for Miami in many occasions...

Well, 6 years and two kids later, we're now planning on moving back to Miami by the end of the year!!! It all sounds crazy, right? The main reason we're moving back is because we want to stay closer to family now that we have two kids of our own and have no close family in Chicago (parents can certaintly understand our predicament). But also we mainly miss South Florida and Miami (it just get crazier, doesn't it!). We miss the weather to beging with, although the past two years winter has been quite mild for Chicago standards...like today we're close to 60 degrees in the middle of January, which is unheard of! And we have also come to the realization that many of the things that drove us away from Miami, are indeed part of any other big American city. Take the traffic for example: yes, it's horrible in Miami, but I'd dare to say it's even worse in Chicago. Yes, there's a very solid public transportaiton system here, but it gets old pretty quick espcially when you step up into a train car and you're almost knocked out by the smell of rigs of urine, or the homeless dude who didn't take a shower for the last 20 years and just slept on the train.

Crime is also pretty bad here, although maybe more localized in the poorest part of town, but over 500 homicides last year tell the whole story!

Housing is comparable to Miami, although the housing market didn't get hit as hard when the bubble burst as it did in Florida.

Cost of living in Chicago is pretty expensive, slightly more than Miami.

The list could go on and on, but my point being: many of the things we really hated about Miami, we have found them in Chicago to one degree or another as well.

Also, as we regualry visited family and friends in Miami over the course of the past 6 years, each time we came back to Miami we were under the impression that the city was improving in many areas.

So: are we really crazy moving back to Miami, or has the city really made improvements from 6 years ago?

[cfbs2691]

You're out of your mind.
With the exception of wanting to be near family.

[JacobMAX]

Miami is still mostly the same as 6 years ago, just with more homeless people - from my experience slightly worse traffic as well - and the economic downturn (which is country-wide). A few areas improved with new developments and more safety and amenities (let's say Homestead/Keys Gate area and Midtown), with others the opposite happened (West Kendall/Kendall and parts of the Coral Way area).

[doggiebus]

Most people I know that have moved back, regret it usually in the end. I have a friend that just moved his family back to Miami, we all told him don't do it. But he wanted to get out of the cold and closer to family. But a year later he's not sure he made the right choice. It's nice having grandparents around, but everything else he has had to put up with crazy drivers, rude people, etc. if he could get a job a little further north he'll move.

Many would say, yes you are crazy to move back to Miami. I can understand wanting to be closer to family. But I wouldn't recommend raising children in Miami unless one parent is a stay at home parent involved in the kids school. Have you looked at maybe moving back, but maybe to Palm Beach instead?

[FlyMIA]

As long as you have a job lined up then no you are not crazy. it seems like you have thought this put. Just make sure you have thought about your kids schools too. no odea how the public schools are in the chicago area you live in but as i am sure you knowmthey arent great in most of miami. Like you said, crime and traffic is worse in Chicago. Public transit is better but you want to actually have to use it. Chicago is certainly more expensive especially if Illinois has a state income tax!

If you have lived here. You understand the city Miami is then you are not crazy. You know about people speaking Spanish in some places, you know about the customer service which can be under par at some places.

There are a lot of negative people on these forums. Take them with a grain of salt. They are almost always exaggerating.

[Surf&Turf]

Thanks for the input, guys. I agree with FlyMIA: people tend to come here to vent and the majority of the comments are negative. Heck, I was one of them years ago!!

Chicago unfortunately is notorious for having the worst public school system in the whole country, so private schools would be a must if we were to stay here anyway...and private schools will probably be our avenue in Florida as well.

As for the other comments, as I said in my OP, many of the things both jacobmax and doggiebus are saying, can easily be applied to Chicago. Downtown Chicago is full of homeless, some of them really dangerous dudes who assault people as well. True, customer service here is much better, but people are generally pretty cold here up north and very rude. Crime is what concerns me the most though: Chicago's gang activity is one of the worst in the country, and though we live in a middle-class relatevily safe neighborhood, gangs are pretty much everywhere: of the 500 homicides last year, most of them were gang related. And even in safe neighborhoods you can still be assualted on the subway by some punks who want your iphone...

Bottom line, I know Miami's flaws and they are many...but I think what I learned is that every big city in America has pretty much the same flaws, especially after the recession. There are things peculiar to Miami though, I have to admit that...like the aversion to speak English in some areas, etc., but as I'm now fully bilingual, that doesn't bother me as much as it did 6 years ago.

We're considering Broward county as welll though...just to keep our options open. Palm Beach would be too far from family...

[cityKing]

Originally Posted by doggiebus

Most people I know that have moved back, regret it usually in the end. I have a friend that just moved his family back to Miami, we all told him don't do it. But he wanted to get out of the cold and closer to family. But a year later he's not sure he made the right choice. It's nice having grandparents around, but everything else he has had to put up with crazy drivers, rude people, etc. if he could get a job a little further north he'll move.

Many would say, yes you are crazy to move back to Miami. I can understand wanting to be closer to family. But I wouldn't recommend raising children in Miami unless one parent is a stay at home parent involved in the kids school. Have you looked at maybe moving back, but maybe to Palm Beach instead?

Miami is a GREAT place to raise a family if you live in a desirable location and have money.

[doggiebus]

I thought the same thing, I live in a desirable area and I still wouldn't raise children here. A few of my friends that have left for one reason or another. Have told me leaving Miami and raising their children in better places was one of the best things they could of done for their children. When then come back to visit, I ask them if they miss Miami. They say they miss their friends and family, but don't miss everything else that comes with Miami. I've always said Miami isn't for everyone.

[miamiATR]

All the Miami doomsayers on this forum really trip me out... Yes, there are issues here, but frankly no more than anywhere else. And suggesting that someone live in Broward is just cruel -- all that's saying is, "Go live in an awful suburban hellscape, be further from an evolving international city, just because you're scared of a few undesirables and public schooling." Miami is growing up right in front of us... Some of the people on here need to grow up too

[FlyMIA]

Originally Posted by cityKing

Miami is a GREAT place to raise a family if you live in a desirable location and have money.

I can agree with that. At the same time I think this could be the case of any city. I was raised here the vast majority of my friends were raised here. It's been great. There are some great neighborhoods in Miami.

As to Surf&Turf if violent crime is your concern I can imagine it must be very bad in Chicago the gang activity there is really bad. Miami has its share of gang problems too but from my experience the gangs stay in their areas and the vast majority of those areas are not anywhere the average Miami resident needs to go to unless they are a police officer or medic.

As for going to Broward that is up to the person. Broward still has its problems with crime and traffic maybe not as bad as Miami-Dade but it isn't much better. But you can live in a nicer suburban neighborhood in Broward for less money than it would cost in Miami. But you really need to like suburbia. I don't mind going up to Broward to the mall and eat something once in a while but I can't imagine living up there. But I think if you have a family it's a little bit different.