Whats it like in North Bay Village (living/driving)? (Miami: apartment complex, rental)

[Samantha6]

Does anyone have any info on what its like living in North Bay Village or any of the other little islands between Miami and Miami Beach? What sort of community would you say it is? Is it safe there, what is the traffic like in mornings and evening to the mainland, and what about hurricane season? Are these islands more prone to hurricane damage and have more evacuation warning during the summer? Ive never expereinced a hurricane before so have no clue. I think I may rent a place there but just making sure itll be ok. Thanks for ur help!

[THASPECIAL]

Originally Posted by Samantha6

Does anyone have any info on what its like living in North Bay Village or any of the other little islands between Miami and Miami Beach? What sort of community would you say it is? Is it safe there, what is the traffic like in mornings and evening to the mainland, and what about hurricane season? Are these islands more prone to hurricane damage and have more evacuation warning during the summer? Ive never expereinced a hurricane before so have no clue. I think I may rent a place there but just making sure itll be ok. Thanks for ur help!

My father used to live around there in the Bay Harbor Islands area and he payed about 1600 a month for a small one bedroom apartment ...i heard that there was a fire in the complex and the frikin owner never answered the tenants calls until 2 days later when the police found the owner and a couple of people were stuck without a place to live without any compensation because this guy wouldn't answer calls....my father had to move out shortly after because the owner was terrible and never had his maintenance people out there to fix things within a decent time and the owner wanted to sell the place to a company that was going to build condos on the property and he gave all the tenants and my father 30 days to leave......at least that's all i remember about it....i dont really talk with my father anymore but this was about 2-3 years ago...and this is considered on of the cheapest places that you can rent out there in that area on those islands ....

As far as the feel of it..well it felt pretty safe and there was a nice little ritzy downtown area on the island with a couple of resturants and some shops...all you need around that area is really a bike to get around unless you wanna travel into the city for anything....but it doesn't feel like an island in a traditional sense but more like a suburb surrounded by water with the feeling of the city on each side of the intercoastal.......I liked visiting that area but it isnt cheap at all

[eufo]

Originally Posted by Samantha6

Does anyone have any info on what its like living in North Bay Village or any of the other little islands between Miami and Miami Beach? What sort of community would you say it is? Is it safe there, what is the traffic like in mornings and evening to the mainland, and what about hurricane season? Are these islands more prone to hurricane damage and have more evacuation warning during the summer? Ive never expereinced a hurricane before so have no clue. I think I may rent a place there but just making sure itll be ok. Thanks for ur help!

My impression of North Bay Village was that it is the least desirable location along the coast in Miami-Dade. I can't speak for the safety, but I would put it at a lower safety rating than locations north and south of there. Be sure to visit the area a couple of times before making a decision to live there. Be very aware of the people in the area and the general feel of the area. Trust your gut.

That area is clearly a mandatory evacuation area if a hurricane is going to be close by. The good news is, I don't think they've seen a mandatory evacuation since 2005. However, you could be evacuated many times in one year if circumstances are right. Its always good to have a Plan B and Plan C when you live that close to the coast so you know exactly where you can go to weather out the storm.

[MiamiGringo]

Originally Posted by Samantha6

Does anyone have any info on what its like living in North Bay Village or any of the other little islands between Miami and Miami Beach? What sort of community would you say it is? Is it safe there, what is the traffic like in mornings and evening to the mainland, and what about hurricane season? Are these islands more prone to hurricane damage and have more evacuation warning during the summer? Ive never expereinced a hurricane before so have no clue. I think I may rent a place there but just making sure itll be ok. Thanks for ur help!

North Bay Village is actually a pretty good bargain compared to much of the surrounding areas. It's a nice blend of economic and ethnic groups with a lot of pride in the homes and the setting.

NBV has its own police force, which for a small town in the middle of a big city, means a lot of responsiveness. It has a very small town feel with events for the kids, neighbors who know each other and a high level of community involvement.

The pluses are it's near the beach, about 5 minutes driving, 15 minutes on the bicycle, it's got great restaurants and is near the North Beach restaurant groupings as well. It's convenient to downtown (20 - 30 minutes), the airport, South Beach and the shopping/movies/etc along Biscayne. Property taxes are lower than Miami or Miami Beach.

I moved here 10 years ago, sort of by accident. I needed an apartment for 6 months, found a nice one here and then decided to buy. It was a great decision. Even in this overheated market, a house in NBV will be 10-15% lower than a comparable house in Miami Shores or Surfside.

The downsides are only one park which is an infant playground, uneven development and it is always under an evacuation order during hurricanes as is Miami Beach and other coastal towns. You will also pay more for flood insurance east of the 95.

With the region wide glut of condos, you should be able to get a good rental deal. I would stay away from the Grand Palace, a nice looking building but I have heard many complaints from the residents.

If you really want to get a flavor for life in NBV, I recommend the following:

Have dinner at Shucker's, a waterfront restaurant in the Best Western hotel. There's nothing like it north of the keys in my opinion.

Then take a walk after dinner through the residential streets of Treasure Island. You'll see families out talking, kids playing, and how very safe the area is.

Another day, have dinner or lunch at Oggi's and then either drive through or bicycle through North Bay Island, a gated community with an almost rural feel.

I don't like the third island, Harbor Island(behind the Jumbo Buffet), since it doesn't have good sidewalks and seems crowded to me but the buildings there face the water and have awesome views. You should at least look at it.

There is another island west on the causeway called Pelican Island with a park, bird sanctuary and marina on the north side plus boating launches on the south side. It's quite nice.

Also, North Bay Village has an elementary school rated A for the last four years.

I should tell you in fairness that North Bay Village has a left over reputation from the 1980's and early 1990's when there was a lot of common crime on the causeway. The city spent much time and effort to clean this up and it is no longer an issue.

There is only one grocery store and it's kind of crummy. You really need to drive to the Beach or Miami Shores to do your grocery shopping.

Also our police force has a reputation for ticketing people speeding on the causeway through the town. IMHO, tough. In fact, if you are thinking about North Bay Village, it is a small enough town that you might actually want to stop at the police department and ask about crime stats and issues. They are very accommodating.

Check it out. You'll probably like it.

[TrueDat]

I lived in North Bay Village for a year.

Upside: 1) Gorgeous water views from just about anywhere 2) Relatively inexpensive compared to other S. Florida communities on the water 3) Small community with its own police force so (in theory at least) quicker response times

Downside: 1) The bridges! They always seem to be up to let a boat go through when you're late and need to be somewhere yesterday 2) When I lived there, there were no decent grocery stores, movie theaters, bookstores, CD stores, department stores, etc., nearby so that means driving to South Beach, North Miami Beach, North Beach, or Aventura. While not far in terms of miles, it can still be a pain when traffic, construction, and those bridges (see No. 1) are factored in. If you want to be able to walk to the action, then NBV probably isn't for you. 4) If the Treasures on the Bay apartment complex is still there, avoid.

[MiamiGringo]

Originally Posted by TrueDat

I lived in North Bay Village for a year.


Downside: 1) The bridges! They always seem to be up to let a boat go through when you're late and need to be somewhere yesterday

I should definitely have mentioned the bridges. That's a major pain in the rear. I can't believe boats have priority right of way in Florida.

Quick question: I lived in Treasures on the Bay in 1998 for six months and liked it. In fact, that's why I stayed in NBV. But a lot of people say they didn't have a good experience and it sounds like you didn't either. What was wrong?

Oh, and it's gone condo now.

[TrueDat]

I was at Treasures on the Bay in 2000-2001 and then quickly hightailed it to Sunny Isles Beach. The apartment itself was fine -- spacious with a phenomenal view.

But the parking situation was inexcusable as there wasn't enough for all the residents so that meant either parking on the street or using the valet. Management was either non-existent or just plain rude. And let's not get started on the loud, boorish residents (with the two of us being the exceptions, of course!)

They were entertaining the idea of going condo when I left and even sent out a notice about it and then decided against it. I guess with the huge upswing in Miami property values from 2000 to last year, they finally decided to go for it.