Miami the American Riviera (Miami Beach, Coral Gables: environment, insurance, condominium)

[William Hamilton]

Some celebrities are now full time Miami residents but most have their second or third home in Miami. Celebrities come from all entertainment environments, sports, music, movies. The American Riviera seduced celebrities of all continents; some celebrities choose to live in Miami condos and others in Miami homes and is the playground of some of the most well known celebrities on this planet.

so for celebrity lovers, Miami has always attracted celebrities for decades. During the beginning of the 90’s two high profile celebrities launched Miami as a trendy place to live: Madonna and Sylvester Stallone.

Julio Iglesias, Gloria Estefan, the Bee Gees have been Miami residents for decades, they live respectively in Indian Creek, Star Island and North Bay Road. Then is the very exclusive Fisher Island. Not for everyone though, but good to know that you could make it there by dreaming high and hard work. You can only get there by ferry, seaplane, or helicopter even though it’s literally just over the channel… It has it’s own post office, golf course, a few restaurants, a private school, beaches, zip code- actually, it’s the most expensive zip code in the US. Bush has a home there as do Oprah, Boris Becker, Mel Brooks, André Agassi, Julia Roberts, the late Luciano Pavaroti, Roy Black, Sylvester Stallone and Robert De Niro. There is no place more exclusive, or SECURE, in Miami-Dade county.

Musicians Lenny Kravitz (Key Biscayne) and Ricky Martin choose Miami as their home. Enrique Iglesias and Anna Kournikova are full time residents in Miami. Ricky Martin has a house in Miami Beach, 5130 North Bay Road.

Boris Becker the legendary tennis player lives in Fisher Island, Opra Winfrey has also a condo in Fisher Island.

Billy Joel has his home on the exclusive La Gorce Island. Jennifer Lopez used to live in a home on North Bay Road she sold it to live with Marc Anthony in a condo in South Beach. Iggy Pop the legendary singer has several properties in Miami.

Whitney Houston owns a condominium in Williams Island in Aventura.

David Caruso the star of CSI Miami is a full time resident of Miami.

Star Island is home for Shaquill O Neal, Rosie O’ Donnell, Gloria and Emilio Estefan. Andy Garcia lives in Key Biscayne.

Matt Damon has a Mansion in Miami Beach. Nicolas Cage has a second home in Miami.

Cher owns several properties in Miami, her house is located in Key Biscayne, she owns also a house on La Gorce Island, and a lot in Coral Gables.
Maybe we should ask that same question to these people and we may found out why they recently moved to the "poorest city in America" :

Mariah Carey, Anthony Shriver, Danny Wood, Rudy Perez, Gary Hall Jr., Bob Griese, Mike Piazza, Jim Courier and Pavel Bure, as well as prominent business leaders including Mickey Arison, and Robert Dickinson, both of Carnival Cruises Lines; Tony Ridder, of Knight-Rider; Dave Dombrowski, president of the Detroit Tigers; Jennifer Valoppi, local News Anchor; and Stephen Sawitz, owner of the world-famous Joe's Stone Crab Restaurant.

and many more...

It's there any other city in the U.S, other than L.A. and New York City that can match Miami's list of celebrity presence?

[Chelito23]

Probably no other US city has an many celebrities besides NYC and LA, Miami has always been about the glitz and glamour.

I hardly doubt our celebreties could care less about Miami being poor, they live on artificial, private islands, or in gates compunds that resemble a tropical paradise. Also, most live somewhere else and just come to visit their homes here when on vacation.

[William Hamilton]

Originally Posted by Chelito23

Probably no other US city has an many celebrities besides NYC and LA, Miami has always been about the glitz and glamour.

I hardly doubt our celebreties could care less about Miami being poor, they live on artificial, private islands, or in gates compunds that resemble a tropical paradise. Also, most live somewhere else and just come to visit their homes here when on vacation.

I have to disagree on that one.

Many of these celebrities live "permanently" in Miami. In fact they reside in the city limits of Miami and or around South Beach.

Yes you're right that most of the pricier neighborhoods could be isolated from the ins and outs of our every day life BUT that's the norm in any city where celebrities or rich people live not only in Miami.

You'll never find celebrities living next door to the average folk anywhere in the world.

[nohope]

who cares......this issue is of no significance to the problems that miami has or have had....does it make your life better because there are celebrities here....i for one never see them and always forget they are here....they're like invisible....most of them don't even mingle with common folks..so why should i even care..good for them and all their money

[tallrick]

How many of us know them, or have them as our friends? Celebrities are a non-issue to me. It's the people that I meet, or encounter on a regular basis that concern me. Where would you rather live, in a slum a few miles from rich celebrities, or in a nice area that you can afford, with not a rich person in sight? A vibrant economy is a lot better than spotty extremes of wealth.

[William Hamilton]

Not only rich people live good today in Miami, any average fellow can afford a brand new 2 bedroom condo for about 350-450k with amazing lobbies, tropical landscapes and large pool with cabanas in their buildings... and near to the same restaurants, malls and beaches that the rich and famous visit frequently, and they don't have to be expensive.

Those living in Miami know that we are in the beginning stages of a manhattanization and any data from "6 months ago" would certainly be obsolete, so to be negative about Miami and its infrastructure and to base anything on "4 year old" data would not be applicable, even for the most economically conservative town these days.

All of this is happening because the city is trying to build out lots of new stuff thats is for all of us, affordable and public, plus the hundreds of new constructions out there that will make this city the New Manhattan of the Americas.

Many see it as an industrial revolution. Downtown is changing it's look every 3 months or so. Let's say you drive thru downtown Miami tomorrow take a photo of the skyline of buildings and then comeback six months later, I'm sure you'll find a very different skyline then, and that's not happening in any other city of this country. That says "more" to me than any list or statistics out there.

I just learned that downtown Miami will be a significant beneficiary of the 6 billion dollar capital development program, which will include a light rail system commonly known as the Northeast corridor, as well as a connection to Miami Beach and the airport. A water taxi system with stations along the bay and river has recently been inaugurated. Further tying Downtown with Broward and Palm Beach Counties is the high speed tri-rail system.

Where else are things like this happening?

--

[gbugmiami]

Originally Posted by William Hamilton

Not only rich people live good today in Miami, any average fellow can afford a brand new 2 bedroom condo for about 350-450k with amazing lobbies, tropical landscapes and large pool with cabanas in their buildings... and near to the same restaurants, malls and beaches that the rich and famous visit frequently, and they don't have to be expensive.
All of this is happening because the city is trying to build out lots of new stuff thats is for all of us, affordable and public, plus the hundreds of new constructions out there that will make this city the New Manhattan of the Americas.
Many see it as an industrial revolution. Downtown is changing it's look every 3 months or so. Let's say you drive thru downtown Miami tomorrow take a photo of the skyline of buildings and then comeback six months later, I'm sure you'll find a very different skyline then, and that's not happening in any other city of this country. That says "more" to me than any list or statistics out there.

Its nice that brooke hogan has shifted into the methed out look so seamlessly. Yes it is nice that 'the average fellow' can pack his wife and 2 kids into this 2 bedroom condo. 'affordably'.
Lets see. 350k. 70k down. (hes got that right?)
7k taxes/ 4k for insurance. 2k for mort, 1k more for both.
3k for mortage. x 30.
So hes at 750 a week. After taxes, Before ANYTHING else. Not counting feeding the wife, the kid, and the BMW payment 'to keep up with the hamiltons'. Yes David Caruso has that. But most people don't. THIS CITY AINT BUILDING OUT ANYTHING. Developers are. Where there is a dollar to be made. They have their hand in the cookie jar. City officials have thier hand in the developers cookie jar. Half of the developers have been BURNED ON THESE DEVELOPMENTS. People aint buying condos, many have been forclosed before occupation. Most of the new ones downtown that were closed on, are empty! Industtrial revolotion!?!?!? What jobs?!?!? Selling churros/shrimp/arrepas on the side of bird road doesnt count.

[d40372]

Originally Posted by William Hamilton

Some celebrities are now full time Miami residents but most have their second or third home in Miami....It's there any other city in the U.S, other than L.A. and New York City that can match Miami's list of celebrity presence?

Is this superficial pap, a la Perez Hilton, supposed to be a selling point for Miami?

[305guy]

Originally Posted by gbugmiami

What jobs?!?!? Selling churros/shrimp/arrepas on the side of bird road doesnt count.

LOL that's funny...

[William Hamilton]

Originally Posted by d40372

Is this superficial pap, a la Perez Hilton, supposed to be a selling point for Miami?

It's a fact not propaganda. That list of rich and celebrities shows that Miami is a great city. Otherwise all those wealthy people would not live or expend time in Miami.