The Cons of Living in Miami (Miami Beach, Weston: 2013, apartment, mover)

[UrbanCheetah]

Originally Posted by JohnD_fla

If you have money...LOTs of it...Miami can be an interesting place to live. Then you can can afford to take or leave as much of it as you want---and its all there. The issue with Miami is that its a medium-sized city with big city problems, and it lacks the infrastructure to support all the growth taking place there. It also has a mix of people from different cultures who aren't particularly fond of one another. And if you're going to be doing any driving there you'd better learn quick how to do so very defensively. Lots of transients, grifters, and plastic people posing on the beaches and in the clubs and cafes. Not such an easy place to make real friends, but great place to party and have fun as long as you don't take the people you meet too seriously. From what you've posted I think you might like it. Why not give it a try? Just make sure that the job you get is paying you at least 80k a year.

Yeah I think for me to move there it would have to be around the 80k range. Thanks for your advice on this and insight.

[tallrick]

Originally Posted by UrbanCheetah

Ok but what's that baggage you speak of?

As explained by others, the corruption and overpriced real estate are a drag on the economy. That coupled with too many people packed in a limited area with no manufacturing or high tech infrastructure.

[UrbanCheetah]

Originally Posted by Fl1150

I like that you come here with an open mind and I think from my opinion one of the biggest cons can be sometimes the government is little corrupt but coming from Chicago it seems like you guys have the same issue. Also speaking of walkability I think your correct in your analysis an that some areas are very dense and walkable especially the closer you get to the downtown which is true anywhere technically. As far jobs Miami has lot of Latin American divisions for companies as for example Microsoft has its division here which provides over 400 jobs and I'm pretty sure they pay nice. So I think you have the advantage of being fluent in Spanish. Chicago traffic is probably worst just population wise it's bigger but I wont dismiss Miami for that either as it has its share. Oh the culture here is very international feeling as people always feel like its not real America but I think that provides a sense of uniqueness for the city.

Yeah, I am used to corruption here. My dad worked for the city so I know how bad it is, a reason why I refuse to work for the government.

Yeah, in terms of walkability, I would love to live somewhere as walkable as possible, but I also have to be realistic that this is Miami and not Chicago. As long as I do have the option that I can walk to certain places, like grab a drink somewhere, pick up some food or even it's just having the gym walking distance. I don't need to be somewhere where I can do everything I need 100% via walking distance. I am ok if only 25% of my needs are met where I can walk to them.

I hear yah on the Latin American division. Microsoft does as does Apple. I am actually talking to Apple right now and their Marketing department for LATAM. Just building those relationships now.

Thanks for your insight!

[UrbanCheetah]

Originally Posted by bale002

1. Traffic - There is traffic in dense urban environments throughout the world, nothing unique to Miami; in fact, in my experience Miami traffic is below average.

2. Rudeness - Human beings are cantankerous, melancholy creatures throughout the world, nothing unique to Miami.

3. Crime - There is crime wherever there are human beings, nothing unique to Miami.

4. Materialism - Human beings are materialistic creatures throughout the world, nothing unique to Miami.

5. Walkability - It also seems that density and walkablity in Miami continue to improve as the city continues to grow. Is this true? Yes.

Do you see Miami in 5-10 years becoming very walkable when neighborhoods like Wynwood and Brickell fully continue to build out?

No. Maybe 30 or 40? Rome wasn't built in a day. Be patient and become part of the solution.

7. COL - It seems that Chicago and Miami are on par in regards to COL. Yes.

6. Economy - I hear about how bad jobs and wages are. But with someone of my experience in Marketing with Latin American markets and trilingual in English, Spanish and Portuguese do I have anything to worry about?

Yes.

In my view, points 1-4 above are trivial, in the sense that they are nothing unique to Miami, while point 5 is a specific concern, and my impression is that point 6 is your biggest concern.

You seem to imply that you have no already existing social and professional connections with regards to landing gainful employment in Miami. That's a red flag. However, you probably do, perhaps more than you think.

At any rate, you say nothing about what level of wealth you might be able to bring with you to Miami. Another potential red flag.



As JohnD_fla alludes to, money solves many problems (not necessarily the most important ones, but many). Focus on leveraging your experience and personal connections to land gainful employment in Miami, if that is truly your number one goal, then worry about the rest.

Good Luck!

1-4 I agree. Those are city problems that I am used to, and I don't think it would phase me in Miami. I always wonder if the Miami haters are people that come from suburbs or small towns and can't adapt to city life.


In regards to #5 see my above post. I do want to be somewhere where I have at the very least the option to walk for certain things. Don't need it for everything, but don't want to be 100% slave to my car. If I just want to pick up some food, coffee, or buy a gallon of milk, it would nice to have that within walking distance.

In regards to Miami and professional connections, that is what I am trying to do now. The soonest I would move would be in January 2016, so I am building those connections now. Letting people know who I am. It's working thus far. I have been chatting with Apple's LATAM Marketing head and also talking to the head of HR of a successful tech startup there. So I am definitely working on that and connecting with key people. Not sure where it will take me, but I need to at least try.

My wealth isn't a ton at the moment, I am currently at a startup which I will probably leave come 2016 be it if I stay in Chicago or go to Miami because I took a $25k to join it (yes I know, but wanted something new and new it was a risk). I am single, 30, no kids, not married, don't own a house, a car (don't need one here however can easily afford it), so I am not really concerned about the wealth I am taking. I am not looking to live it up in Brickell, I would totally be content in living in Wynwood in less expensive part (yet not the ghetto either).

[UrbanCheetah]

Originally Posted by tallrick

As explained by others, the corruption and overpriced real estate are a drag on the economy. That coupled with too many people packed in a limited area with no manufacturing or high tech infrastructure.

You just have to remember I am from Chicago, so corruption doesn't phase me. Very used to it. Remember we had a dictator mayor for about 30 years. Is the real estate that expensive? I know Miami is not cheap, and neither is Chicago. While I do believe in Chicago you get a much better bang for your buck, is Miami real estate really that unaffordable? They way people speak hear they make it seem like it's SF, NYC or DC?

To many people packed in a limited area = density, I like density.

The no manufacturing or tech infrastructure is what worries me, moreso because of job opportunties.

[perry335654]

You'll miss the 4 seasons here, Miami has only three, hot, hotter hottest with plenty of humidity.

Hurricanes-No one knows when they will occur and how strong from year to year

Fragile environment

[perry335654]

Originally Posted by UrbanCheetah

You just have to remember I am from Chicago, so corruption doesn't phase me. Very used to it. Remember we had a dictator mayor for about 30 years. Is the real estate that expensive? I know Miami is not cheap, and neither is Chicago. While I do believe in Chicago you get a much better bang for your buck, is Miami real estate really that unaffordable? They way people speak hear they make it seem like it's SF, NYC or DC?

To many people packed in a limited area = density, I like density.

The no manufacturing or tech infrastructure is what worries me, moreso because of job opportunties.

Manufacturing Jobs in Miami, FL on CareerBuilder.com

http://jobsearch.monster.com/search/...jnEhoC-X_w_wcB

[SDPMiami]

Miami is like a beautiful girl, many man want her, few get her. The man who don't, scorn her, she is shallow, she is promiscuous, she is dumb, even she is not as beautiful as everyone says or she thinks she is.

You're seeing this in this thread, a bunch of scorned either residents or never-were residents.

[perry335654]

Originally Posted by SDPMiami

Miami is like a beautiful girl, many man want her, few get her. The man who don't, scorn her, she is shallow, she is promiscuous, she is dumb, even she is not as beautiful as everyone says or she thinks she is.

You're seeing this in this thread, a bunch of scorned either residents or never-were residents.

Great description

[UrbanCheetah]

Originally Posted by SDPMiami

Miami is like a beautiful girl, many man want her, few get her. The man who don't, scorn her, she is shallow, she is promiscuous, she is dumb, even she is not as beautiful as everyone says or she thinks she is.

You're seeing this in this thread, a bunch of scorned either residents or never-were residents.

I get that feeling too. I just can't see why so many people dislike it? Every place has its cons, but people really talk nasty about the city and I just don't quite get it. I get it that it's not the best city for a career, to raise a family, or not really a place where you get your best bang for your buck, but some talk on here if it's like hell.

Like the comment about the hotness in a previous poster, I like tropical weather. There are several other cities that are even worse when it comes to heat like New Orleans, Houston, Austin, Las Vegas, Phoenix, etc. Heck places like San Juan, Rio de Janeiro, etc. are even hotter. I get it's hot, but is it 95 degrees 12 months a year every day with high humidity? No, most likely 3-4 month of the year it's like that from what I gather. I will take the hot, humid weather, where things are at least still green and alive outside rather than the 5-6 months of cold weather, where everything is dead and always overcast here in Chicago winter. If I can survive the Chicago winters after 30 years, I can handle the Miami's summers. It will be a welcome change and that's the whole point of my move to be somewhere different. If I want the four seasons why the heck would I leave Chicago?!