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I'm currently a 21-year-old college student living in South Carolina at the moment in my fourth year of college, and I am expected to be finishing my undergraduate degree in Psychology in the next year or two. For my career, having a graduate degree is essential for making a decent wage, so if I wanna go anywhere near South Beach, I am probably going to need at least a Master's degree, which will be at least four years from now. I know it's a little early to be deciding where I want to live after grad school, but I want to explore my options while I can so that I don't scramble around for a place to settle later down the road. And right now, after some research, South Florida, and Miami in particular, looks like somewhere I'd want to live.
WHY MIAMI SEEMS TO FIT WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR
Weather
I should probably start by saying how I reached this conclusion to begin with. First and foremost for me, I want to be comfortable and in a relatively relaxing environment, and that for me starts with warm weather all year round. As much as I admire snow, I cannot STAND being cold, and I refuse to live near the mountains or in the North. I'm absolutely miserable during the late fall and winter months. Even some parts of the South are too cold for me for half the year, like KY, TN, VA, NC, and near the Appalachians. Additionally, and I might sound crazy because I'm in the large minority for this opinion, I want to be where it is HUMID, mostly because I like being able to be outside at night without it being cold, and it gets chilly at night in dry environments, especially in the desert. So the West is out. I also like a lot of sunshine. So in the U.S., that leaves the Gulf Coast and the Florida coastlines. And generally, the further South, the better the weather for me, hence South Florida. I may decide to leave the U.S. some day, but I'm not ready to make that decision any time soon because I'm still trying to adapt to our culture, let alone having to learn a completely new one and most likely a new language (not to mention the incredible amount of funds it would take). So I want to keep my search here for now.
City/Population Size
The second big factor for me is that I believe I want to be near a large metropolitan area with a lot of people and a lot of access to amenities and things to do, so I want to be near an urban area and not a rural one. It's strange, I consider myself quite introverted and don't socialize or like the bar/club scene much, but there's something about the bright lights, buildings, commotion, and hustle and bustle of a large city that appeals to me while the quietness, emptiness, and lack of activity in the country is unappealing to me. I think a large part of it is that I feel lonely and bored all the time, and I want to be able to satisfy those needs by interacting with interesting people and doing things I haven't done before. I'm also young and single, so more potential prospects is important to me. Since I've never lived in a big city, I don't know what it'd actually be like and if I'd enjoy it as much as I think I would. It could be entirely possible that I just really like the idea of a big city, but once I actually live there and the newness and shock factor wear off, I may start to dislike it. Either way, I think giving it a try wouldn't hurt.
Going to USC, I live in Columbia, SC, which has a population of roughly 135,000, and while that's bigger than where I'm from, it's simply not big enough. I transferred from a small rural school to here in hopes that it would satisfy my desire to be in a city, and while I have enjoyed it more than where I started, it's still too empty. And I hate it here. In fact, I just want to avoid SC in general. I'm so tired of living here. But a "big" city to me though would be one with a population with AT LEAST 200,000, preferably 250,000+. So in regards to FL cities, cities like Ft. Lauderdale and Tallahassee just won't cut it. It's not just the amount of people that makes a difference; it's that bigger cities simply have more to offer and more to do. With that being said, I don't want the city to be TOO big. I feel like jumping from a small city like Columbia to a mega-city like Houston would be too much of a jump and culture shock, so I think I should avoid cities with populations approaching the 1,000,000 mark and beyond (at least for now) -- or at least within the city proper limits so that it's not too dense. So I'm fine with large metropolitan areas with smaller inner city populations as far as size goes (i.e. Atlanta, Miami, Tampa, Orlando, Cincinnati, KC, Pittsburgh, etc.). The main reason for that is because I want to live inside the city rather than in the suburbs (more on that later). So that would leave out Houston (as I already said), Dallas, San Antonio, and Jacksonville (maybe). When you take all that into consideration, that leaves me with: Corpus Christi, TX, New Orleans, LA, Orlando, FL, Tampa/St. Petersburg, FL, and Miami, FL.
Walkability
The next set of criteria is that I want the city to be fairly walkable/pedestrian-friendly (with a decent amount of public transportation) and somewhat close by my family/friends in SC and TN. I hated using my car all the time in Myrtle Beach during the summer with all the tourists and hated going on a 7.5-8 hour trip to Knoxville, TN, so I can't imagine how awful it would be to deal with the traffic in a large major city and to have a road trip longer than 16 hours. Of course, I would still use a car on occasions, but I'd much prefer to use it for special occasions rather than every day. As far as walkability goes, Miami wins by a landslide (NO is a far off second), and while it is the farthest away from my family/friends (aside from Corpus Christie) (though NO is a very close third), it still fits my criteria.
Another factor (though not as important) where Miami has an advantage is the political and cultural landscape. I personally don't like Southern conservative culture (especially the obsession with religion, bleh), and being a more liberal-minded person who supports Bernie Sanders, I feel like a "dirty communist" compared to those living around me. I just don't feel like I connect with most people around here, not just politically but also culturally as well.
OTHER REASONS WHY MIAMI SEEMS APPEALING TO ME
But it's not just these large-scale factors like weather, city/population size, and walkability why Miami appeals to me, there's also a few other personal reasons why I think I would enjoy living there. The first of which is the obvious large Spanish/Latin influence on the area. I'm white, and frankly I find much of Western/European culture to be boring, and being exposed to a new culture like that without entirely leaving behind all the elements of American culture looks exciting to me. I love learning about different cultures, and it has always been one of my dreams to travel around the world. And how awesome would it be to get to essentially experience one right at home without traveling? New Orleans is somewhat similar in this regard for having a melting-pot culture, but I'm not sure if it's to the extent Miami is. But another reason, and this is somewhat related to the last one, is that (and this might seem a little weird and personal, but whatever) I'm a heterosexual male who finds Latinas, especially curvy ones, much more attractive than thinner white women. I don't mean to be racist; that's just what I prefer. And with there being a large Hispanic population, there is naturally going to be more options for available potential mates for me. Not to mention that Miami is said to have the most beautiful people in the world; that's a bonus. I'm also a big night owl and like to be active late into the night, and Miami is known to have one of the best nightlifes in the country, if I'm not mistaken. Even though I don't really drink, I'm sure there are some other things I could do in the wane hours of the day. Another reason is that it's close to the Florida Everglades, and I've always had a soft spot for beautiful nature, especially those in tropical climates, and sometimes like to fish (and there's Lake Okeechobee if I want to freshwater fish; I hear there's monster largemouth bass there). And then the other reason is that it's a sports town with three professional teams and a big sports univeristy (it'd be cool if LeBron was still with the Heat, as I love him, but he'll likely be near the end of his career by the time I get there anyway).
Now, obviously, with all the good, there's also some bad (at least from what I've read/heard)...
NEGATIVE QUALITIES OF MIAMI
The first of which is that it seems the job market is tough, and if you don't have a job lined up, you're pretty much screwed. And even then, I've heard that it's hard to keep a stable job. The second relates to the first, and that's that the cost of living, while nothing like big cities like LA or NY, is quite high and needless to say a jump from what I've been accustomed to here in SC, making it harder to live. The third is that I've read that you really need to learn fluent Spanish to thrive in the city because the majority of people speak it and there are many, especially outside the inner city, that don't speak English at all. I don't have as much of a problem with this one, as I have taken a Spanish class, am taking another one, am going to take another one next semester, and I am totally prepared to learn some conversational Spanish on the Internet and with some Hispanic friends of mine, but even still, it'll be hard to communicate in a language that isn't my native tongue. The fourth somewhat relates to the first two in that poverty rates are high and (unsurprisingly) there's a lot of crime as a result. This doesn't bother me quite as much as some people, as SC has the most violent crimes of any state and the city I'm from had a lot of crime too, but I do think it would put me on edge more in certain areas, especially since I've heard that there are instances of "reverse racism" (where Hispanics are racist against whites, though I'm not sure how true this is) and since I'll be walking on the streets often. Another criticism I hear of Miami is that its public transportation is lacking, especially the East-West route, but I think anything will be a step-up from the public transportation I've had in SC. It's pretty much non-existent here. I've also heard traffic's pretty bad, but like I said earlier, I don't plan to be driving much (but it will affect me when I need to). And then another complaint I often see is that people in Miami are often rude, materialistic, fake, and obsessed with image. Obviously, this is probably a great generalization, but I don't doubt that the city revolves a lot around appearances. I'm personally not much a materialistic person and can find these types of people annoying, but I think I could be able to handle it, as long as there isn't constant, in-your-face pretentiousness and as long as my future girlfriend isn't like that. I've also heard it's not a good place for raising a family and it has relatively poor public education, but I don't plan on having a family any time soon, and if I did, I'd probably move to a suburb of Tampa like Clearwater for that. After all, I'm just trying to live out my roarin' 20's and early 30's and have fun while I can before I get old. This one's minor, but research tells me that it rains quite a bit, particularly during the summer, but is it that bad? Or is it mostly just brief on-and-off afternoon thunderstorms? If it's just that, then I won't mind that. But if it's constantly like a monsoon, then yeah, that's going to bother me. One that's a bit more serious than that though is that it's right in hurricane alley and susceptible to being struck by hurricanes so that's obviously a concern. I'm sure there are other criticisms that people have, but these were all the major ones I remember seeing.
And then finally, with all the positive/negative qualities, the practical side...
MY POTENTIAL FINANCIAL STANDING
As we know, it's all fine and dandy for a city to have everything you love and want to do, but let's face it, it's nothing without a secure, well-paying job. I know that counseling isn't in high-demand in Miami (then again, it's not really that high-demand anywhere, thus is the nature of my career...), but I don't know what specifically the mental health market is like there. I couldn't really find anything about it from my research. The only thing I gathered was that Florida was the #6 best state to work as a mental health counselor, and that Forbes recently posted an article showing that 6 of the 10 fastest-growing economies in the U.S. are in Florida cities. I also saw that the median salary for a mental health counselor in Miami was slightly below average at around $40K/year, and that over 1200 counselors were employed in Miami. Entry-level positions are probably closer to $30K/year, so would that be enough to live comfortably? I feel like it'd be better than being poor, but I'd probably be living a pretty basic, uneventful lifestyle, at least until I got a salary increase. This may be a concern.
So with all this being said, do you think Miami would be the right place for me to live after college? If so, could you give some advice for living here? And what would be some good places for single-bedroom apartments priced at $1200/month and below in relatively safe areas close to downtown? I've heard that Coral Gables, Coconut Grove, Brickell, Shenandoah, and South Beach are relatively good neighborhoods close to downtown, and then Little Havana is moderately good. Obviously, some perspective from someone who lives in Miami would be very helpful and appreciated.
And then if you DON'T think Miami would be the right place for me, what are some alternative cities that you think I'd enjoy/better prosper in? Your reasoning better be compelling though, haha.
And then last, but not least, do you think I might find it better to live in a close-by small town/city by the metropolitan area but not within the city?
All help is appreciated! Sorry that my response was so long; I had a lot to say. I promise I'll keep my responses MUCH shorter.
View Poll Results: Do you think Miami is the right city for me? Yes! It sounds like it has most of the things you are looking for. 0 0% No. While it may seem nice, I think you'll be disappointed once you live here.1 33.33% No. While I think you would like Miami, I think you would like living somewhere else even better. 2 66.67% I'm not really sure. 0 0%
View Poll Results: Do you think Miami is the right city for me? Yes! It sounds like it has most of the things you are looking for. 0 0% No. While it may seem nice, I think you'll be disappointed once you live here.1 33.33% No. While I think you would like Miami, I think you would like living somewhere else even better. 2 66.67% I'm not really sure. 0 0%
Your post is way to long.. could not read all of it so I don't know what you want. If you want a large city, with lots of traffic, bad drivers, too many people. then Miami is for you.
Your post is way to long.. could not read all of it so I don't know what you want. If you want a large city, with lots of traffic, bad drivers, too many people. then Miami is for you.
I made it detailed so I could cover everything I needed to so that people wouldn't tell me things I already know and assume I was clueless. I just wanted to avoid irrelevant posts.
But since it would take too much time for you to read through, I'll try to summarize everything right here:
- I'm a 21-year-old college student studying psychology and am trying to decide where I want to live after college.
- Primarily because I like warm, humid weather year-round, think I want to be in a large city (but not too big), and want to be able to walk around/use public transportation without having to use my car a lot, Miami seems to be the best fit.
- I also like it because it is somewhat liberal and very different from the cultural South, has a profound Latin culture that seems exotic and interesting to me because I find much of white/European culture to be boring, has many beautiful, curvy Latina women which I like better than any thin white woman, has a really active night life (I'm a night owl), is close to the Everglades wildlife, and it's a sports town.
- However, some negative aspects that are making me hesitate are that I've heard it's hard to get a secure, good-paying job, the cost of living, particularly housing, is quite high, I may need to be fluent in Spanish to get by without many complications, public transportation is lacking compared to other big cities, there's a lot of crime and it's unsafe, and possibly particularly so for someone who is white like myself because of "reverse racism" (though I don't know how true that is), the people are rumored to be materialistic, fake, vain, and rude, seems to rain a lot (but I want to know if it's just on-and-off thunderstorms or if it's pouring down all time), and is susceptible to hurricanes.
- As someone who is going to become a counselor, the median salary for a counselor in Miami is $40K/year, slightly below the national average of $43K/year, though my starting salary may be closer to $30K/year, and that would likely mean I'd live a boring, uneventful lifestyle. Is this concern true?
- Based on all this, would you recommend Miami to me? If so, what is some advice you have? And what are some good neighborhoods close to downtown that have single-bedroom apartments for under $1200/month?
- If you do NOT think I would like Miami, why? And what are some alternate cities you'd recommend based on my preferences and why? And do you think I might be okay with being in a small town/city outside of a big city as long as it's close by?
You will be young, single & fresh out of college so why not go for it since Miami seems to fit your criteria? Just make sure you secure a job first and hopefully things will turn out well for you.
Good luck!
You will be young, single & fresh out of college so why not go for it since Miami seems to fit your criteria? Just make sure you secure a job first and hopefully things will turn out well for you.
Good luck!
That's the mentality I was thinking of too. I think I just want to try it, even if I end up being disappointed. If I do end up moving here, where are some relatively good, safe, and affordable places close to downtown I can get a single-bedroom for $1,200 and under? As I said in my OP, I've heard that Coral Gables, Coconut Grove, Brickell, Shenandoah, and South Beach are all relatively good neighborhoods (and Little Havana is moderately good). Are these good? And are there others?
Miami may be too expensive for you at that salary.
I was thinking that too. Maybe I should get some relevant job experience first before I consider moving down so that I can potentially get a better starting salary?
Have you ever been to Miami? Miami can seem great on paper and on Youtube vids, but the reality can be quite different. Why not try living down here during the summer between semesters and see if the lifestyle lives up to what you think it'll be.
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I'm also a big night owl and like to be active late into the night, and Miami is known to have one of the best nightlifes in the country, if I'm not mistaken. Even though I don't really drink, I'm sure there are some other things I could do in the wane hours of the day. Another reason is that it's close to the Florida Everglades, and I've always had a soft spot for beautiful nature, especially those in tropical climates, and sometimes like to fish (and there's Lake Okeechobee if I want to freshwater fish; I hear there's monster largemouth bass there). And then the other reason is that it's a sports town with three professional teams and a big sports univeristy (it'd be cool if LeBron was still with the Heat, as I love him, but he'll likely be near the end of his career by the time I get there anyway).
This one's minor, but research tells me that it rains quite a bit, particularly during the summer, but is it that bad? Or is it mostly just brief on-and-off afternoon thunderstorms? If it's just that, then I won't mind that. But if it's constantly like a monsoon, then yeah, that's going to bother me. One that's a bit more serious than that though is that it's right in hurricane alley and susceptible to being struck by hurricanes so that's obviously a concern. I'm sure there are other criticisms that people have, but these were all the major ones I remember seeing.
0 0% No. While it may seem nice, I think you'll be disappointed once you live here. 
