Please help...military moving to South Florida

[AnnRyan]

BNBR, there are definitely people who prefer West Broward, and plenty of people who prefer Miami. It really depends on your personality and what you like to do when you're not working.

And, before you jump to the wrong conclusion, while I do speak Spanish fluently, most of my Miami friends are people who only speak English. Doesn't stop them from having a good time at all, although I do think it's smart to learn some Spanish if you're living in Miami.

[BNBR]

Originally Posted by AnnRyan

BNBR, there are definitely people who prefer West Broward, and plenty of people who prefer Miami. It really depends on your personality and what you like to do when you're not working.

And, before you jump to the wrong conclusion, while I do speak Spanish fluently, most of my Miami friends are people who only speak English. Doesn't stop them from having a good time at all, although I do think it's smart to learn some Spanish if you're living in Miami.

I just had this conversation last week, while having lunch in Doral (La Fontana - Great restaurant!). One of my wife's coworkers, who doesn't speak Spanish, moved to Florida and is living in Doral because it's near work. Didn't think much of it when moving. But she mentioned that he doesn't like it at all since everyone speaks Spanish, finds it uncomfortable.

This is actually a topic I'm very familiar with. When they moved the office from Fort Lauderdale to Doral, same discussions with the existing staff.

Just generally speaking, non-Spanish speakers tend to prefer Broward over Doral and places like Homestead. Which is why I asked if the OP speaks Spanish and if she is comfortable in an area where Spanish is the primary language. That is a BIG deal for a lot of people, and they get to make their own decisions. We just describe it. If my descriptions were not 100% accurate, technically, so be it. But they were accurate for the sake of this discussion. Ok, maybe 60% of billboards are in Spanish, not 95%. Who cares?

[JustKeepMoving]

We moved to Miami last August from New England. We have a Honestead address, but don't live far enough into Homestead to receive Homestead city services. It is a culture shock at first and my children and I are non Spanish speakers- but we haven't had any trouble getting things taken care of. Yes there has been some exclusion, but that is to be expected considering the area.

[MadManofBethesda]

Originally Posted by BNBR

If you are not Spanish speaking and working in Doral/Hialeah, there is a good chance you would prefer west Broward due to it's proximity to I75 and more diverse community. Which has boat loads of people who commute into Miami every day and back. THAT is the point.

That's perfectly fine. But you were trying to make that point with unnecessary hyperbole.

Originally Posted by BNBR

It still stands, regardless of you looking for technicalities to try and prove yourself right.

What technicalities??

You made two statements about Miami that are demonstrably false. In fact, one of those statements, that 95% of advertisements/billboards are in Spanish, is completely ludicrous.

[ldl5112]

Sorry, I'm in agreement that the comments about Miami/South Miami are overly generalized. I'm non-Hispanic white, live in Doral, and work at MIA. The vast majority of my coworkers are Hispanic, and of course the passengers I deal with on a daily basis. I know only just enough Spanish to do my inspections at work, greet people, ask for general directions, and ask for basic items (bathroom, specific groceries, etc.). I am definitely nowhere near conversational in Spanish, though. I don't find living in a majority-Hispanic area off-putting at all. I've not had many issues at all with Spanish-speakers at stores or anything else, as I don't look particularly Hispanic, so they generally don't attempt to converse with me in Spanish other than saying "hola" or "buenos dias/noches/tardes," etc. Most workers in customer service in major areas are going to have basic English skills. Now, you may run into issues in mom-and-pop stores in more run-down or lower working class areas, but you aren't going to have issues at Publix or Walgreens or stores like that.

I don't really consider the Spanish vs English thing to be a culture shock at all, to be honest. Are people generally speaking Spanish around me? Of course, but I see that up in Broward county, too. I personally don't have an issue with people speaking Spanish around me, though, as I don't really care what language they're speaking if they aren't speaking to me.

And to be honest, even though there ARE a lot of Spanish-language advertisements/billboards, it doesn't really matter. A McDonald's billboard is a McDonald's billboard, whether it's in Spanish or English.

I have issues and gripes about Miami/S.Florida (the weather, my allergies, how artificial people are, how dirty the place is, etc.), but the whole Spanish vs English thing isn't one of them.

[MiamiResident]

Originally Posted by Ashleyw704

Hello everyone! I am looking for advice and information for Miami and surrounding areas. We are a military family of 5 looking to buy a 4 bedroom house. Our price range is $250,000.00 - $350,000.00. Would prefer a house with no HOA fees. My husband will be working in Hialeah. I am currently house hunting and trying to decide between the Pembroke Pines area or the Homestead area. Which would be the better area for his commute to work? Can you suggest other areas that would be closer yet safer? I know nothing about the routes or traffic in this area. We have three teenagers in middle and high school. Which areas have the better schools? Safety is also a big concern for obvious reasons. What areas in the Miami area would be safer? I love the idea of living south near Homestead, but not sure what the commute to Hileah would be. Would prefer no toll roads. Thank you all in advance for your help. Please no hateful comments.

Homestead is a 4th world country and the commuting from There to Hialeah is suicide.

Pembroke Pines is the best option. Do not even consider Homestead. Time, car depreciation, gas, plus the bizillion expressway tolls make Homestead an absolute nightmare as an option.

[BNBR]

Originally Posted by ldl5112

Sorry, I'm in agreement that the comments about Miami/South Miami are overly generalized. I'm non-Hispanic white, live in Doral, and work at MIA. The vast majority of my coworkers are Hispanic, and of course the passengers I deal with on a daily basis. I know only just enough Spanish to do my inspections at work, greet people, ask for general directions, and ask for basic items (bathroom, specific groceries, etc.). I am definitely nowhere near conversational in Spanish, though. I don't find living in a majority-Hispanic area off-putting at all. I've not had many issues at all with Spanish-speakers at stores or anything else, as I don't look particularly Hispanic, so they generally don't attempt to converse with me in Spanish other than saying "hola" or "buenos dias/noches/tardes," etc. Most workers in customer service in major areas are going to have basic English skills. Now, you may run into issues in mom-and-pop stores in more run-down or lower working class areas, but you aren't going to have issues at Publix or Walgreens or stores like that.

I don't really consider the Spanish vs English thing to be a culture shock at all, to be honest. Are people generally speaking Spanish around me? Of course, but I see that up in Broward county, too. I personally don't have an issue with people speaking Spanish around me, though, as I don't really care what language they're speaking if they aren't speaking to me.

And to be honest, even though there ARE a lot of Spanish-language advertisements/billboards, it doesn't really matter. A McDonald's billboard is a McDonald's billboard, whether it's in Spanish or English.

I have issues and gripes about Miami/S.Florida (the weather, my allergies, how artificial people are, how dirty the place is, etc.), but the whole Spanish vs English thing isn't one of them.

I don't think I said it was awful that people speak Spanish. I merely said that if you want to live in these areas in Miami, be prepared to feel like Spanish is the primary language. That is off putting to a lot of people, and not a big deal at all to some people like yourself.

Personally, I enjoy Miami sometimes and appreciate the culture difference. But a lot of non-Spanish speaking people simply don't want to be there. I'm glad you like it, but as I mentioned, I know people in Doral who want the get the heck out because of it. I think it's fair to explain the differences and let people make their own decisions.