Akoya--North Beach (Miami, Miami Beach, Sunset: sales, rental, mover)

[elchevere]

Curious if anyone lives or has lived in this building and if this would be a good building and a good neighborhood for a person new to the Miami Beach area to first move to....still waiting for an acceptable offer on my condo in CA, but between Brickell and North Beach I think I might choose NoBe...seems walkable to ethnic restaurants and a Publix within the general area and centrally located between SoBe and Bal Harbour....I would be working from home so I can navigate around peak traffic hours (except those times when I need to fly out of MIA on business)....is the building well built (i.e. quiet so that you do not hear your neighbor's TV, walking above you, and/or dogs barking)??....also considering SoBe if I can find a nice building that is quiet (just read on Yelp that the Waverly would not meet my quiet criteria.

Thanks

[SanyBelle]

Originally Posted by elchevere

....(except those times when I need to fly out of MIA on business)....

The only time I have traffic to the airport is early Monday morning, so I try to avoid flying before 10am on Mondays. I don't live on the beach however, so not sure of that commute... but the airport traffic at other times is low. I've been flying out of MIA almost weekly for 1.5 years.

[pierrekid]

I have many clients at the akoya ( who own and rent) as well as a close friend. I'm usually there 4 days a weeks for meetings etc... The building is ok but honestly not the best. The traffic alone to get in and out of that building is absolutely horrible. One of the worst I've experienced in Miami and I'm not one to complain about traffic being from New York. Also the management is really slow in getting tasks done ( paint project has been going on for almost a year and a half). Also they have a huge and I mean HUGE Airbnb problem. I would say more than 50% of the people you will see are Airbnb guest.

Now obviously the views are killer being right on the beach. Also you get free umbrellas if I'm not mistaken. The walk to Publix is relatively short which is good. Also you are near a couple of good restaurants and bars.

However if your main concerns are walkability, Public access, shops, restaurants, coffee shops etc... brickell is hands down the best place. It's actually not even close in terms of the offerings. The only real thing nobe has over brickell...is well the beach. That's a big point if you are looking to walk right onto the beach from your condo. But honestly it's not even a competition in terms of literally everything else.

[pierrekid]

Also I would look into the aqua if your truly set on staying in nobe. Also if you can afford it the Carrillon is another great building.

[elchevere]

I'm not set on anything and probably will have until the spring to decide when I go back on the market with a new, aggressive agent and my condo here in CA finally sells so I can move.

On the plus side, I always thought Brickell would be good for a rental in terms of meeting fellow professional people for a person new to the area, such as myself, who will still be working another 1-3 years before I retire early; however, I have always wondered if the traffic clusterf*k would wear on me--though I suppose if I am only going to be renting for 6 - 18 months before determining if I will buy somewhere in the Miami/Miami Beach area I can somehow deal with it, particularly since I do not need to commute for work (other than to MIA once every 6 weeks)....based on the traffic you described at Akoya wouldn't it be comparable, or worse, in Brickell?....not ruling it out as Brickell does offer a lot of what I am looking for along with more bang for the buck (looking to get a furnished large 1BR, possibly 2BR for no more than $3,000 - 3,500/month that is not a noisy building). Also hoping that Brickell is not skewed to only 20 and 30 somethings as I am in my 50's (though a young 50 at that). Jade seems like it would be a real nice building for me in Brickell, as does 1060 Brickell....coming in for a short vacation this weekend, staying at Epic one night before moving to the beach--will have another look at Cosmopolitan (one across from Red Steakhouse) as well in SoBe.

[pierrekid]

The difference is that in brickell you are expected not to drive. The infrastructure is built around commuting via the free metro mover, free trolley, walking, biking and in some cases the metro rail. Literally everything is accessible ( I have 3 publixs ( yes 3) within walking distance and a whole foods around the corner).

With regard to the traffic comparison there are definitely parts of brickell that can get backed up which is why I would stay clear of brickell ave itself ( unless you have easy access to South Miami ave to get to the highway. Jade is a great choice however you still need to cross over brickell ave to reach the highway if necessary. Again you won't really need a car to go far unless it's an emergency ( you also have access to airport via metro rail in case you were wondering).

I personally bought my condo on the river just across from the new brickell city centre ( if you don't know what that is, look it up. That alone should sell you on brickell). I bought there because of the amount of two way streets, easy access to 95 and minute walk to metro mover.

Now I won't lie the average age in brickell is around mid 20's early to mid 30 etc.. so that might be a turn off. However since I moved here there has been a shift in the demographics towards young families as opposed to just young out of college professionals. So it's not as bad as it used to be.

Also south of 5th might be another option for you on the beach. Demographic is also around your age ( most of my clientele are in the murano grand and portifino, icon, apogee etc...). Not a lot to walk too unless your eating out a lot. If your pockets allow it also looked into the setai residence near Lincoln Rd. Seems like your going the best of best in terms of luxury condos so I'm just throwing that out there

The epic will be a nice stay, though the traffic coming out of there is a bit hectic. My honest advise would be to wait a week to take your vacation ( BCC opens next week and you don't want to miss that!) and don't plan on driving. Maybe an Uber to and from the airport but that's it's.

[elchevere]

Very familiar with Brickell City Centre (this will be my 38th visit to greater Miami area, 15th within the past 3 years), but cannot change my plans and will miss the opening by a day...should be back next month, however.

You have touched upon my great conundrum....Brickell has much to offer (restos, an actual good Equinox gym at Four Seasons--maybe a second new one at SLS; Casa de Montecristo Cigar Lounge; and professionals) vs. living at SoBe--walkable neighborhood, good restos also, more casual, less congested.

The negatives are as follows--with 20 and 30 somethings in Brickell/Downtown will I be kept up at night in a building that has thin walls?...will I be sharing an elevator with many residents who have dogs (who might also keep me up at night barking and/or with so much concrete does the area smell like dog waste or are there street cleaning programs); homeless problem?....congestion......vs. SoBe--aside from Smith & Wollensky and Sunset Harbour, where else is there for me to socialize with professional residents--not tourists or the "Flamingo" industry or whatever types; and crappy gyms--with the possible exception of Anatomy in Sunset Harbour (though it carries a hefty $200/mo fee); and transient (some buildings will be half occupied for portions of the year) and more tourists.

With 1-3 years remaining in my work life, I am tempted to start out renting in an area away from the beach if only to be around more professionals and have less immediate distractions (beach), before moving and buying in a beach community.....both areas offer similar proximity to Wynwood, Design District, etc. though Brickell has easier access to the Gables and Coco Grove whereas SoBe has more access to midbeach, NoBe, and Bal Harbour.

[pierrekid]

To be honest I consider brickell to be much cleaner than south beach. They indeed do have street cleaners out and about. And your going to get dogs on elevators in both areas so might as well take that off your list lol. Also there is one point you haven't really considered. South and nobe are extreme touristic areas. Tons of Airbnb and transient guest. So your more likely to run into noise problem on the beach than you will in brickell except for construction ( which is only during the day). The noise level in brickell isn't any different from any other major city. All high-rises have hurricane proof windows so you won't hear anything.

Also coming over the MacArthur/195 is no walk in the park. Access to wynwood and design destrict is significantly easier from the mainland due to this. Plus if you plan on not driving you can get to either area for free via the trolley if you choose (not to mention the plethora of back streets you can use). Can't do that from the beach side ( plus in order to get there you have to travel along alton local(nobe) which absolutely sucks.)

Also a lot of the restaurants down near South of fifth may be closing due to a general slow down in the area including Smith. Alot of the restaurants have already began shifting over to the brickell side. Again if demographics in terms of age and beach access is important then I would consider south beach and north beach. Anything else I would consider brickell downtown. It really depends on just those factors.

P.s. you will also have easier access to Key Biscayne if that interests you from the mainland.

[elchevere]

interesting insight...I did not know about the restaurant issues in SoBe-which, if S & W closed, would limit my socializing opportunities even further.

The debate between city v. beach is one I went through before moving to San Diego 13 years ago. However, Brickell is much more evolved than downtown San Diego and has more desirable demographics--at least for my purposes (a corporate sales professional). I chose downtown SD thinking I would meet more professionals than I actually have. In retrospect, from what you describe downtown SD is more like SoBe (minus the ocean)....only 4% of the population that lives in downtown SD works here (there are a lot of attorneys that work here but live elsewhere...and I'm not including bartenders or waiters in the mix, whom I do not include as professionals). Aside from lack of professionals, downtown SD also has many tourists (conventions/Gaslamp = our Ocean Drive); a huge homeless population (4th highest in the nation); transient population (many people buy condos here as second homes, live here only part time with no vested interest in the community such as patronizing the arts or buying season tickets to cultural or sporting events); an unsophisticated vibe more associated with a beach community (I have no problem with dress codes at night...I do NOT want to see someone at Zuma, Komodo, or Il Gabbiano in flip flops and a tank top during dinner); and certain segments (hipsters and one more group that I will not mention here) that are much more integrated within the 'general population' and in more areas throughout the city rather than being more segregated/confined as they are in other cities and in, or absent from, Brickell.

That being said, Brickell has a truer urban feel and demographic composition that is closer to/more representative of an East Coast city than does downtown SD....I have been hesitant about Brickell based on my experience with SD and do not wish to repeat the same mistake twice, but it definitely appears to be different and sounds like it would meet MY expectations of what an urban center should be like or what I, as an ex NY'er and someone who also lived in SF, am used to. In short, SD is an unsophisticated suburb of LA; does not sound like that will be an issue at all for Brickell--I will be surrounded by a higher class of people.

My only remaining concerns are (1) do residents of Brickell, or on the other side of the river in downtown, get a claustrophobic feel and/or feel trapped inside a concrete jungle?...and (2) I am white but have an appreciation for and travel throughout Latin America--will I have a problem socializing in the area and do certain groups hang out only with similar types (whites with whites and Latinos with Latinos) or is relatively easy to mingle with different groups?

[hurricaneMan1992]

Originally Posted by pierrekid

I have many clients at the akoya ( who own and rent) as well as a close friend. I'm usually there 4 days a weeks for meetings etc... The building is ok but honestly not the best. The traffic alone to get in and out of that building is absolutely horrible. One of the worst I've experienced in Miami and I'm not one to complain about traffic being from New York. Also the management is really slow in getting tasks done ( paint project has been going on for almost a year and a half). Also they have a huge and I mean HUGE Airbnb problem. I would say more than 50% of the people you will see are Airbnb guest.

Now obviously the views are killer being right on the beach. Also you get free umbrellas if I'm not mistaken. The walk to Publix is relatively short which is good. Also you are near a couple of good restaurants and bars.

However if your main concerns are walkability, Public access, shops, restaurants, coffee shops etc... brickell is hands down the best place. It's actually not even close in terms of the offerings. The only real thing nobe has over brickell...is well the beach. That's a big point if you are looking to walk right onto the beach from your condo. But honestly it's not even a competition in terms of literally everything else.

On paper Brickell is extremely walkable (walk score, ect.), but from experience walking around Brickell and Miami Beach, I've had many more close calls with cars in Brickell, esp. on and near Brickell Ave and crossing 13 ST. People just seem to drive more aggressively in Brickell for some reason, more frustrated suburban commuters and a greater overall density of cars in the area, I suppose. It can only get worse when Citi Center and other high rise projects finish! If walkability is a priority, I'd strongly suggest spending some serious time actually on foot in both places during peak traffic hours to gauge your comfort level. Make sure you also try walking around when the Brickell Ave drawbridge goes up.

The beach and adjoining beach walk can be a HUGE plus--there is nowhere in Brickell that is a car-free peaceful place to walk or run or bike any significant distance, though the bay front on the downtown side comes close, and you could drive down to the Rickenbacker Causeway (pay a toll, though).

Another advantage of NoBe is the availability of those local ethnic food places and in general small local businesses, as Brickell is more of an upscale scene, may or may not be your cup of tea.

Of course, Brickell has the newest, nicest buildings, the Metromover, and proximity to I-95 and Metrorail service direct to the airport. Brickell is more of a young professional/"YUPPIE" crowd mixed in with students with roommates. So it's definitely a trade off in many ways.

P.S. Another place to check out in Miami Beach would be Belle Isle. Very quiet neighborhood but still Walkable to Sunset Harbour area, Lincoln Road, and the Venetian Causeway for recreation/exercise. Pretty much no tourists! Driving across the Venetian is much less hectic than the Macarthur or Julia Tuttle.