First visit to Miami - thoughts... (Homestead: condos, hotels, homes)

[Phoenix1234]

Very impressed with Miami as a first-time visitor. My wife and I love the beach but have lived out west for the past decade (and west coast beaches are pretty but not great for swimming). We normally visit Cancun 2x per year doing the all-inclusive thing. However, after visiting umpteen different all-inclusive hotels we tired of that scene so we decided to go Airbnb and try Miami.

Here's my overall thoughts:
1) We loved the many beaches and the fact that the water was warm & clean (not a lot of seaweed). It was quite cloudy and windy during our visit which kept temperatures down but we were never cold. We also always felt safe and loved playing in the waves.

2) People are definitely not friendly and drivers are plain crazy. But having lived and worked in just about every corner of the country, I've found that in bigger cities (especially so on the east coast) people often come across as jerks/rude. But you will generally get what you give. If you decide to go with the "unfriendly flow" you will likely feel less connected but a little friendliness can go a long way. Also, you pick up on driving trends within a few days.

3) Wow, I wasn't expecting such a Latin vibe. But we both loved it. I am a white boy but speak Spanish fluently and my wife is Mexican but I was still blown away by how many folks spoke so little English. Granted, much of our conversation was with hotel staff and local restaurants but still didn't bother me much (just surprising) as I've lived for extended periods outside of the US. It simply made Miami feel more like an international/tropical destination but one that's a lot cleaner than you will see elsewhere in the Hispanic world. I also like the fact that the Cuban population seemed, for the most part, secure in their world. I say this because having lived in the Southwest USA for 20+ years (from Texas to Albuquerque to Phoenix to San Diego) the Hispanic population often has huge distrust issues with white folk. Maybe Miami is no different but it didn't feel that way.

4) We thought the food was fantastic. We loved the Mexican and Cuban food we tried. Heck we even thought Pollo Tropical was delicious given it's a fast food restaurant.

5) Miami has to be the condo capital of the world. It makes the city look like a huge business mecca but then realize that they are all mostly condos.

As a vacation destination we both felt San Diego has almost nothing over Miami. I'm sure many would disagree with that sentiment but that's not our experience. First off, you can't even begin to compare the ocean if you like to actually get in the water. Secondly, San Diego has a lot fewer hotel/condo options and thus generally a lot more expensive. Finally, we had better tasting Mexican food in 6 days than we ever had in San Diego in the 3 years we lived there. About the only thing SD has over Miami is I'm sure the summer weather is better (but even then you can have May-Grey June-Gloom extend well into August) and the fact that SD/California has mountains. But if you like/can stand warmer weather and nice beaches Miami kills SD.

[ruski]

I always thought that good Mexican food was hard to find in Miami and the environs. Please do tell where you went for Mexican.

[UrbanCrossroads]

Originally Posted by Phoenix1234

2) People are definitely not friendly and drivers are plain crazy. But having lived and worked in just about every corner of the country, I've found that in bigger cities (especially so on the east coast) people often come across as jerks/rude. But you will generally get what you give. If you decide to go with the "unfriendly flow" you will likely feel less connected but a little friendliness can go a long way. Also, you pick up on driving trends within a few days.

What do you need friendliness for???

[SanyBelle]

I'm glad you liked Miami, Phoenix1234! I moved here 1.5 years ago and still love it, contrary to what everyone said to me.

As ruski asked, where were all the restaurants that you liked?

[goolsbyjazz]

Phoenix1234 I appreciate you sharing your experience in Miami. We also live in the Southwest and visited the city for the first time during the summer. I agree with you on nearly everything you said, especially about the water, beaches, driving and people. One thing you didn't mention was Miami's economy which is strongly tied to Latin America. The low wages vs the high COL is an area of concern. I really enjoyed the different neighborhoodS, each with their own vibe. I liked how clean the city was and surprisingly how decent the highways were. Traffic, however, is another issue!

I grew up in the Northeast and lived in NY and Philly so the lack of friendliness from the people did not bother me. Are you still in SD? We also love that city.

[ElGuito]

Originally Posted by ruski

I always thought that good Mexican food was hard to find in Miami and the environs. Please do tell where you went for Mexican.

I don't know where the OP went for Mexican food, but there are really good choices on South West 8th Street (oK Calle Ocho) and Flagler, if You don't mind getting away from the bay, hmm, about 1 mile. Also Coyo Taco in Wynwood, with the plus of all the activity around on the weekends, although some people feel it overpriced.

[Bobdreamz]

Phoenix1234 thanks for sharing your opinion here and glad you enjoyed your visit.
Most often this forum is full of negative opinions regarding the city so it's always refreshing to hear positive opinions from visitors.
Also where was your AirBnB located ? and did you enjoy your stay there?
Hope you return again !



(oh and everybody still wants to know where you got great Mexican food ! Homestead perhaps ? )

[ruski]

I actually like this place quite a bit

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Ta...028865!6m1!1e1

https://www.yelp.com/biz/taquerias-el-mexicano-miami-2

[AnnRyan]

Honestly, I think Miami gets a bad rap. Glad you had a good time.

I recently visited Phoenix, and am amazed people choose to retire there over Miami. (Too deserty for me!) Yeah, I know everything here costs twice as much.

If you found good Mexican food here, you were lucky indeed. There are only a handful of good Mexican places around, but it seems like the number of them is increasing, so I remain hopeful to have more options soon.

[goolsbyjazz]

Originally Posted by AnnRyan

Honestly, I think Miami gets a bad rap. Glad you had a good time.

I recently visited Phoenix, and am amazed people choose to retire there over Miami. (Too deserty for me!) Yeah, I know everything here costs twice as much.

If you found good Mexican food here, you were lucky indeed. There are only a handful of good Mexican places around, but it seems like the number of them is increasing, so I remain hopeful to have more options soon.

What??! You didn't like Phoenix??? Honestly, aside from the lower COL, Phoenix is a city you either like or hate. People who live out here know the true value is not the city itself (although it is the economic center), but getting out and exploring everything else the state offers.