Is Miami a world class city? (Jacksonville, Melbourne: school, universities, beach)

[Escondudo]

Is Miami a world class city?

[bale002]

At various intervals for about a century now, wealthy industrialists and other wealthy people have been pouring capital into Miami, lately from South America and Europe, and even China, Arabia and Japan going to university, and still from mainly the northern US and a bit from Canada. Not to mention national and international tourism.

To be sure, not nearly on the same level as New York, London, Paris, Tokyo and several others, but somewhere there in the standings; for example, MIA is number one - that's number one - in the US in international air cargo.

What is the point about asking the same question on this forum for the umpteenth time over the past few years? Do you expect a different answer this time around? Do you know what the definition of insane is?

And I wouldn't expect the answer to change in 20-40 years from now, unless South America surpasses east Asia as the new industrial superpower and Miami develops a stock market that analogously rivals London.

But don't hold your breath.

[Coconut1]

Yes.

[FlyMIA]

It's getting there. It's no London, NYC, Tokyo. It's also no Madrid, LA, Rome, but its in a third tier IMO. Which compared to the VASt majority of cities it is world class.

Three things Miami really lacks in. 1. Good public transport. 2. Good museums, though that is improving. 3. Great universities, this is more of a U.S. thing. UM is a good school and FIU is an up and coming university but its no NYU, Columbia, Georgetown GWU, USC, UCLA, MIT, Harvard etc..

[Escondudo]

Originally Posted by Coconut1

Yes.

So what makes it 'world class' as opposed to just a domestic American city with exotic traits?

[bale002]

Originally Posted by Escondudo

So what makes it 'world class' as opposed to just a domestic American city with exotic traits?

Because it is a major hemispherical nexus in the global trade circuit.

However, most of the financing for its major infrastructure still comes from the US northeast, just like it did from the very beginnings of its history.

Go to South Pointe park, take a walk along the water, and look back towards the mainland.

What do you see?

A reed blowing in the wind?

What do you see?

You see PortMiami in the foreground - the infrastructure for the physical trade -, and the buildings of Brickell in the background - the infrastructure to administer it.

They are dredging the harbor to make it deep enough to accommodate new super container ships (supertankers) passing through the Panama Canal for trade with Asia (and western South America I suppose); Miami and New York will be the first on the US east coast capable of accommodating them.

And of course MIA, number one in international freight cargo, and the commercial railway network, linking southern Florida to Jacksonville and the rest of the continental US by rail.

That's Miami, and if you are not in some way part of that nexus, then you are not fully part of Miami.

And, yes, the cruise ships and beach tourism too, worthy of mention in passing.

Nothing exotic about that, just hard-nosed movement of things and people who quite naturally enjoy water and warm temperatures, like any common insect.

It really doesn't matter how one defines "world class", it is what it is no matter how one labels it.

Good Luck!

[WINTERFRONT]

Miami is an ALPHA - city:

Miami
Republic of Ireland Dublin
Australia Melbourne
Switzerland Zürich
India New Delhi
Germany Munich
Turkey Istanbul
United States Boston
Poland Warsaw
United States Dallas
Austria Vienna
United States Atlanta
Spain Barcelona
Thailand Bangkok
Taiwan Taipei
Chile Santiago
Portugal Lisbon
United States Philadelphia
South Africa Johannesburg

[MiamiRob]

I would say based on what bale002 posted above then answer would be YES. Miami could have just become another resort city in Florida.

[LLN]

Geez:
This kind of question is asked on the Charlotte forum a lot. Up there I say NO.

In regards to Miami..RUSM..Of course. I bet it is one of the first five that come to mind, worldwide, when people are asked to name big US Cities.

[Escondudo]

Originally Posted by WINTERFRONT

Miami is an ALPHA - city:

Miami
Republic of Ireland Dublin
Australia Melbourne
Switzerland Zürich
India New Delhi
Germany Munich
Turkey Istanbul
United States Boston
Poland Warsaw
United States Dallas
Austria Vienna
United States Atlanta
Spain Barcelona
Thailand Bangkok
Taiwan Taipei
Chile Santiago
Portugal Lisbon
United States Philadelphia
South Africa Johannesburg

What's your source?