So I am making the plunge. (Miami, Miami Beach: renting, crime rate, house)

[doggiebus]

Originally Posted by HowGoesIt

The one thing thats a little scary about downtown is that there seems to be nice, expensive areas right next to rough areas (Overtown). Is this really true? I don't want to make one wrong turn at night and end up car jacked.

Yes this is true. I wouldn't stay on downtown Miami. If you want to be close to downtown, look at Brickell or South Beach, but don't stay in those new high rises next to the rough areas, unless you don't care.

Many parts of South Florida are like this. Coconut Grove has a bad area to its west, right next to nice bungalows.

[HowGoesIt]

Originally Posted by Bostonian08

but by 6pm it's a ghost town. Difference is the creep density that moves in afterwards. Where there's one homeless in Boston, there's five in MIA. And there's thugs.

Kind of reminds me of scenes from that movie Escape From New York or Doomsday. On one hand, I think it's kind of cool. On the other, it scares the crap outta me! Also. reminds me a little of downtown Los Angeles.

[daniel54]

My wife and i also are considering recolating , to Fort lauderdale area.We are considering purchasing one of those mobile homes.Chef by profession also want to start my own business...

[xS☺B☺s]

Originally Posted by HowGoesIt

Bostonian08, thanks for all of the advice. I have seen some of your posts in the Boston forum, you always give sound advice, so I trust your recommendation.

I absolutely cannot wait to head down to Miami this summer. Boston is a great city, I lived in Brighton (Cleveland Circle) for 2 years, Cambridgeport for 1, and JP (Stony Brook) for 1 and a half. I guess the feel i'm going for is more Cambridgeport as opposed to Brighton (You're probably the only one here who can understand this). I am going to check out the rents on South Beach and Surfside.

I hear you on the whole crime thing. I have never had any issues with crime the entire time I was in Boston. I guess as long as I stay away from the shaky areas, I should be fine. The one thing thats a little scary about downtown is that there seems to be nice, expensive areas right next to rough areas (Overtown). Is this really true? I don't want to make one wrong turn at night and end up car jacked.

Well first of all, I'll admit (to acknowledge Kevin K) that I haven't been there in a while. Last time I was there was 1998, I lived there in 1991. So yeah it's been a while and Miami changes a lot faster than Boston.

I did Google Map around where North Miami Ave and Flagler meet. That's the little downtown Miami I know/knew. Using the Google Map Street View function, I do see they still have those roll up steel curtains, and that pretty much tells you all you need to know about a neighborhood. If they have to roll steel curtains down at night, it ain't all that relaxed. You don't have that on Newbury St, but you do have those on Centre St in JP (the Jackson Sq side.

That said, I do also appreciate what kevinK says about Brickell. I know what they've been doing down there and it is definitely coming along, but my issue with that part is - and correct me if I'm wrong Kevin - it is a rather small enclave.

Sorry my link site down so this pic isn't so great, but you should get the idea. Look at the two areas in Green. Both area the areas Kevin and I are talking about. Brickell is on the mainland and of course MB is the Island.



See what's surrounds MB? A big beautiful ocean. Now HowGoesIt, go to apartments.com and look for condos or apartments in nice tall white buildings, or cute bungalows. There's plenty to choose from. And look how much space there is on MB, with no surrounding bad areas. And if you continued up A1A you'd get to even more in Hallandale and Hollywood.

So best advice I think - check out both places.

Anyways, I do agree with KK that you should check out Brickell. And my experience always was that crossing the causeway was usually pretty fast - unless you get stuck at a drawbridge. But man, Miami Beach is so much more relaxed that Miami. And about 5 degrees cooler on average too. I think what you're looking for is just across the Julia Tuttle Causeway.

Kevin, I assume the southernmost sections of Overtown have been gentrified. Where does the grittiness start these days? When I lived there just about at the Venetian Causeway from there north was Overtown in all it's morbid grittiness. Also, what is directly west of the Brickell area you're suggesting?

[xS☺B☺s]

Originally Posted by HowGoesIt

Kind of reminds me of scenes from that movie Escape From New York or Doomsday. On one hand, I think it's kind of cool. On the other, it scares the crap outta me! Also. reminds me a little of downtown Los Angeles.

There's no reason to be scared about MIA. Your first impulse is right. Miami is a blast, especially for a young single guy. The people of Miami are far more passionate than the robots of Boston. You'll feel the emotion in the air. They are so more alive there. It's anything but the detached studiousness of Boston. I think the biggest problem you'll probably discover as many do is after a while, it's just TOO MUCH! Of course I lived South of 5th in MB, and that was like living in a movie.

You're right, living in MIA is like living in a movie, but it's not Escape from NY. It's probably more like a soft porn psychedelic X files.

[kevinkagy]

Bostonian08, I think you'd be pleasantly surprised at truly how much Miami has changed since then, and for the better. Brickell has become the new area to hang out at night, and there's a new shopping area called "Mary Brickell Village" that's always packed. Unlike Downtown, which tends to be quieter at night, Brickell is literally alive 24/7 mostly because of all the new places that have opened up but because it's upscale, clean and safe.

Now that you mention the steel curtains on Flagler Street, I'd like to let you know that those have begun to be taken down by city ordinance and Flagler Street has been much cleaned up with new residential towers and stores opening there. For example, they've repaved Flagler St, planted new trees and flowers and there's new, more upscale businesses opening up. The construction boom in the last few years has really transformed downtown into a true urban center, and it's only getting better. There's the new Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, which is now the 2nd-largest performing arts center in the U.S., redesign of Biscayne Blvd, new Museum Park, and a gentrification of most notably, the northern side of Downtown around the Omni.

Although I love South Beach, the mainland has some equally nice places that have always been nice like Coral Gables, Coconut Grove, Brickell, South Miami, Pinecrest, Palmetto Bay, Miami Lakes, etc. and areas that are gentrifying and are now very attractive like Midtown (which has completely changed into a true urban neighborhood), Upper East Side with the MiMo Historic District, Design District, and most notably Downtown.

[xS☺B☺s]

Originally Posted by kevinkagy

Bostonian08, I think you'd be pleasantly surprised at truly how much Miami has changed since then, and for the better. Brickell has become the new area to hang out at night, and there's a new shopping area called "Mary Brickell Village" that's always packed. Unlike Downtown, which tends to be quieter at night, Brickell is literally alive 24/7 mostly because of all the new places that have opened up but because it's upscale, clean and safe.

Now that you mention the steel curtains on Flagler Street, I'd like to let you know that those have begun to be taken down by city ordinance and Flagler Street has been much cleaned up with new residential towers and stores opening there. For example, they've repaved Flagler St, planted new trees and flowers and there's new, more upscale businesses opening up. The construction boom in the last few years has really transformed downtown into a true urban center, and it's only getting better. There's the new Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, which is now the 2nd-largest performing arts center in the U.S., redesign of Biscayne Blvd, new Museum Park, and a gentrification of most notably, the northern side of Downtown around the Omni.

Although I love South Beach, the mainland has some equally nice places that have always been nice like Coral Gables, Coconut Grove, Brickell, South Miami, Pinecrest, Palmetto Bay, Miami Lakes, etc. and areas that are gentrifying and are now very attractive like Midtown (which has completely changed into a true urban neighborhood), Upper East Side with the MiMo Historic District, Design District, and most notably Downtown.

It's good to hear. I'll definitely check out Brickell next time I visit.

[HowGoesIt]

Originally Posted by kevinkagy

Although I love South Beach, the mainland has some equally nice places that have always been nice like Coral Gables, Coconut Grove, Brickell, South Miami, Pinecrest, Palmetto Bay, Miami Lakes, etc. and areas that are gentrifying and are now very attractive like Midtown (which has completely changed into a true urban neighborhood), Upper East Side with the MiMo Historic District, Design District, and most notably Downtown.

After doing a ton of research on the web, it seems that Coconut Grove is a pretty cool place to live. Close to the action, kind of suburban, and maybe some cute UofMiami girls hanging around. Some people mentioned this area can be a little rough. Are there any streets or boundaries I should stay in between. Any push in the right direction would be great. Thanks once again.

[Meerteekah]

Just be prepared to evacuate if you choose to live on the beach. When hurricane warnings are posted, MB folks are told to move to the mainland shelters. Worth keeping in mind since we had those two, consecutive years of multiple watches/warnings. Pain in the butt!

I'm hoping for many calm summers to come. PLEASE, GOD!

M

[♥♥PRINC3Ss♥♥]

Miami has a lot of nice places surrounded by bad neighborhoods. But you should never have to drive around those areas. All you have to do if you get lost is look for the expressways to get out of there.

Brickell, Coral Gables, MB are all nice areas. I don't like Downtown or the Design district. The Grove is not that great anymore to hang out. Too gangster.

MB would be nice commute for you.