Should we move to Aventura or Coral Gables? (Miami, Key Biscayne: school, live)

[Cane Fan]

Originally Posted by kevinkagy

Both areas of Miami are very nice. Aventura is, in my limited knowledge of the area a lot more boring than Coral Gables. Here's why. Coral Gables is, like others have said, "a calm, historic, family-oriented neighborhood within a huge city". In Coral Gables, you're close to everything: Downtown, Brickell, South Miami, Dadeland, Coconut Grove, Little Havana, MIA, etc.

Plus, living in Coral Gables is pretty prestigious enough. Everyone wants to live there, because it really is amazing. Beautiful, old homes covered by a forest of huge trees. Plus, nearby Coconut Grove neighborhood has most of Miami's best private schools, many which are ranked as some of the best in the U.S. Coral Gables is suburban-urban for being suburban but within an urban environment. If that makes any sense.

My other suggestion would be Brickell. Now Brickell is a bit different. Unlike, Coral Gables, Brickell is very, very urban, full of upscale office, hotel, and apartment towers with shops on the streets, great public transit, and a very lively 24/7 environment. Also, Brickell is very safe, clean, in a great area, close to everything (even more so than Coral Gables, due to its proximity to South Beach, Little Havana and Midtown), and its prestigious.

So, in conclusion. Look into Coral Gables and Brickell. I think those are your best bets and then decide: "do I want to live in a single-family home or a condo?" That's what it boils down to. Best of luck and I hope you make the right decision! Welcome to Miami!

Ooops , but technically neither area is part of Miami ... suprising that you would not know that ?

[Dessa]

Let me start by saying that I live near Coral Gables, FL. In Coconut Grove, precisely.
We have two kids, ages 4 and 2. They need to go to private schools because of the age and if I could afford to live in Miami, I would stay. The problem is that you must make at least 150K to do well here. My husband and I don't so we are moving to NC where everything is cheaper for us. House there go for about 200's and in Miami you don't buy a Condo for that price.

Again, you're an attorney, you should be fine. You can take your kids to private school all their lives, hopefully. Public School in Miami sucks! Some of them are rated "A" schools, but that doesn't mean anything here.

Another thing to consider is that if you move to Miami, you are moving to South America, or Cuba most precisely. Be ready to start learning some Spanish on the street and you will, I did!

Bottom line is that if you are single, or just a couple, Miami is the place to be. But if you have a family, I would not reccommend. That's the reason we are moving. The quality of life will be much better in North Carolina, for us. We have been there and we loved it! Weather is not bad, either.

Ciao!

[JacobMAX]

Originally Posted by Dessa

Let me start by saying that I live near Coral Gables, FL. In Coconut Grove, precisely.
We have two kids, ages 4 and 2. They need to go to private schools because of the age and if I could afford to live in Miami, I would stay. The problem is that you must make at least 150K to do well here. My husband and I don't so we are moving to NC where everything is cheaper for us. House there go for about 200's and in Miami you don't buy a Condo for that price.

Again, you're an attorney, you should be fine. You can take your kids to private school all their lives, hopefully. Public School in Miami sucks! Some of them are rated "A" schools, but that doesn't mean anything here.

Another thing to consider is that if you move to Miami, you are moving to South America, or Cuba most precisely. Be ready to start learning some Spanish on the street and you will, I did!

Bottom line is that if you are single, or just a couple, Miami is the place to be. But if you have a family, I would not reccommend. That's the reason we are moving. The quality of life will be much better in North Carolina, for us. We have been there and we loved it! Weather is not bad, either.

Ciao!

I agree with most things you said, but I think you don't need to speak Spanish to survive here, because most Hispanics speak English...and if you make about 90K you can live well here...

Coral Gables is a pretty good neighborhood ( in my opinion better than Aventura ).

[spattley]

Brickell Key and Brickell are different. Check it up on wikipedia or whatnot. I personally would live in Brickell. I like tall buildings and wide sidewalks...but... that being said I have no clue about schools. I do know that when I went to CG high school tons of the rich kids jumped ship for Lourdes or ... those other private schools. I'd still live in a Brickell condo. It's my style.

Brickell, Miami, Florida - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[Jduchart]

I say Coral Gables. I think its very historic in areas.
Traffic is not as bad as Aventura. If you know the back streets
you can get to places much better. Also has great shopping
and a lot to do from with in the gables with out having to leave.

[Sun&Sea]

Originally Posted by Dessa

Let me start by saying that I live near Coral Gables, FL. In Coconut Grove, precisely.
We have two kids, ages 4 and 2. They need to go to private schools because of the age and if I could afford to live in Miami, I would stay. The problem is that you must make at least 150K to do well here. My husband and I don't so we are moving to NC where everything is cheaper for us. House there go for about 200's and in Miami you don't buy a Condo for that price.

Again, you're an attorney, you should be fine. You can take your kids to private school all their lives, hopefully. Public School in Miami sucks! Some of them are rated "A" schools, but that doesn't mean anything here.

Another thing to consider is that if you move to Miami, you are moving to South America, or Cuba most precisely. Be ready to start learning some Spanish on the street and you will, I did!

Bottom line is that if you are single, or just a couple, Miami is the place to be. But if you have a family, I would not reccommend. That's the reason we are moving. The quality of life will be much better in North Carolina, for us. We have been there and we loved it! Weather is not bad, either.

Ciao!

Hi Dessa,

Thanks for your input! I am an US citizen and have lived in NYC for many years. But I am actually originally from South America, Brazil, and my husband is Argentinean. So I speak Portuguese. And, as an adult, I also learned Spanish and speak it pretty well.
But I just don't like being in the US and people refusing to speak English. It happend to me in Aventura that I asked a question to a sales person in a store in English and he, being either Cuban, Colombian, Argentinean, Dominican, I really don't know, but he insisted in replying to me in Spanish. I don't get it.

I have never experienced anything like that in NYC, even though that are many hispanics there too. In NYC if you speak in English they reply in English. If you happen to speak Spanish to them, then OK, they reply in Spanish. I am obvioulsy talking about hispanics who are bilingual.

So why should I have to speak in Spanish to this sales guy?? Spanish is not even my first language! In the US the official language should be English. At least for business purposes. I was in in a store, in a shoping mall, after all!

Anyway, just thought I should clarify that. Thanks!

[Sun&Sea]

Originally Posted by Jduchart

I say Coral Gables. I think its very historic in areas.
Traffic is not as bad as Aventura. If you know the back streets
you can get to places much better. Also has great shopping
and a lot to do from with in the gables with out having to leave.

Thank you very much, great to know about these back streets!! We are now really inclined to move to CG, because the commuting to Downtown Miami will be so much easier than from Aventura to Downtown, right?

The only thing that keeps us from finally deciding is that in Aventura you have a couple of really nice gated communities, like Aventura Lakes, with great houses for a price we can actually afford. In Coral Gables, on the other hand, all the gated communities are really really really expensive. And we feel a little insecured about living in a SFH not in a gated community. Even in a safe place like CG. We are used to living in apartments... So that's our dilemma now.

Thanks again!

[citycrawler]

I can't say I would recommend either, both are super expensive.

[planetsurf]

Originally Posted by Sun&Sea

Thank you very much, great to know about these back streets!! We are now really inclined to move to CG, because the commuting to Downtown Miami will be so much easier than from Aventura to Downtown, right?

Right. From Downtown to Aventura you need to go north on I-95 (not too bad but certainly not great) then east to Aventura which can be almost worse - especially November - January. All the snowbirds plus the Christmas shopping season ... it gets REALLY bad then.
To the Gables it's basically SW on US1. Crowded but a pretty short hop.

BUT, it isn't TOO big a difference -- depending on where you live maybe 20 minutes extra each way? (30?) It's not like Weston vs CGables, which would be way longer.

Make sure you consider the school situation too --- as you already know, there are some awesome private schools around CG. I know of a few in Aventura (like Miami Country Day) but not sure they are quite as good as Gulliver or Ransom. Maybe, I just don't know.
Maybe someone here can help with that.

[Sun&Sea]

Originally Posted by planetsurf

BUT, it isn't TOO big a difference -- depending on where you live maybe 20 minutes extra each way? (30?) It's not like Weston vs CGables, which would be way longer.

Hey Planetsurf, nice to "talk" to you again! Thanks for your post!

You are right. Google Map says that the distance from CG to Downtown is 6.1 miles (about 14 minutes with no traffic), and from Aventura to Downtown is 16.5 miles (abour 22 minutes.) Funny that the distance is almost 3 times longer but the time is less than double. Why do you think is that? Why would be faster to travel N to S than E to SW, when the latter distance is shorter?

Anyway, of course the school situation is another big point for CG. But we got a little turned off when a friend (who lives in Miami) told us that Gulliver has had some controversies regarding possible drug problems... have you hear of that?

Ransom is supposted to be THE BEST, but since it doesn't start until 6th grade and our daughter is not even 2yo yet... Then, besides Gulliver, all we can find around CG in terms of private schools with excellent reputation are Catholic Schools. But we really would like a secular school.

But I am sure there must be a good one around that area, since there are so many private schools... Thanks again!