Is Miami a lot like new york?

[Wild Style]

Originally Posted by Austin13

I agree with you regarding the real estate problem here! That's big!

However, I live downtown, and it is not a "ghost town" after dark. The business district, up and down Flagler Street, is deserted after dark, but that is not NEW. It has been that way for years and years. Many of the homeless "live" in that area of Miami after dark. However, cross the Miami River bridge, go south into the Brickell area, and you will find something very different. You may enjoy Morton's for dinner next time you're here. And then there is the Mary Brickell Village area. You've also got Key Biscayne, etc., etc.

Miami has been hit very hard in re the real estate market for sure. There was a lot of over-building and people "investing" in properties to "flip" when the bottom fell out! Yet not all those new buildings are "empty" as you say.

I would add one thing. If looking for a job in Miami, it really is necessary to speak Spanish.......and in a lot of cases one must be able to speak both English and Spanish. There are many small businesses in Miami where Spanish is the only language spoken.

Yes brickell is populated to a EXTENT however the rest of downtown all the way up to mid town is deserted. A good friend of mine was a lead engineer for FPL and he worked with a lot of those builders down there. He said atleast 68% of ALL the buildings he saw down there were empty. Also, the reason Whole Foods pulled out of building downtown was because of the lack of population density necessary to run their business. The population just isn't there. Yes it has been that way for a LONG time however, if it is to become a vibrant economic hub then they need to do something about that. They also need to improve the look of many of those old beat up buildings down there. Also they need to help promote those mom and pop shops down there. As for learning spanish, if I remain in Florida I absolutly plan to learn the language. I am planning to run my own business soon and I realize how important the spanish is down here. With that said, I still think Miami is the ish

[JulianM09]

Originally Posted by Austin13

I'm very familiar with the Brickell area, the financial district. It is my neighborhood. That is where I live. International banks......largely South American. I don't believe I said there were any "Cuban" banking interests on Brickell. LOL I said South American.

I don't think I said Cuban either?
It just happens that you failed to acknowledge or mention that there are financial corporations from all over the world, European banks have just as a strong presence.

Originally Posted by Austin13

I guess my question to you now would be what do you have against Cuban Americans in Miami? Why do you seem offended that I "suggested" that the politican and professional world of Miami has been dominated by Cuban Americans? Do you have a problem with Cuban Americans?

I was just countering your assumption of Cubans. The people begind the scenes that work with Diaz, Gonzalez, Alvarez are not all cuban, Ive known plenty of people through out my years in Miami. Ive been in the courts and I can assure you Cuban-Americans are not the majority in them when it comes to judges, don't know how you can come to the point that I have something against them, if anything I defend them alot on this board from ignorant statements that flood this website at times.