Which city/municipality in South Dade is becoming another Miami Gardens? (Kendall: condos, houses)

[big mean bear]

If current in-county migration patterns continue, we are likely to see a large colony of riff raff develop somewhere in South Dade, something that makes Florida City look small. Certain crime-ridden populations are being displaced from their expensive turf downtown and in other areas due to new development and government-developer induced exodus. In 10 years, which South Dade area (incorporated or unincorporated) will be the new Miami Gardens of the South?

[compelled to reply]

Atlanta. I don't see most of the displaced staying in South Florida at all.

[big mean bear]

Originally Posted by compelled to reply

Atlanta. I don't see most of the displaced staying in South Florida at all.

Ha! That's one I didn't expect! Wouldn't tracking interstate migration one of the hardest things to support with data? The idea of what you are proposing seems very likely and understandable, but how can we track this one? I know from 'driving' through many parts of South Dade that there are many Haitians and Dominican-looking folks moving to new developments in palces like Naranja, Goulds, and Leisure City, and also Homestead. There are incredible deals on condos and cookie cutter 1,000 s.f single family homes down there... I saw a sign off the Turnpike that said advertised new but tiny homes for $69,000 IN THE DOOR!!!

The most notable migratory move of the 2000's would probably be the exodus of a couple hundred thousand African-Americans out of New Orleans/Southern Luisiana to Houston and what was the other one... Memphis maybe?

[compelled to reply]

I acutally couldn't see it migrating south in general. I think South Dade is already about as about as run down as one can expect in the United States and maybe a few notches worse than Miami Gardens. Only the Lake Okeechobee area in PBC is in worse shape to me. Yes though, the new neighborhoods could get run down very quickly, and they will. It seems very similar to the Inland Empire in So Cal. But I can't picture the type of "run downness" to be anything similar to Miami Gardens, which actually reminds me more of taking the absolute worst blocks of Broward County and multiplying them for miles, or basically, other southern US inner city areas. It's a whole different feel altogether.

[big mean bear]

When the farm fields disappear into houses in South Dade what you have are giant neighborhoods with grids that look very much like Miami Gardens, with similar sized and constructed homes, and with people who have similar income levels and 'propensities' as in Miami Gardens. The people moving in to these vast new developments are not conducive to "Happy Family" white picket fence-ville, and I think it will only take a few years for the whole area down there to start looking run down like Miami Gardens and Opa Locka.

[crisp444]

Originally Posted by big mean bear

I know from 'driving' through many parts of South Dade that there are many Haitians and Dominican-looking folks moving to new developments in palces like Naranja, Goulds, and Leisure City, and also Homestead.

Yeah, the demographics have changed and are still changing. Believe it or not there is still some "white flight" (principally Anglos + white Cubans/Cuban-Americans) going on in South Dade. However, what do you mean by a "Miami Gardens demographic?" I am literally interpreting it to mean lower middle class Hispanic people "of color" mixed with Haitians, Jamaicans, and African Americans. Why do you think that the newly-build gated community will become ghetto? You seem to be implying that. As ugly and cookie cutter as they are, they at least are attracting working families. I actually think that Homestead is heading in the RIGHT direction, and I don't think Cutler Ridge/Bay is getting any worse either.

[crisp444]

Originally Posted by compelled to reply

I think South Dade is already about as about as run down as one can expect in the United States and maybe a few notches worse than Miami Gardens. Only the Lake Okeechobee area in PBC is in worse shape to me.

I dunno, there are still a lot of decent areas in South Dade (and when I say "South Dade," I mean below SW 152nd Street). I wouldn't even characterize it as "ghetto" in general: Keys Gate, Whispering Pines/Lakes by the Bay (eastern and central Cutler Ridge/Bay), Redlands, parts of Homestead, Country Walk, parts of South Miami Heights, and Palmetto Bay are all decent to nice areas. I think it would be a mischaracterization to say that South Dade is a ghetto in general.

[compelled to reply]

I don't really consider Country Walk or Palmetto Bay to be South Dade. I really think out of those, the only areas that are nice that I would personally consider South Dade are Key's Gate, Redlands, and east Cutler Bay. I'm not sure I would consider any section of South Miami Heights to be "nice" either, but some parts aren't as bad as others. I also agree that the whole area has absolutely nowhere to go but up and is actually getting better. All I know is that Naranja, Goulds, Leisure City, Florida City, most of Homestead, and honestly most of South Dade is horrendous and really does have the "third world" feel.

[crisp444]

Originally Posted by compelled to reply

I don't really consider Country Walk or Palmetto Bay to be South Dade. I really think out of those, the only areas that are nice that I would personally consider South Dade are Key's Gate, Redlands, and east Cutler Bay. I'm not sure I would consider any section of South Miami Heights to be "nice" either, but some parts aren't as bad as others. I also agree that the whole area has absolutely nowhere to go but up and is actually getting better. All I know is that Naranja, Goulds, Leisure City, Florida City, most of Homestead, and honestly most of South Dade is horrendous and really does have the "third world" feel.

Warning: these are social observations and opinion, not fact.

The funny thing is that back in the day (even when I was a kid when Andrew hit) people would refer to anything below 88th Street as "South Dade" - after Andrew "South Dade" became more synonymous with the area most affected by the storm - below 152nd Street. You're right that Country Walk is where "deep south Dade" becomes (southwest) Kendall, but it straddles 152nd so I think of it as where "South Dade" begins. In fact, Country Walk was one of the hardest hit areas in Andrew, which, if anything, SOLIDIFIED the idea of Country Walk being in South Dade. Palmetto Bay has traditionally been "South Dade" as well but lately has been lumped in with Pinecrest. I agree that my mind doesn't really jump to Palmetto Bay when I think of "South" Dade, so maybe by virtue of its proximity to Pinecrest / East Kendall and its social status we can exclude it from our definition.

Re: South Miami Heights... it's not a nice area overall but there are some decent parts of it. There are some very nice blocks in the decent parts where Cuban-American homeowners (LOL how do I know? The big fountain in the front yard and ornate ironwork enclosing the property! My Cuban-dar is pretty good, you know!) have really made the driveways/landscaping of their homes very attractive. There are, believe it or not, quite a few nice homes on large lots with pools back there.

[big mean bear]

Originally Posted by crisp444

Warning: these are social observations and opinion, not fact.

There are, believe it or not, quite a few nice homes on large lots with pools back there.

Observations are better than anything, especially numbers, which don't tell the whole story. As long as the observer knows what he's talking about.

Originally Posted by compelled to reply

All I know is that Naranja, Goulds, Leisure City, Florida City, most of Homestead, and honestly most of South Dade is horrendous and really does have the "third world" feel.

Not many of the gas stations down there open their doors to customers after dark. That should tell you something about an area (for those who restrict themselves to numbers).

When you have such a sizable Mexican population who ride their bicycles around, some of the roads remind me of rural China... On some of my excursions down there I have seen men who look like some kind of labor force walking aimlessly in the middle of nowhere (up to no good). These aren't characteristics "up and coming areas" (compelled). And this is just the start.