miami here i come (Tampa, Orlando: sick, gangs, diversity)

[induhvidual]

would Key Biscayne be in my price range?
Re safety, I am more concerned with the building itself. I will of course have an intrusion system. As for the streets, she will not be walking unaccompanied but it is food for thought.
Thanks again

[doggiebus]

I really don't know, as i don't rent. There are many high-rise condos on Key Biscayne with all the security stuff, but it isn't a walk to stuff place. They may be pretty close in price??? It would be nice to walk to stuff like in NYC, the closest to that is South Beach, Coral Gables around Miraicle and Ponce and Coconut Grove, but the west side of the grove isn't the safest area.

[induhvidual]

Doggiebus, thank you, very helpful info about Coral Gables.
You say, CG is not the best place to raise a kid. Other than pinecrest, what other area would be suitable, with a reasonable commute for me?
What do you think of Dadeland with all its new hi-rise buildings.
They are trying for a Manhattan style ambience there, are they not?
Will I have good neighbours there, or for that matter in CG?

I understand this is a very subjective topic, I am interested in your opinion.
This forum has done a great job of scaring me and my wife half to death, but I also realise that there are real people living in Miami, it cant be all that bad.

[Need_affordable_home]

Most people I know hate Miami. You should talk to Elfyum, she looooooooooves Miami. Her reason is the hot, hot, hot weather. The hotter, the better!

I would like the shopping Miami has to offer and theres an Intacs center there to correct my myopia. Cant think of anything else good to say so I wont say it.

[doggiebus]

Originally Posted by induhvidual

Doggiebus, thank you, very helpful info about Coral Gables.
You say, CG is not the best place to raise a kid. Other than pinecrest, what other area would be suitable, with a reasonable commute for me?
What do you think of Dadeland with all its new hi-rise buildings.
They are trying for a Manhattan style ambience there, are they not?
Will I have good neighbours there, or for that matter in CG?

I understand this is a very subjective topic, I am interested in your opinion.
This forum has done a great job of scaring me and my wife half to death, but I also realise that there are real people living in Miami, it cant be all that bad.

No I said Key Biscayne isn't a place to raise kids, Coral Gables is fine. Coconut Grove is good too, its just that it has a not so nice area to the west that is next to the good areas. Coconut Grove isn't much longer of a commute time than Coral Gables. As for commute time CG is your best bet, as you can take some of the back streets to work most likely. I think the Key Biscayne kids go to the same high school as the Coral Gables kids do.

Dadeland yep they are trying to make the buildings mixed use like NYC. We will see, there is someone on here that lives in one of the buildings that might chime in to answer any questions about the buildings in the Dadeland areas.

Other areas, that have a short commute, the city of South Miami but east of US1 it borders parts of Coral Gables.

Good Neighbors, I don't know, in Miami you really don't get to know your neighbors, unless something happens good or bad. I have gotten to know our neighbors because the neighborhood got together to fight something with MDX and the school board too. So we all now wave at each other. But I wouldn't consider this the norm, we aren't the typically neighbors as my block is 80% non-hispanics, not normal in Miami.

Is Miami all that bad? As you said it is subjective, I grew up here, and so did my dad. And Miami has truely changed. In the last 10 years Miami has changed drastically, I don't know why it has gotten so bad, but it has. There are a lot of people in a small area, since we have the everglades on one side the ocean on two sides and the county line at the other end, so many people. The people have just gotten ruder, like if you hold the door open, don't expect a thank you. Or if you let someone in front of you in the car, don't expect a wave of thank you. It is kinda like, many here have forgotten commen courtesies. I was just in NYC last summer, the people seemed friendlier for some reason. I am sure you read my post of the guy that stopped traffic on the palmetto int he far left lane, to turn around to get back to his exit (going south on the North bound side of the expressway), people that are normal, get off at the next exit.

You know I had two friends in 2006 leave to raise their kids in a better place. Many people that have lived here and watch Miami change are leaving for a better lifestyle. I don't know but I wouldn't recommend my personal friends to raise kids in Miami, IMO, even if they are hispanic. One of the friend that left was hispanic. If you have any questions just PM me and I will try to answer it.

[Chelito23]

Miami is not a place to raise kids or teenagers...at all. The local culture sexualizes people at a young age here...you will see young girls dressed like strippers at the malls, at restaurants, evn in the company of their parents. Many clubs have teen nights where 16 year olds and up are allowed (no alcohol though, "yeah, right").

Schools are really a mess too, since the schools can't do too much about the kids performing inappropriate behavior (for adults even). Basically, I would say, don't put your daughter at risk of being near and living amongst the intense peer presure from so many people in a dysfunctional community that is not family oriented. There are so many bad influences here for the young nowadays, and the schools are not going to be a sanctuaty from this. I think you are right to be concerned about security, but moreso I would worry about what living in Miami will do to your daughter's perception of self-worth, community service, community in general, charity, materialistic values, parties, drinking, drugs, responsibility and what a normal relationship is like.

She may have all of these qualities now, but unfortunately, they are very rare in South Florida, in all generations and races. I am by no means a conservative or prude...but I would not raise my kids here...if I had any. It just isn't a place to raise them. This is a place to "party." I worked for the public schools here for quite some time, went through the public schools in the 80s and 90s as a student, and now work as an interpeter and translator (courts, hospitals, offices), so I can guarantee, the problems I am aware of are not based on a negative view point rather a professional who has first hand experience living and working among them. Good luck and come here for yourself to get a first hand feel of things...

[vpcats]

Originally Posted by induhvidual

vpcats, thank you, appreciate your help.I will look up Coral Way. I am open to other areas as well.
Where would you suggest in Key Biscayne or the Grove would be best suited to me. Security is also high on my priorities as I have a teenage daughter.I want her to be in a safe and friendly environment.

Where is it that you would be commuting to for work?
Since you were asking about Coral Gables, that's why I suggested the Coral Way Corridor from about 30th to 36 Ave. That's just before Ponce de Leon where there is also a lot of activity - shops, restaurants, cafes, bookstores, etc. Coral Way is Miracle Mile when it gets this high up in the avenues. If you concentrate, or get a rental agency to, in a small radius around there, you will end up with very nice places which I think are definitely in the price range you stated.
I'm not keen on the Dadeland area and depending on your work area, it may be very slow going.

[induhvidual]

vpcats,
I will be commuting to the south airport area, more specifically the Sheraton MIA. That is why I think CG would be the most convenient. Thanks for that input, I will be there in April to look
Yes, SoBe is not good for me and I think I may not want to be the gatekeeper for every storm and hurricane that passes thru, in fact, I prefer staying a little more inland than closer to the beach, having lived close to the water, beaches all my life.
I'm open and appreciate any more ideas, opinions that you may have
thanks again

[vvolin]

The fact is, Miami is not an easy place to live, and this is true particularly if you have children. If you are single or you are a couple without children, you get to enjoy the positives without a large part of the negatives. Positives (by the way, these work also for families....): great winter, great beaches, in miami the latino communities offer festivals, events, an overall festive atmosphere much of the time. Negatives: traffic, bed schools, an overall roughness coming from the fact that most people come here to make a few bucks and never feel they owe anything to the community, an horrendous summer season (unless you really like it hot and steamy), a cultural life that...does not exist (have you ever found a place with so many millionaires where a symphony goes bankrupt?.

[tallrick]

OK I grew up in Miami in the 70's and graduated high school in 1985. This was in the westwood lake area. Even back there there was a lot of drugs, and sex and I heard plenty of stories about it. The difference was that there were also "good" families who either hid their vices well, or were wholesome. In school there was a sense of discipline, but some schools more than others. In general the poor schools had teachers who would "whoop good" the kids who acted up. My elementary school had a Principal with a paddle who would use it on "special cases". None of the schools had air conditioning, and I think the outdoor interaction helped calm the kids a bit. By the 80's kids had downgraded a bit, and I thought everyone looked funny with their tight jeans and big hair. As time went on I lost interest in making friends and just concentrated on academics. What I did see was the experiences of others and the drugs and sex were just as common then as now. South Florida has never been a wholesome place to raise children, and back then it was American. Today's third world education system means you are worse off than ever. Teachers and administrators can't discipline, and parents let their kids run wild. Just go to any restaurant or public place and you will see them scream and run around. Step on one of the little brats and the parents give you attitude. It's all me, me, me and no sense of community. If I were you I would not come to Miami. While some of us avoid the sex and drugs, Miami will leave it's mark on you. I know that I am cynical, and negative towards many things due to growing up in Miami. Please do yourself a favor , do not move to Miami!