Renting in Coral Gables or Coconut Grove (Miami, Miami Beach: 2010, apartments)

[ellie424]

Hi everyone!!

This is my very first post and I am so happy that I found this forum! My boyfriend and I are looking to relocate from New York to the Miami area in Summer 2010. When we move, I will be 25 and my boyfriend will be 26. We like to be around some action, but we are not big partiers. We mostly want to be close to restaurants, shopping, and some bars (we aren't really into clubs too much).

We have been doing a lot of research lately, and have narrowed down the areas that we think we would like to move to. We are mostly interested in Coral Gables or Coconut Grove, however, we're also considering Aventura, Sunny Isles, Miami Beach, and Brickell. We are looking to rent and our budget per month would be about $1,000 - $1,200. Ideally we would like to rent in a gated community that has a pool. We are also open to living in a high rise. If we move to Coral Gables we would like to be near Miracle Mile. Is this even possible within our price range??

Also, does anyone know any reputable sites to look for rentals?? I have been looking on Craigslist but I know listings can be fake so I don't know which ones I can trust to get an idea of the monthly cost. We are looking to take a trip down to Miami this summer to see the different areas that we are considering. I can't wait to move out of cold New York to sunny Florida!!

Thank you in advance!

Ellie

[Cougar Beach]

The places you mentioned are good choices, but I'd lean toward South Beach, on the Biscayne Bay side. The way things are going, you will probably be able to find a pretty decent 1-br, 1 1/2 bath apartment in a reasonable building (including a parking spot) for $1200 a month. It's a very walkable area. Things are open late.

I do like Coconut Grove very much, but the choice of apartments is a bit limited (although there are some big ones on Bayshore Drive), and renting a house is not cheap there.

I don't have much experience with Aventura. It seems kind of sterile to me, but that's just a matter of taste. It can be a convenient location, depending on where you work.

I assume you guys will be working. That should guide where you look. Commuting in Miami can really suck. You probably don't want to live in Aventura if you work in South Dade.

[ellie424]

Thanks so much Cougar Beach! I will definately look into apartments in South Beach. Any other advice on the different areas, particularly Coral Gables will be greatly appreciated! Thanks again!

[Lost in Translation]

Originally Posted by ellie424

Thanks so much Cougar Beach! I will definately look into apartments in South Beach. Any other advice on the different areas, particularly Coral Gables will be greatly appreciated! Thanks again!

What Cougar Beach said. Live close to where you will work. Driving in Miami is very, very stressful and frustrating.

I personally think the 'Miracle Mile' and Coco Grove are way over-rated, so I would steer you away from those areas. Sunny Isles is okay, but congested and not really very pedestrian friendly IMO. Aventura is kind of blah. Based on the limited info you've given, it looks like Miami Beach might be your best bet.

[Cougar Beach]

I agree with what LiT said ("blah" is a good way to describe Aventura), although I still kind of like the feel of Coconut Grove, but keep in mind that it reflects our personal taste. Ellie, you need to check out the areas yourself and see what you think. To me Coral Gables is very nice, but has too much of a suburban vibe. The only areas in Miami I have lived in besides South Beach are southwest Miami-Dade, while I was still in school. It was fine then, since I was a kid, my friends were around, I was busy with school, etc. Now Kendall and the rest of the southwest seem mind-numbingly boring to me.

Another area to consider is Brickell, if you can find a good deal there. But like I said, where you work will play a big part in your decision.

[miamiblue]

Definitely live close to where you work, and with a reverse commute (go the opposite direction everyone else does during rush hour).

Another good area to check out is South Miami, specifically the Red RD area just south of Sunset. You could probably find a 2/1 condo to rent in that area in your price range. Most of the communities are not gated in this area (no need), but they usually will have a pool. It is all walking distance to Sunset Place mall, restaurants, shops, Metrorail, and even grocery stores. I lived in that part of town for 3 years and loved that area.

[ellie424]

Thank you everyone for the information! I am going to look into the areas you all suggested. Quick question -- is zip code 33139 considered South Beach on the Biscayne Bay side?? Cougar Beach, I know that you suggested that area. Why would it be better to be on the Biscayne Bay side than on the beach side?

The reason I'm asking about the zip code is because the sister of a coworker of mine currently lives in Miami and she suggested that I should look into either zip code 33139 or 33141. Upon looking into 33139 it looks like it is South Beach on the Biscayne Bay side. Am I correct?

Thank you again for all of your help!!

[Cougar Beach]

> is zip code 33139 considered South Beach on the Biscayne Bay side

Yes. It's where I live. 33139 is all of South Beach. 33140 is mid-Beach and 33141 is North Beach.

In South Beach, the beach side is fine if you want to party 24/7. It tends to be noisy. The bay side is more "residential", where it's conceivable that one could study.

The part between the bay and the ocean might be cheaper to rent, but I'd stay away from the 5th street to 9th street area there.

It's a pretty easy commute from here to the Civic Center, where the UM Medical school is, or downtown, where a campus of Miami-Dade College is. It's more of a challenge to get to most other schools. If you go to the Starbucks at West Ave. and 10th St., you'll find a lot of students in the evening doing biology/anatomy/physiology/etc. homework.