Want to move from San Francisco, CA (actually the suburbs) to Miami, FL - your thoughts? (Jacksonville: fit in, condo)

[buggyssocute]

Hi All, I am very interested in moving from suburbs of San Francisco, CA to Miami, Florida. I work in SF and my company (investments) may have an opportunity in the next year to move to Florida (if i try really hard). I think i would really like to live there. I am latin (central american) and American, my family is here in SF bay area (they might eventually move to miami if we decide, i dont think its a no-go). MY parents are absolutely in love with our son, their new grandson and i dont think they could handle not seeing him. I love the beach, the sun, the warm breeze, the energy of the latin people and flavor. I've lived in bay area for about 15 years and am bored to death of it. My husband is american (from new jersey) and he said he would move for me, but my questions are:

Would my husband be happy (i am the most latin thing in his world - he speaks no spanish)?
Would I be happy? Does miami just sound good, or is life there better?
is quality of life better? air quality? schools?
what about my son, will he be safe there? is it a good place to raise a child?
Will we be able to live in a good neighborhood (we could probably afford about $450,000+ for a starter home, but will that put us in a dangerous neighborhood somewhere?), would we have a yard? a pool?

These are my biggest concerns. It just looks so beautiful, am i daydreaming or would this be something i should really work towards?

Really appreciate your thoughts.

[planetsurf]

Sorry, it's personal taste only.

Some facts ...
YES you can buy quite a nice house in a decent neighborhood for $450k. Easily.

Air quality? Yeah Miami is pretty great there if that's one of your things.

Public schools are very hit and miss (more miss than hit). You can do ok in many areas in elem then middle/high sux. The best areas for elem-high public tend to be more expensive (duh, right?).
There are some GREAT private schools too. Part of the reason we moved back to Miami from San Diego is because the public elem school just wasn't that encouraging and if we needed to spend $ on private anyway, then we might as well be home.
The kids we know with caring, attentive parents, private and public and all ages, are just as great in Miami as anywhere. If you won't have time to spend with your kids, than no big city will really work.

Happy without Spanish? Sure. Most people I know either don't speak Spanish or are mixed couples and one doesn't speak it. BUT Miami is still very Hispanic and Spanish. It can be a culture shock for some. Others (like me) think thats one of the interesting things about Miami. But I still do 99% of my life in English. My parents 100%.

Miami IS beautiful -- most of it. Well, maybe half of it. The "center" of Miami is pretty ugly, non-descript poorer/working class/industrial. This is our first winter back and it reminded me why so many people live here ... the nice half is really pretty!
I know lots of folks with ties to other places ... some love Miami, some just tolerate it, some not so much. It takes all kinds and Miami is filled with all kinds.
BUT don't forget Miami is also crowded, trafficy, glitzy (not necessarily a good thing) and expensive (though not close to NorCal).
You will NOT find many Bay Area staples ... Miami is not intellectual or laid back at all. The best things about Miami (other than restaurants, palm trees and moonlight clouds blowing by at night) are the events ... Art Basel, Book Fair, Food & Wine Fest, etc. -- these things aren't day to day. While there's ABSOLUTELY things to do all the time if you look, it isn't a city centered around coffee shops or book stores (or in SFs case, the "flagship" Apple store -- at least it always feels like that to me lol).
Think a smaller, tropical, more Hispanic, less hip but more glitzy LA. If that appeals to you, then Miami might be just right.

All just MHO -- I don't think ANYONE can tell you if a place is right or not, you have to try it out for yourself. We like it a lot; actually we love our life here more than Miami specifically. BUT Miami is a unique and interesting place and if you don't put it up on a pedestal too much, may be what you're looking for.
"I love the beach, the sun, the warm breeze, the energy of the latin people and flavor."
Yeah, that's Miami.

Good luck.

[kevinkagy]

Originally Posted by planetsurf

Sorry, it's personal taste only.

Some facts ...
YES you can buy quite a nice house in a decent neighborhood for $450k. Easily.

Air quality? Yeah Miami is pretty great there if that's one of your things.

Public schools are very hit and miss (more miss than hit). You can do ok in many areas in elem then middle/high sux. The best areas for elem-high public tend to be more expensive (duh, right?).
There are some GREAT private schools too. Part of the reason we moved back to Miami from San Diego is because the public elem school just wasn't that encouraging and if we needed to spend $ on private anyway, then we might as well be home.
The kids we know with caring, attentive parents, private and public and all ages, are just as great in Miami as anywhere. If you won't have time to spend with your kids, than no big city will really work.

Happy without Spanish? Sure. Most people I know either don't speak Spanish or are mixed couples and one doesn't speak it. BUT Miami is still very Hispanic and Spanish. It can be a culture shock for some. Others (like me) think thats one of the interesting things about Miami. But I still do 99% of my life in English. My parents 100%.

Miami IS beautiful -- most of it. Well, maybe half of it. The "center" of Miami is pretty ugly, non-descript poorer/working class/industrial. This is our first winter back and it reminded me why so many people live here ... the nice half is really pretty!
I know lots of folks with ties to other places ... some love Miami, some just tolerate it, some not so much. It takes all kinds and Miami is filled with all kinds.
BUT don't forget Miami is also crowded, trafficy, glitzy (not necessarily a good thing) and expensive (though not close to NorCal).
You will NOT find many Bay Area staples ... Miami is not intellectual or laid back at all. The best things about Miami (other than restaurants, palm trees and moonlight clouds blowing by at night) are the events ... Art Basel, Book Fair, Food & Wine Fest, etc. -- these things aren't day to day. While there's ABSOLUTELY things to do all the time if you look, it isn't a city centered around coffee shops or book stores (or in SFs case, the "flagship" Apple store -- at least it always feels like that to me lol).
Think a smaller, tropical, more Hispanic, less hip but more glitzy LA. If that appeals to you, then Miami might be just right.

All just MHO -- I don't think ANYONE can tell you if a place is right or not, you have to try it out for yourself. We like it a lot; actually we love our life here more than Miami specifically. BUT Miami is a unique and interesting place and if you don't put it up on a pedestal too much, may be what you're looking for.
"I love the beach, the sun, the warm breeze, the energy of the latin people and flavor."
Yeah, that's Miami.

Good luck.

If I could give you another +1, I would lol. Great suggestion and all of is a true, unbiased anaylsis of Miami. I have to agree, and say that to really know if a place is right for you is to visit in person. I love Miami, but maybe you wouldn't, it's hard to tell. First and foremost, I'd say come to Miami and visit. Don't just go to the touristy areas, but take a drive around some residential neighborhoods you'd be interested in, read up on the public schools (which by the way, are run by Miami-Dade Public Schools), and check out the local scene. It's all about taste.

[burgler09]

I couldn't ask for a better place to live. I'm a white guy from Michigan, I do speak Spanish but I don't speak it natively. I personally think Miami is a wonderful place to live, I can't really say too much about the schools because I never went here, so I'd be lying. The air quality, as stated is one of the best in the USA, and you can definitely tell a difference. How can you forget about this perfect weather?? There's not a city in the USA with a better year-round temperature.. unless you like the cold. 450k will get you a pretty nice place in a good area. If your husband married a latina, I'm sure he'll be able to handle living in Miami. Sometimes I take cabs around, and they always tell me how they'd never leave Miami and how much they love it. You see a lot of hatred on this board, but when you are actually in the city, out and about and talking with people, you'll see the general opinion is that they love this city and it is almost impossible to leave!

[induhvidual]

Planetsurf has nailed it, as usual
But(i must spread it around before giving it to ps again)

[buggyssocute]

This is great! Thanks everyone! I was starting to get really bummed because i had a wonderful opinion of miami and everyone on the board seems to dislike it. Especially the bad comments about it not being a good place to raise children.

Things are very expensive here in SF and quality of life (in my opinion) is not that great, I am tired of seeing bumms, smelly hippies, lack of respect for your body, etc and i just think that all that sun and fresh air has got to be good for you. I miss it being from Central America - one question i have is,

how is the water quality? Can i actually go swimming or is it like beaches here where you have to get a hepatitis shot and wonder if its sewage or oil you are swimming in... I hope not...

the other thing i dislike is shallow people with big boobs and all the rest. I cant stand the scrawny smart people over here that much either, i just think there has to be a happy medium.

if 450K can get me a beautiful home in a nice neighborhood (without having to live in a huge condo building) that's great!

thanks again everyone for your insight.

[EnjoyTheSilence]

Personally, I'd rather live in SF, but it sounds like you'll be fine here in Miami, so good luck to you!

[rogerbacon]

Your husband probably will get frustrated with the amount of Spanish here. I don't know. It might be different if he is out with you and language is not a problem. Now, I'm not going to say that he won't be able to get around without knowing Spanish ecause he will. It's just that things might not be as easy as he is used to in SF. Also, there is the discrimination. As an example, have him go into one ofhte small electonics sotres in downtown Miami and ask the price of something; they don't have price tags on most of the stuff around there. Later, go in the store yourself and ask the price in Spanish. You will find it cheaper to be sure. Some will say it is just a business man sizing up a customer and setting the price at what he thinks the customer will pay. Maybe so, but it doesn't make you feel any less taken advantage of when you find out.

[EnjoyTheSilence]

Originally Posted by rogerbacon

Your husband probably will get frustrated with the amount of Spanish here. I don't know. It might be different if he is out with you and language is not a problem. Now, I'm not going to say that he won't be able to get around without knowing Spanish ecause he will. It's just that things might not be as easy as he is used to in SF. Also, there is the discrimination. As an example, have him go into one ofhte small electonics sotres in downtown Miami and ask the price of something; they don't have price tags on most of the stuff around there. Later, go in the store yourself and ask the price in Spanish. You will find it cheaper to be sure. Some will say it is just a business man sizing up a customer and setting the price at what he thinks the customer will pay. Maybe so, but it doesn't make you feel any less taken advantage of when you find out.

I agree....while you may fit in, your husband might feel alienated, who knows? I don't speak a lick of Spanish myself, but obviously, I can get by just fine.

Have you visited Miami extensively before? If you are hell bent on moving here, I would recommend Broward County over Dade County, hands down (better schools, less traffic, still part of the USA).

[Mcsmith0210]

In the beginning- the spanish thing is fine- then you get used to it.... then it just annoys you. I know Cuban people who are annoyed with other Cuban people just because they refuse to speak English. So your husband will eventually suffer from "English withdrawal"- I know its nice of all the people on here to stare at the sun and then try to see why this is frustrating to some of us- but its the truth. A good portion of the population down here (over 30) are those who are completely ignorant to the English language and its use.

Alot of people will tell you that this is a nice place to raise kids- and the same person will turn around and tell you they would rather be somewhere else. You need to look at the schools- because they arent the best here. The crime is still higher than average- especially thefts and robberies- and for anyone who isnt used to this kind of scene it can be a culture shock for sure.

Dont let people scare you away- were all a little disenchanted on here- either we dislike this city or we dont like the people who dislike this city. Living here is much different especially from the West Coast. So if you hate Northeasterners, if youre not comfortable with traditional minorities being the majority, or even if you just want some different weather once and a while. I would look into Atlanta, Charlotte, Jacksonville, Nashville- anywhere with size that IS NOT here.