Possible Relocation (Miami, Orlando, Miramar: middle-class, neighborhoods, college)

[Staccato]

I'm up for a position in Miami, but after reading these forums I'm absolutely terrified by the thought of trying to live in Miami.

About me:

I'm a single African-American female, I've enjoyed a fairly upper-middle class upbringing and I enjoy living in progressive urban areas. Despite owning a car, I prefer to walk to shops and restaurants. My favorite scenario is being able to walk to work.

Where does someone like me go? The racial climate in Miami seems so contentious. From what I can see, the non-Hispanic whites as a group (not necessarily as individuals) think the blacks are gang-bangers. It is in the Hispanic's and most immigrants best interest to distance themselves from blacks. Then there is my own personal experience of separation and resentment from Caribbean born blacks.

Are there places that I can live as a single person and have a social life (black or multi-cultural)? Where might that be? What do rents go for?

As an idea I have lived in the following cities as an adult:
Orlando (4 years)
NYC (4 years)
Atlanta
Philadelphia

Thanks in advance for your help.

[crisp444]

Originally Posted by Staccato

I'm up for a position in Miami, but after reading these forums I'm absolutely terrified by the thought of trying to live in Miami.

About me:

I'm a single African-American female, I've enjoyed a fairly upper-middle class upbringing and I enjoy living in progressive urban areas. Despite owning a car, I prefer to walk to shops and restaurants. My favorite scenario is being able to walk to work.

Where does someone like me go? The racial climate in Miami seems so contentious. From what I can see, the non-Hispanic whites as a group (not necessarily as individuals) think the blacks are gang-bangers. It is in the Hispanic's and most immigrants best interest to distance themselves from blacks. Then there is my own personal experience of separation and resentment from Caribbean born blacks.

Are there places that I can live as a single person and have a social life (black or multi-cultural)? Where might that be? What do rents go for?

As an idea I have lived in the following cities as an adult:
Orlando (4 years)
NYC (4 years)
Atlanta
Philadelphia

Thanks in advance for your help.

Your concerns are very real ones, but I can try to point you to areas where you likely won't have to deal with prejudice due to your race or skin color. Where in Miami will your job be?

As a general rule, South Beach is a very accepting place in which you will find all kinds of people. Plenty of professionals live there and most people will not bat an eye at seeing a professional that happens to be black living in a nice building. South Beach is by far the most walkable area of South Florida.

Other areas to consider are Coconut Grove and Miami Shores. If you are willing to look in a more suburban area, Country Walk in SW Miami-Dade and (west) Miramar in SW Broward have many middle and upper-middle income African-American and Afro-Caribbean residents.

Rule of thumb: look for affluent areas (regardless of demographics) or middle-class areas that have some black presence. Avoid working-class/lower-middle class Anglo/Hispanic neighborhoods (behind-the-times attitude about blacks), and also avoid lower-income black areas (crime).

Please let me know if you have any further questions, and good luck with your potential move!

CP

[somebodymiami]

^^ crisp hit it mostly on the spot. most black areas in dade are poor and concrete jungles, while most of the Hispanic and white poor areas are trailer parks. the black areas tend to have more crime, idk why but they just do.

honestly the grove/brickell( if you can afford it) and south beach are the best bet. miramar if you like driving.

[kevinkagy]

Coconut Grove, Brickell, South Beach, Midtown or maybe even Miracle Mile are all very nice, diverse areas (less so Miracle Mile though, it's mostly White). They're also urban, so walking around is convenient and nice. Some areas like Brickell, Grove and South Beach, have great public transit, so not having a car isn't a problem, and is actually more convenient. Brickell, Midtown and South Beach are popular with young professionals, and Grove and Miracle Mile are more popular with families, older people, and college students (mostly from UMiami).

Either way, I wouldn't say Miamians aren't accepting. 20% or so of Miamians are Black anyways, and people from everywhere come to Miami, of all nationalities, sexual orientations, languages, etc., so I wouldn't take too much consideration into that. Either way, Crisp444's suggestions are really helpful, and I hope you find your perfect neighborhood. Best of luck!

[♥♥PRINC3Ss♥♥]

Well you're a female so nobody is gonna see you as a gangster. As long as you treat people with respect you shouldn't have a problem. For the most part black women down here are very nice, because many black people are from the South or the islands. I found blacks in the North more aggressive and segregated, but of course that is just my personal opinion. When I came here from New York I was surprised how friendly blacks were. A very small portion of blacks do try to intimidate you but I always fight back, I don't care what color you are. If you are rude and aggressive, expect the same from me.

[suzannef]

South Miami ( East of US1) is excellent too. Pedestrian friendly, upscale but not too much - educated, progressive crowd, for the most part. Search under 33143...