Blacks in SW Miami... (Pembroke Pines, Kendall: middle-class, apartment, homes)

[JackTheRipper]

i've been wanting to ask this question, why aren't there Blacks (African-Americans) living in Southwest-Miami Dade (Westchester, Kendall, Sweetwater etc).

or do blacks feel that those areas are far too ''expensive'' to move in?

I've yet to see an African American living down here.

[crisp444]

I assume that you're aware of the good-sized black population down in Homestead, Florida City, and western Cutler Ridge and that by SW Miami Dade you are excluding the places I have named in Deep-South Dade.

Now to answer your question, there is a decent black population in the Country Walk/SW Kendall area around SW 144th/SW 152 Streets. That area is by no means even close to majority-black, but the black population is probably 10-15%.

Richmond Heights, which is the neighborhood east of the Turnpike around SW 152nd Street, has been a black (80%+) neighborhood for several years now. Palmetto Estates, to the south, has been one as well.

There is also a small majority-black neighborhood in South Miami west of SW 57th avenue and north of US1. Other than that and west Coconut Grove, you will not find black people in any great numbers until the Liberty City and Overtown areas. Westchester, Westwood Lakes, Tamiami, Glenvar Heights, Sunset, Ludlam, University Park, and other parts of the "sauwesera"... forget it.

Now to answer the question of "why?" I would hypothesize that middle class blacks wish to be around other middle class blacks, and there are very few blacks at all in SW Miami. The area isn't that much more expensive than other middle class areas with decent-sized black populations such as West Miramar and Pembroke Pines, so I don't think cost is much of a factor. I think it comes down to comfort factor, as the average place in SW Miami is probably 50% white Cuban/Cuban-American, 25% other Hispanic, 20% non-Hispanic white, and less than 5% all others, including a handful of East Asians, Indians, and blacks. There are some places in SW Miami where the great majority of people speak Spanish as a first language, and hearing Spanish spoken in public places is more common than hearing English. Many (non-Hispanic) blacks will be offput by this aspect of SW Miami life and choose to live elsewhere.

[cuba libre]

Spanish - American blacks don't speak it. That's why they avoid heavily Hispanic areas like the plague.

This is one issue where the blacks and me ...are on the same side!!!

[crisp444]

Do you speak Spanish, cuba libre?

[JackTheRipper]

Originally Posted by crisp444

I assume that you're aware of the good-sized black population down in Homestead, Florida City, and western Cutler Ridge and that by SW Miami Dade you are excluding the places I have named in Deep-South Dade.

Now to answer your question, there is a decent black population in the Country Walk/SW Kendall area around SW 144th/SW 152 Streets. That area is by no means even close to majority-black, but the black population is probably 10-15%.

Richmond Heights, which is the neighborhood east of the Turnpike around SW 152nd Street, has been a black (80%+) neighborhood for several years now. Palmetto Estates, to the south, has been one as well.

There is also a small majority-black neighborhood in South Miami west of SW 57th avenue and north of US1. Other than that and west Coconut Grove, you will not find black people in any great numbers until the Liberty City and Overtown areas. Westchester, Westwood Lakes, Tamiami, Glenvar Heights, Sunset, Ludlam, University Park, and other parts of the "sauwesera"... forget it.

Now to answer the question of "why?" I would hypothesize that middle class blacks wish to be around other middle class blacks, and there are very few blacks at all in SW Miami. The area isn't that much more expensive than other middle class areas with decent-sized black populations such as West Miramar and Pembroke Pines, so I don't think cost is much of a factor. I think it comes down to comfort factor, as the average place in SW Miami is probably 50% white Cuban/Cuban-American, 25% other Hispanic, 20% non-Hispanic white, and less than 5% all others, including a handful of East Asians, Indians, and blacks. There are some places in SW Miami where the great majority of people speak Spanish as a first language, and hearing Spanish spoken in public places is more common than hearing English. Many (non-Hispanic) blacks will be offput by this aspect of SW Miami life and choose to live elsewhere.

Originally Posted by cuba libre

Spanish - American blacks don't speak it. That's why they avoid heavily Hispanic areas like the plague.

This is one issue where the blacks and me ...are on the same side!!!

Miami will continue to get Moderator cut: trolling Immigrants from Latin America, so the odds of you seeing Miami getting fixed are 42 and 5.

[cuba libre]

Originally Posted by crisp444

Do you speak Spanish, cuba libre?

I was taught by the most beautiful Cuban women in Havana...

[compelled to reply]

There is a pretty decent sized middle-class black population in Country Walk.

[Joei]

Originally Posted by JackTheRipper

i've been wanting to ask this question, why aren't there Blacks (African-Americans) living in Southwest-Miami Dade (Westchester, Kendall, Sweetwater etc).

or do blacks feel that those areas are far too ''expensive'' to move in?

I've yet to see an African American living down here.

*sighs*....

I used to live in Kendall, 88th street and 133rd to be exact. Most of Kendall is Hispanic. At the apartment I lived in, I dont remember seeing any Blacks there. Wait I do remember, I seen none! Im Black and mixed myself, but often people would be thinking I was Dominican.

Its not about why, its the fact that thats just the way it is. There's only so much you can do to change it. In fact, why would you want to change it? Who cares if there is no blacks there. If you want to move to Kendall or Sweetwater, go ahead! If not, dont. Im not trying to be a smarty and not offer suggestions, but eventually wishing a part of town was different just frustrates the hell out of me. Dont fight it, if you dont like it then move someplace else or dont go!

I left Kendall 1 year ago. I tried to move back a few months later but after 2 days, there was no way in hell I'd go through that hellhole called Kendall again. Far too many closed-minded Hispanic people there. In fact, most of Miami people are closed minded and racist. Including the Blacks. Im so over that city, I cant believe I still fantasize about moving back. People there are ignorant. Im not being a troll, but thats just how it is. I got so tired of it. The only way to change an area is to not question why, but for people to move there rather than avoid it due to its having/or lacking a certain type of people. Unfortunently, who wants to be bothered? Most people dont. Thats why some areas of town never change, or do so over a period of decades.

Rant over, Im going to bed.

[crisp444]

Joei, in what ways did you see anti-black racism manifested toward you and others in Kendall? I'm not denying that you saw some; I am just curious to know what form it took.

[♥♥PRINC3Ss♥♥]

Originally Posted by crisp444

Joei, in what ways did you see anti-black racism manifested toward you and others in Kendall? I'm not denying that you saw some; I am just curious to know what form it took.

Very good question.

I'm just saying if you are rude to me, expect the same in return, no matter your color. Some of the black people(a small minority) think that hispanics are going to be intimated by them, and when they find out that that's not the case, they think "we are racist" I have told off black people in Kendall. One that was insulting my mother who doesn't speak English very well and was not aware I was around.

By the way I have seen black people in Kendall (mostly Jamaican) and they live just fine. Their children integrate with the other latino kids.