Apartment hunting in Miami (Miami Beach, Surfside: apartments, leasing, condos)

[Monacha]

Hi all,

I'm moving to Miami in early January for work, and am hoping you can give me some tips on finding an aparment. I'll be on a fairly limited salary, so can devote only about $900 a month for rent (more if some utilities are included though). I'm a 29 year old single professional female and would enjoy living in a fairly progressive/liberal area.

I will be working near Oleta River State Park. Without having spent much time in Miami, I am thinking I might like to live in the northern part of Miami Beach, perhaps Surfside or something nearby. I might enjoy South Beach too but am worried about the cost, and am wondering if the amount of tourist would be annoying for someone who lived there everyday.

I've been looking on Craigslist, and it seems like there are plenty of apartments in South Beach that are just a little above my preferred price range. I'm finding fewer advertisements for apartments in North Beach. Is there a better place to be looking for apartments? I've done some google searches and am coming up with very little. I'm hoping to find a modest 1 bedroom apartment in an older art deco building, and would like to avoid the newer high rise condos.

Also, I'm curious about how walkable North Beach is. Besides the drive to work, I'm hoping to get away with using my car very little.

Thanks for any advice you can give me!

[Monacha]

Ah, I just realize that you may not be able to direct me to specific apartment hunting sites because it may be considered advertising. Even watered-down more general advice would be helpful though. Thanks!

[traveler36]

If your looking for anything near the beach whether it be Surfside or South Beach with a view aim more for 1000-1200 for a 1 bedroom and 900 for a studio. The beach is full of cheap rents, but a search by car is easier to get the info. The best thing to do if you're in Miami is to drive around and get the building's leasing info, many online apartment search sites are very limited to what's really in the area.

[Monacha]

Thanks Traveler36. Exploring the area like that will let me get a better feel for the neighborhoods as well. I'm out of state right now, but I've seen a few advertisements for apartments with month to month leases. I may arrange for one of those before I arrive, and then take a month or two to look for a really good deal in the areas I'm interested in. It'll also give me a better feel for my finances with the new job, opening up the potential to rent a slightly more expensive apartment. There are quite a few advertisements on Craigslist for one bedrooms under $1000 in Miami Beach, but it's hard to tell from the pictures how livable those places really are.

[traveler36]

Originally Posted by Monacha

Thanks Traveler36. Exploring the area like that will let me get a better feel for the neighborhoods as well. I'm out of state right now, but I've seen a few advertisements for apartments with month to month leases. I may arrange for one of those before I arrive, and then take a month or two to look for a really good deal in the areas I'm interested in. It'll also give me a better feel for my finances with the new job, opening up the potential to rent a slightly more expensive apartment. There are quite a few advertisements on Craigslist for one bedrooms under $1000 in Miami Beach, but it's hard to tell from the pictures how livable those places really are.

There are also many high-rise condos that did'nt get filled and are being rented out on the cheap side. Definitely take time to get out here and drive around because there are many unlisted houses, apartments and condo that have for rent signs or huge banners on the buildings with the info to rent.

[valbertag]

A little side note for also: if your thinking of moving to South Beach, be prepared in regards to parking. You may have to park in the street. And depending on the apartment, if it has parking within in the property let's say the back, front or garage, you may pay extra. Just a little reminder from experience when my fiancee used to live in South Beach. Make sure to double check on that.

[Monacha]

Thanks Valbertag! Very helpful.

[cjs08]

Originally Posted by Monacha

Thanks Traveler36. Exploring the area like that will let me get a better feel for the neighborhoods as well. I'm out of state right now, but I've seen a few advertisements for apartments with month to month leases. I may arrange for one of those before I arrive, and then take a month or two to look for a really good deal in the areas I'm interested in. It'll also give me a better feel for my finances with the new job, opening up the potential to rent a slightly more expensive apartment. There are quite a few advertisements on Craigslist for one bedrooms under $1000 in Miami Beach, but it's hard to tell from the pictures how livable those places really are.

Just be aware in terms of "livability" that art deco buildings often lack central a/c (wall units instead) and in-unit washer/dryer. Many have laundry facilities on premises. In terms of style it'll look and feel like the Miami Vice days of the 70's/80's

[Monacha]

Thanks cjs08. I'm a sucker for older architecture, so I'm willing to forgo a few luxuries like that if it meets a lot of my other criteria.

Does anybody have a feeling for how walkable different parts of North Beach are?