What would cause you to like Miami? (Jacksonville, Havana: apartment, loans)
MiamiMiami-Dade County
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I'm not a "bro". I'm a 62 year old woman (retired lawyer). Don't judge a book by it's "pick up truck cover". What kind of person am I supposed to be?
And while we're on the subject of crime - we never had a problem with the places we lived in - because we lived in extremely secure high rise condos. But we did have our office (across the street from the downtown courthouse) broken into a couple of times. Nothing expensive stolen. Just a big mess (one of the burglaries must have involved a bunch of kids - because whoever it was - he was so scared - he defecated all over the carpet). My brother - who lives in a "high priced spread" part of town - Venetian Islands - has had his house burglarized 3 times (once while he was on his boat in his backyard). My parents who lived in a similar part of Broward (nice waterfront in Lighthouse Point) were burglarized twice. Robyn
yes i'm sure Robyn55 enjoyed being burlarized & having her car stolen just so she could start an argument for no reason all these years later. you won't be yawning when you are the victim of a crime.
Be careful what you say ... El Paso was certainly not paradise on earth or the safest place in the world last time I checked Hialeah with Mexicans is what it reminded me of when I was there three years ago .
UMMM Actually yes I do! Small businesses are not around in places like NYC or Chicago anymore either, it is mostly big retail amenities like Border's bookstore or Blockbuster or Walgreen's for instance. Let's face it, small businesses do not necessarily cater to peoples needs very much anymore. Big box department stores have taken over every single way, but the city of Miami proper barely even has those! Some not even within a reasonable distance! Anything is better than an urban prairie and vacant retail. Small businesses would probably not be able to open in a good economy anyways these days, when talking about cities. Go to Chicago or New York and tell me if you see many, if any, little independent small business shops these days. You don't cause those cities have been developed. There was a lot of controversy surrounding that while the cities were going through their transitions. That being said though, it is time for Miami to develop, because it doesnt even have many small, independent businesses to begin with- hence, all the vacant retail waiting to be put to good use.
Are you sure you're 20? Places like Borders and Blockbuster are approaching bankruptcy because no one gets books or DVDs at stores these days. Don't you get stuff on line? Walgreen's is doing ok. But on my part - I use drugstore.com more than Walgreen's (although there are probably 4 of them within 10 miles of my house - as well as other chain pharmacies). And since places like Publix/Target sell a lot of drugs super cheap (and Publix even gives some away for free) - why go to Walgreen's?
Actually - cities like Chicago and New York do have independent shops in various specialty areas. Like furniture stores. One example is Luminaire (which started in Coral Gables - still has a place in Coral Gables - and also has a place in Chicago). But these are kind of "high priced spread" stores. And just FWIW - the Design District used to be kind of nice. But when DCOTA (Design Center of the Americas) opened - a lot of the higher end places moved there (since most clients liked a modern enclosed design center as opposed to visiting a small area in inner city Miami surrounded by slums). I think one of the final nails in the coffin there was when Knoll moved from the Design District to downtown a year or two ago. Robyn
I wanted to add to the "WARNING" thread, but i'll chime in here instead. I neither really love Miami or hate it. I live here, I work here and I spend most of my free time here. I certainly enjoy the beach and the crystal clear water that is pretty much swimmable all year round. I can think of no better city in the US for someone who loves the water and especially someone who can afford a boat and Florida as a state is a fisherman's paradise (and I do like to fish!). I don't do the clubs, but I hit the bars sometimes and I really like the Hard Rock.
I do not subscribe to the notion that Miamians are particularly rude, but I do agree that
making friends here can be hard, especially for those of us from out of state. Ghetto? Miami is no more or less ghetto than most major US cities and to its credit, it's one of the cleanest US cities. If you are lonely here, the internet is your friend. You can find clubs or organizations to meet people with similar interests. Miami is actually more diverse than people think and isn't just Hispanic (not that Hispanic is even a friggin race or a worthwhile means of classifying people from such a huge continent as South America). Rudeness? Not really....besides, I am not one for the "have a nice day" cheesyness of the Midwest and I'm just fine here.
Miami can improve though. Better mass transit, more parks and redevelopment of areas such as Overtown would help. Downtown also needs continued investment and it needs to attract more retail and perhaps a huge movie theater and a big museum and new public library (maybe a huge natural history or science museum, best outside of DC?).
Miami is ok though. I have never been a victim of crime, nor have I even witnessed any crime. Our winters are beautiful and more than compensate for the hot humid summers (although I can handle the heat here fine). Our skyline is stunning, especially at night. Miami is a photogenic place, if you're into taking pictures (as I am).
The Spanish thing is always over exaggerated. Most people here do speak English, even if it is their second language. Besides, what's wrong with knowing more than one language?
Anyway, those are my thoughts on Miami.
I think I liked Miami during the 25 years that I lived there more than you like it now. And it certainly doesn't owe me and my husband anything - we did well there (although we did work very hard). But - at a certain point - it was time for a change for us.
I think that if I could point to the biggest mistake that Miami ever made - it was allowing itself to become the "Ellis Island" for tons of poor immigrants from central and south America - parts of the Caribbean and Haiti (probably started around the time of the Mariel boatlift). There were always poor people in Miami - mostly Miami born African Americans. But it was never among the top 5 poorest cities in the US. And the native African-American population would - IMO - be a lot better off today without these immigrants. Who's going to pay a legal African-American $12/hour on the books (with unemployment - SS taxes - etc.] when he or she can hire an illegal [from wherever] for $5/hour off the books with no benefits? FWIW - this problem isn't unique in Miami. Here in JAX - a recent probe found crews of illegal Mexicans being paid "off the books" on a city building project! Just seems to be more prevalent in Miami. And although I think it's admirable to speak second and third languages - requiring native Miami African-Americans to speak Spanish or Creole to get a job has always been kind of a non-starter. IOW - Miami has the poor it had 35 years ago - along with a whole lot more these days. It's not a demographic profile that will encourage businesses to start or remain in Miami.
BTW - I remember a time when even wealthy people went to Jackson Memorial Hospital - because it was an excellent medical facility. My GYN was there. And he moved here to Ponte Vedra Beach a year after we did to work at the Mayo Clinic. When I asked him why - he said the GYN department was in danger of losing its accreditation - and he was sick of having all his residents spending 90% of their time delivering the babies of illegal immigrants. He retired recently - and I'm sure he spent the last 15 years of his career doing more important/more personally satisfying medical work (his specialty is gynecological oncology). Of course - Jackson now seems to be approaching bankruptcy - which - for many people in Miami - is a more pressing concern than talking about pedestrian friendly areas or a light rail system. Robyn
P.S. If you like photography - we have a world class place to take pictures here. The bird rookery at the Alligator Farm in St. Augustine:
We were there a couple of weeks ago - and things are running a little this year due to the cold winter. Suspect you'd get great pictures for the next couple of weeks. If you can't make it this year - put it on your book for next year. I assure you that you will be dazzled not only by the birds - but by some of the photographic equipment you see (a lot of professional wildlife photographers come here to take pictures).
To all of you who are critical of Miami: some of your criticism is valid, but some is not. I get the impression that many expect too much of Miami, forgetting the fact that Miami as it is now is a very new city and cannot be compared to places like New York or Philadelphia, that are old cities (not just by new world measures either). Miami has not had long to evolve, especially as it has grown so much in such a short space of time.
In 50 years time (maybe a lot sooner), Miami will be a much more established place with real communities and far more sense of identity. This will be a natural progression. Things like mass transit and parks and museums will follow as the population becomes less transient and begins to take more collective pride in the city. Tourism will continue, but Miami will continue to evolve as a financial center.
People who complain that there's no history here; what do you expect from a city that's not too much older than 100 years old? You cannot expect the kind of communities you'd find in New York or Philly as Miami has not had enough time for these to become established. Complaining about the heat and humidity is lame too. Would you complain about the cold if you moved to Alaska or Minnesota? Besides, the Gulf Stream keeps us below 100.
Manny Diaz had the right idea. Unfortunately, the global economic climate hampered his plans. I believe he wanted to help Miami become the Vancouver of the south/Caribbean. I feel that if Miami can develop better mass transit and become less car centric, the future is bright.
I think I liked Miami during the 25 years that I lived there more than you like it now. And it certainly doesn't owe me and my husband anything - we did well there (although we did work very hard). But - at a certain point - it was time for a change for us.
I think that if I could point to the biggest mistake that Miami ever made - it was allowing itself to become the "Ellis Island" for tons of poor immigrants from central and south America - parts of the Caribbean and Haiti (probably started around the time of the Mariel boatlift). There were always poor people in Miami - mostly Miami born African Americans. But it was never among the top 5 poorest cities in the US. And the native African-American population would - IMO - be a lot better off today without these immigrants. Who's going to pay a legal African-American $12/hour on the books (with unemployment - SS taxes - etc.] when he or she can hire an illegal [from wherever] for $5/hour off the books with no benefits? FWIW - this problem isn't unique in Miami. Here in JAX - a recent probe found crews of illegal Mexicans being paid "off the books" on a city building project! Just seems to be more prevalent in Miami. And although I think it's admirable to speak second and third languages - requiring native Miami African-Americans to speak Spanish or Creole to get a job has always been kind of a non-starter. IOW - Miami has the poor it had 35 years ago - along with a whole lot more these days. It's not a demographic profile that will encourage businesses to start or remain in Miami.
BTW - I remember a time when even wealthy people went to Jackson Memorial Hospital - because it was an excellent medical facility. My GYN was there. And he moved here to Ponte Vedra Beach a year after we did to work at the Mayo Clinic. When I asked him why - he said the GYN department was in danger of losing its accreditation - and he was sick of having all his residents spending 90% of their time delivering the babies of illegal immigrants. He retired recently - and I'm sure he spent the last 15 years of his career doing more important/more personally satisfying medical work (his specialty is gynecological oncology). Of course - Jackson now seems to be approaching bankruptcy - which - for many people in Miami - is a more pressing concern than talking about pedestrian friendly areas or a light rail system. Robyn
P.S. If you like photography - we have a world class place to take pictures here. The bird rookery at the Alligator Farm in St. Augustine:
We were there a couple of weeks ago - and things are running a little this year due to the cold winter. Suspect you'd get great pictures for the next couple of weeks. If you can't make it this year - put it on your book for next year. I assure you that you will be dazzled not only by the birds - but by some of the photographic equipment you see (a lot of professional wildlife photographers come here to take pictures).
I have yet to visit St. Augustine, but I can't wait to go. As for your points on Miami, I understand where you're coming from. It must have been tough to be here during that time, watching a place you grew up in change so quickly with so many new arrivals. However, it's just evolution. Many of those immigrants and the children of those immigrants became succesful, decent and law abiding US citizens. Some of them are currently in the armed forces, serving our great nation. I just think that people need to bear with Miami. It's very much a work in progress. I also think it attracts a lot of bashing because of the stigma about Hispanics in the US.
I was a very good lawyer. I was the second woman in Dade County to get an AV rating from Martindale Hubbell. I argued many cases on behalf of my clients in many courts - including a case in the US Supreme Court when I was 36. Didn't always win (no lawyer does) - but I always had a good sense of probabilities - and encouraged my clients to settle on favorable terms when I thought it appropriate. You have to remember - when I started to practice in Florida in 1971 - there were fewer than 20,000 lawyers in the whole state. There are probably 80-90,000 today. Too many IMO. Anyway - I hope you never need a lawyer (just like I hope you never need a neurosurgeon) - except perhaps to do routine stuff like draw up a will or do a real estate closing. But if you need one - I hope you get one as good as I was . Robyn
I was a very good lawyer. I was the second woman in Dade County to get an AV rating from Martindale Hubbell. I argued many cases on behalf of my clients in many courts - including a case in the US Supreme Court when I was 36. Didn't always win (no lawyer does) - but I always had a good sense of probabilities - and encouraged my clients to settle on favorable terms when I thought it appropriate. You have to remember - when I started to practice in Florida in 1971 - there were fewer than 20,000 lawyers in the whole state. There are probably 80-90,000 today. Too many IMO. Anyway - I hope you never need a lawyer (just like I hope you never need a neurosurgeon) - except perhaps to do routine stuff like draw up a will or do a real estate closing. But if you need one - I hope you get one as good as I was . Robyn
I have utmost respect for attorneys - you guys certainly earn your corn and I sure as hell couldn't have endured law school!
To all of you who are critical of Miami: some of your criticism is valid, but some is not. I get the impression that many expect too much of Miami, forgetting the fact that Miami as it is now is a very new city and cannot be compared to places like New York or Philadelphia, that are old cities (not just by new world measures either). Miami has not had long to evolve, especially as it has grown so much in such a short space of time.
In 50 years time (maybe a lot sooner), Miami will be a much more established place with real communities and far more sense of identity. This will be a natural progression. Things like mass transit and parks and museums will follow as the population becomes less transient and begins to take more collective pride in the city. Tourism will continue, but Miami will continue to evolve as a financial center.
People who complain that there's no history here; what do you expect from a city that's not too much older than 100 years old? You cannot expect the kind of communities you'd find in New York or Philly as Miami has not had enough time for these to become established. Complaining about the heat and humidity is lame too. Would you complain about the cold if you moved to Alaska or Minnesota? Besides, the Gulf Stream keeps us below 100.
Manny Diaz had the right idea. Unfortunately, the global economic climate hampered his plans. I believe he wanted to help Miami become the Vancouver of the south/Caribbean. I feel that if Miami can develop better mass transit and become less car centric, the future is bright.
Perhaps you can convince Norman Braman to donate his art collection to a new museum in Miami - instead of the Philadelphia Museum of Art .
I have been to Vancouver perhaps a half dozen times - and the biggest difference is immigration policy - and quality of immigrants. Vancouver took advantage of the mainland China takeover of Hong Kong to attract people from Hong Kong with money and education and culture. Compare that to the vast majority of immigrants in Miami. Note that perhaps half of the people who lived in my last condo in Miami were from central and south America. But their condos were second and third homes for them - they were not immigrants (although many brought money to the US when it was threatened in their native countries). They were a net benefit to Miami - but most immigrants in recent decades have not been IMO. Robyn
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Hialeah with Mexicans is what it reminded me of when I was there three years ago .
. Robyn
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