Single Mom & FIU student moving to MIAMI HELP! (Miami Beach: apartments, rentals)

[aliciadorje]

Hey. This seems to be a great forum for info on Miami.
I am moving to Miami mid-July or beginning of August to attend FIU. Im 31, and a single mom to a ten year old. I'll be living off loans at first, so I can only really afford about $600-700 month. I know we will be able to get only a studio or 1 bedroom for this price, which we are used to. Hopefully Ill find something better later on.
I don't want to live anywhere near FIU, as it seems to be very corporate and strip mall-city. I worry about traffic commutes though.
Can you help me narrow down areas to live in? Im pretty sure the beach is out because of the commute.

We are looking for these things in a neighborhood:

-safety
-good public schools for the kid
-bikable, walkable
-produce market/mercado nearby
- not too much corporate presence
-artsy, hip
-mixed race
-not preppy
-access to public transit
-young 20-30s crowd around, but not really young professional types

THANKS!!!! Im sure I'll have lots more questions too.

[BQ12345]

Originally Posted by aliciadorje

Hey. This seems to be a great forum for info on Miami.
I am moving to Miami mid-July or beginning of August to attend FIU. Im 31, and a single mom to a ten year old. I'll be living off loans at first, so I can only really afford about $600-700 month. I know we will be able to get only a studio or 1 bedroom for this price, which we are used to. Hopefully Ill find something better later on.
I don't want to live anywhere near FIU, as it seems to be very corporate and strip mall-city. I worry about traffic commutes though.
Can you help me narrow down areas to live in? Im pretty sure the beach is out because of the commute.

We are looking for these things in a neighborhood:

-safety
-good public schools for the kid
-bikable, walkable
-produce market/mercado nearby
- not too much corporate presence
-artsy, hip
-mixed race
-not preppy
-access to public transit
-young 20-30s crowd around, but not really young professional types

THANKS!!!! Im sure I'll have lots more questions too.

I don't want to put you off, but you're either going to have to 1) severely up your price range (unless you want to share a place) or 2) consider a different city (I would choose the latter).

The points you list in Miami are extremely hard to find. My only suggestion is perhaps Coral Gables, but you'd have to up your price range and you'd definitely need a car to get to FIU (from anywhere) as it's not centrally located.

EDIT:

Basically, the things you're looking for will be hard, if not impossible to find in Miami. Why did you pick Miami & FIU specifically? Personally, if I were you, I'd pick a different (and more affordable and diverse) city.

[aliciadorje]

Well, I currently live in Florida and enjoy the miami area. There are tons of reasons why I like it. I dont feel like these things are impossible for Miami. I've seen quite a few places in that price range on Craigslist.
I have a car, so I can commute. I've heard the Design District is pretty great.

[Schrodinger's Kittens]

To have all the cultural stuff you want close by and reasonably priced try Midtown or maybe South Miami, but you will have to pay a little more than what you have stated. The fringes of the Design District might work for you too but some of the neighborhoods are gritty. Try North Miami Beach also; it's in the far north end of the county but has some lower-priced units.

I'm a grad student at FIU and live in Doral, which is reasonably priced for Miami. My neighbors say the schools are decent (I don't have kids, so no first-hand knowledge) and Doral's a quiet place, which is a plus, but the minus is that if you want artsy or hip you have to drive to it. Don't want to scare you off but I moved here from somewhere else too and visiting vs. living in Miami are two totally different things. If you speak Spanish you will have a lot more options. If you find something inexpensive and appealing, use this website to do some research on the neighborhood (i.e., crime stats)--some of the cheaper rentals are in places you might not want to live. Good luck.

[Merliona]

For that price try sweetwater. But only the price qualifies for that area as the other requirements do not apply.

If i were you, i'd go to a different city

[BQ12345]

Originally Posted by aliciadorje

Well, I currently live in Florida and enjoy the miami area. There are tons of reasons why I like it. I dont feel like these things are impossible for Miami. I've seen quite a few places in that price range on Craigslist.
I have a car, so I can commute. I've heard the Design District is pretty great.

Have you spent a lot of time in the Miami area? Personally, I would scratch a few things off your list, especially the biking / artsy part. Miami is not a biking-friendly city, nor is it a safe place to cycle, given the aggressiveness and poor driving skills of its drivers. I'm not trying to be a Debbie Downer, but I would advise against cycling in Miami. As for produce markets, better be prepared to shell out @ Whole Foods.

[doggiebus]

$600-$700 a month is not going to get you much. Can you up your budget some, to get some better schools?

[aliciadorje]

Wow. I am surprised that I've been told several times to go somewhere else. Seems a little ridiculous. Perhaps my original post was offensive in some way. Thanks to everyone that has taken the time to post thoughtful replies.
I am used to having to rent 500 sq foot apartments and the like, and live i areas that arent gleaming. I would like a safe neighborhood and have hope that I can find a tiny place to live with my son while i go to college.

[Jcaloffmar]

One place I haven't seen people mention is Kendall. It doesn't really give you the artsy and hip, but its safe (well I feel it is) and it may take some work, but you can find something reasonably priced or, maybe a little bit above your budget. Maybe try towards the edge of Coral Gables and you could find some deals there as well or as another poster mentioned in Doral. I would have the echo the sentiment about the design district. It can be a very beautiful place, but at this point its not for everyone, and with you having a child, and me not knowing you, I don't know how into a gritty setting you would be. Ultimately, you have to find a place you like in a location you like, and then come back for peoples opinions on that area. That would be the best way to weigh it in my opinion, otherwise you end up with people opinons to drive you out of your orginal thought process.

Also, which campus of FIU do you not want to live anywhere near?

- Justin

[OCutie555]

I am also beginning FIU in the fall and a single parent. I too am having an extremely hard time finding housing. I may have to defer my admission because of it. I wish you lots of luck.