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My wife and I were born and raised in Miami, FL but we have had enough of this place. Between the taxes, high insurance rates, low paying jobs, and poor customer service, we feel that we are not living the lifestyle that we would ultimately like. We plan to start a family but do not want to feel tight with money 365 days of the year. We would like to live somewhere where you can experience the four seasons but still have access to restaurants and night life, low crime rate, excellent schools, and a nice community feeling. I may be describing Disney World but I would sure appreciate it if someone can give us some hope that life is good outside of Miami. Again, we don't want to drive 20 miles to get to the nearest CVS or Walgreens but we do want to be somewhat away from the busy city life.
My wife and I were born and raised in Miami, FL but we have had enough of this place. Between the taxes, high insurance rates, low paying jobs, and poor customer service, we feel that we are not living the lifestyle that we would ultimately like. We plan to start a family but do not want to feel tight with money 365 days of the year. We would like to live somewhere where you can experience the four seasons but still have access to restaurants and night life, low crime rate, excellent schools, and a nice community feeling. I may be describing Disney World but I would sure appreciate it if someone can give us some hope that life is good outside of Miami. Again, we don't want to drive 20 miles to get to the nearest CVS or Walgreens but we do want to be somewhat away from the busy city life.
My husband and I are on the same path as you. We hope to move up to the triangle area by the end of the year. We are considering the Wake Forest area (maybe). We are going up at the end of this month to stream-line our plans, and then get out of dodge! We are kind of stuck right now as you know the housing situation has just gotten completely out of control. Well, I have done a little prodding and poking and there seem to be quite a few of us Cuban-Americans trying to get away from the Cubans here in Miami, so we won't be alone. (Only Cubans can talk about Cubans..lol)
Why do you need to distinguish yourself as a Cuban-American when you said you were born in America.....that makes you just an American. You're not Cuban despite the culture you may have grown up in.
Why do you need to distinguish yourself as a Cuban-American when you said you were born in America.....that makes you just an American. You're not Cuban despite the culture you may have grown up in.
I agree, after all every one of us has ancestry from someplace else but being born here in America we are all Americans!
If you are looking for a private area exclusive to Cubans/Cuban Americans, etc, then I can't be of assistance...
...BUT...as an American who lives here in North Carolina I can tell you that there are many suburban areas of The Triangle that fit your bill, like North Raleigh, Apex, Clayton and the list goes on.
There is a growing Cuban American population in the Charlotte area. Some have settled in neighborhoods within the city but others have settled in small towns around Charlotte, particularly Belmont NC to the west and Wingate NC to the east. Both are small college towns in rural settings with easy access to Charlotte. Both have affordable housing, nearby shopping, excellent hospitals and low crime rates.
Why do you need to distinguish yourself as a Cuban-American when you said you were born in America.....that makes you just an American. You're not Cuban despite the culture you may have grown up in.
Hi Grawburg,
The reason why we "distinguish" ourselves as Cuban American is for the simple reason that unlike other immigrating countries, most of our people came in the 60s and 70s. And like most know, Florida, New Jersey and even California were some of the states that most of our parents were sent to. Unfortunately the same Miami that our parents came to is not the same Miami that we are living in today. We are only the second or third generation of Cuban Americans in the US. I simply labeled myself as a Cuban-American so that other Cuban-Americans perhaps living in North Carolina can identify with our needs and act as a support group that there still is decent living elsewhere much like the way Miami once was. Please do not misinterpret that I am only looking for Cuban Americans to reply to my comments. I believe that North Carolina is beautiful as the people and that is why I am considering moving there.
I'm a Miami native and have been living in Raleigh for a year and a half. While I'm not from Cuban heritage, I can definitely speak volumes to the differences between this area and Miami. And everything, IMHO, provides for a much better quality of life here, hands down. While no place will ever be the Miami of our youths, there is definitely more sense of community here, good schools, much lower crime, traffic, etc.
The cost of living is generally lower, but varies in how much lower depending on the area you are looking at. I personally found that jumping from a Miami suburb (I grew up in what is now considered East Kendall near Killian HS and later lived in South Miami off of Red Rd just south of Sunset Place) to a Raleigh suburb was a little too suburban for me. While it was a really nice area, it was just too far from my entertainment preferences (downtown) for my liking, especially after living in S. Miami and being able to walk to things. I now live practically in downtown. Downtown Raleigh is a completely different atmosphere from downtown Miami, btw. So, think carefully about how far out of town you want to be!
As for being a Cuban-American in this area, you can do a search of this forum and find threads on restaurants and questions from other Cubans. Cuban restaurants aren't nearly as prevalent, and of course the quality/authenticity is not going to be as it is in Miami, but from the places I've tried, I have gone in with low expectations and been pleasantly surprised. There are no enclaves here as there are in S. FL (no Little Havana or Little Haiti type places). It seems as though there is a more widespread integration of cultures across neighborhoods in Raleigh rather than the divisions you see in S FL.
Be sure to plan an in depth visit if you are seriously considering this area, since that is the best way to get a good feel for different neighborhoods. I did not have a lot of time to find a place to live when I moved for my job and ended up in a nice area, although it ended up not having the character that I really wanted.
Funny how everyone is leaving South Florida/Miami.. Especially hispanics. My wife is hispanic and was not born in the US, but now considers herself an American. We too are tired of all the south florida issues (insurance, hurricanes, crime, lack of respect for America, spanish-only speaking) etc and wanted to move out to a better place as you describe it. Theres nothing wrong with knowing your hertitage, but forcing it onto others only equals problems, otherwise spelled as SOUTH FLORIDA/MIAMI.
I think you will find more people here that are hispanic then you might realize as they will speak to you in English, and have adapted to their surroundings instead of trying to change their surroundings into their old country (like what destroyed MIAMI). Overall you will be very happily surprised with your new neighboors. Everyone is very warm, is quite a shock.
Its a 12 hour drive straight up I-95 to Raliegh. Consider spending some time both on the weekday and weekend. We have been there several times and find more new and exciting places each time. We are going to rent for a year prior to buying so we can find the RIGHT area. Good luck in your search!
I was also born in Miami to Cuban parents, and I moved up to the Raleigh area back in 1999 from Miami. I understand your feelings on Miami, I grew up in Little Havana and then moved down to what is now Palmetto Bay/Village of Pinecrest. I came to NC for graduate school to escape the traffic, lifestyle, heat and the increasing cost of living, and that was before the boom.
It is quieter here, you will not get the nightlife or activities of Miami. If you really want to move someplace with good outdoor activities, 4 seasons, lower cost of living and some restaurants and places to go, NC is great. I have had a few friends and family visit and love it here, some even move.
I have also had many Hispanic and American clients moving from Ny/NJ, DC Metro and South Florida areas move to the area. Those that wanted the fun of Miami/NY nights with cheap homes and little traffic were disappointed. Those that were willing to trade a little excitement (there are clubs and places to go, but it takes more work and is not the same thing) for other things, NC can be a great place.
The Raleigh-Durham-Cary area is not the country. There is a CVS, Walgreens, Starbucks and unfortunatley fast food joint within 5-10 miles of almost anywhere. Downtown Raleigh and Durham both have a nice city life, and the suburbs are diverse depending on which way you go. The country is nearby, head about 30-40 miles in any direction to find it.
There has been a huge growth in Hispanics including Cubans the last few years. I know when I moved in 1999 there were not many Cubans in the area. Now there are 4-5 Cuban restaurants in the area and several Cuban owned businesses. A lot of people felt the same way you did and checked out of FL over the last 1-2 years.
You should check it out and come visit the area before making a move. I pretty much knew I would like it here after I spent 4-5 days visting. Most people were also the same way, after a few days they knew if they would hate it, love it or could at least make it work.
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Last edited by da jammer; 01-04-2008 at 06:51 AM..
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