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Well, I just came back to UK from Florida. Been there for 1 month. Spent a week in Orlando, 2 weeks in Clearwater/Tampa and week in Miami...
The beach is not as nice as they show it on TV, Clearwater beach is much nicer - cleaner and the water is warmer. And you don't see any abandoned buildings either...
I always thought America was a RACIST country - towards non - whites, but Miami has a reverse racism. I was supprised we did not get shot just for being white.
Well...that's Miami for you. I visit often because the majority of my family and many of my friends from "back home" live there. ("Back home" is northern New Jersey, just about a stone's throw from NYC.) I am of Hispanic descent so I do believe that is in the handbook, especially if you are Cuban - you retire and move to Florida. My parents did just that and live in Hialeah, which is pretty much the same as where we lived in northern NJ, except there are palm trees and it's hotter. Every time I visit I wonder how in the world they consider their move to Hialeah to be an upgrade besides in the weather department.
I think one of the previous posters nailed it (DC2Tampa) on why things are the way they are in Miami-Dade. Adding to what others have said, sure - many of the people who flock there do so BECAUSE it is an easy place to assimilate. You don't have to learn English - the signs are all in Spanish and everyone around you speaks it, too. Many Hispanics ARE closed minded when it comes to other races or cultures, absolutely - especially the older people who are set in their ways. That permeates the culture there and hangs around into future generations, which is unfortunate. I imagine that it is equally hard to be a "white" person in Miami as it is to be an African American there. (If you are a dark skinned Hispanic, that's different I guess to them...) Personally...I do not understand it. I have been pointed out many times that X section of Miami is the "African American" section and Y section is the "Jewish" section and so on, and you don't go to those parts of town unless you fit into those groups because of A, B, and C reasons. Those conversations hardly felt like they took place in the 21st century, but yet, they did.
These types of divides are not things that I see here in Tampa and if they exist, I haven't noticed. I know there are some sections of town which are better than others as far as home values or crime, etc, sure. There is a difference between living in a trailer park off Nebraska Avenue and living in a home in Cheval or Tampa Palms, absolutely. But if I had to tell you where the "African American" neighborhood was, or the "Latino area" is, I couldn't, and I've lived here for 17 years. (Though I could point them to some good Spanish food restaurants, such as La Teresita LOL)
The beach? Yes...definitely overrated. I'll take a bad day at Clearwater Beach any day over a good day at Miami Beach. Traffic? Atrocious. 275 at rush hour in Tampa on it's worst day looks inviting compared to some of the traffic boondoggles I've seen or sat in there.
Sure, there are some areas which are very nice there - but those are, I think, few and outrageously expensive to live in. For example, South Beach or Sunny Isles has some beautiful condos etc but want major $$$$$. Many of my friends from NJ who had originally moved to greater Miami ended up moving further out to Weston or other areas of Broward to get some space or because they found Miami to be not at all like what they remember from their summer vacations as kids in the 70s/80s. "Nice place to visit, but you wouldn't want to live there" is really the best way I can find to describe it.
Do I think the Tampa Bay area is better? Absolutely...1000%. I wouldn't live in Miami if it was in a free house. Each time I visit, I come to appreciate Tampa Bay more and more
Well...that's Miami for you. I visit often because the majority of my family and many of my friends from "back home" live there. ("Back home" is northern New Jersey, just about a stone's throw from NYC.) I am of Hispanic descent so I do believe that is in the handbook, especially if you are Cuban - you retire and move to Florida. My parents did just that and live in Hialeah, which is pretty much the same as where we lived in northern NJ, except there are palm trees and it's hotter. Every time I visit I wonder how in the world they consider their move to Hialeah to be an upgrade besides in the weather department.
I think one of the previous posters nailed it (DC2Tampa) on why things are the way they are in Miami-Dade. Adding to what others have said, sure - many of the people who flock there do so BECAUSE it is an easy place to assimilate. You don't have to learn English - the signs are all in Spanish and everyone around you speaks it, too. Many Hispanics ARE closed minded when it comes to other races or cultures, absolutely - especially the older people who are set in their ways. That permeates the culture there and hangs around into future generations, which is unfortunate. I imagine that it is equally hard to be a "white" person in Miami as it is to be an African American there. (If you are a dark skinned Hispanic, that's different I guess to them...) Personally...I do not understand it. I have been pointed out many times that X section of Miami is the "African American" section and Y section is the "Jewish" section and so on, and you don't go to those parts of town unless you fit into those groups because of A, B, and C reasons. Those conversations hardly felt like they took place in the 21st century, but yet, they did.
These types of divides are not things that I see here in Tampa and if they exist, I haven't noticed. I know there are some sections of town which are better than others as far as home values or crime, etc, sure. There is a difference between living in a trailer park off Nebraska Avenue and living in a home in Cheval or Tampa Palms, absolutely. But if I had to tell you where the "African American" neighborhood was, or the "Latino area" is, I couldn't, and I've lived here for 17 years. (Though I could point them to some good Spanish food restaurants, such as La Teresita LOL)
The beach? Yes...definitely overrated. I'll take a bad day at Clearwater Beach any day over a good day at Miami Beach. Traffic? Atrocious. 275 at rush hour in Tampa on it's worst day looks inviting compared to some of the traffic boondoggles I've seen or sat in there.
Sure, there are some areas which are very nice there - but those are, I think, few and outrageously expensive to live in. For example, South Beach or Sunny Isles has some beautiful condos etc but want major $$$$$. Many of my friends from NJ who had originally moved to greater Miami ended up moving further out to Weston or other areas of Broward to get some space or because they found Miami to be not at all like what they remember from their summer vacations as kids in the 70s/80s. "Nice place to visit, but you wouldn't want to live there" is really the best way I can find to describe it.
Do I think the Tampa Bay area is better? Absolutely...1000%. I wouldn't live in Miami if it was in a free house. Each time I visit, I come to appreciate Tampa Bay more and more
You really hit the nail on the head for me. As a native-born Floridian (Tampa) I have visited Miami only a handful of times and NEVER want to go back there. The first time I visited some friends, I could not believe the gridlock on the freeways, then in gridlock traffic on the surface streets I witnessed a knife-fight in traffic in broad daylight. I have never seen so much traffic congestion in my life. The only part of Miami I liked was Coconut Grove. Miami as a whole, also felt really hot with intense sun, so much worse than Tampa.
Many years ago my husband had to travel to Miami to take an architecture exam and what a story he had to tell - he felt like he was like a third world country.
Absolutely the quality of life is better in the Tampa Bay area - everything the above poster said is true. I am Latina myself, but Tampa is so much more blended ethnically. I, too, wouldn't live in Miami if I was given a free house. I have absolutely no desire to ever see it again, either.
You really hit the nail on the head for me. As a native-born Floridian (Tampa) I have visited Miami only a handful of times and NEVER want to go back there. The first time I visited some friends, I could not believe the gridlock on the freeways, then in gridlock traffic on the surface streets I witnessed a knife-fight in traffic in broad daylight. I have never seen so much traffic congestion in my life. The only part of Miami I liked was Coconut Grove. Miami as a whole, also felt really hot with intense sun, so much worse than Tampa.
Many years ago my husband had to travel to Miami to take an architecture exam and what a story he had to tell - he felt like he was like a third world country.
Absolutely the quality of life is better in the Tampa Bay area - everything the above poster said is true. I am Latina myself, but Tampa is so much more blended ethnically. I, too, wouldn't live in Miami if I was given a free house. I have absolutely no desire to ever see it again, either.
Just one knife fight? Must have been a slow day!
Coconut Grove is not bad...t's got a quirky charm that I like - when I travel to Miami I usually stay there if I'm not staying with family since there's quite a bit of shopping etc that's easy to walk to from just about any hotel. Being next to Brickell probably helps...that area is pretty nice as well but it's mega expensive. Last time I was there, though...there were some major traffic diversions - roads being widened and paved etc. Making it even WORSE, if you can imagine that, to get pretty much anywhere.
Tampa is 100x nicer than that dump. Nothing but crime, traffic, and "no ingles" down there. I've always enjoyed my vacations in the Miami/Ft. Lauderdale area, but my recent trip off the beach has completely changed my feelings.
Well...that's Miami for you. I visit often because the majority of my family and many of my friends from "back home" live there. ("Back home" is northern New Jersey, just about a stone's throw from NYC.) I am of Hispanic descent so I do believe that is in the handbook, especially if you are Cuban - you retire and move to Florida. My parents did just that and live in Hialeah, which is pretty much the same as where we lived in northern NJ, except there are palm trees and it's hotter. Every time I visit I wonder how in the world they consider their move to Hialeah to be an upgrade besides in the weather department.
I think one of the previous posters nailed it (DC2Tampa) on why things are the way they are in Miami-Dade. Adding to what others have said, sure - many of the people who flock there do so BECAUSE it is an easy place to assimilate. You don't have to learn English - the signs are all in Spanish and everyone around you speaks it, too. Many Hispanics ARE closed minded when it comes to other races or cultures, absolutely - especially the older people who are set in their ways. That permeates the culture there and hangs around into future generations, which is unfortunate. I imagine that it is equally hard to be a "white" person in Miami as it is to be an African American there. (If you are a dark skinned Hispanic, that's different I guess to them...) Personally...I do not understand it. I have been pointed out many times that X section of Miami is the "African American" section and Y section is the "Jewish" section and so on, and you don't go to those parts of town unless you fit into those groups because of A, B, and C reasons. Those conversations hardly felt like they took place in the 21st century, but yet, they did.
These types of divides are not things that I see here in Tampa and if they exist, I haven't noticed. I know there are some sections of town which are better than others as far as home values or crime, etc, sure. There is a difference between living in a trailer park off Nebraska Avenue and living in a home in Cheval or Tampa Palms, absolutely. But if I had to tell you where the "African American" neighborhood was, or the "Latino area" is, I couldn't, and I've lived here for 17 years. (Though I could point them to some good Spanish food restaurants, such as La Teresita LOL)
The beach? Yes...definitely overrated. I'll take a bad day at Clearwater Beach any day over a good day at Miami Beach. Traffic? Atrocious. 275 at rush hour in Tampa on it's worst day looks inviting compared to some of the traffic boondoggles I've seen or sat in there.
Sure, there are some areas which are very nice there - but those are, I think, few and outrageously expensive to live in. For example, South Beach or Sunny Isles has some beautiful condos etc but want major $$$$$. Many of my friends from NJ who had originally moved to greater Miami ended up moving further out to Weston or other areas of Broward to get some space or because they found Miami to be not at all like what they remember from their summer vacations as kids in the 70s/80s. "Nice place to visit, but you wouldn't want to live there" is really the best way I can find to describe it.
Do I think the Tampa Bay area is better? Absolutely...1000%. I wouldn't live in Miami if it was in a free house. Each time I visit, I come to appreciate Tampa Bay more and more
Tampa is much more segregated than the miami and south florida area
I can name the latino neighborhoods, black neighborhoods and white neighborhoods in the tampa bay area and I only lived there for a year, its a very small town its not hard to learn the area in a very short amount of time, florida in general is a pretty small state compared to the size of california or the strain of nyc
Latinos and african americans are definitely the majority in miami aka south florida but outside of the actual city of miami the spanish people don't act "close minded" like you said to other cultures/ethnic backgrounds at all although its always the older people who are the most racist in any area because they are set in their ways just like you said, in the tampa area it is the older white people who are the most racist against non whites, very close minded and unwilling to accept change. I've lived in the south florida area for quite a long time and let me tell you it has changed so freaking much just in the last 15 years its like a different area back in the 80s and early 90s south florida was kind of like hawaii, very laid back, all the senior citizens wore those cute, tacky short sleeve button up hawaiian shirts and fisherman hats and there weren't as many minorities, there was some racism back then but not much, now in 2012 the south florida area is predominantly latino, jewish and black, currently the european population is growing too so its a big melting pot and there isnt really any racism in the way that you're describing, in fact there is much more racism in tampa against non whites, in south florida its reversed like another person said, if you are white you are a minority and might be even be scared? lol
And south florida is extremely superficial now it didn't used to be that way but things change and change is great because it's a sign of development, growth and progress
Right now the michael kors trend is exploding in South Florida, personally I think it's tacky but what would miami be without a little flair and tack
South florida TE AMO haha my spanish teacher in fort lauderdale would be proud
I was about to move to Miami from NJ in 2007 and realized it wasn't as glitzy and and glamorous as it is depicted on TV in the normal, middle class areas. Like someone said previously...it is only good for the extremely wealthy who can afford to live away from the grit and crime. I also felt isolated ethnically in Miami. I did not feel that it was an inclusive city and has a lot more segregation than other major cities. With that said, I chose to move to the Tampa Bay area where my family lives. I think it's great and diversity is seen as a positive and not a negative. the TB area is definitely a better area to live in Florida and it is a shame that people outside of the Florida don't know much about what it has to offer.
Oh please, never believe what you see on tv, thankfully I know the south florida area well enough to ever believe how they protray it on television, CSI miami is mostly filmed in california how funny is that? and movies always make areas look better than they really are because theyre MOVIES. Look at michael bay's movie Bad Boys and Bad boys 2 which were both filmed in miami, also scarface... miami is not really like that
Personally tampa is way too slow for me, I adore south florida but to each his own, I can understand why some people would absolutely hate the miami metropolitan area I mean who would feel safe and happy in a place where even subways gets robbed like this:
Tampa is alright, miami is great for people with big money and I mean real money not the nouveau riche, tampa is great for people of all classes its less strained and stratified and safer also cost of living is significantly lower in tampa than other floridian cities like orlando and miami
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