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I have always thought that San Juan Puerto Rico bears a strong resemblance to Miami. The buildings, the architecture, the mix of different nationalities all remind me of Miami.
Personally, if I had a choice of having a second home in the Caribbean or Florida, I would choose Florida any day. The crime rates in some of those Caribbean islands are off the charts. Of course the tourist brochures won't tell you that, and the people down there in those islands will also give you no hints to that effect as they want your business. For that reason, I have never understood the attraction people have to those islands.
Personally, I have a home in both Florida and Caribbean....so I know of what I speak....that info you're spewing is coming from the travel agents and tourists boards who want to bring tourists to their fancy, expensive resorts and keep them ON the resort. They don't want the tourists leaving the resort because that's money being spend outside...not inside.
Is there crime? Of course there is and at this point, my area of Fl (SW) has more crime than my area of the Caribbean. There's crime everywhere..you can mugged here in Fl jus as easily as you'll get mugged in my little town in the Caribbean. Crime is on the rise everywhere....and Florida at this point is going insane with it.
Personally, I have a home in both Florida and Caribbean....so I know of what I speak....that info you're spewing is coming from the travel agents and tourists boards who want to bring tourists to their fancy, expensive resorts and keep them ON the resort. They don't want the tourists leaving the resort because that's money being spend outside...not inside.
Is there crime? Of course there is and at this point, my area of Fl (SW) has more crime than my area of the Caribbean. There's crime everywhere..you can mugged here in Fl jus as easily as you'll get mugged in my little town in the Caribbean. Crime is on the rise everywhere....and Florida at this point is going insane with it.
I can guarantee you that the info that I am spewing is not coming from travel agents. Taking a travel agent's recommendation on where to vacation is like taking a real estate agent's recommendation on which property to buy, both are rotten opinions backed by lies and motivated by greed. As for tourist boards, do they actually tell folks that there is a lot of crime in the area that they are promoting to get people to stay within a resort? That's news to me. If someone told me that I wouldn't go near that destination.
So there is a lot more crime in your part of Florida than there is in your small town in the Caribbean. That doesn't mean that Florida is less safe. Florida is a big place, and there are many islands out there in the Atlantic Ocean. The great majority of time that I have spent in Florida has been in the Miami area, and I feel a whole lot safer there than I would feel anywhere in the Caribbean, including Bermuda.
I can guarantee you that the info that I am spewing is not coming from travel agents. Taking a travel agent's recommendation on where to vacation is like taking a real estate agent's recommendation on which property to buy, both are rotten opinions backed by lies and motivated by greed. As for tourist boards, do they actually tell folks that there is a lot of crime in the area that they are promoting to get people to stay within a resort? That's news to me. If someone told me that I wouldn't go near that destination.
So there is a lot more crime in your part of Florida than there is in your small town in the Caribbean. That doesn't mean that Florida is less safe. Florida is a big place, and there are many islands out there in the Atlantic Ocean. The great majority of time that I have spent in Florida has been in the Miami area, and I feel a whole lot safer there than I would feel anywhere in the Caribbean, including Bermuda.
I can also guarantee that you've never spent any 'real' time on a Caribbean island ...and if you did it was probably on a resort behind high fences and guarded gates and listened to the crap they filled your head with.
It amazes me when I'm heading back stateside and talking to tourists who are surprised to find out that a) I live on the island part time b) I actually own a home in a real community and c) I walk among the 'locals'. I've been told countless times how these people have been warned by their travel agents not to leave the resort and once they get to the resort they are again told..do not leave the resort..it's not safe. Again, I'm only talking my island...not the others...can't speak of the others because I have no need to leave my piece of Paradise.
As I was doing research, I realized that some islands import most of food. I agreed that San Juan resembles Miami. I did not say I was going to move there, or move to Florida, I was responding to a question. I want a winter home in the Caribbean. I am leaning towards Aruba, which reminds me of Arizona. I will obviously visit a couple islands before purchasing.
San Juan does not resemble Miami at all. The old town is unique in itself (very touristy but enjoyable). The city of San Juan itself is an armpit. Think Miami with each first floor and second floor window gated to prevent burglary.
People from the America's and Europe do settle and live in the Carribean, many of them are well-to-do because it is not cheap. The Islands that are still managed as colonies or dependencies (i.e. that are not independent) appear to be the best managed in terms of services and reduced crime - i.e. Aruba (Netherlands), Caymans (UK), Anguilla (UK)...as opposed to Dominica, Haiti (obviously), Cuba (obviously), Jamaica (except that it still has a large expat community I believe).
San Juan does not resemble Miami at all. The old town is unique in itself (very touristy but enjoyable). The city of San Juan itself is an armpit. Think Miami with each first floor and second floor window gated to prevent burglary.
People from the America's and Europe do settle and live in the Carribean, many of them are well-to-do because it is not cheap. The Islands that are still managed as colonies or dependencies (i.e. that are not independent) appear to be the best managed in terms of services and reduced crime - i.e. Aruba (Netherlands), Caymans (UK), Anguilla (UK)...as opposed to Dominica, Haiti (obviously), Cuba (obviously), Jamaica (except that it still has a large expat community I believe).
Thanks DD714,
I will be visiting Aruba soon because I think that me be the place I'm looking for.
I can also guarantee that you've never spent any 'real' time on a Caribbean island ...and if you did it was probably on a resort behind high fences and guarded gates and listened to the crap they filled your head with.
It amazes me when I'm heading back stateside and talking to tourists who are surprised to find out that a) I live on the island part time b) I actually own a home in a real community and c) I walk among the 'locals'. I've been told countless times how these people have been warned by their travel agents not to leave the resort and once they get to the resort they are again told..do not leave the resort..it's not safe. Again, I'm only talking my island...not the others...can't speak of the others because I have no need to leave my piece of Paradise.
Out of sheer curiosity where is your slice of paradise
I will be visiting Aruba soon because I think that me be the place I'm looking for.
Keeping in mind that Aruba is basically a desert island, the residential areas look much different than the resorts with all the palm trees they import to landscape with, get away from the resorts and it's rocky with cactus being the main vegetation.
Away from the resorts it resembles more like Arizona than any FL town.
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