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I don't think it's a bit of a stretch at all. While Houston and Dallas don't have the best, or most extensive systems, they're still better than Miami's and both of them are making moves to expand them. Better efforts than Miami is.
Exactly. Miami has one train, it is very short, and it goes straight up and down and nowhere else. The bus service is completely unreliable and never on time, nor as extensive as it should be anyway. There are no efforts at all to fix any of this or expand. Miami essentially has no public transportation system at all. People need to have cars to get around here, biking is incredibly unsafe (and often not practical to go to work anyway because of the heat), and yet there are no emissions tests for cars at all. Unfortunately, it is anything but a green city, and is falling further and further behind the times. I hope caring residents will start getting involved and change this, not just accept whatever is handed to them. People are too busy trying to have a good time, or for a few making money off the poor, to do serious work to make it a great city like it can be, a place that can really compete with other major cities in the US in living quality. It still has a ton of things going for it that make it a great place for so many, it's not like it has a popularity problem at all - but I think it could be better if people put into Miami what they take from it. For long-term residents, it is not the healthiest or easiest place to live by any means. It could be so much better with just a little effort from the city/county to actually serve the people, but as I say, they have no money and so are just looking for handouts from foreign nationals to dictate what they choose to work on - you can imagine it never has anything to do with improving quality of life for locals.
I really wish we could take public transportation quickly and efficiently from inland, like Kendall, to Miami Beach. We all know the parking situation on the Beach is terrible, you spend more time looking for parking than enjoying the area. It would certainly help tourism to have easy mass transit for people to take from hotels inland (which might be newer, or a bit cheaper, than what is available on the Beach), to all of our best destinations in the area. There should be frequent and easy service to the Keys down to Key West, out to Key Biscayne and Crandon Park, to Fairchild Gardens and the Zoo and other popular destinations and parks, out to West Kendall where a lot of new developments are, up North, and to and from campuses at UM, FIU, Miami-Dade CC, to the medical area in the city, and of course to the aiport. I don't see how anyone can deny that if we had that capability to travel to the best points of the region without a car in good time and easily the way other cities do, Miami would be a far greater city in which to live, and to be a tourist.
The idea that no taxes brings money to the area is false. Look around, sure plenty of businesses come here for the tax shelters, but how many people actually benefit when Florida was one of the hardest hit states in the country during the economic crash? We were #2 in foreclosures, a lot of good those tax breaks did. And when people couldn't find a job, they had to maintain their cars or be left destitute. People come to Miami for the beauty, but we can't maintain that with traffic jams and unregulated car emissions and constant people milling around in the center of streets selling fruit and water bottles, and highways that are so limited you can't cross the county East-West except on the same highway that goes to the airport, or on one short strip that crosses just the center of the county and nowhere else. We do have obstacles like hurricanes to mass transit design, but if the city had money it would not be impossible.
Other than short trips skiing/snowboarding, I'm not sure what San Francisco offers that Miami doesn't.
Both have an ocean, the only difference is that in Miami you can comfortably swim yearround and in San Francisco you can't comfortably swim anytime of the year.
Both have climates that vary very little from the months. San Francisco seems to be stuck in the range of 55-75 for daytime highs, Miami is stuck in the range of 70-90 for highs. Miami's weather makes being outside, especially at night, a more desirable experience imo. There is a whole culture here of eating outside, that doesn't exist to any such extent in San Francisco.
San Francisco is older, more established and has more cohesive urbanity than Miami. Miami and surrounding suburbs are basically islands of urbanity. However in neighborhoods like South Beach of Miami Beach, are highly walkable and rival any San Francisco neighborhood. The problem is these neighborhoods are the exception instead of the rule in Miami. But Miami gives you the option, if you want to live the urban, car-free lifestyle you can. Move to South Beach (of Miami Beach). Move to Brickell, in Miami.
San Francisco has a healthier economy. Miami has always grown (and now rapidly) because it has great weather (in spite of our hurricanes), beaches, nightlife and unique culture. San Francisco has grown mostly due to her tech industry, and as such has a healthy middle class. There is also other implications, namely San Francisco attracts a bigger variety of people as it's a job center which trickles down in more variety of ethnic foods. If you combine this with the fact San Francisco opens up to some of the most productive farms in the USA, you have a strong foodie culture throughout the city.
But you just can't beat Miami. Around my house, coconut palms sway and drop coconuts. The sea is warm, green, and translucent and calm. At night I can be outside sipping on a nice wine, in my short sleeves enjoying the breezes off the ocean. This weekend I will take a small plane to the Bahamas. Living here feels so much like non stop indulgence, especially if you have the money.
Every city has a soul, sometimes you can feel that soul when you get off the plane. Miami is one of those few cities that just ooze their soul. When I first stepped here from California, I fell in love. In the soul is the music,
But when I was living in California, I was tied down to a job in a physical location. I couldn't just move to Miami. Fast forward a couple years, I made it happen. And live here in Miami Beach. This city has pretty much no middle class, so either you're a niche industry or already successful to move here.
Rich -> You will prefer Miami.
Middle Class -> You will prefer San Francisco
Poor -> You will prefer Miami
There is a whole culture here of eating outside, that doesn't exist to any such extent in San Francisco.
That's not true at all. There is a fair amount of outdoor dining in SF, Columbus Ave in North Beach in particular is lined with tables with people eating outside. They just put heaters instead of fans for outdoor dining here.
That's not true at all. There is a fair amount of outdoor dining in SF, Columbus Ave in North Beach in particular is lined with tables with people eating outside. They just put heaters instead of fans for outdoor dining here.
This is Miami, every street is lined with outdoor dining. Even places like Minneapolis have outdoor seating (seasonally) but in Miami it's basically a requirement. There are many restaurants with only outdoor seating.
This is Miami, every street is lined with outdoor dining. Even places like Minneapolis have outdoor seating (seasonally) but in Miami it's basically a requirement. There are many restaurants with only outdoor seating.
That's great, I wasn't talking about Miami. You said that outdoor dining in SF "doesn't exist to any such extent" and that is not true.
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