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You really underestimate how urban Miami and South Florida in general is compared the the other
cities of the south. The reason people say that is because it's 100% true, and it's not even close. Just the Miami and Miami Beach city propers alone have far more urban and walkable areas than any other metro in the south. Just check the walkscore of the Miami area compared to the other cities in the south. It completely blows them away. New Orleans is the only place that comes anywhere close, but that area is tiny compared to all the places around the Miami area. Dallas, Houston, Atlanta and New Orleans all have population densities of only 3,000/ sq mi. Miami and Miami Beach are both over 12,000/ sq mi. The entire Miami metro also destroys the other metros in the south in population density.
If you compared the whole entire metro areas of the south in urban walkability it would be even more of blowout. The Miami metro has dozens and dozens of walkable urban areas outside of Miami and Miami Beach all up and down the coast. The other cities in the south are overwhelming suburban outside of the main city proper and don't have anything to compare to those areas. They also all have huge gaps in development all over their metro areas. The Miami metro has no gaps anywhere in the entire metro area.
Take a look at the videos below. Please show me anywhere in the south that is as urban and walkable as in these videos. Keep in mind that these are all totally separate areas and are in Miami-Dade County alone. Both Broward and Palm Beach County have dozens of areas also.
This video shows Miami city proper. At the 10:20 mark it shows a complete 360 view of the city proper. Nowhere in the south compares to just this one video alone. If you disagree and have any videos, feel free to post them.
This video shows how dense the coast is north of Miami Beach. There are areas like this all the way up the coast. This is just about 10% of the metros coast and doesn't even show any of South Beach, which is by far the densest and most urban walkable area in the entire south.
These videos below show how walkable South Beach is. These areas alone blow all the other cities in the south away in walkability. These are all seperate areas and there are many more areas like this all over South Beach. These videos show a small part and don't even include any of the many urban club nightlife areas.
Lincoln Road - This video alone has by faaar more pedestrian activity than anywhere else in the south. This is just a normal day with nothing special going on.
This next video shows how dense the urban landscape of Miami Beach is. This is just one street on Miami Beach. It's like this on almost every other street. South Florida has numerous other areas just like this. These kind of areas are unprecedented for the south.
I mean, this is off topic and all but I don't underestimate it at all. I won't argue that Houston, Dallas, or Atlanta is just as dense as Miami. These three are different cities topographically and location as they had nothing to stop them from spreading out unlike Miami. If Miami metro could sprawl all the way to Naples, it would. Also, it hurts that these three cities, especially the Texas cities, destroyed much of it's urban fabric as they have always been larger than Miami. My thing is density doesn't 100% equal urban. Hialeah and many of Miami suburbs are dense. Not impressively urban. You can be dense and suburban. My familiarity with Miami and it's comparison with the rest of the South and the rest of the nation concludes to me that Miami is more dense but its urbanity is closer to it's Southern peers than it is to DC, Philadelphia, Chicago, and San Francisco. The Miami metro and city is still pretty much car centric. The city and metro is still strip mall and big box with large parking lots heaven. I believe Atlanta and Houston (I know Atlanta) has higher transit ridership than Miami. Also, the walkscore is nice, but flawed, and they have Miami higher than Chicago and DC which I find utterly laughable.
I mean, this is off topic and all but I don't underestimate it at all. I won't argue that Houston, Dallas, or Atlanta is just as dense as Miami. These three are different cities topographically and location as they had nothing to stop them from spreading out unlike Miami. If Miami metro could sprawl all the way to Naples, it would. Also, it hurts that these three cities, especially the Texas cities, destroyed much of it's urban fabric as they have always been larger than Miami. My thing is density doesn't 100% equal urban. Hialeah and many of Miami suburbs are dense. Not impressively urban. You can be dense and suburban. My familiarity with Miami and it's comparison with the rest of the South and the rest of the nation concludes to me that Miami is more dense but its urbanity is closer to it's Southern peers than it is to DC, Philadelphia, Chicago, and San Francisco. The Miami metro and city is still pretty much car centric. The city and metro is still strip mall and big box with large parking lots heaven. I believe Atlanta and Houston (I know Atlanta) has higher transit ridership than Miami. Also, the walkscore is nice, but flawed, and they have Miami higher than Chicago and DC which I find utterly laughable.
Of course the Miami metro is car centric outside of the walkable areas. Isn't that just common sense? The difference is that the Miami metro has far more separate walkable areas compared to the other metros in the south. All U.S. metros outside of their main cities are overwhelmingly car centric and low density suburban throughout, with some much more than others. Take the Boston metro for example. Outside of the main city proper it becomes almost exclusively suburban and car centric with almost no large walkable areas. The Miami metro is more than twice as dense as the Boston metro according to the census, and three times as dense as the Atlanta metro. The Philadelphia metro is at 2,700/sq mi and the NYC metro is at 5,300/sq. mi. The Miami metro has a population density of 4,400/ sq. mi. Do you understand how much density the overall Miami metro has to make up to be anywhere close to metros with huge dense city propers like those two. Here's a post explaining it further.
The difference between Miami and the other metros of the south is that there are numerous urban walkable areas that you can park your car at and walk around all over South Florida. I don't think you understand how many walkable areas there are all up and down the coast. It gets much, much more urban as you get closer and closer toward the beach. It's just how the area was designed and most places don't have that luxury. The other metros of the south have nowhere near the amount of large walkable areas that South Florida has. The videos I posted speak for themselves. The other cities in the south have nothing remotely close to those videos. Even if South Florida had only South Beach it would still be the most walkable area in the south. If you want to name the walkable areas of another metro in the south feel free to do so. Then I will name some around the Miami metro.
The cities as well as the general population in FL would be more accepting. Better on both levels.
I went to graduate school in Florida to study public health and clinical epidemiology. South FL has the highest rate of HIV in the country. Promiscuity is dangerous down there.
Of course the Miami metro is car centric outside of the walkable areas. Isn't that just common sense? The difference is that the Miami metro has far more separate walkable areas compared to the other metros in the south. All U.S. metros outside of their main cities are overwhelmingly car centric and suburban. Take the Boston metro for example. Outside of the main city proper it becomes almost exclusively suburban and car centric with almost no large walkable areas. The Miami metro is more than twice as dense as the Boston metro according to the census, and three times as dense as the Atlanta metro. The Philadelphia metro is at 2,700/sq mi and the NYC metro is at 5,300/sq. mi. The Miami metro has a population density of 4,400/ sq. mi. Do you understand how much density the overall Miami metro has to make up to be anywhere close to metros with huge dense city propers like those two.
The difference between Miami and the other metros of the south is that there are numerous urban walkable areas that you can park your car at and walk around in South Florida. I don't think you understand how many walkable areas there are all up and down the coast. It gets much, much more urban as you get closer and closer toward the beach. It's just how the area was designed and most places don't have that luxury. The other metros of the south have nowhere near the amount of large walkable areas that South Florida has. The videos I posted speak for themselves. The other cities in the south have nothing remotely close to those videos. Even if South Florida had only South Beach it would still be the most walkable area in the south. If you want to name the walkable areas of another metro in the south feel free to do so. Then I will name some around the Miami metro.
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Notice, I didn't just say just the metro. I said the city as well. The city of Miami is also car centric. Way more than other dense cities of its peers. Miami's urbanity is closer to it's Sunbelt peers IMO than it is to DC, Philly, Boston, Chicago, etc.
Notice, I didn't just say just the metro. I said the city as well. The city of Miami is also car centric. Way more than other dense cities of its peers. Miami's urbanity is closer to it's Sunbelt peers IMO than it is to DC, Philly, Boston, Chicago, etc.
If you have any proof or any videos that are anywhere close to what I posted, please post them. You keep talking about how Miami's urbanity is close to the other cities in the south, but you offer no proof. I notice you like to only talk about the Miami city proper and not include it's immediate surrounding areas. I wonder why that is..
I went to graduate school in Florida to study public health and clinical epidemiology. South FL has the highest rate of HIV in the country. Promiscuity is dangerous down there.
HIV rates have been dropping nationwide for years. This is back from 2014 and the problem has also gotten much better since then. There's no reason for those scare tactics.
Most major cities are accepting, especially Austin. Florida is no more liberal than Texas.
I've experienced more homophobia in urban South Florida than in rural west Texas. I had some redneck on a motorcycle shout "damn, boah" down in Hollywood, FL because I was holding hands with my boyfriend at the time. Never had anything said to me like that here in Texas. And Miami has that sexist homophobic Macho Latino crap that I can't stand. Of course East Texas is another beast but I rarely go there. Liberal ain't got nothing to do with tolerance, though
Also, I think Miami is quite overrated when people say it's far more urban and walkable than the rest of the South. It's still a very car centric city like the rest of the South. But no matter, it depends on what you want. Miami is more cultured and there is more to do. But if you're into the hipster thing or so and you like hiking and hilly areas, Austin is nice.
Right. I grew up in Miami. If Miami is "walkable" then the word "walkable" doesn't mean much. You need a car to get almost everywhere, and the buses are awful. Its also extremely hot for a long period of time so, yea its "walkable" just have fun getting wetter than a frog from sweat. Yet again, the "Miami" people refer to here is not the Miami I lived in. People really only refer to downtown. They forget there's a ton of neighbourhoods further west. Where are you going to really walk to besides maybe a Publix or a Navarro pharmacy? I grew up like a 20 minute drive to the beach. Not like you could walk anywhere all that great lol. And I lived in one of the nicer areas, at the northern edge of Coral Gables.
Miami has the better transit system and airport(s). There is no comparison between its interstate highway system as well.
*Donald Trump voice* Wrong!
I've never flown in the ATX airport, but Miami's airport is the WORST I've been to. I've been to FTL, ATL, DFW, LAS (Vegas), PDX and MSP. All of them are leagues above MIA. It's hard to believe that Austin's is worse. For starters its in Texas where southern hospitality, manners and customer service are still a thing. And I can't speak on public transporation for Austin but Miami's is absolutely horrendous. The trains are okay but they only run in the eastern side of the city. The buses are always late or worse, bus bunching. I've seen three buses bunched together once, the bus was like half an hour later and it was so bad two other buses caught up with it. Its God awful.
Grew up in Miami, been to Austin. Hate Miami, don't care for Austin, but I think Austin's better. If you don't like the materialism and anti-intellectualism, Miami will tick you off, hardcore. I live in the North Texas area. Its not San Francisco or Boston. You're not going to find so many extremely well educated people but you're gonna find a much more average pot and more people who are willing to talk about something besides their new BMW or going to get laid or going to the club. Austin has UT which makes it the intellectual hub of Texas. Again, not the same culture as in Boston but less of the materialism and shallowness of Miami. Miami has the beach, and a couple of other things like some restaurants and cool sights but thats it. Its a party vacation town. The only way Miami could be appealing for me to move back is if I had the money to own a nice big boat and go fishing a lot. And even then I'd be bored and wanna leave after a few months. Its not for me.
I'm gay myself, though younger and honestly, being gay in 2017, you have a lot more options to be comfortable in this country. I've lived in west and now north Texas. Denton is the largest and most liberal city I've lived in here and it stills leans to the right and I've had no problem in any place. Small town or small city. No problem. Both Miami and Austin are LGBT friendly enough. Neither appeals to me really, but I would rather do Austin. Btw even though Austin is in central Texas and has no coast, there's plenty of hills, lakes and springs to go to. Barton springs is very popular. There's stuff to do outdoors and the longer period of cooler weather is an advantage in my opinion. Summers are slightly hotter than Miami, but there's more of a fall and winter to give relief. Just my 2 cents. South Florida is the most overrated corner of this country in my opinion, and I'm never moving back. Hell, every time I visit, I enjoy visiting family but I also look forward to driving north and getting the hell outta there lol.
My issue with Austin btw, is its too overrated and overhyped. Its extremely sprawly as well. But so is the DFW area. I am also not a fan of that virtue signaling millennial hipster junk. Portland has the same thing, though more concentrated, but at least Portland has more interesting geography and beautiful trees. Austin does have its niceness though, its in the Hill Country.
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