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How do you compare a city like Miami to Pittsburgh. Makes no sense.
I kind of felt the same way when I first read this: apples vs. oranges (actually that's a good one since apples don't grow in Miami and oranges don't grow in Pittsburgh). But the questions is posed as a preference. And one can easily have a preference for one of two very different things based on the same criteria, i.e. I prefer the shopping (or whatever) in Miami because it has a more international flavor as a port city. For the record, I have no idea which city has better shopping. It is about the LAST thing I would concern myself with regarding preference for a city.
They are very different cities, but for me the answer is definitely Miami. Enjoying Wynwood, Coconut Grove, Coral Gables, evenings smoking at Casablanca Cigar on Miami Beach, exploring Little Haiti and Little Havana, jogging at Brickell Key... I do those things when I visit and can never get enough.
I would be very happy living in Miami, even with the blazing summers and overcrowding/unaffordable housing problems. The Midwest is just so exhausting; it's been a long 36 years here.
These two cities do have something in common - they are at almost exactly at the same longitude. Pittsburgh is just slightly east of Miami, at 79.58 W, and Miami is 80.12 W.
People might google "Miami Metrorail" and realize that Pittsburgh has a bigger light rail system (that operates mostly in city limits) than the entire Miami metro area!
Just to clarify, Pittsburgh has a light rail system and Miami does not. But Miami has Metromover (an automated people mover) Metrorail (which is heavy rail rapid transit) and Tri-Rail (which is commuter rail), none of which is in Pittsburgh. The Metromover alone has higher ridership than Pittsburgh's light rail, and in total of Miami's three rail systems the ridership is 5 times that of Pittsburgh's. This doesn't take into account the recently opened Brightline which is yet another commuter rail option, or the fact that Tri-Rail will be expanding to MiamiCentral station in 2019. Both projects are expected to greatly increase total transit ridership as the comprehensiveness of Miami transit increases along with far better density/pedestrian activity along South Florida's urban nodes.
Just to clarify, Pittsburgh has a light rail system and Miami does not. But Miami has Metromover (an automated people mover) Metrorail (which is heavy rail rapid transit) and Tri-Rail (which is commuter rail), none of which is in Pittsburgh. The Metromover alone has higher ridership than Pittsburgh's light rail, and in total of Miami's three rail systems the ridership is 5 times that of Pittsburgh's. This doesn't take into account the recently opened Brightline which is yet another commuter rail option, or the fact that Tri-Rail will be expanding to MiamiCentral station in 2019. Both projects are expected to greatly increase total transit ridership as the comprehensiveness of Miami transit increases along with far better density/pedestrian activity along South Florida's urban nodes.
Good info. I'll add that Pittsburgh is kind of hard to compare in this respect, since besides the light rail, it also has something else that many cities don't, which has some of the permanence and other aspects of rail. It has 3 dedicated busways, which are separate highways for busses, with stations. These go to the east, south, and west into downtown.
There are also dedicated HOV lanes to the north, which also act partially as busways but without the busway stations, and are shared with other HOV traffic (but its much less traffic than the regular highway it runs in the middle of).
The busways are actually somewhat more flexible and quicker than rail. More flexible because they feed from local bus routes also. Quicker because the busways have a greater speed and are not impeded by a train in front (for any reason trains get stopped). The thing I don't know is the ridership on the busways as opposed to regular bus routes, I just don't know if they report that separately anywhere.
quality of life
economy
nightlife
scenery
daytime activities/events
shopping/entertainment venues
transportation
overall vibe
I think it's time for me to chime-in...for the time being, I think I will focus on solely on Miami-Dade and Southeastern Florida.
I like this area a lot, it is one of my favorite places in the U.S. Miami-Dade county and all of Southeastern Florida is quite aesthetically beautiful with its beaches, bays and inlets, as well as tropical skies, fauna and flora, makes it a destination hard to beat. The array of high-rise buildings, Spanish architecture and the large and dominant Latin America population with its flare and culture is quite unique, too. Plus, there is a steady flow of new residents and tourists from across the nation and the world.
Having such a large number of tourists, retirees and new residents has other perks, such as, the ability to meet and make new friendships in Miami-Dade/Southeastern Florida area. It has the feeling of a place where people are less narrow-minded and less provincial; one where a person could start there life over (have a fresh new start). There is many activities, museums, restaurants, festivals, etc. in Southeastern Florida.
Now, that all of this is true of Miami-Dade County and all of Southeastern Florida, there are some downsides to the area. Well, for starters, if you're not a native Spanish speaking person or speak little to no Spanish, many parts of this area can be quite intimidating and confusing to a newcomer. As a one language, english speaking African-American male, I found that in my many travels to this region, a large number of people do not speak such language or speak very little English.
The climate in Southeastern Florida is very hot and humid throughout the year, with rain and thunderstorms occurring anytime. Since, Miami-Dade lies in the beginning of the tropical climatic zone, one has to be prepared for tropical systems (tropical lows, depressions, storms and hurricanes) from June through November, which are a very real threat.
Other negative factors of living in Miami-Dade County...
As I said earlier, there are many transplants to this area, which also can be a bad thing. It is a extremely transient region due to its ports and proximity to the Caribbean, Central and South America. This is also reflected in how people treat one another and driving patterns. In this part of Florida many people do not respect each other that well especially those of other ethnicities. There's sort of aggressive, hurried, impatient and unwelcoming disposition generally throughout the area. Also, another factor to consider is the manner in which people drive and the amount of traffic one will have to encounter, day-to-day around the region. It seems that many, many people work for Indy stock car companies, even NASCAR, or aspire to, because Miami-Dade and all of Southeastern Florida tend to be very fast, aggressive and reckless drivers, making the likely-hood of being in a traffic collision, very high.
Additionally, Southeastern Florida economy tends to focus around banking and finance, working at Ports (sea and air), tourism and hospitality, healthcare, service and restaurant jobs, construction and modeling agencies.
Good info. I'll add that Pittsburgh is kind of hard to compare in this respect, since besides the light rail, it also has something else that many cities don't, which has some of the permanence and other aspects of rail. It has 3 dedicated busways, which are separate highways for busses, with stations. These go to the east, south, and west into downtown.
There are also dedicated HOV lanes to the north, which also act partially as busways but without the busway stations, and are shared with other HOV traffic (but its much less traffic than the regular highway it runs in the middle of).
The busways are actually somewhat more flexible and quicker than rail. More flexible because they feed from local bus routes also. Quicker because the busways have a greater speed and are not impeded by a train in front (for any reason trains get stopped). The thing I don't know is the ridership on the busways as opposed to regular bus routes, I just don't know if they report that separately anywhere.
Didn't know about Pittsburgh's dedicated busways. That's definitely helpful. I have heard Pittsburgh has a pretty good bus system. I've only used its light rail myself.
Only on city data would a poll be close between a proven world class booming city and a city on the decline.
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