SoBe (Miami) v. SoCal (Orange County). Which is best for affluent? (live, cost)
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Location: Miami (prev. NY, Atlanta, SF, OC and San Diego)
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Having lived in both areas, here goes:
Entertainment: Miami, not close (culture, events, restaurants, nightlife)
Women: Miami
Making friends: close...though you will make more American friends in OC
Malls: tie. Bal Harbour, Aventura, Design District v So Coast Plaza and Fashion Island. Miami will take lead after American Dream Mall is completed.
Activities: ??
Weather: OC. More temperate with less rain, though cooler winters
Beaches: Miami...year round beach weather with warmer ocean
QOL: Miami...exciting cosmopolitan city with more bang for your buck.
OC is more comparable to Palm Beach or Broward County, with Ft Lauderdale being a better comparison. Laguna Beach was not a bad place but it is isolated. Cannot think of any other area, including Newport Beach or Coto de Caza, I would care to live in OC. One can live in Key Biscayne, Star Island, Palm Island, Hibiscus Island, La Gorce, Venetian Islands, Cocoplum, Gables Estates or Bal Harbour for a Newport or Coto lifestyle yet have much closer access to urban amenities including an international hub airport and, if you are still inclined, the cruise capital of the world.
I’ve not heard many say they found Miami /Miami Beach boring, yet one can get bored more easily in OC (which is why I found myself driving an hour north to LA many weekends). Presumably if you are affluent you want more things to do. You can do everything in Miami that you can do in OC and more other than a local mountain hike. OC offers a more slower way of life. Guess it depends on your lifestyle choice.
Last edited by elchevere; 05-30-2020 at 08:04 AM..
Location: Miami (prev. NY, Atlanta, SF, OC and San Diego)
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LA is a much larger city than Miami yet Miami offers many, though not all, of the same amenities with fewer negatives (more bang for your buck real estate, no state income tax, much less homeless presence, more compact with slightly less traffic, cleaner air and ocean quality)...LA does have better schools and more career building opportunities which would make it better as you work your way towards becoming affluent...I would prefer nicer areas of LA to OC because there is more to do.
Quote:
Originally Posted by citidata18
While Miami is better than Orange County, LA as a whole is better than Miami.
Last edited by elchevere; 05-30-2020 at 08:23 AM..
LA is a much larger city than Miami yet Miami offers many, though not all, of the same amenities with fewer negatives (more bang for your buck real estate, no state income tax, much less homeless presence, more compact with slightly less traffic, cleaner air and ocean quality)...LA does have better schools and more career building opportunities which would make it better as you work your way towards becoming affluent...I would prefer nicer areas of LA to OC because there is more to do.
Miami can also be alienating if you're not from Latin America.
In LA, although it has a significant Mexican population, the culture there doesn't necessarily revolve around them and it's relatively more diverse/younger.
You also get easy access to mountains / skiing in Los Angeles, better flight connectivity (besides Latin America), less polarizing politics, better proximity to other big cities for day trips and LA doesn't have that feel of being in "God's Waiting Room."
Location: Miami (prev. NY, Atlanta, SF, OC and San Diego)
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I am a whitey boy originally from NY and have not had any problem assimilating and making friends in Miami—the topic of this thread focused on “affluent” and there is a big difference between coastal and inland Miami. The majority of affluent live along the coast (ocean or bay), are higher educated, more successful and speak English. Where people will have more difficulty if they do not speak Spanish are inland cities such as Hialeah, Kendall, Doral. I know many Europeans, Brazilians, Canadians, Israelis and even Moroccans who do not speak much Spanish and do just fine in Miami and Miami Beach.
LA does have access to local skiing, often manmade snow, which prompted me to get on a plane, instead, from SoCal to Utah or Colorado. The advantage of Miami is I can get to a far more wide range of cities, domestic and international, within a much closer and shorter flight radius (NOLA, Charleston, Atlanta, DC, Nashville, Chicago, NYC, Philly, Boston, 25+ Caribbean countries, Cancun, Costa Rica, Panama, Medellin, etc) and I much prefer traveling to Europe which is closer and less time to get to (at least 3 hours) from Miami than to Asia from OC/LA.
You must have an outdated opinion of Miami if you think it’s God’s waiting room...maybe when my grandfather came down here for the winter in the 1960’s and 1970’s...not sure it’s the senior citizens supporting the world renowned nightlife here (and we don’t have last call at 1:30AM, either like CA)—retirees have since moved on further north to Boca and surrounding areas, such as ultra wealthy Palm Beach. Miami is the only area I could live in within SoFla.
Yes, Tampa is more midwestern, conservative, and less cosmopolitan than Miami if that is what you prefer. Not sure about the less hurricane prone. Also less expensive if affordability is an issue. Tampa to Miami is probably similar to San Diego v LA. Like LA, you will step in more crap on the street in Miami but there is also more gold at the end of the rainbow. I will be happy to go into greater detail, upon request.
Quote:
Originally Posted by citidata18
Miami can also be alienating if you're not from Latin America.
In LA, although it has a significant Mexican population, the culture there doesn't necessarily revolve around them and it's relatively more diverse/younger.
You also get easy access to mountains / skiing in Los Angeles, better flight connectivity (besides Latin America), less polarizing politics, better proximity to other big cities for day trips and LA doesn't have that feel of being in "God's Waiting Room."
Last edited by elchevere; 05-30-2020 at 10:07 AM..
I am a whitey boy originally from NY and have not had any problem assimilating and making friends in Miami—the topic of this thread focused on “affluent” and there is a big difference between coastal and inland Miami. The majority of affluent live along the coast (ocean or bay), are higher educated, more successful and speak English. Where people will have more difficulty if they do not speak Spanish are inland cities such as Hialeah, Kendall, Doral. I know many Europeans, Brazilians, Canadians, Israelis and even Moroccans who do not speak much Spanish and do just fine in Miami and Miami Beach.
LA does have access to local skiing, often manmade snow, which prompted me to get on a plane, instead, from SoCal to Utah or Colorado. The advantage of Miami is I can get to a far more wide range of cities, domestic and international, within a much closer and shorter flight radius (NOLA, Charleston, Atlanta, DC, Nashville, Chicago, NYC, Philly, Boston, 25+ Caribbean countries, Cancun, Costa Rica, Panama, Medellin, etc) and I much prefer traveling to Europe which is closer and less time to get to from Miami than to Asia from OC/LA.
You must have an outdated opinion of Miami if you think it’s God’s waiting room...maybe when my grandfather came down here for the winter in the 1960’s and 1970’s...not sure it’s the senior citizens supporting the world renowned nightlife here (and we don’t have last call at 1:30AM, either like CA)—retirees have since moved on further north to Boca and surrounding areas. Miami is the only area I could live in within SoFla.
Yes, Tampa is more midwestern, conservative, and less cosmopolitan than Miami if that is what you prefer. Not sure about the less hurricane prone. Also less expensive if affordability is an issue. Tampa to Miami is probably similar to San Diego v LA. Like LA, you will step in more crap on the street but there is also more gold at the end of the rainbow.
As far as the bolded, it may not apply to Miami proper as much these days, but it's definitely accurate for the Miami MSA as a whole.
Concerning Tampa and Hurricanes, it hasn't been directly hit by a hurricane greater than a Category 2 in nearly 100 years (Irma and Charley were the closest). This is partially because the Gulf Waters near Tampa are shallower, and also partially because it's pretty difficult for storms to go against the tropical trade winds that move from east to west.
Last edited by citidata18; 05-30-2020 at 10:13 AM..
If you are in the entertainment industry SoCal otherwise Miami
Is that what it comes down to?
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