[Enigma777]

Originally Posted by Sweetbottoms

Because the "nice" parts of Miami still feel dirty compared to other nice parts of the state. I've not been a single place in that city that I haven't felt like I wanted to leave immediately. I've missed several funerals simply because I refuse to drive across that alley to step foot there.

I think Miami is beautiful, vibrant and definitely has the most character. Apparently so do a lot of other people, as it is having an economic boom. I don't know where you were, but it doesn't sound like the Miami I know, which has beautiful turquoise water against blue skies, neon art deco buildings, funky coconut grove, Key Biscayne, ocean drive at night, the Venetian Causeway, downtown skyline, Coral Gables, Lincoln Road, cruise ships, and lots of water everywhere. Driving home from work over the MacArthur Causeway with a full moon is a really nice commute.

St. Pete and the Tampa Bay area have less crime, but are rather bland and boring with no personality whatsoever and definitely would not be described as beautiful cities. Jacksonville might as well be in Georgia and Orlando consists of malls, subdivisions and theme parks.

[FlyMIA]

Originally Posted by civic94

how cold? i thought the whole florida area is pretty south, so it has to be warm.



when i did my road trip years ago, tampa and orlando was fine, i didnt exit on the freeway to see jacksonville, and while in miami i pretty much drove by a ghetto and i was suprised how bad it was. but anyways maybe i happen to drive by the good areas of orlando and tampa.

Jacksonville borders Georgia. Florida is a very long state and the difference of climate between Miami and Jacksonville is pretty big. December, January, February average overnight lows in Jacksonville are in the low 40s. Nights into the 30s and even high 20s are not uncommon at all. Orlando is a bit warmer where Miami will only get a few nights a year in the 40s.

And yes just like every single larger city in the United States of America Miami has low income high crime areas. Drive around Orlando, Tampa, Jacksonville, NYC, DC, Atlanta, Houston, Dallas, New Orleans and you will see the same type of areas.

Originally Posted by Sweetbottoms

Because the "nice" parts of Miami still feel dirty compared to other nice parts of the state. I've not been a single place in that city that I haven't felt like I wanted to leave immediately. I've missed several funerals simply because I refuse to drive across that alley to step foot there.

Guess it is just personal opinion. Give me a real city over suburbs, or half empty downtowns any day.

FBI crime stats:
Jacksonville: violent crime overall 523.6 per 100,000 murder 6.4 per 100,000
Miami: 596 violent crime per 100k 6.1 murder per 100k
Orlando: 595 violent crime per 100k 5.6 murder per 100k
Tampa: 435 violent crime, 4.7 murder

The facts verdict: Tampa is the safest of the four largest metros. The other three are very similar.

[Coconut1]

Originally Posted by Sweetbottoms

Because the "nice" parts of Miami still feel dirty compared to other nice parts of the state. I've not been a single place in that city that I haven't felt like I wanted to leave immediately. I've missed several funerals simply because I refuse to drive across that alley to step foot there.

LOL!!!!!!!

Funniest thing I've heard this month!

[kyle19125]

Originally Posted by chopchop0

Agreed with MiamiRob. The slang term that many I know of who've worked there before is "Crack"sonville. I'd say Miami is the most dangerous, followed by Jax and then Orlando/Tampa.

As if crack is Jacksonville specific. Jacksonville's crime rate entails 874 square miles which actually makes it safer than cities with far fewer land masses, especially since a majority of crime tends to be focused on specific areas. Per capita numbers make sense if you're on top of one another, which isn't the case in Jacksonville. Clearly the higher crime numbers up against smaller land mass equal higher rate of risk....hence Miami #1 and Orlando #2.

[NowSoFlorida]

Originally Posted by kyle19125

1. Miami
2. Orlando
3. Tampa
4. Jacksonville

Bear in mind though that crime in Florida is very compartmentalized, as segregation of poverty-stricken/low-income neighborhoods here are much more pronounced than in other states. Miami might have the highest crime rate but the odds of encountering it are about as high as being anywhere else in the state, because your friend most likely won't be renting in a high crime 'hood.

Detroit and Camden are much worse than Miami. I wouldn't live there for free or for a million dollars.

To answer the OP, large Florida cities have bad areas, but none are all bad.

If he wants to get away from the winters Jacksonville is a bad idea. You can have freezing temperatures overnight for a few months.

[CountryFisher]

Orlando
Miami
West Palm Beach
Jacksonville
Tallahassee
Tampa

Miami is the ugliest and looks the most dangerous though.

[chopchop0]

Originally Posted by NowSoFlorida

Detroit and Camden are much worse than Miami. I wouldn't live there for free or for a million dollars.

To answer the OP, large Florida cities have bad areas, but none are all bad.

If he wants to get away from the winters Jacksonville is a bad idea. You can have freezing temperatures overnight for a few months.

Duh. I think FL cities were being compared. We can all agree that places like parts of philliy, baltimore, chicago etc. are much worse than anywhere in FL.

[FlyMIA]

Originally Posted by kyle19125

As if crack is Jacksonville specific. Jacksonville's crime rate entails 874 square miles which actually makes it safer than cities with far fewer land masses, especially since a majority of crime tends to be focused on specific areas. Per capita numbers make sense if you're on top of one another, which isn't the case in Jacksonville. Clearly the higher crime numbers up against smaller land mass equal higher rate of risk....hence Miami #1 and Orlando #2.

My stats cover the entire metro areas of Tampa, Orlando, Miami and Jacksonville, not just the cities. So Jacksonville does have the highest murder rate of the four metro areas.

[LordHomunculus]

Originally Posted by MiamiRob

The Miami metro has about over 5.5 million residents and millions of tourists as well. It's metro is twice as large as either that of Orlando's or Tampa's and about 4 times as large as Jacksonville's.
That being said Jacksonville's metro murder rate is much higher on per capita basis than Miami's as of 2012 FBI stats.

Yet the violent crime rate of Miami's metro is higher.

[LordHomunculus]

Originally Posted by chopchop0

Duh. I think FL cities were being compared. We can all agree that places like parts of philliy, baltimore, chicago etc. are much worse than anywhere in FL.

Statistically, Chicago and Philadelphia are actually doing much better than most metros in Florida. Baltimore sucks, but D.C. will lift it up in the future.