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don't pretend to know but it's interesting the similarity in their bigotry and their living preferences from one country to another.
Come on people, this is a new millennium. Drop all the lame antiquated stereotypes, open your mind and let's "enjoy" the differences!
I don't believe that "living preferences" necessarily denote "bigotry." Sometimes economics, established communities sharing similar "cultural" characteristics as the intended resident, proximity to opportunities such as jobs held primarily by a specific segment of the poulation...these and other factors may drive "living preferences."
It will be interesting what our initial impressions are after being there the first few days. We are coming for sure in Oct if it's nothing but to stay 8 days and return to Dallas. I have two days work in the keys and the rest will be spent in Miami and FTL just looking around. I'll have some impressions to share regardless and just my opinions FWIW.
We have a list of intangibles to examine. We plan to look at this from a living stand point not as a tourist. The plan is to compare Miami to Dallas and other areas I have visited. We just think it makes sense to look at what it might be like to actually live there and take the tourist traps at face value. We'll go to Lincoln road on Saturday night for sure, but we have other things to examine as well.
We want to examine the lifestyle and pace of life
What time do people go to work and get off
What time is dinner time
Quality of roads
Traffic at 5:00 pm in downtown Miami
Visit a grocery store, price milk and bread
Visit the local wal-mart
We want to test friendliness on the street
Talk to some current residents in the neighborhoods we are considering
Look closely at the homeless problem near Hollywood
Go to the beach at Midnight
Road rage
Tap water
Cost of toll roads
Crazy Drivers
Eat where the locals eat
Gasoline cost
Electricity cost
Go to the mall and see who is there
Check friendliness and helpfulness of store clerks
Local TV
Police
Smog and Humidity
Smoking laws, state vehicle inspections, car insurance
Nightlife and last but not least, the local women.
Of course what we take away from this exercise may be dependent on being in the wrong place at the wrong time and we will try to take that into consideration. We just think this exercise will help us separate the myths of soflo from the facts at least as "we" see them. If we move to Miami in October, then we are hoping we guessed right.
If there is something else you guys think we should consider, please add it to our list!
I'll compare Miami vs Dallas , don't say I didn't warn you
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jmlacysr
We want to examine the lifestyle and pace of life
What time do people go to work and get off 4-7pm, same
What time is dinner time 6-9pm, same
Quality of roads better
Traffic at 5:00 pm in downtown Miami hideous
Visit a grocery store, price milk and bread same but no dry laws
Visit the local wal-mart same
We want to test friendliness on the street less friendly
Talk to some current residents in the neighborhoods we are considering they might not speak English
Look closely at the homeless problem near Hollywood it exists but alcoholics, crystal meth, crack addicts are more common
Go to the beach at Midnight creepy
Road rage common
Tap water depends, mine is excellent
Cost of toll roads depends where you work
Crazy Drivers common
Eat where the locals eat McDonalds and Chilis?
Gasoline cost same
Electricity cost depends on the age of the home
Go to the mall and see who is there people like in Dallas
Check friendliness and helpfulness of store clerksModerator cut: watch the stereotyping - can sometimes slip into racism/bigotry as it did here
Local TV same as Dallas
Police same
Smog and Humidity no smug, humidity is higher
Smoking laws, state vehicle inspections, car insurance smoking laws same, no vehicle inspections, car insurance is more expensive
Nightlife and last but not least, the local women. Local women, most have extra pounds
I'll compare Miami vs Dallas , don't say I didn't warn you
co-sign accept for the bigotry part and not all of hollywood is bananas. Its that area in and around the downtown that is a problem. TONS of halfway houses and rehabs. The residents (the normal ones) are trying hard to get some of that stuff out of there though. I hope they succeed.
One of the things I want to test is pace of things down there. My son and I were just at the pharmacy in a new part of town for us. The people who worked there took their sweet time about it and then some. Everyone in the store moved like a snail. I looked at my son and asked him if he thought Florida was like this and he shrugged his shoulders "Dunno".
Where we live in Dallas, things move along pretty fast. It's not NYC fast but pretty close in certain areas, that's where we live and slow is not something either of us favor. We don't drive like maniacs but we do keep our foot to the peddle.
This may be one of those things we just have to experience for ourselves and I may be able to adjust. I think I've said this before, I see us a city people, and not looking to slow down and retire.
My son read your post hialiehR and we talked about "Check friendliness and helpfulness of store clerksModerator cut: response to bigoted portion of post
Hi Ola! Hollywood is a mixed bag at best we know, and something to go visit. It''s the farthest northern city we are considering and we'll work our way down from to the Gables, the grove and south Miami. No kendal or pinecrest and only areas north. There have been some excellent suggested areas in this thread and we'll go check out the Roads and similar places too.
By the time I get there, I may be a human highway map. I know where these places are but no clue what they look like.
This morning I went back and looked at the stickies here that have pics of FTL and Miami and it reminded my why I want to move. It's just beautiful place to see. If it turns out to be the beauty AND the beast for me, who knows but I'm coming with an open mind.
One of the things I want to test is pace of things down there. My son and I were just at the pharmacy in a new part of town for us. The people who worked there took their sweet time about it and then some. Everyone in the store moved like a snail. I looked at my son and asked him if he thought Florida was like this and he shrugged his shoulders "Dunno".
it is. you will find that most customer service is miami is s-l-o-w. it takes a while to get used to it. actually, to be honest, in my 5 years in miami (after 24 years in nyc) i NEVER got used to it.
I wrote this to a friend, making fun of what I've learned about Miami.
Yeah...go Miami Dolphins? The move may be like parachuting into Haiti but we are so sick of Dallas, Port-Au-Prince would be our Tagamet. Actually, I've spent the last 60 days deciphering Miami and it's not all free Pina Colidas served by naked super models or, are you likely to be bludgeoned DAILY over pocket change by the chemically dependant. The truth is actually somewhere in the middle. "Miami...it's not THAT horrendous OR stupendous", is probably a fair assessment.
My take on Miami is that it's like a beautiful woman with bad breath and an occasional mean streak. The pirate mentally appears alive and well and walking "on the line" of acceptable behaviour is "normal". In that respect, Miami is like Las Vega's without the buffets. The difference between North Florida and South Florida is like comparing Topeka to Havana. Miami is just an island off the coast of Cuba and like Havana today, Miami is under Cuban control.
According to some, Miami may be the capital for the intellectually challenged. Apparently, the indigenous have an IQ of a single cell organism. The words Smart and Miamians are not to be used in the same sentence without the word NOT by anyone with a brain stem connected. Add this tiny challenge to the preverbal "no-speeky eenglis" and it has me rethinking my daily sedation levels for SoFlo. Imagine for a second a Doctor with little aptitude, even less initiative, then add an unhealthy dose of hateful attitude, and you get a sense of Miami medical services at double the national cost.
Miamians don't agree on much... but they do seem to agree to the following two statements to summarize Miami as a whole; "Lot's of dumb and rude ass people here." and " ME so HORNY".
Some of the tap water near Miami has the highest quantity of carcinogens of any place in the country. If I had to live there, I would wash my hair in the Atlantic Sea foam. Skin cancers are considered beauty marks on Leatherette skin. Also, one has to consider the occasional 100 mph sea breeze and your house becoming a life raft as a perk.
"Oh yeah but the beaches, and that Blue water, and south beach and all the wonderful things to do!" said the tourist board. Yep...we get that, and Joey and I are coming in 3 weeks with a very open mind. Just saying, the juice of living there may not be worth the squeeze and we reserve the right not to "buy in" to the bull**** long term.
I do not agree about this view that the eastern side is totally different. There are many people here from small towns in Long Island where the pace is slower than NYC. I live in eastern Ft Lauderdale and the people here are no different than the people further west in weston or plantation. There migh be more traffic and congestion in the eastern side of town. I do not find the people here as on the ball as New Yorkers. Maybe it's the sun, the air or the water. It's a great place if you want to veg out but not if you seek a stimulating environment
I have never been to S. Florida other than a brief stay. I'm planning on moving next month so I have made many many phone calls and read countless posts on this forum and others.
Actually, I have found about 10% of people what I would deem rude. Perhaps not as rude as simply curt and that same 10% also seems to be the 10% that is all about themselves. It's also interesting that this same 10% did not perform what they promised. That 10% also seemed even more curt than New yorkers.
I love the people of NYC. Yes, they talk fast, move fast, they get with the program, get you serviced and out of their store. I haven't found many NYC natives though that would not stop long enough to tell you their favorite restaurant or give you directions or their coat off their back for that matter.
What I've run across in S. Florida seems to be a bit more curt and some cases even angry about life. This is not the NYC people I know anyway so I don't think it's fair to say S. Florida is full of rude New Yorkers. I suspect there must be something else going on that's actually a Florida phenomenon, not NY.
Indeed, many people are not native English speakers and frankly, I expected even more of a language barrier. Yes, I might have to repeat myself once or twice but they seem to be able to speak English just fine. True, you may have to listen harder for what they say, but concentrating is not a bad thing for anyone and you meet interesting people along the way. Apparently, it's the cost of doing business in S. Florida, and you either deal with it, stay and complained about it or leave.
I'm just starting to think some of this is all over hyped about everyone being from someplace else, can't speak English and are rude. True, I've found pockets of those but I certainly can't say it's true for everyone that I have met on the phone. 90% of what I have found are just people like the rest of the world without attitudes.
My views might my change once I get there, but as of today, I simply don't think it's "as bad" in S. Florida as some would lead us to believe on this forum.
Having said all that I can see now how S. Florida is not for everyone. If you are expecting a homogeneous, and predictable community like those in the Midwest or a farming community in Texas, you may be sorely disappointed. If you like the cultural diversity and have tolerance and enjoy the unexpected then this may be a very good place to call home.
I am from nyc originally. If everyone in nyc were as slow as they are down here nyc would become a poor, in the dumps , third world country in america- which is exactly what florida is in the process of becoming. It is not the foreigners here that spoil it. It's the shallow, illiterate, distinterested, group of people that make up the majority of the population here and see themselves as arbiters of taste and style because they lease a Lexus and have 2 or 3 Louis vuitton bags with coordinated key-chains.No wonder the economy her is in the toilet- the people here couldn't care less. What a shame , because Florida does have great winters
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I'll compare Miami vs Dallas , don't say I didn't warn you 
an insider's view
