Park Slope, Brooklyn to Coconut Grove? Help! (Miami, Coral Gables: mover, condos)

[johnnyrtw]

My wife and I have appreciated the frank discourse on this website and are looking for some advice. We are contemplating moving from Park Slope, Brooklyn to Miami (Coconut Grove) for a new job I was offered in Doral. We have a comfortable life in Brooklyn, but working in Manhattan can be exhausting and we are looking for a change of pace. That being said, we like the open vibe of Brooklyn and hope to find a similar feel in Miami.

We prefer a townhome or condo community (not single home) since I travel quite a bit for work and my wife and one year old want to feel secure (and not isolated).

Is Coconut Grove our best bet? I realize there are some sketchy areas, but we have lived in New Orleans and Washington, DC, so we get that there are some areas in cities that need to be avoided.

Any other thoughts on moving from NYC to Miami?

[FlyMIA]

If you have a job and want to do go ahead. I would suggest coming down here first. Things which are a lot different I will point out right away are no changing of the seasons and public transit not being anywhere near the level of NYC.

Coconut Grove is does have a good dense condo area with places to eat and shop all around, safe walking area. Right near by there are some not so great spots but I would personally no worry much about those. Also part of that area is going under a new development which should really change it for the better.

If you want even more dense with good public transit I would highly suggest the Brickell area.

[johnnyrtw]

Thanks for the suggestions. We were down over the weekend checking places out and really liked the vibe in Coconut Grove. Bigger problem is finding a decent place that allows large dogs!

[Wild Style]

Originally Posted by johnnyrtw

My wife and I have appreciated the frank discourse on this website and are looking for some advice. We are contemplating moving from Park Slope, Brooklyn to Miami (Coconut Grove) for a new job I was offered in Doral. We have a comfortable life in Brooklyn, but working in Manhattan can be exhausting and we are looking for a change of pace. That being said, we like the open vibe of Brooklyn and hope to find a similar feel in Miami.

We prefer a townhome or condo community (not single home) since I travel quite a bit for work and my wife and one year old want to feel secure (and not isolated).

Is Coconut Grove our best bet? I realize there are some sketchy areas, but we have lived in New Orleans and Washington, DC, so we get that there are some areas in cities that need to be avoided.

Any other thoughts on moving from NYC to Miami?

I am originally from Brooklyn, from Flatbush to be exact. So lets talk this

1. if you think you are coming to Florida and you are going to get a new pace of life, you're mistaken, this isn't mayberry brother. The grind is the grind, no matter where you live. Instead of hoping a train and heading into the city, you are going to be fighting annoying traffic and stupid drivers.

2. Coconut Grove is nice, its walk-able, the school there is good. Just make sure you are zoned for Coconut Grove elementary. The northern and central half of Coconut Grove is nice and safe. The southern half is lower income and a little less safe. If you feel adventurous you can even walk over to the metro rail and take the train to some useless destination (mass transit here isn't good at all).

3. IF I were just moving down to Miami from Brooklyn I would be checking for brickell or downtown miami area. It would be a better fit I think. Not to say Coconut Grove is bad though, it isn't. Its just, if you want something a little close to NYC then Brickell and Downtown Miami would be a little better. Although, its more condo than it is townhouse vibe. Nothing out here will be on par with Park Slope to be honest. Another place to check is the Wynwood/Edgewater area. That is just north of the Miami Arena. That place is cool, walk-able, has a lot of cafes and whatnot, you can hop the metromover and head downtown without having to drive. There is a park over there where people ball at odd hours of the night over looking the ocean, its a good look.

So actually now that I typed that out my mind has changed.

I would look for Wynwood-Edgewater first. Then Brickell, Then downtown miami then Coconut Grove. Another place you may want to check is Downtown Coral Gables, thats another place I think you might like.

[vagabondsquirrel]

We are not in South Florida yet but will be in the next few weeks. The large dog will be your hitch. Not saying it is impossible, but most of the condos have size and weight restrictions. For this reason, Brickell and downtown Miami might be out for you. Like I said, I am not local, this is based on my research as we have looked at areas. We have a small dog so we are safe with the restrictions, but we are looking outside of the "city" to attempt to find a place with a small yard/ grassed patio for the dog and our two year old.