Miami in the 90s: It seems celebrities moved to Miami in droves in the 90s. Why'd they leave? (Hialeah: credit, how much)

[FreeAptFinder]

Originally Posted by FlyMIA

Julio still lives here, Vanilla Ice is at Heat games all the time, he is from Miami.

I believe Vanilla Ice resides in Lake Worth now...

[StreetSmarts]

I thought Vanila Ice lived in Martin Co. now.

[Wild Style]

Originally Posted by Yeah I've been there

Among them: pop singer Whitney Houston, Italian movie goddess Sophia Loren, rapper Vanilla Ice, Spanish crooner Julio Iglesias, Broadway impresario Harold Prince, Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page, designer Paloma Picasso, author Anne Rice and Bee Gees Robin, Maurice and Barry Gibb.

And most famously Sylvester Salone, Madonna, and Gianni Versace. Even Oprah had a big condo on Fisher Island during the 90s.

What was it that made them go there. Besides obvious reasons like weather and parties---because those things are still there.

And why is it not like that today?

And I say the 90s because based on old articles I've been scanning the internet on the subject it seems that they all moved there at the beginning of the 1990s and all suddenly just left around 1998/1999.


Example: Madonna buys her Coral Gables mansion in 1992 and sells it in 1998...among other celebs.

Any thoughts? Curious to see if Miamians have further insight in this.

Madonna Miami Home | Madonna joins galaxy of stars who call Miami home - Baltimore Sun

Miami is nice, but after you get over the supposed jet set life style, you slowly start to realize this place is run like a team of monkeys are behind the control panel. If you have a lot of money, why would you settle for Miami? You could live in NYC and have world class EVERYTHING. The same goes for Chicago, DC, Boston etc. Do not get me wrong, I like Miami, but I like Miami for it's potential, not for what it has to offer today. It is like buying a video game system that can be upgraded via software. You first get it and your like, this is cool for the time being, but I know it can have x, y and z which would make it SOOOO MUCH BETTER. So you wait, because you know that the people who put the system out will eventually sort out the kinks, and there is enough to keep you busy with in the mean time. Well that is Miami. The difference is, the update never comes, or it comes in a very ridiculous, unhelpful sorta way. A way that leaves you scratching your head, as you try to sort out "how could the people in charge be so darn stupid". So, when you have money, you wake up one day and say "welp, that was fun, on to the next thing".

[Yeah I've been there]

Originally Posted by Wild Style

Miami is nice, but after you get over the supposed jet set life style, you slowly start to realize this place is run like a team of monkeys are behind the control panel. If you have a lot of money, why would you settle for Miami? You could live in NYC and have world class EVERYTHING. The same goes for Chicago, DC, Boston etc. Do not get me wrong, I like Miami, but I like Miami for it's potential, not for what it has to offer today. It is like buying a video game system that can be upgraded via software. You first get it and your like, this is cool for the time being, but I know it can have x, y and z which would make it SOOOO MUCH BETTER. So you wait, because you know that the people who put the system out will eventually sort out the kinks, and there is enough to keep you busy with in the mean time. Well that is Miami. The difference is, the update never comes, or it comes in a very ridiculous, unhelpful sorta way. A way that leaves you scratching your head, as you try to sort out "how could the people in charge be so darn stupid". So, when you have money, you wake up one day and say "welp, that was fun, on to the next thing".

Great analysis!!

***MOD CUT**

[Enigma777]

Originally Posted by Wild Style

Miami is nice, but after you get over the supposed jet set life style, you slowly start to realize this place is run like a team of monkeys are behind the control panel. If you have a lot of money, why would you settle for Miami? You could live in NYC and have world class EVERYTHING. The same goes for Chicago, DC, Boston etc. Do not get me wrong, I like Miami, but I like Miami for it's potential, not for what it has to offer today. It is like buying a video game system that can be upgraded via software. You first get it and your like, this is cool for the time being, but I know it can have x, y and z which would make it SOOOO MUCH BETTER. So you wait, because you know that the people who put the system out will eventually sort out the kinks, and there is enough to keep you busy with in the mean time. Well that is Miami. The difference is, the update never comes, or it comes in a very ridiculous, unhelpful sorta way. A way that leaves you scratching your head, as you try to sort out "how could the people in charge be so darn stupid". So, when you have money, you wake up one day and say "welp, that was fun, on to the next thing".

You would have to ask all the international home buyers in Miami, as international buyers purchase more homes in Miami than any other city in the US. True, if Miami wants to be taken seriously, it will have to get serious about the governmental representatives and infrastructure. I've lived in NYC and Miami, and prefer Miami because it is more laid back. New York is a totally different lifestyle (hyper and intense) and physically very different. When I got tired of being a workaholic, living in a gray world of cement and winter half the year, the color and vibrancy of Miami was very appealing. Depends on what you are looking for. Personally--I really dislike Chicago (last time I was there it was May and there was a blizzard) and I don't see celebrities or "people with money" rushing to live there.

[UrbanCrossroads]

Originally Posted by Enigma777

Madonna may have left because Versace was murdered.

Versace's death was probably one of the biggest reasons why the whole South Beach scene started to decline in the late 90s. But in Madonna's case, when she first moved to Miami, she was still single and had no children. She had her first child in 96, so I guess her priorities changed from that point on.

[UrbanCrossroads]

Originally Posted by Wild Style

If you have a lot of money, why would you settle for Miami? You could live in NYC and have world class EVERYTHING. The same goes for Chicago, DC, Boston etc. Do not get me wrong, I like Miami, but I like Miami for it's potential, not for what it has to offer today.

Agreed! Miami still has A LOT of catching up to do with America's major cities. I sort of roll my eyes whenever I see people who say they want to move to Miami. They must think that Miami is "NYC Lite".

[Chelito23]

I disagree with the premise of this thread however there are strands of accuracy on a deeper level.

SOBE definantly was the number one up and comming spot for quite some time. But like all trendy spots, it cycled out of that, but it didn't fade, it just evolved to something different. When that happened, certain people that were attracted to what is was moved on and aged.

Regarding the city of Miami, it basically exploded due to the stars and publicity. I think it is still enjoying (most of SoFla in general) a boom because so many people want to live here from the rich to poor.

During the boom years, many people cashed out, moved away and retired. But for everyone that left there were two people comming to fill their place.

In other words, Miami, MB and South Florida have matured and evolved. Some would say for the better (the current residents and stars who live here) and others for the worse (the ones who left or got over it). Sometimes we like a certain lifestyle at a certain point in our lives, but then we begin to value other aspects and that can equate to a move.

[FlyMIA]

Originally Posted by Wild Style

Miami is nice, but after you get over the supposed jet set life style, you slowly start to realize this place is run like a team of monkeys are behind the control panel. If you have a lot of money, why would you settle for Miami? You could live in NYC and have world class EVERYTHING. The same goes for Chicago, DC, Boston etc. Do not get me wrong, I like Miami, but I like Miami for it's potential, not for what it has to offer today. It is like buying a video game system that can be upgraded via software. You first get it and your like, this is cool for the time being, but I know it can have x, y and z which would make it SOOOO MUCH BETTER. So you wait, because you know that the people who put the system out will eventually sort out the kinks, and there is enough to keep you busy with in the mean time. Well that is Miami. The difference is, the update never comes, or it comes in a very ridiculous, unhelpful sorta way. A way that leaves you scratching your head, as you try to sort out "how could the people in charge be so darn stupid". So, when you have money, you wake up one day and say "welp, that was fun, on to the next thing".

Because you have a lot of money. Lets talk taxes in NY and California.

[Wild Style]

Originally Posted by Enigma777

You would have to ask all the international home buyers in Miami, as international buyers purchase more homes in Miami than any other city in the US. True, if Miami wants to be taken seriously, it will have to get serious about the governmental representatives and infrastructure. I've lived in NYC and Miami, and prefer Miami because it is more laid back. New York is a totally different lifestyle (hyper and intense) and physically very different. When I got tired of being a workaholic, living in a gray world of cement and winter half the year, the color and vibrancy of Miami was very appealing. Depends on what you are looking for. Personally--I really dislike Chicago (last time I was there it was May and there was a blizzard) and I don't see celebrities or "people with money" rushing to live there.

All the international buyers? Miami has more international buyers purchasing homes than any other city in America? You taking the mick? First lets be clear, you spoke about your situation in NYC. We are not talking about Joe Shmoe who has to shlep to work every day. We are talking about people with enough money that they don't need to work a 9 to 5. So their experience in NYC is going to be FAR different than yours. Hell, when I lived in NYC, if I named dropped the people on my block alone, it would shock a lot of people. But thats childish, so I wont. I bring my background up to show, my life in NY (which is where I am from) is far different than your experience as well. You bringing up your preferences is really apples and oranges, when the conversation is about Stars and why they are no longer here.

Look at this article, Miami isn't on the list of places Chinese are buying up:

Chinese To Spend Billions On American Real Estate - Forbes


This one mentions south florida, not Miami in particular, I wonder why

Foreigners are buying U.S. homes - Oct. 21, 2011

List of 21 cities dominated by rich people, Miami isn't there:
Cities Where The Most Rich People Live - Business Insider

10 metro areas with the highest concentration of high income households
Where the rich people live - Feb. 12, 2013

^^

Miami not on the list.

My point is, Miami isn't all that. You guys need to stop reading the Miami Mullet Wrapper (miami herald). They talk up how hot the condo market is here, total bullocks! You go downtown and brickell and those condo buildings are still pretty darn dark. I posted a article on city data a year or so ago, that showed how the Realtor Association was double and some times triple counting sales, to make the Market seem far hotter than it actually was. Don't believe the hype.

Now your talking down Chicago, i don't think you must have spent a lot of time there. I have, my inlaws are there. You can't even begin to compare the wealth in that city to Miami, its laughable. Miami doesn't even have something on the level of a Evanston for example or a Naperville (a suburb of Chicago). Naperville was the first place in my life, I saw people with airplane hangers for garages (LITERALLY). I mean they had airplane landing strips in their back yards and they parked there mini jets in their garage/air plane hangers. Not to mention, cities like Chicago have OLD money. Miami is new money and a lot of people living on credit, faking like they have, what we call up north "long money".

But I don't want this to be a, lets crap on Miami debate. I like Miami. I think it has a LOT of potential, but I have travelled enough to know and understand, it still has a LONG way to go, and it still needs to sort out its priorities.