Is Miami really anything to be afraid of?? (Kendall: fit in, real estate)

[Northern Maine]

Hello, for two years my friend has been wanting me to move from my small, coastal town in Maine and go to Miami. I come from a very low population town that doesn't even have a stop light.

A few thoughts, please pardon my ignorance.

Is Miami really that bad? My friend (a Colombian) has lived there his whole life and never had a problem. he says there's nothing to worry about but I read these threads and people saw its horrible. People saw you cant even walk down the street or go out at night or you'll die. What? Is it really that bad? My biggest fear is being kidnapped by gangs or shot. Is this silly? Could this actually happen? Or am I just afraid because I'm white and not from the area. My friend has a room for me in a gated community in Kendall. He says I'm crazy for thinking this stuff.

I understand that the weather is hot and my driving is crazy but what else should I be worried about? Am I just crazy?

Thank you

[Southern Star]

Just because you are asking a question about something that concerns you does not make you crazy. This would be a huge move for you and one that you might not enjoy because of the tremendous weather change. Added to that, if you do not fit into the demographic of the area, you may feel uncomfortable. I have read on this forum that people who do fit the demographic but who were born in the U.S. instead of in the country where most of the people in a particular neighborhood are from, are uncomfortable.
I also know that the traffic and population density in southern Florida is very high and you might not enjoy that either.
It is so nice of your friend to invite you to come live (or visit?) there. Would that same friend be willing to come to your area where he is out of his "element"?
If you want a closer look at what goes on in some of these areas, download a few Florida news apps to your phone and read the news. You can also go to websites that report crime in the various counties. That's a particular eye opener for those dreaming about what they believe to be a paradise.

[Northern Maine]

Originally Posted by Southern Star

If you want a closer look at what goes on in some of these areas, download a few Florida news apps to your phone and read the news. You can also go to websites that report crime in the various counties. That's a particular eye opener for those dreaming about what they believe to be a paradise.

I mean are gangs something to worry about? And can you elaborate about this last part a little bit? Thank you.

[Southern Star]

If you think you will be uncomfortable in this new area, study the crime rates and see if that is something that might cause you some discomfort. If you are used to small town living and you enjoy having a common background with your neighbors, you might not want to change that.

The crime rate in an area is something you might want to examine. If you are not comfortable with the amount of crime, why live there?

[tallrick]

I have lived in or near Miami my whole life. The only criminals that have stolen from me are those that work for the county. The crime rate is skewed by the frequent crimes in certain areas. The more normal areas are as safe as anywhere. It is hot here, but the drivers are not as bad as you think. The real crime is the ultra low wages and sky high real estate. That assures that most people go nowhere their whole life here.

[Northern Maine]

Originally Posted by Southern Star

If you think you will be uncomfortable in this new area, study the crime rates and see if that is something that might cause you some discomfort. If you are used to small town living and you enjoy having a common background with your neighbors, you might not want to change that.

The crime rate in an area is something you might want to examine. If you are not comfortable with the amount of crime, why live there?

Do you live there?

[Northern Maine]

Originally Posted by tallrick

I have lived in or near Miami my whole life. The only criminals that have stolen from me are those that work for the county. The crime rate is skewed by the frequent crimes in certain areas. The more normal areas are as safe as anywhere. It is hot here, but the drivers are not as bad as you think. The real crime is the ultra low wages and sky high real estate. That assures that most people go nowhere their whole life here.

My friend tells me Im crazy for being worried about this stuff? You go out in public and have no worries?

[Winchupuata]

At first I thought you were being serious but the more I read your posts the more I think you're either an idiot that's here on this forum just to stir **** up or the most sheltered, innocent and naive person ever.

To answer your question, yes, Miami is a war zone, I barely made it to work this morning, but when you drive in Miami you learn how to swerve away from mortars and grenades exploding on the highway and fortunately I had enough money to pay one of the gangs the toll to drive on their territory. I only saw a few heads on stakes next to the kindergarten this time, like 5 or 6, so all in all it was a pretty normal morning here in Miami.

Please don't move here, it's over crowded as it is.

[Northern Maine]

Originally Posted by Winchupuata

At first I thought you were being serious but the more I read your posts the more I think you're either an idiot that's here on this forum just to stir **** up or the most sheltered, innocent and naive person ever.

To answer your question, yes, Miami is a war zone, I barely made it to work this morning, but when you drive in Miami you learn how to swerve away from mortars and grenades exploding on the highway and fortunately I had enough money to pay one of the gangs the toll to drive on their territory. I only saw a few heads on stakes next to the kindergarten this time, like 5 or 6, so all in all it was a pretty normal morning here in Miami.

Please don't move here, it's over crowded as it is.

Definitely not trying to stir up ****. I'm sorry I'm from a small area and wanted to hear what some people actually had to say.

[Cubanchic]

There are some rough nieborhoods as in all big cities but the majority of Miami is a quite fine and The kendall area would be one of them.

The problem would be for you is coming from a small town in Maine, the culture shock and a very dense population. The overcrowding does make it difficult when driving because of a lot of folks down here drive very aggressively.

I would visit to get a feel of it and see if it would be right for you.