Help identifying best area to live in Miami/Miami Beach? (Coral Gables: car rental, apartments)

[NomadicMe]

Hello all,

I am looking to buy a small place in S Florida and want to be close to Miami's International airport (I travel frequently abroad). I am away for months at a time and would not be in Miami in the summers (that's peak season for me to be abroad).

Here are some of my preferences:

1- An area that has a sense of community (restaurants, small shops, trees/parks). I tend to lean towards the left so a hippie vibe is preferred if such exists in Miami.
2- Walkability. I grew up in NYC and walk everywhere. I understand S Florida is not NYC. But perhaps the immediate neighborhood I choose can be more walkable than not?
3- Easy access to MIA airport.
4- An area with a vibe (I'm a single male in my forties so I don't want to be in an area that is all families with kids or an area that is all college students). A mix works or something towards my lifestyle. And please note I am not a clubgoer (so SoBe club areas do not appeal to me).
5- Safe. I mean preferably safe from robberies since my place my be empty for a while. As such I am leaning Condo over House since the Condo building likely can protect my place better while I'm away. My home would have issues like mail piling up or the garden overgrowing, etc.
6- I work from home when in the States so I don't have to worry about commute.

An Internet search and chats with friends have unearthed the following areas:

Miami
Brickell
Coral Gables/Coconut Grove
Wynwood/Arts District
El Portal
Biscayne Park/N Miami

Beach
SoBe
Mid-beach
Surfside/Bal Harbour

Does anyone have a sense which of the above areas might fit best my needs? Any I can winnow away will help reduce my search time when I come to town.

Sincerely appreciate your thoughts!

[SDPMiami]

SoBe with Coconut Grove or Wynwood being runner-ups. I know some people will mention Brickell but meh, not really. The rest is far from what you want.

SoBe has a vibe, it's the most urban neighborhood in all of Florida, it's immensely walkable, and it has the beach. Knocks on it, not easy access to MIA relative to other neighborhoods (it's on an island). Also the vibe may not work for you (you mention specifically you don't like the vibe here, though there are local spots here that aren't clubs). Wynwood is a little bit edgier, liberal, and creative but less walkable, less urban in a sense, and in my opinion not very safe.

[croatbob]

budget is the biggest factor. south or midbeach. transport sucks in miami but it pretty good in south beach. south beach has most boxes ticked but is not cheap. wynwood is more "alternate" but not sure how good transport is there and it isnt really a safe area of miami.

[NomadicMe]

Originally Posted by SDPMiami

SoBe with Coconut Grove or Wynwood being runner-ups. I know some people will mention Brickell but meh, not really. The rest is far from what you want.

SoBe has a vibe, it's the most urban neighborhood in all of Florida, it's immensely walkable, and it has the beach. Knocks on it, not easy access to MIA relative to other neighborhoods (it's on an island). Also the vibe may not work for you (you mention specifically you don't like the vibe here, though there are local spots here that aren't clubs). Wynwood is a little bit edgier, liberal, and creative but less walkable, less urban in a sense, and in my opinion not very safe.

Thanks for your response! Just the way you are talking about vibe and urban makes me feel you get what I'm looking for. My words re SoBe only had to do with the blocks filled with clubgoers not necessarily all of SoBe. Although admittedly that's most of what I think SoBe is. Perhaps I shall need to spend some more time checking out other parts.

Is Coconut Grove all students? I somehow thought that and Coral Gables was. Perhaps I'm quite mistaken.

Originally Posted by croatbob

budget is the biggest factor. south or midbeach. transport sucks in miami but it pretty good in south beach. south beach has most boxes ticked but is not cheap. wynwood is more "alternate" but not sure how good transport is there and it isnt really a safe area of miami.

And thank you for your response too! I'm not terribly worried about transport. Uber or a car rental work for me when I'm in town. I can do things when others are at work (off hours) and not travel when others are on the road. Although when I was last in Sobe a year ago - weekend nights were horrific with traveling by car.

As for price... it may be an issue. But at least now I know I should reconsider SoBe (I was leaning against).

Is Wynwood and the Art District one in the same? I get the sense this area is not "neighborhoody". No trees, parks etc.

Re Wynwood, you both mention unsafe. What specifically does this mean to you? Is it gang related sort of unsafe? Or just homeless people strewn about seedy sort of unsafe? I've lived in some major cities (NY, SF, Venice Beach) and I find them to generally be safe (although some such as Venice Beach look somewhat unsafe to people who are from the Midwest for example). But if you're talking East LA sort of unsafe... that's definitely not for me

[ace587]

Brickell hands down. Board the Metrorail orange line to the airport

[hurricaneMan1992]

Originally Posted by croatbob

budget is the biggest factor. south or midbeach. transport sucks in miami but it pretty good in south beach. south beach has most boxes ticked but is not cheap. wynwood is more "alternate" but not sure how good transport is there and it isnt really a safe area of miami.

Transport in Wynwood right now is either your car or Citibike. Also, there aren't many residential apartments there yet, and it can be difficult to distinguish the "hipster" from the "gangster" stuff. Perhaps in 5 years.

[hurricaneMan1992]

Brickell would be good if you can afford it, but keep in mind it's currently in a boom cycle (massive construction everywhere, road and sidewalk closures) and a dozen of so complexes are about to open up at about the same time. If budget is a major factor, Brickell may not be for you, at least not right now. Also, most of those restaurants you can walk to in Brickell are upscale and $$$$$, whereas on the Beach there is more of a mix (still not cheap, and lots of mediocre food/service, though).

I consider South Beach to be more walkable, and it's hands down more bike-able. More green space too. But Brickell has better public transportation--including direct Metrorail to the airport. Also, if you live anywhere near Ocean Dr., you need to be OK with having lots of tourists around.

The City is doing a revitalization of North Beach, and condos are still relatively affordable there. HOAs are a fraction of what you'll find in Brickell. City of Miami Beach is relatively progressive nowadays. Easier parking too. That's where I'd personally look. But it is a bit further from the airport and a bit more of a slough to get to the expressway.

[MadManofBethesda]

Originally Posted by hurricaneMan1992

The City is doing a revitalization of North Beach, and condos are still relatively affordable there. HOAs are a fraction of what you'll find in Brickell. City of Miami Beach is relatively progressive nowadays. Easier parking too. That's where I'd personally look. But it is a bit further from the airport and a bit more of a slough to get to the expressway.

I agree with you that North Beach is a great area to consider (and in fact, much more so than mid beach), but you have to be careful with that comment about HOA fees being a fraction of the one's in Brickell. I think the fees for the "luxury" high rises in both places are comparable.

[elchevere]

What do you define as North Beach--60's and Collins/Indian Creek or Surfside/Bal Harbour??

[doggiebus]

OP- Your looking in the right areas. Brickell will give you best views and the walkability that you probably are looking for. Coral Gables near Miracle will also give you what your looking for, just a little more suburban with easy assess to MIA.