Moving out of Miami, where should I go? (University: student loans, university)

[goolsbyjazz]

Originally Posted by grad_student200

I understand because I lived in Miami for a year and Tallahassee for about 13 years. I was not happy with both. I moved out of Florida two weeks ago and drove for 2.5 days to Phoenix, AZ. I got a new job. I am a software tester who specialized in automation and/or integration testing with databases (MVC architecture).

Miami was too dense for me. The traffic jams were horrible. I used to commute from the north side to MIA. It was harsh. It wore me out. The culture is also heavily Latin American. Spanish was prevalent. I do not speak Spanish. So I was never able to blend into the local Miami scene.

Tallahassee is a college town with a focus on 18-22 for social life. Local southerners with long-term ties do tend to settle into the area. But I was an outsider there too. I left.

The only part of Florida I like is Tampa/Orlando or Central FL. I would recommend Clermont, Brooksville, Melbourne, Mt. Dora, Cocoa Beach, etc as proximal options. There are lots of jobs in Central FL for software.

Outside of FL, Austin, TX is excellent. The cost of living is lower than Miami. I lived in North Austin which is reasonable compared to Miami. I did not want to come back to FL but could not sell my house five years ago. I returned and worked for a year in Miami then the rest in Panama City. All the while I had to maintain that home in Tallahassee. I finally sold the house about 10 days ago. So I moved back to Phoenix. I love coming home to AZ.

The cost of living is low in Phoenix compared to Miami. The most expensive side is Scottsdale, but even that pails in comparison to Miami. Areas such as Tempe, Mesa, and Chandler are strong options.

I would recommend visiting Central FL first before taking a big leap. I am originally from AZ, so I blend in culturally much better in TX and AZ. A native Floridian may be in culture shock in the southwest. But many have done it. There are FSU and UF alumni in TX and AZ. The U has alumni all over. There are FAU alumni in TX.

Best wishes. I liked this video when I worked in Miami four years ago.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVRBfEtpBuU

The only part of Miami I liked was a 13 mile round trip run from Alice Wainwright Park to Key Biscayne across the two bridges. I used to like that on Sunday mornings at 7 am.

Glad I came across this. I was seriously considering a potential move to Miami from Phoenix, but decided not to pull the trigger just yet. To the OP; Austin is nice, but the cost of living has shot up significantly in the past few years. It still may me cheaper than Miami and the economy is stronger. If not Austin, come give the desert a try!

[cjairo191]

I would suggest Orlando. Probably the only other city in Florida that won't be a culture shock coming from Miami. If you are looking towards Tampa, don't do Brandon as a single person. That is for families. Sarasota is nice as one person suggested, but average age and house prices are high. I would suggest South Tampa or a community near Downtown Tampa or Downtown Orlando. Similar cities, but Orlando has a newer feel.

[elchevere]

have you spent any time in "dry" heat?....I know it's a carnival salesman term the barkers in AZ and Nevada have come up with to justify their existence and sell property but, sorry--on its worst summer day of the year I will still take Miami over the 115-120 degree "dry" heat in Phoenix, Vegas or wherever every single time......throw in the dehydration headaches that can accompany dry heat climates and I would look elsewhere. At least in Miami, provided you are relatively close to the water, you can be outside for 30-45 minutes, even longer--you might sweat quite a bit, but it is tolerable vs. unbearable beyond 15 minutes outdoors anytime after 9AM in the desert until nighttime.

[AnnRyan]

Honestly, I went to Phoenix on vacation last August, and was thrilled that I could escape in a couple of days. Much too brown and dry for my tastes.

[bmw335xi]

Originally Posted by AnnRyan

Honestly, I went to Phoenix on vacation last August, and was thrilled that I could escape in a couple of days. Much too brown and dry for my tastes.

Yeah, I've been there a few times via road trips and it's literally a brown dusty desert with trees planted in the city. I absolutely love greenery and trees, I could never live there.

[MadManofBethesda]

Originally Posted by elchevere

have you spent any time in "dry" heat?....I know it's a carnival salesman term the barkers in AZ and Nevada have come up with to justify their existence and sell property but, sorry--on its worst summer day of the year I will still take Miami over the 115-120 degree "dry" heat in Phoenix, Vegas or wherever every single time......throw in the dehydration headaches that can accompany dry heat climates and I would look elsewhere. At least in Miami, provided you are relatively close to the water, you can be outside for 30-45 minutes, even longer--you might sweat quite a bit, but it is tolerable vs. unbearable beyond 15 minutes outdoors anytime after 9AM in the desert until nighttime.

I love living in Miami and Miami Beach, but as someone who lived in Las Vegas from 2010-2013, I have to disagree with you about the summer heat. I much prefer August in Vegas to August in Miami. It's nice being able to walk somewhere without sweating profusely and feeling like you immediately need to take a shower. I hate walking out the front door in Miami and becoming drenched in sweat almost immediately. My wife used to disagree with me vociferously about that, but now that we've been back in Miami for four years, she's come around to my way of thinking. In fact, last July we vacationed in Vegas and it was a nice respite from the Miami humidity.

[lydunn]

What about Dallas or Raleigh

[goolsbyjazz]

Originally Posted by elchevere

have you spent any time in "dry" heat?....I know it's a carnival salesman term the barkers in AZ and Nevada have come up with to justify their existence and sell property but, sorry--on its worst summer day of the year I will still take Miami over the 115-120 degree "dry" heat in Phoenix, Vegas or wherever every single time......throw in the dehydration headaches that can accompany dry heat climates and I would look elsewhere. At least in Miami, provided you are relatively close to the water, you can be outside for 30-45 minutes, even longer--you might sweat quite a bit, but it is tolerable vs. unbearable beyond 15 minutes outdoors anytime after 9AM in the desert until nighttime.

The dry heat, especially during July and August, may definitely take some getting used to along with more Brown and beige colors as opposed to the vibrant greens. However, the IT sector in the greater Phoenix area is growing and the cost of living is cheaper. Contrary to popular belief people are outside all year round in Phoenix. Like anyplace you just have to know when to be outside. Besides, wherever you end up you will most likely go from one air conditioning situation to another during the summer months.

[TD*]

Tallahassee

[elchevere]

and, yet, Miami is the second most desired city for millennials in spite of COL:

https://therealdeal.com/miami/2017/0...nnials-report/