Visited University of Miami (Miami Beach, Coral Gables: apartments, crime, hotel)

[intelfan11315]

Well, I have visited the University of Miami and thought I would share a little insight to the rest of the forums. Please remember, I visited the city and drove around for only the day, so this is from a one day view.

I'll have to admit, I have fallen in love with the city, it might not be for everyone, but I love how it is always busy and seems so fast paced. I like being in that kind of environment. I also spent most of my time around the Coral Gables, Miami Beach and Coconut Grove.. which all seemed to be amazing. I don't think there is really too much to worry about from a tourist's point of view ( obviously to a point ) there can be problems anywhere. I think for me as a student, I don't really worry about the bad parts of the city because truthfully, I have no reason to be around them. I can see why other parts would be a problem for somebody raising a family who's only house they can afford might be in a worse part of town, but I think as long as you stay out of the worse parts you really won't see the crime and murders they are putting in the streets. I loved how clean the city felt, much nicer than my current city that I live in, and right now I am actually posting this comment from Denver, and I am much more impressed with Miami. The vehicles were all so nice and everything looked so well kept up. That was my experience in Miami and I think there is a good chance I will be living in Coral Gables next fall unless I really fall in love with Boulder Colorado during my visit. I hope this post helps someone out!

[Hasdrubal]

My brother is in UM this semester. I bet you're rich or are ready to borrow big $, because tuition is about $40,000 a year or so, housing is extra. My brother is a foreign student, so he pays a ridiculous amount of money, about $800 for tuition, housing is about $8,000. He shares an apartment on campus with 4 Americans and one German. He told me it is highly recommended to do so and not going to the residence halls, as college life sucks there. Get a car, it's vital in Miami. I just flew from Miami today and saw a lot of prospective students visiting the campus so I might have passed you by lol.


I have been in a hotel at the Grove these past weeks, and the area is definitely nice, as it is Coral Gables, but the rest of Miami sucks IMHO. I'd much rather choose Ft Lauderdale if I were going to settle in the area. Take in account that there are pretty bad neighborhoods in downtown Miami, Liberty City to name one; between Coco Walk and Coral Gables (two of the richest parts in Miami) there's a creepy street where I wouldn't like to have my car break down at night; a cop was shot 3 days ago and a guy went in a shooting spree at a Wendy's in South Miami killing two random customers and wounding other 4, before blowing his brains out. Not everything is bad, Calle Ocho is nice with plenty of Latino restaurants, Café Versailles the most famous and you can eat real good food for cheap.

by the way, the female students are pretty hot over there, especially exchange girls from Australia and Britain.

don't expect too much party life on campus, as security arrives promptly wherever a party is being thrown and tells everybody to end fun after 10 pm. You'll have to go to Miami Beach for nightclubs and stuff, but again, it's pretty expensive and not worth the money IMHO, too many posers and too much people snorting coke in the restrooms.

[tallrick]

I do not think the Wend's shooting was in Miami, people there do not seem to do random mass-shootings.

[compelled to reply]

Originally Posted by tallrick

I do not think the Wend's shooting was in Miami, people there do not seem to do random mass-shootings.

It honestly can happen anywhere. Homicidal/suicidal/distressed people are a small minority in any human population. Just because such an event has not occurred in Miami does not mean it never will. They have had events like this in Tennessee, Nebraska, all over the country basically in places you wouldn't expect. There is always that latent thought in that minority of the population. Although it might be scary to think about, you have a much higher chance of getting into your car and getting into a crash, and we all do that every day without fear. You just have to live your life.

Anyway, to avoid digressing from the topic, I'm glad you enjoyed Miami. A first time visit however does not yield some of the realities that will face you once you live there. I'm not saying you still won't enjoy it, but there is a huge, huge area in Miami that is very different from other US cities that the tourists don't see, but you may have to live with as a resident. It's a little dirtier, has more poverty, and has more extremes, and signs of widespread corruption that most cities. I'm not trying to scare you off by any means, I'm one of the more positive people on here, but upon the next time, you may want to explore some of the other areas just to get an idea of how the majority of Miami-Dade County lives. You probably won't get robbed or anything like that as long as you don't go to Overtown or Liberty City or some of the other notoriously "bad" places, but you will be submerging yourself into an entirely different culture that you are not used to (yes, referring to the use of the Spanish language), which I'm not saying is a bad thing, but just be ready for that shock once you actually move in, as areas like Coral Gables and Miami Beach make up a pretty small percentage of urban Miami-Dade.

And remember, this is one of the more expensive cities in the country. You have to be prepared for that, OP. I think you could have a blast as a student, but just REALLY make sure you can handle Miami. It's pretty intense.

[Mattie]

You do not absolutely need a car at UM. They offer student shuttles to the beach and Coconut Grove. Yes, tuition is expensive, but it's a private school. The housing prices quoted above sound high. We pay 880.00/month for a 2/2 on campus, but the apartments are less. They are also older, and some only contain 1 bathroom for up to 6 people.

[intelfan11315]

Yeah, I have noticed everyone saying I will need a car, but that bus seemed very convinent. It even goes to Publix on certain days so you can go grocery shopping. I think it is definitely possible to get by without a car, but i plan to have one because I'd go nuts without it anywhere. And wow, I could not believe how many hot girls there were! It was amazing , usually when you go somewhere majority are pretty ugly and then you see a hot one here and there, it was hard for me to find an ugly one!!

[illini84]

Glad you enjoyed your trip! Coral Gables, Coconut Grove, and the beach are some of Miami's nicest parts (although none of them are actually within the City of Miami itself). Miami does have its perks (nice weather, the ocean, gorgeous people...). Most people I know enjoyed their time at UM and while I'm not from Florida originally, the University seems to hold a pretty good reputation around here.

[tallrick]

Actually the city of Miami includes Coconut Grove. Suntan U is a nice place with above average professors, but is wildly overpriced. You will see a lot more attractive people there than around the county in general, after all they are college students. Academically, law and medicine are the University's strong points. For engineering, FIU was the place for me. I know a few business and architecture majors from UM and they were pleased with their education, but they were from well-off parents anyway.

[kevinkagy]

Congrats! I hope you choose to go to UM, it's a good school in a very nice area. You will definitely NOT need a car, trust me. Most UM kids don't have cars, they either use the university's bus system which is free for students or they ride Metrorail or Metrobus to get around. There's a Metrorail station across the street from UM, with stations at Dadeland Mall, Shops at Merrick Place, Downtown, Brickell, Civic Center, Vizcaya, Coconut Grove, etc. You don't need a car, save yourself the hassle.

[kevinkagy]

Originally Posted by tallrick

Actually the city of Miami includes Coconut Grove. Suntan U is a nice place with above average professors, but is wildly overpriced. You will see a lot more attractive people there than around the county in general, after all they are college students. Academically, law and medicine are the University's strong points. For engineering, FIU was the place for me. I know a few business and architecture majors from UM and they were pleased with their education, but they were from well-off parents anyway.

Business and Architecture are definitely better at Florida International University (FIU) alongside other programs at FIU, but UM is still a good school. Medicine is definitely one of UM's biggest strengths, they recently acquired Cedars Medical in the Civic Center.