Why are south Floridians so unfriendly? (Jacksonville, Miami: unemployment, restaurant, cost of living)

[Marc Middleton]

Originally Posted by BNBR

Agreed. For the most part, I find the people down here quite friendly and nice - but maybe more reserved. I've been places where there is a hardness/rudeness in the air. Notably NYC and Chicago. But I don't get that at all down in Florida..

Davie is more of a 'small town' feel. A lot of people enjoy living there, especially all the horse people. We've been looking at houses there since our little guy is getting close to school age.
Spend your time in Miami on a constant basis and you'll notice it. A lot of the people here are just used to the things that don't go on other places. *Think crossing in a crosswalk and getting almost hit or honked at*; Driving down the right lane on the 836 and then cutting over at the last minute to get into the i-95 ramp lane; zero people holding doors for you, getting in elevators before you get off, atrocious customer service at retail/restaurants in Brickell/Gables/Beach, horrendous driving in North Miami/Aventura area etc.

You gotta really live it day in/day out to experience it but then after a few years you get immune. Once I started working on both coasts and spending extended time in Naples/SW FL, it was a huge eye opening experience. (Now I finally see what our parents are always complaining about when they visit! )

[itinérant]

Originally Posted by BNBR

Agreed. For the most part, I find the people down here quite friendly and nice - but maybe more reserved. I've been places where there is a hardness/rudeness in the air. Notably NYC and Chicago. But I don't get that at all down in Florida.

We are definitely not southern hospitality. There is also a noticeably difference when you visit some southern towns/cities. Super friendly and they let you know it! We are kind of in between and neutral down here. The idea that everyone here is rude is a bit ridiculous.

Okay, the people here are WAY ruder than the people in Chicago. In Chicago, people don't blow their horns during traffic jams. In Miami, people blow their horns for almost anything.

[BNBR]

Originally Posted by itinérant

Okay, the people here are WAY ruder than the people in Chicago. In Chicago, people don't blow their horns during traffic jams. In Miami, people blow their horns for almost anything.

I just couldn't disagree more. I've been to Chicago many times and have found it quite rude (like most major cities). Crazy and aggressive drivers, too. I remember thinking about all the people complaining about Florida drivers, as I was watching nutty Chicago drivers do some pretty aggressive and crazy stuff.

Florida is far from perfect. Plenty of rude people. But that's virtually any large metropolitan area. The point is that it's not WORSE than others. It's not especially different. In my limited experience, I've found people to actually be much more noticeably rude in other large cities, to the point where I would feel unsafe.

[BNBR]

Originally Posted by Marc Middleton

Davie is more of a 'small town' feel. A lot of people enjoy living there, especially all the horse people. We've been looking at houses there since our little guy is getting close to school age.
Spend your time in Miami on a constant basis and you'll notice it. A lot of the people here are just used to the things that don't go on other places. *Think crossing in a crosswalk and getting almost hit or honked at*; Driving down the right lane on the 836 and then cutting over at the last minute to get into the i-95 ramp lane; zero people holding doors for you, getting in elevators before you get off, atrocious customer service at retail/restaurants in Brickell/Gables/Beach, horrendous driving in North Miami/Aventura area etc.

You gotta really live it day in/day out to experience it but then after a few years you get immune. Once I started working on both coasts and spending extended time in Naples/SW FL, it was a huge eye opening experience. (Now I finally see what our parents are always complaining about when they visit! )

I'm pretty familiar with Miami. I'm not giving them a pass. I know the exact spot you are talking about with the 836. I think my point is merely that this is not a unique phenomenon. Most large cities/urban areas are pretty similar. Last time I was in Chicago, there were tire tracks over a grass berm where cars were heading down a parallel offramp then cutting over to get in the front of traffic for another offramp. I was literally watching cars crossing over a hill, in the grass... insane! In fact, here is the spot: https://www.google.com/maps/@41.8471.../data=!3m1!1e3

I worked in downtown Miami as well as South Beach for quite a few years. In my experience, the bigger northern cities were notably "ruder" than Miami. But please note that the title of this thread is "South Florida" and not just Miami. And I don't find FLL or Palm Beach to be rude at all. South Beach is not very rude nor is Brickell. Some of the burbs in Miami are less than ideal.

Though to be honest, and your parents are evidence of this, I think we all view areas that we visit differently. How many people in Chicago or NY would say Miami is way worse. In reality, it's probably all about the same.

[Marc Middleton]

I can't speak to Chicago of course, or NYC. I'm sure there are awful people there. My only knowledge of New Yorkers are the Broward ones (who add to the rudeness there) or the newly relocated ones who either want my help finding a place or are a real estate agent. Most tell me how much worse our rudeness is and our drivers are compared to NYC. But again, never spent time there.

Just comparing MIami to the rest of Florida, its not even close.

Regarding 'South Florida' - Broward can be just as bad so I have no problem lumping in most of Broward County into the Miami mix. Sure Davie where you are is better, as is Parkland..but East FTL, Hollywood, etc can be just as bad.

I lived in Palm Beach awhile a long time ago, yes it was different. I wouldn't include Palm Beach in there, especially North Palm Beach.

Brickell isn't rude? c'mon man....

[BNBR]

Originally Posted by Marc Middleton

I can't speak to Chicago of course, or NYC. I'm sure there are awful people there. My only knowledge of New Yorkers are the Broward ones (who add to the rudeness there) or the newly relocated ones who either want my help finding a place or are a real estate agent. Most tell me how much worse our rudeness is and our drivers are compared to NYC. But again, never spent time there.

Just comparing MIami to the rest of Florida, its not even close.

Regarding 'South Florida' - Broward can be just as bad so I have no problem lumping in most of Broward County into the Miami mix. Sure Davie where you are is better, as is Parkland..but East FTL, Hollywood, etc can be just as bad.

I lived in Palm Beach awhile a long time ago, yes it was different. I wouldn't include Palm Beach in there, especially North Palm Beach.

Brickell isn't rude? c'mon man....

When I say "isn't rude" - I'm using a scale! NYC is CRAZY rude. It's not even close. People can and are often downright scary.

We'll have to disagree about Broward. I don't find east Broward to be rude at all by city standards. Almost the opposite. I do still agree that a lot of Miami would be categorized as "rude" and unfriendly but I still don't think it's any worse, and probably better than other major cities around the country.

The thread is about "unfriendly" I guess. And I don't think any city is terribly friendly. That's a suburb/rural type thing where people are super friendly all over. Also a southern thing which extends to their larger cities. Memphis, Nashville, Charlotte, etc. It's noticeably friendlier.

South Florida isn't "southern" so I lump it in with NYC/Chicago/LA/Philly, etc. And it's really not that bad. You'd probably be surprised how unfriendly and rude these cities are! The only exception I'd say is Boston. There was a different vibe there.

But you do keep bringing up a good point. This thread is "South Floridians" - well, South Florida is bigger than half the countries in the world. It's a big place. To lump everyone together is ridiculous. If you think people are rude in Hialeah or parts of Miami or whatever, then move to Cooper City or Weston or Davie or Parkland or almost all of WPB. Or go south to the Keys. My experience is that people are pretty darn cool in South Florida and that's because I hang out, work, and live in areas where people are pretty darn cool

[elchevere]

anywhere you have a dense population and more human interaction battling for limited space, you will have pushy and/or rude people--human nature.

Brickell or greater parts of urban Miami are no different than other urban areas in the country. In the case of NYC, people are battling one another to catch the next subway, train, taxi and/or cross the street with hundreds, or more, people coming towards them at the same time. Ditto with shoppers during peak periods. Miami aggression/rudeness is more focused on the roads which is compounded by the fact we admittedly have awful drivers. The only area that stands out to me as unique to Miami in terms of rudeness are the frequent interruptions when I am in the middle of a conversation with a retail sales assistant, as if I am not there or invisible.

Other than that, Miami really is not that different than many other urban areas--in other words, an apple to apple comparison; however, lets not try comparing Naperville, IL or Beaverton, OR or Mayberry RFD to urban parts of Miami--as that really is not an apple to apple comparison. Those areas should be compared with their suburban counterparts in SoFla, not a suburban v urban comparison. I would also argue some/many NY metro suburbs are a lot closer to urban than suburban (Western Nassau County, Long Island is as or more urban than downtown San Diego and on par with most of LA) where you have a bunch of people battling for limited space. Old habits are hard to break and many bring that mentality down with them to SoFla until/if they adjust.

[TropicalExpress]

Originally Posted by elchevere

Miami aggression/rudeness is more focused on the roads which is compounded by the fact we admittedly have awful drivers. The only area that stands out to me as unique to Miami in terms of rudeness are the frequent interruptions when I am in the middle of a conversation with a retail sales assistant, as if I am not there or invisible.

I couldn't agree more. I was actually getting ready to mention exactly that before I read your post. I live in Brickell and meet friendly people all the time. The level of friendliness/rudeness in Miami is on par with other major cities in the nation, so don't see why people like to single out Miami as being unfriendly. However, get these people on the streets and it's a different story. For whatever reason people in Miami drive with extreme aggression and total disregard to other drivers and pedestrians around them. It's as though they have no clue that they're suppose to share the road with others.

In all fairness to others who's perception of South Florida as being rude, I can understand how how they feel if their main interaction with locals is restricted to the drivers on the roads. Other cities law enforcement just do a better job of, you know, actually regulating traffic laws.

[bale002]

Originally Posted by TropicalExpress

I ... don't see why people like to single out Miami as being unfriendly.

Narrow perspectives.

Most people make these statements comparing two places on two minutes of experience.

I have years-long experience in some 15 cities in several different countries over three continents, and in my experience Miamians on average are neither less nor more unfriendly than anywhere else in communities of smaller, larger, and the same size.

Moreover, humans like to whine and complain, about what does not matter, but as a matter of habit, and the easiest thing to do is blame others and circumstances for one's problems instead of looking in the mirror.

All the best!

[ByeByeLW]

I dunno, I always have a blast when I go to Miami and have made many friends there. Perhaps I’m in a better mood when I get there because I don’t drive down, just take one of the trains. Now there are two choices Woot!