New York Transplant - Feeling Out of Place (Miami, Fort Lauderdale: condos, buying a house)

[hmnlzr]

I have browsed City-Data for years, and it's been incredibly helpful. This is the first time I've felt the need to make own thread, and I'd be very grateful to all that reply.

My girlfriend and I recently moved from New York to Miami. We'd been living in New York for 5-7 years and relocated for career advancement. For reference, we are both in our 20s and make about 120k pre-tax. The only other city I've lived in for a significant amount of time is Paris.

Now, neither of us know how to drive, so we had no choice but to live in Brickell. Could someone with more knowledge of the city give me more insight of the demographics of Miami and my neighborhood? I've thought about why I feel out of place, and it's not because Miami has a large Hispanic population. I've traveled extensively through Spain and Latin America, and I've concluded that Miami is unique among the world's cities in that among the people I see on the street and in my day-to-day life, very few are like me (white collar working 9-5). I live near Brickell City Centre, and the people that I encounter, including those in my building, are in their 20s and 30s, and don't seem to have any sort of normal job. I used to live in a 3300/mo studio, but now I live in a 2500/mo 1b condo, but the people I see nowadays seem to have a 5th Ave UES level of disposable income, and I see Rolls-Royces in front of my building? My experience thus far has been extremely bizarre.

What I am looking for is to most closely replicate my lifestyle in New York. My girlfriend and I don't go to clubs, but we like nice restaurants (food is actually good and authentic) and cocktail bars, and we're willing to take taxis if need be. I am looking for any pointers in the right direction, because I feel like the people I currently see are vapid and incapable of any meaningful conversation, not people I'd be likely to strike up a friendship with. Well, given their consumption habits and purchasing power, I'm not sure they'd want to be friends with me regardless. Quite honestly, given how many people I've seen pay for everything with wads of cash, I feel like a lot of my neighbors are money launderers or drug pushers.

We understand that Miami is not New York, and for career advancement we're willing to put up with it all if needed until we move on, but if anyone has any tips on how to make life more bearable for the time being, it would be very much appreciated.

[TD*]

Unfortunately you moved to a place which is full of money. Lots of international people move to Miami and have lots of money. I suggest you both register for driving school and learn to drive. You could then get your license and move to a different area that has more working class people. If you continue to live there, you will see yachts going up and down the Miami river all day, and people shopping without a care in the world.

In the affluent parts of Miami it often is easy to get disillusioned with keeping up with everyone else when so many people flaunt their money through material things. This is a very Miami thing to do.


Maybe Miami is not for you after all? Or just moving away from the specific area you live in. Not being able to drive limits you to public transport which is severely lacking in the US.

[bale002]

Originally Posted by hmnlzr

What I am looking for is to most closely replicate my lifestyle in New York.

We understand that Miami is not New York ...

non sequitur.

And it never will be.

There is always one's own imagination.

Just imagine it, and it will be so.

Lotsa Luck!

[elchevere]

With the pandemic, many people are still working from home as opposed to going to an office in business attire. Restaurants (and some bar areas) have only recently reopened.

How can you tell by looking at someone what they do for a living....I walk around all day in a soiled baseball cap, sweats and a t shirt but retired early.

Brickell has one of the highest concentrations of white collar professionals (medical, law, finance) in your age group in Miami...I do admit you have to make more of an effort initiating conversations here than NYC but try that instead of judging others...and you might find other cities during these times are somewhat similar. Maybe try Wynwood, Coconut Grove, Coral Gables and Midtown/Design District as opposed to the Mary Brickell Village Area—maybe Casa Tua at BCC, Novecento, Cantina La Veinte, Greenstreet Cafe, Novikov, Sugarcane, etc.

[Marc Middleton]

Coconut grove would have been a better fit. The high rises have hundreds & hundreds of units so its hard to know what people are doing.

Miami is a huslte city, not a 9-5 city and you should have been made aware of that given all the CD posts. Lots of people tele commute, lots of 'consultants' who can live anywhere as long as its near an airport so they choose Miami, lots of recent college grads with their first management /finance job, and tons of healthcare students/up and coming doctors.

For what you're looking for, downtown Ft Lauderdale would have been better suited. Still have good restaurants, can walk a lot, more 9-5 professionals, etc.

When people refer to Miami as diverse, this is exactly why. Its diverse lifestyles and income and overall desire to live there. Its not diverse in terms of demo because we know Miami is predominantly Hispanic which means its NOT diverse. There will be lots of 'what the heck does that person do for a living' while you live in Miami than other cities in America.

Making friends is very tough but its like that anywhere in America once you're out of college. I lived in Palm Beach, Downtown Miami, Naples, etc. I don't 'make friends'. I have people at work that I socialize with, clients that have similar interests and go to events with, play in my volleyball leagues with, etc. But not people I'm spending the weekends with, vacationing with, etc. If you didn't meet those in school/college, your chances are pretty slim to develop it now in your late 20s. People are getting married, about to have kids, buying a house & moving, etc. It can be easier for women than men that's for sure and i'm not saying its impossible, but I think now with all the work from home and school from home, its going to be even harder.

[CVPFord]

simple....please just move, Miami ain't NYC which is a good thing

[BNBR]

I'd be miserable in South Florida without a vehicle as well. And really, it could just be as simple as Miami not being for you. If the vibe isn't working, it's just the way it is. That's ok, too.

[himain]

You need to get a drivers license period. That's where I would start

[hmnlzr]

Marc, you're right that people don't really make friends after college, I haven't either. I guess what I'm really after isn't the ability to make friends but to have a vibe that doesn't feel so weird to me when I'm out and about. As BNBR mentioned, it may be that this place just isn't the place for me, and to all those telling me to leave Miami, don't worry, I was never planning on staying.

But I will get a drivers license and check out some the other neighborhoods you all have suggested. Perhaps they'll be better.

Because what really bugs me is that, at least the neighborhood in which I live, has a culture of conspicuous consumption which I find disgusting. And no, it's not because Brickell is "full of money." I used to live in SoHo and the West Village, which I don't think are "working class" neighborhoods by any definition, but if you didn't know better you'd think that everyone is "poor" if compared to Brickell. I actually visited Miami in August. I stayed at the St. Regis and ventured once down to Forte dei Marmi for dinner, and I can say I had a much more "normal" experience than what I'm seeing right now.

I know that Miami does have many people that are actually wealthy, but they shouldn't be living anywhere near me. I think this might be the only place in the world where you have people living in ****ty 600k condos driving 250k vehicles.

And elchevere, thanks for the spots you suggested, I surely give them a try.

[ruski]

Originally Posted by hmnlzr

I have browsed City-Data for years, and it's been incredibly helpful. This is the first time I've felt the need to make own thread, and I'd be very grateful to all that reply.

My girlfriend and I recently moved from New York to Miami. We'd been living in New York for 5-7 years and relocated for career advancement. For reference, we are both in our 20s and make about 120k pre-tax. The only other city I've lived in for a significant amount of time is Paris.

Now, neither of us know how to drive, so we had no choice but to live in Brickell. Could someone with more knowledge of the city give me more insight of the demographics of Miami and my neighborhood? I've thought about why I feel out of place, and it's not because Miami has a large Hispanic population. I've traveled extensively through Spain and Latin America, and I've concluded that Miami is unique among the world's cities in that among the people I see on the street and in my day-to-day life, very few are like me (white collar working 9-5). I live near Brickell City Centre, and the people that I encounter, including those in my building, are in their 20s and 30s, and don't seem to have any sort of normal job. I used to live in a 3300/mo studio, but now I live in a 2500/mo 1b condo, but the people I see nowadays seem to have a 5th Ave UES level of disposable income, and I see Rolls-Royces in front of my building? My experience thus far has been extremely bizarre.

What I am looking for is to most closely replicate my lifestyle in New York. My girlfriend and I don't go to clubs, but we like nice restaurants (food is actually good and authentic) and cocktail bars, and we're willing to take taxis if need be. I am looking for any pointers in the right direction, because I feel like the people I currently see are vapid and incapable of any meaningful conversation, not people I'd be likely to strike up a friendship with. Well, given their consumption habits and purchasing power, I'm not sure they'd want to be friends with me regardless. Quite honestly, given how many people I've seen pay for everything with wads of cash, I feel like a lot of my neighbors are money launderers or drug pushers.

We understand that Miami is not New York, and for career advancement we're willing to put up with it all if needed until we move on, but if anyone has any tips on how to make life more bearable for the time being, it would be very much appreciated.

Get a driver's license and a car, and move to Fort Lauderdale.