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Help...Help... any student or Miami local please help me!!!! I'm 22 years old and I'm moving to miami in august to attend FIU as a graduate student... I need some advice: Where should I stay? with $800 or $1,000 with utilities
Please Consider that:
1)I'm sociable and I like to be around people, I open to the possibility of getting a roommate. I have never had a roommate, how is people in Miami? are they friendly and reliable? so I can split the rent
2) I want to stay in a really safe neighborhood but,I consider myself a city girl, I'm not into family neighborhoods. maybe a walkable place that I could workout, go to the park, and the grocery store without getting robbed.
3) I like to party and going to the beach, but I would be really focus on my studies so probably I won't have time to go out. Soooo, south beach is not the place for me,,, too much temptation!! what about a place that is near some trendy bars I could go once in a while?
4)I know Spanish is that a + or people would turn their back. prejudice?
5)I want to start searching for a job. I study finance and know I'm studying Int'l Business. best place to find a job,, if there's any...
6)I come from Puerto Rico so I'm use to hot weather and bad traffic... I'm only going to school from 6:30 pm to 9:05pm how is the commuting at that time? and I'm considering on having a car, can't live without one, but how much would cost me a decent car with a/c at least...and the insurance
7) I really wanna have good grades, Is campus housing a better option than going off-campus? can I stay off-campus and have a good perfomance on my classes, for example if stay on Brickell that is so far away? (from what I see on maps)
This is driving me crazy
I would appreciate any help, Thank you
Help...Help... any student or Miami local please help me!!!! I'm 22 years old and I'm moving to miami in august to attend FIU as a graduate student... I need some advice: Where should I stay? with $800 or $1,000 with utilities
Please Consider that:
1)I'm sociable and I like to be around people, I open to the possibility of getting a roommate. I have never had a roommate, how is people in Miami? are they friendly and reliable? so I can split the rent
2) I want to stay in a really safe neighborhood but,I consider myself a city girl, I'm not into family neighborhoods. maybe a walkable place that I could workout, go to the park, and the grocery store without getting robbed.
3) I like to party and going to the beach, but I would be really focus on my studies so probably I won't have time to go out. Soooo, south beach is not the place for me,,, too much temptation!! what about a place that is near some trendy bars I could go once in a while?
4)I know Spanish is that a + or people would turn their back. prejudice?
5)I want to start searching for a job. I study finance and know I'm studying Int'l Business. best place to find a job,, if there's any...
6)I come from Puerto Rico so I'm use to hot weather and bad traffic... I'm only going to school from 6:30 pm to 9:05pm how is the commuting at that time? and I'm considering on having a car, can't live without one, but how much would cost me a decent car with a/c at least...and the insurance
7) I really wanna have good grades, Is campus housing a better option than going off-campus? can I stay off-campus and have a good perfomance on my classes, for example if stay on Brickell that is so far away? (from what I see on maps)
This is driving me crazy
I would appreciate any help, Thank you
1) You're sociable so you're already in the right foot to success . Before I answer any questions, you must know that Miami is Miami, it's own city, the City of Miami, AND there's Miami-Dade County (the county Miami is in) but Miami-Dade County and every city in Dade County are commonly called by the umbrella term "Miami" by out of towners. In the City of Miami, you have your mean, cant-be-trusted, unreliable people, and your nice, reliable, dependable people, just like every BIG city in the U.S.A. And it's like that for all of Dade County and every MAJOR area. You just have to pick the right person for your roomate (if you want a roomate, background check, knowing them for a while, reference, whatever it may be).
2) The only places in Dade County, and South Florida for that matter that are "city" (like NYC, you can walk, has actual mass transit, etc. what a city boy/girl is used to) are Miami, Miami Beach, and some of Coral Gables. All of Miami Beach is safe so you never have to worry about anything, and you can walk everywhere, take the bus, cab, whatever you want. Even though you did say you don't want to live in South Beach (which is a neighborhood/area in Miami Beach) you could live somewhere in Miami Beach that is not close to the beach. Miami has it's extremely nice, safe areas, and it's bad areas (like every major city). Nice areas in Miami (not including the islands ) include Coconut Grove, Midtown, Upper Eastside, Downtown, Brickell, the Roads, the Pines, South Bay Heights, the Bayside District, Coral Way, Bayshore, Ocean View Heights, Magnolia Park, and the list goes onnnnnnnnnnnnnn. And that doesn't include the nice neighborhoods with the nice neighborhoods . Areas that aren't 100% nice but you can live there with no problem, but you can't walk with a Rolex on in the middle of the night are Little Havana, Wynwood, and a few others. Coral Gables is just some walk-friendly but it is right next to Miami and Miami Beach so that's a plus if you decide to move there, and it's extremely, incredibly nice and safe.
3) Miami, Miami Beach and some areas of Coral Gables.
4) No matter what people say/post, YOU DO NOT NEED TO KNOW, OR UNDERSTAND, OR SPEAK SPANISH. I know no more than a few words that I use to joke around with friends and I NEVER had a problem. Knowing more than one language is always a plus, and Miami does have it's mostly Spanish language areas, but those are just Latin ghettos in Miami, that you will most likely never step foot it.
5) That I can't help you much in because I don't know much of that, but pciking up your local Miami Herald or Miami New Times, or going on their websites to find jobs is always an easy and great way to find jobs. But FIU has everything you need to know about getting any job.
6) The weather is the best in the U.S.A. The traffic is your typical big city traffic. Well, actually, I live in Coconut Grove and I don't have a car and I go everywhere and do everything with absolutely no problem, I take the Metro-Rail (subway, but not underground, it's "in the air"), the bus, and sometimes cabs, but that's on rare occassion, depending on how much partying I do .
7) It depends what campus you will be attending, there are so many. I'm thinking you will be going to the one that's the most near to where you live, so you won't have any problems.
For your $800-$1000 price range, you will find places in the areas that you can live in just fine, but might have to watch your surroundings at night, Little Havana, Wynwood, etc, and the really nice, safe areas, Coconut Grove, Upper Eastside, etc. etc. You can go to miami / dade county apts/housing for rent classifieds - craigslist and find an HUGE amount of great places within your price range. I was helping a friend find a place in Miami, and we found 2 bedrooms for $900/month in Coconut Grove, $700/month for a one bedroom, AMAZING. You can slso go to MiamiHerald.com and MiamiNewTimes.com
Another tip, just take your time and relax, you have plenty of time, but moving to Miami was the easiest and simplelist move I have ever made, I'm sure it will be for you too.
1)I'm sociable and I like to be around people, I open to the possibility of getting a roommate. I have never had a roommate, how is people in Miami? are they friendly and reliable? so I can split the rent
You should not have a problem finding roommates here. Lots of students at FIU live with other students.
2) I want to stay in a really safe neighborhood but,I consider myself a city girl, I'm not into family neighborhoods. maybe a walkable place that I could workout, go to the park, and the grocery store without getting robbed.
I would say Coral Gables or somewhere in that area...it's not too far from FIU...driving down from the Beach or areas that are further away is going to get old, plus you'll catch a lot of traffic coming from downtown to FIU.
3) I like to party and going to the beach, but I would be really focus on my studies so probably I won't have time to go out. Soooo, south beach is not the place for me,,, too much temptation!! what about a place that is near some trendy bars I could go once in a while?
Brickell comes to mind...not too far from Coral Gables, too.
4)I know Spanish is that a + or people would turn their back. prejudice?
No..you will be fine.
5)I want to start searching for a job. I study finance and know I'm studying Int'l Business. best place to find a job,, if there's any...
6)I come from Puerto Rico so I'm use to hot weather and bad traffic... I'm only going to school from 6:30 pm to 9:05pm how is the commuting at that time? and I'm considering on having a car, can't live without one, but how much would cost me a decent car with a/c at least...and the insurance
You need a car. At 6:00 pm, there's traffic everywhere, so I would leave for class around 5:30...parking at FIU is a nightmare, but it should get easier at the time you're going. Leaving at 9:00 pm will be a piece of cake...no traffic at that time.
7) I really wanna have good grades, Is campus housing a better option than going off-campus? can I stay off-campus and have a good perfomance on my classes, for example if stay on Brickell that is so far away? (from what I see on maps)
If you live on campus, there won't be much to do at night or on the weekends (unless you are into frat parties), which might work to your advantage if you really want to study. Brickell is a little far, but manageable if you don't mind driving. Good luck!
I love this forum XOXO, I feel so much better now, thanks for answering all my questions!!!
-I was seriously confused with the specific area called Miami, in maps there’s north miami, south miami, west miami, east-west Miami (not really) but you get it, Is so confusing…. Also, when you say Miami, from ? to ? do you refer. And, Wow,, It never cross my mind that I could “background check” a roommate, I’m definitely going to do it...
I’m truly surprise of all the options you gave me, I never though Miami could have so many safe and nice areas. I have been searching other forums and when people ask for safe areas the only place they mention is Brickell.
I don’t say this before but, I’m going to the FIU University Park Campus so I think I need a car, I could use the metro rail to go shopping & other things…
Thank you soo much. I’ll take your advice, relax, take it easy and start searching in MiamiHerald.com, MiamiNewTimes.com and craigslist for apt, car & roommate…
FIU, if it still has it, had a roommate assistance office. Call the off-campus housing dept or look online. I also suggest you find the roommate first, then look for a place.
As an FIU alumnae, I can tell you that on-campus living is boring. FIU is located near lots of shopping strips but no real areas to walk, go to movies, etc. I definitely suggest Coral Gables or go to Kendall, which is actually very affordable and just 2 turnpike exits from campus. Kendall is suburby, but there are lots of things to do. And you can get an apt. with washer & dryer INSIDE the unit. Coral Gables can be pricey if you really want those amenities.
As a Realtor, I also suggest you interview the landlord. There are many unscrupulous people out here, on the verge of foreclosure, that will rent out the place at an incredible price because they aren't paying the mortgage. A few months later, you are out on your ear when the bank forecloses.
1)I'm sociable and I like to be around people, I open to the possibility of getting a roommate. I have never had a roommate, how is people in Miami? are they friendly and reliable? so I can split the rent
You should not have a problem finding roommates here. Lots of students at FIU live with other students.
2) I want to stay in a really safe neighborhood but,I consider myself a city girl, I'm not into family neighborhoods. maybe a walkable place that I could workout, go to the park, and the grocery store without getting robbed.
I would say Coral Gables or somewhere in that area...it's not too far from FIU...driving down from the Beach or areas that are further away is going to get old, plus you'll catch a lot of traffic coming from downtown to FIU.
3) I like to party and going to the beach, but I would be really focus on my studies so probably I won't have time to go out. Soooo, south beach is not the place for me,,, too much temptation!! what about a place that is near some trendy bars I could go once in a while?
Brickell comes to mind...not too far from Coral Gables, too.
4)I know Spanish is that a + or people would turn their back. prejudice?
No..you will be fine.
5)I want to start searching for a job. I study finance and know I'm studying Int'l Business. best place to find a job,, if there's any...
6)I come from Puerto Rico so I'm use to hot weather and bad traffic... I'm only going to school from 6:30 pm to 9:05pm how is the commuting at that time? and I'm considering on having a car, can't live without one, but how much would cost me a decent car with a/c at least...and the insurance
You need a car. At 6:00 pm, there's traffic everywhere, so I would leave for class around 5:30...parking at FIU is a nightmare, but it should get easier at the time you're going. Leaving at 9:00 pm will be a piece of cake...no traffic at that time.
7) I really wanna have good grades, Is campus housing a better option than going off-campus? can I stay off-campus and have a good perfomance on my classes, for example if stay on Brickell that is so far away? (from what I see on maps)
If you live on campus, there won't be much to do at night or on the weekends (unless you are into frat parties), which might work to your advantage if you really want to study. Brickell is a little far, but manageable if you don't mind driving. Good luck!
Thanks for your help...all the info is really helping me take a decision...
First I decided I m not staying On campus, it might be helpful for my grades, but I won't be happy or comfortable, at the end is not worth it... From what u said Coral Gables is a good option but if I want to walk to a bar a better place would be Brickell right? 1 hour to get to FIU is not that bad I'm used to it... Anyway, At what time can I drive to FIU from downtown without getting stuck on traffic? I don't mind leaving earlier to class if that means I could live in my dream place... I was thinking; why would I want to live on campus if I only have class 2 1/2 hours a day -4 days a week... all that free time could be more useful if I stay off-campus, I think I am gonna take ur advice and stick with Coral Gables as option #1... but I'm curious how far is brickell? with traffic? without traffic?
Miami in general is not a pedestrian-friendly town. Coral Gables and Brickell offer condo buildings within walking distance to area bars and restaurants. Coral Gables is located about a 15-minute drive from FIU without traffic. If your class starts at 6pm, I'd definitely leave the Gables by 5:30pm, as most people commute WEST, which is where FIU is.
If you love your car, then Brickell will work better LOL... with traffic at 5:30pm, expect your 1 hour commute.
Coral Gables has more shopping areas than Brickell, too. It really feels as if you aren't in Miami, at all. The University of Miami (UM) is in the Gables, so you'll probably run into lots of UM students at area bars. Brickell has a slightly older crowd - late 20's and over, given the business environment. But you'll be studying, right, not man-hunting!
(Sorry, I'm a mom and I couldn't resist the last comment!)
FIU, if it still has it, had a roommate assistance office. Call the off-campus housing dept or look online. I also suggest you find the roommate first, then look for a place.
As an FIU alumnae, I can tell you that on-campus living is boring. FIU is located near lots of shopping strips but no real areas to walk, go to movies, etc. I definitely suggest Coral Gables or go to Kendall, which is actually very affordable and just 2 turnpike exits from campus. Kendall is suburby, but there are lots of things to do. And you can get an apt. with washer & dryer INSIDE the unit. Coral Gables can be pricey if you really want those amenities.
As a Realtor, I also suggest you interview the landlord. There are many unscrupulous people out here, on the verge of foreclosure, that will rent out the place at an incredible price because they aren't paying the mortgage. A few months later, you are out on your ear when the bank forecloses.
Good luck!
OMG and I thought I had a lot of things to worry about already; FORECLOSURE??? Wow that's scary, thanks for warning me!! Well for the other part, I'm not staying on campus, I'm a graduate student not a freshman, I could survive without being between those walls... Kendall is a really good option if is cheaper than Coral Gables and is safe/nice!!
Thanks for the advice, Is really good to have people answering all those little details about Miami that FIU officers dont tell you....
Any other tip or recommendation is more than Welcome!!!
I love this forum XOXO, I feel so much better now, thanks for answering all my questions!!!
-I was seriously confused with the specific area called Miami, in maps there’s north miami, south miami, west miami, east-west Miami (not really) but you get it, Is so confusing…. Also, when you say Miami, from ? to ? do you refer. And, Wow,, It never cross my mind that I could “background check” a roommate, I’m definitely going to do it...
I’m truly surprise of all the options you gave me, I never though Miami could have so many safe and nice areas. I have been searching other forums and when people ask for safe areas the only place they mention is Brickell.
I don’t say this before but, I’m going to the FIU University Park Campus so I think I need a car, I could use the metro rail to go shopping & other things…
Thank you soo much. I’ll take your advice, relax, take it easy and start searching in MiamiHerald.com, MiamiNewTimes.com and craigslist for apt, car & roommate…
Ok, I'm going to try to explain it to you LOL. There's the state of Florida. Florida has many counties. The counties have the towns. Miami-Dade County is a county in Florida and is where the City of Miami is in. Miami is a city like New York City, Chicago, Portalnd, etc. There are other cities in Miami-Dade County with the name "Miami" in their name, for example, West Miami, North Miami, and North Miami Beach. Those are all completely different cities than Miami. They're their own city. The City of Miami is just Miami. I think you should check out the Miami Wikipedia page so you understand and know where it's located exactly and what cities are adjacent to it and everything else you might want to know. It actually contains a lot of useful information.
FIU, if it still has it, had a roommate assistance office. Call the off-campus housing dept or look online. I also suggest you find the roommate first, then look for a place.
As an FIU alumnae, I can tell you that on-campus living is boring. FIU is located near lots of shopping strips but no real areas to walk, go to movies, etc. I definitely suggest Coral Gables or go to Kendall, which is actually very affordable and just 2 turnpike exits from campus. Kendall is suburby, but there are lots of things to do. And you can get an apt. with washer & dryer INSIDE the unit. Coral Gables can be pricey if you really want those amenities.
As a Realtor, I also suggest you interview the landlord. There are many unscrupulous people out here, on the verge of foreclosure, that will rent out the place at an incredible price because they aren't paying the mortgage. A few months later, you are out on your ear when the bank forecloses.
Good luck!
She's right about the FIU roommate assistance. Yes, Coral Gables is nice like I said, but it has it's city to it and it's suburbs to it, it depends what you like and want. Kendall is all suburbs and I can't stand BUT it is really fun for a suburb. Also, she is right about the foreclosure business, but it's like it happens commonly, it's just that it CAN happen. So, don't be scared.
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) include Coconut Grove, Midtown, Upper Eastside, Downtown, Brickell, the Roads, the Pines, South Bay Heights, the Bayside District, Coral Way, Bayshore, Ocean View Heights, Magnolia Park, and the list goes onnnnnnnnnnnnnn. And that doesn't include the nice neighborhoods with the nice neighborhoods 
. Areas that aren't 100% nice but you can live there with no problem, but you can't walk with a Rolex on in the middle of the night are Little Havana, Wynwood, and a few others. Coral Gables is just some walk-friendly but it is right next to Miami and Miami Beach so that's a plus if you decide to move there, and it's extremely, incredibly nice and safe.
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