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I have the opportunity to go to school in either Manhattan or Miami. Both schools are the same reputation wise. I would enjoy living in both cities even though they have their negatives (like it being freezing in NYc during winter, or the crazy hot summers in miami)
I want to practice in either state when I graduate. My main concern is being able to live comfortable in either state on $60k after grdauation. Nice one bedroom apartment/condo in the heart of the cities (manhattan vs south beach) etc.
I dont speak spanish, which might become annoying. BUT WHICH CITY WOULD OFFER A BETTER QUALITY OF LIFE ON A $60K INCOME?
THANKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
FYI: I know $60k is a significant amount of money, but I dont want to have to live in the Bronx or Queens, or live with like 5 other roommates, or a 200 sqft studio. Can i find a nice one bedroom apartment on the lower east side living on $60k and have a few nice dinners a week? in Nyc
What are you talking about practice? Are you going to professional school/grad school or just undergraduate?
The two cities are nothing alike at all. I seriously doubt you'll be able to pull in a $60k starting salary in Miami unless you're going to become a Doctor or a Lawyer. The average income in Miami is extremely low, somewhere in the mid 20k range, because of the high number of illegal immigrants in Miami.
You're definitely going to need to pickup some Spanish if you plan to live in Miami. English speaking people are fleeing that city like its going out of style (and I'm not just talking about white people, african-americans and black-caribbean people are leaving as well). The Spanish people down there just really don't care about learning English, its insane when you have to deal with it. And its not job recent arrivals either, I saw people who've had been living in Miami for 10-20 years and still had trouble basically stringing a sentence together.
However if you can manage to deal with that insanity for a couple of years you can always flee into Broward county up to Ft. Lauderdale or West Palm Beach and reintroduce yourself to English speaking America. The pay is better in Broward and there is just a better quality of life in my opinion.
NYC you'll probably have to share an apartment even with a 60k salary. Ther'es no way you'll end up living in Manhattan (in a nice neighborhood at least) on that type of salary. You'd need something closer to 100k per year to pull it off. Getting a roommate is typical, or you could move to the outer boroughs.
NYC is a real city with mass transit and real neighborhoods. Miami is your typical sun-belt sprawl city where you'll need a car to get anywhere and the downtown is completely dead on the weekends.
South Florida has a lot to offer, especially the weather, God the weather sucks in NYC, but on the whole I like this area better.
like it being freezing in NYc during winter, or the crazy hot summers in miami
To me, it's crazy hot in South Florida maybe 11 months out of the year . . . but I really hate heat. That was one of the big reasons I moved from there. It's also been crazy hot in the New York City from at least July through late September or early October for the last few years. Make sure that you do not overlook air conditioning in the NYC area if you come here. There are other negatives (and positives) to each area, of course.
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My main concern is being able to live comfortable in either state on $60k after grdauation.
Basically impossible in most of Manhattan unless you're in a roach & rat infested dump (and a small one at that--a studio or a room, say) . . . or you go to the outer metro area. To be in a decent place at that income (which again won't be in Manhattan), you have to factor in commute time, hassle and cost. It's possible to live in the Miami area for that money (although as the poster above me noted, it's not nearly as easy to make that kind of money in South Florida), but not in the nice part of downtown, South Beach, Coconut Grove or Coral Gables, say. The "hip" areas are very expensive. You'd need to pick your suburb carefully, but the commutes aren't as expensive or stressful. Note also that except for those "hip" areas in Miami, the real estate market has taken a serious dive in Florida and is not showing any signs of impending recovery, so you can get a better place for a decent amount of money there in many areas at the moment. The New York City metro area real estate market hasn't been affected yet, and probably won't be.
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I dont speak spanish, which might become annoying.
You're probably not likely to hang out in the Calle Ocho area much, and for most places you go in Miami, you do not need to speak Spanish. Note that there are also some predominantly Spanish neighborhoods in metro New York City, too. All of my close neighbors speak Spanish, and a large number of them do not speak English.
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BUT WHICH CITY WOULD OFFER A BETTER QUALITY OF LIFE ON A $60K INCOME?
I'd say Miami at this point, but as long as you can take the heat for most of the year, you're not a big nature person beyond the beach/ocean (or you really love swamps)--it's very flat and monotone, and you wouldn't miss the better cultural opportunities (better museums, theater, live music, etc.--and a fair amount that can be done cheaply) in New York. Also, as the poster above noted, you're going to be traveling a lot to do things in Florida--it's serious sprawlsville, much like the Los Angeles area, but on 60k, you're going to be traveling a lot to do things in NYC, too (as you won't be living near many of the things you want to do), and to me, driving there in a car in Florida is a lot less stressful than taking buses, trains, subways, etc. in the NYC area (and certainly less stressful, and way, way less expensive than trying to drive to activities and attractions in NYC).
Last edited by DessertRat; 12-12-2007 at 04:49 PM..
I have never lived in either like the above poster, but I have visited both. I can say without a doubt that Miami can't even hold a candle to NYC. I visited a friend in Miami to do more local stuff and not the whole tourist thing and I was not at all impressed with the city. NYC just has me in awe-plus it has seasons. A big plus for me.
I'd be very hesitant to recommend Miami. Unless you're rich or a celebrity, you're very likely to feel the sting of pretentiousness that exudes from that place, and its residents.
Beyond the palm trees and the weather, real life in Miami isn't great. There are a lot of bad areas, people are quite flaky on the whole, and many of the women are shallow and self-absorbed. I don't like to generalize, but when you see it again and again, you begin to recognize the trend.
I'd say NY in a heartbeat. I can understand not wanting to flat-share, but it may actually be a very good way to meet new people, and lots do it successfully. Get your housing costs down, and $60K a year isn't a bad wage... Food & entertainment can be had for cheap in NY, and travel is easy, so you'll save on car costs. Plus you'll hopefully not be on $60K forever... as your budget scales, so too can your quality of life... I find in Miami, the necessary leap is something between $100K/yr and $1M/yr to enjoy any real "upgrades".
i'd go with NYC. lot more to do than Miami. Manhattan is indeed very pricey (you can try living in one of the boroughs or somewhere in Hudson/Bergen Co. NJ)
Miami is also expensive but, like someone said, once you get past the palm trees & excessive heat, its dangerous and deserted in parts. that's probably why a lot of northeasterners stay up here and vacation in Miami.
I have the opportunity to go to school in either Manhattan or Miami. Both schools are the same reputation wise. I would enjoy living in both cities even though they have their negatives (like it being freezing in NYc during winter, or the crazy hot summers in miami)
I want to practice in either state when I graduate. My main concern is being able to live comfortable in either state on $60k after grdauation. Nice one bedroom apartment/condo in the heart of the cities (manhattan vs south beach) etc.
I dont speak spanish, which might become annoying. BUT WHICH CITY WOULD OFFER A BETTER QUALITY OF LIFE ON A $60K INCOME?
THANKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
FYI: I know $60k is a significant amount of money, but I dont want to have to live in the Bronx or Queens, or live with like 5 other roommates, or a 200 sqft studio. Can i find a nice one bedroom apartment on the lower east side living on $60k and have a few nice dinners a week? in Nyc
Miami and NYC are a lot like night and day in a lot of ways. Miami has become very expensive over the years, but I would think on average NYC still is the more expensive city. With roomates I would imagine you could get a much nicer place in Miami than you would in NYC for example.
It really depends on your personality and preferences. What your into, culture, music, night life, whether you like to drive.Personally I like warm weather, but I hate humid summers (Miami and NYC both have them). I happen to like NYC winters. I think you should do one of those SWAT analysis on both places and just really brainstorm and make a decision.
The non-Spanish thing seems to be an issue for a lot of people. It definitely helps to know Spanish down there. Although I think it is exagerrated by some. I know there is a heavy Hispanic population, down there, but not everyone is illegal, and there are a lot of Hispanic people that are going into their third and fourth generations there, and they know English.
I am from Brooklyn NY and Live in South Florida currently.
The average income in fort lauderdale is 25,000 annual per individual. House hold is 50,000 to 60,000 (Broward county says 50,000, the census bureau claims 60,000).
The average rent for a one bedroom is 800 to 1000. You will find 1000 more often than not. All this stuff is pretty much the same whether in broward (fort lauderdale) or dade (miami). The weather being good here is HIGHLY subjective and really depends on what you like. Some people like changing seasons and cold weather. Some people like extreme humidity. If you like extreme humidity then come to florida and if you like cold weather then don't.
As for Miami and knowing Spanish. you do NOT have to know Spanish to live here but it does help. Again I live in Broward but I live 20 minutes from Miami and go there every so often. there are certain neighborhoods you can not go into here if you don't know Spanish because the people will not be able to communicate with you.
If you are into night life, miami has that but not on par with NYC. If you like shopping then again NYC gets the win. In terms of beaches Miami gets the nod for that one. If you like fishing be it saltwater of fresh water then Miami gets the nod. Cultural events, free and for fee NYC gets the nod. High number of jobs, afraid NYC gets that one. 60,000 really isn't that much these days in most metro areas, so you might want to think about living in one of the outer boroughs if you plan to move to NYC. You will not be living like a prince down here either on that kind of bread. You will not get a since of community where you live down here and that is pretty much any where in south florida. Someone might try to tell you different, but you tell them, I said they are liars. In many areas in NYC you can get far more of a community vibe than you will ever see down here in south florida. NYC is very fast paced so that is something to think about, that is not for everyone. NYC also has far more diversity than South Florida. South Florida you will see tons of Caribbean and latin american cultures where as NYC you get everything. Both cities have their segregated and integrated neighborhoods. Miami has the winter music conference which is the best if you are into house, thats once a year in March I think. But then again in summer time you can hit the park in fort green and listen to house too (not sure if they still do that).
Its a tough decision, I guess you really have to think long and hard about what you want out of a place and see which one comes closest. Also look at all the negatives each one comes with and see if those negatives are minor enough that they don't detract from your quality of life. Also if you moved to one of the out boroughs, once you start making more money you can always re settle in Manhattan. Good thing is, you will be living in NYC so picking up and moving across a bridge won't be that big of a deal. Also cost of living is higher in NYC but you do get paid more so in the end it averages out I guess, at least if you are in a good paying field that is.
For the better city, I'd pick NYC. The crime in Miami is a lot higher and it's not as safe. I've heard that it's in a minor drought, which might intensify like in the states just north of Florida. I'd say with the amount of money you have, you'd be better off living in Queens, Staten Island, or the other outer-boroughs. Real-estate in Manhattan is worth a lot.
I've lived in both cities and agree with what's been said.
Regarding weather, I prefer NYC hands-down, which has, for the most part, spectacular weather - robin-egg blue cloudless skies with a heavenly 5-10 mph breeze and little humidity - that makes outdoor activities a pleasure and just makes you feel good to be alive. In Manhattan, you can dine outside (day or night) spring through fall with no flying insects to bother you. The winter is milder in town than outside the city, and even with the snow, the streets and sidewalks stay accessible all year around. There are about 3-4 really cold/windy months, but beginning in May it gets delightful until around January. In contrast, although Miami has a nice breeze, too, and affords a pleasant opportunity to go for a swim on Thanksgiving, the constant humidity can feel like extra gravity, and the almost daily summer rain showers can get tiresome, even if they just last an hour or two. It depends on whether you like tropical vs a New England experience.
Regarding nightlife, I think it's easier in Manhattan as well, because you don't have to worry about drinking and driving - you just walk home or take a cab, bus, train. And you can always hang out in book stores, or other venues, that don't require spending any money at all, but let you get out, perhaps strike up a conversation, and avoid cabin fever, even in the dead of winter. If you have a little pocket money, $4 for a beer or a cup of "special" coffee can give you the opportunity to go out for an hour or so, catch part of the game on a big screen TV, then walk back to your apt. nearby without much effort at all and is a fun thing to do during the week. You don't even have to get out of your jeans. NYC may have a glam reputation, but in reality, there are literally tons of casual places to hang.
Regarding price, I've lived here a very long time in a great neighborhood (UES) on much less than $60K. It can be done. Look for a rent-stabilized apartment or a roomie or both. It's true you'll be strapped for cash a lot, but there are great cheap restaurants here too, so with a little research, you can have a social life. Although, you may think of dining out (especially if you're treating someone on date) more like 2-3 times a month than more often on your budget. Insider tip: Bagels can be very filling, so if you've got to stretch things until payday, consider them an alternative food source until better nutrition becomes an option again.
Well, I hope I've helped. One last consideration: most NYC apts have heat included in the rent. As opposed to A/C, which is almost always billed separately as part of your electric bill. This may impact your bottom line more adversely in Miami. You have a nice choice between the two cities, so go where you think you'd be happiest. You'll find a way in either place. Best of luck.
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