The Cons of Living in Miami (Weston, Aventura: fit in, insurance, condo)

[bale002]

Originally Posted by UrbanCheetah

1-4 I agree. Those are city problems that I am used to, and I don't think it would phase me in Miami. I always wonder if the Miami haters are people that come from suburbs or small towns and can't adapt to city life.


In regards to #5 see my above post. I do want to be somewhere where I have at the very least the option to walk for certain things. Don't need it for everything, but don't want to be 100% slave to my car. If I just want to pick up some food, coffee, or buy a gallon of milk, it would nice to have that within walking distance.

In regards to Miami and professional connections, that is what I am trying to do now. The soonest I would move would be in January 2016, so I am building those connections now. Letting people know who I am. It's working thus far. I have been chatting with Apple's LATAM Marketing head and also talking to the head of HR of a successful tech startup there. So I am definitely working on that and connecting with key people. Not sure where it will take me, but I need to at least try.

My wealth isn't a ton at the moment, I am currently at a startup which I will probably leave come 2016 be it if I stay in Chicago or go to Miami because I took a $25k to join it (yes I know, but wanted something new and new it was a risk). I am single, 30, no kids, not married, don't own a house, a car (don't need one here however can easily afford it), so I am not really concerned about the wealth I am taking. I am not looking to live it up in Brickell, I would totally be content in living in Wynwood in less expensive part (yet not the ghetto either).

Overall you have a good attitude and are taking the right steps.

I think you could find the degree of walkability you are seeking in the neighborhoods you mention, but it really could vary on a block-by-block basis; during the humid months (roughly May-October) there really is a difference between a one/two minute walk, a five-minute walk, and a 10-minute walk, one-way, then add carrying things with you on the way back. So if you get to the stage of apartment hunting, take careful note of exactly where the nearest Publix or convenience store, as well as metrorail/metromover station and/or bus stop, are located.

But before that, all the best with your networking and job search!

[Trigger-f]

OP: If you are into scuba diving and of Hispanic origin, you'll fit right in in Miami. There's people who move to south FL just to scuba dive(great reefs and diving options down there). Plus you have the Keys 1-2 hrs south.

I often venture to South FL but very rarely get into Dade cty. I prefer Lauderdale or Palm Beach, but then again even those are considered metro Miami area. It seems the more south I drive, the more congested and somewhat dirty it gets. DT Miami is great. INMO Miami is fairly big (not a medium sized city, given its skyline). Should be a fun city if you're young. For people who want to settle down and have a family, not sure. However, I do see some nice areas on the west part of Dade cty(Weston, Pemproke etc..)

[UrbanCheetah]

Originally Posted by Trigger-f

OP: If you are into scuba diving and of Hispanic origin, you'll fit right in in Miami. There's people who move to south FL just to scuba dive(great reefs and diving options down there). Plus you have the Keys 1-2 hrs south.

I often venture to South FL but very rarely get into Dade cty. I prefer Lauderdale or Palm Beach, but then again even those are considered metro Miami area. It seems the more south I drive, the more congested and somewhat dirty it gets. DT Miami is great. INMO Miami is fairly big (not a medium sized city, given its skyline). Should be a fun city if you're young. For people who want to settle down and have a family, not sure. However, I do see some nice areas on the west part of Dade cty(Weston, Pemproke etc..)

Thanks. I should say I DID scuba diving for quite some time but it was getting too expensive because I would have to fly in from Chicago every time. I do want to get back into it and like on a regular basis. I am familiar with Palm county. My father just bought a condo in Jupiter, so if I would move to Miami I would be visiting Jupiter a lot! He would never come down to Miami he hates it (and not because it's Miami but cities, he can't wait to get of Chicago for good!).

[SDPMiami]

Originally Posted by UrbanCheetah

Like the comment about the hotness in a previous poster, I like tropical weather. There are several other cities that are even worse when it comes to heat like New Orleans, Houston, Austin, Las Vegas, Phoenix, etc. Heck places like San Juan, Rio de Janeiro, etc. are even hotter. I get it's hot, but is it 95 degrees 12 months a year every day with high humidity? No, most likely 3-4 month of the year it's like that from what I gather. I will take the hot, humid weather, where things are at least still green and alive outside rather than the 5-6 months of cold weather, where everything is dead and always overcast here in Chicago winter. If I can survive the Chicago winters after 30 years, I can handle the Miami's summers. It will be a welcome change and that's the whole point of my move to be somewhere different. If I want the four seasons why the heck would I leave Chicago?!

Miami has some of the best weather in the USA. Right now I'm out in my courtyard, under coconut palm trees, in a wonderful mood due to our pleasantly warm weather (mid 80s). And that's how it's for the entire year. During the winter it's upper 70s (save for cold fronts), in the summer, it's upper 80s, occasional lower 90s.

People who claim it's too hot I suspect are just flinging as much as they can, or never lived here and are guessing.

[UrbanCheetah]

Originally Posted by SDPMiami

Miami has some of the best weather in the USA. Right now I'm out in my courtyard, under coconut palm trees, in a wonderful mood due to our pleasantly warm weather (mid 80s). And that's how it's for the entire year. During the winter it's upper 70s (save for cold fronts), in the summer, it's upper 80s, occasional lower 90s.

People who claim it's too hot I suspect are just flinging as much as they can, or never lived here and are guessing.

And in winter up north they would complain it's too cold. Last week in Chicago we didn't see the sun for four days in a row. FOUR days. It was so depressing and dreary. Energy level tanked and I wanted to do nothing.

Chicago can be brutal in winter and Miami in the summer but there is a big difference. When you look out the window in the summer in Miami at least you see sunshine, life and green. In Chicago? Overcast skies, everything is dead and dirty snow.

I love Chicago but despise winters. I think I would like Miami summers just fine. Maybe not love them but like them more than Chicago winters. At least I can still go to the pool, the beach, get a tan, etc. in Miami's more unbearable months.

[SDPMiami]

I wouldn't even call Miami brutal in the summer. Maybe a better word is uncomfortable. For example, Chicago averages 84 in July, and Miami Beach averages 89, that's an entire 5 degrees. We're a bit more humid as well, and our sun is more intense because we're closer to the equator, but still brutal it's not. I see plenty of people jogging and exercising on those 'brutal' days, something you won't see in Chicago during the winter.

One last thing, maybe this is a chasm between Miami Beach and Miami people. Here on Miami Beach, I go everyday to the beach. From my door to the water, it's less than 5 minutes and I'm swimming. For someone in Miami, they will have to battle traffic both to and off of Miami Beach, then find parking, then walk to the beach. So they probably hardly ever use it, to them the heat is just useless. For me it makes great beach days. In contrast a cool 70 degree day in the winter? I like it less because it means I won't use the beach.

[UrbanCrossroads]

Originally Posted by SDPMiami

Miami is like a beautiful girl, many man want her, few get her. The man who don't, scorn her, she is shallow, she is promiscuous, she is dumb, even she is not as beautiful as everyone says or she thinks she is.

You're seeing this in this thread, a bunch of scorned either residents or never-were residents.

SDP, I'm curious, how long have you actually lived in Miami?

[wall st kid]

There's no Cons, Miami/So Fla or LA are the only places worth living in, if you're finding cons to Miami, you're looking too hard.

[UrbanCrossroads]

Originally Posted by UrbanCheetah

So here are my likes and passions that I am looking for in Miami:

1. Latin Culture - I love Latin culture, but not all of it. I have passion for the Cuban, Puerto Rican, Colombian, Brazilian, Argentine, Chilean, etc. cultures. I am very much in tune with Caribbean Latin America as well as South America (studied abroad there). Mexico and Central America not so much. I also get along very well with most South Americans specifically Brazilians and Colombians.

2. Beach - While I am sure that after a month or so this might fade after living in Miami, I love the beach! I like to go scuba diving, snorkeling and just be in the water. In Chicago during the summer I go to the beach every weekend and play volleyball. I also hate cold water, which is why California is out of the picture, if I wanted that I would just stay in Chicago. Aside from the beach, I just love the tropical flavor. For example, guava, iguanas and palm trees I love everything about them.

3. International Peeps - I will say it, I sometimes feel I am more from another country than I am American. I find that I get along easier with Latin Americans and Europeans than I do with Americans. So looking for an environment that holds that. I don't know if its because there are so many white sheltered Midwesterners in Chicago but I just don't click with them.

4. Latino Professional Class - I will say in Chicago they exist but it's very small. In the previous ad agency where I was at here in Chicago, we had 220 employees and 5 were latino, 3 black, a few dozen were Asian, and the rest white. In Chicago that Latino professional class is very small and you really really have to look for it.

Honestly OP, you sound like somewhat of an idealist.

The Latin culture that you're going to find here in Miami consists mainly of immigrants just going about their day-to-day lives, many of whom are struggling to get by. It's not like you'll be immersed in some kind of dreamy cultural experiences by virtue of living here.

And the only reason there's a larger "Latino Professional Class" here in Miami is because Hispanics comprise the majority of the county's population.

[Winchupuata]

urban cheetah, everything has been said already really, just want to reinforce that IF, and this is a big if as it will condition everything else, you get a job that will pay you enough to afford living in a nice area and put some food on your table you'll do just fine, come down and enjoy your time here and don't forget the sunscreen.

Oh, and don't even think about living in the suburbs like some have suggested, you'd hate life. Living in areas like Brickell, Downtown, Wynwood, South Beach, etc. is awesome for young active guys, as long as you can afford them.

The fact is that no place is perfect but we have to live somewhere so we need to weigh pros and cons and make choices. True, you won't get to see the seasons change, something I personally miss, but on the other hand you can go to the beach in the winter when everyone else is feeling depressed and miserable.

Yes, Miami definitely has its problems, just like any other city, and yes, Miami is not a paradise, very far from it, but you'll find some people here take their criticism of Miami beyond what would be reasonable and just bash and bash this place because they are unhappy people in general that would be unhappy anywhere else.