Downtown Dadeland Questions from Connecticut

[tallrick]

Don't forget that they are auctioning off condos downtown for 50% off list price!

CBS 4 - South Florida's Source for Breaking News, Weather, and Sports

check out the video on the condo auction. A 2 bedroom for 290K, and given time expect more discounts!

[vickih]

I just moved out of Miami, Kendall area--this is not a downtown. The only thing there is the Mall--you can take the metro rail to coconut grove, downtown, etc...but maybe you should think about coconut grove. Its upscale--you can stroll the shops and great eating. Dadeland is just a through a fare on Kendall Drive. Hope you can afford the high real estate prices in Miami. Please---think about the homeowners insurance rates. Before hurricane andrew we paid $700 a year, when we left in 2005 the rates were $4500 a year--deductable about $5000, now they are more. Car insurance is high, 2 cars, at least $2000 a year. Real estate taxes high. Think about these things first. We moved out of Florida to North Florida, now moving to Tennessee.....

[ConeyIsBabe]

The traffic on Kendall Drive is HORRIBLE, HORRIBLE, tedious and stressful during mornings and afternoons; and during heavy monsoon rains, and tropical storms.... Kendall Drive on the residential side has serious flooding issues !! The condo parking lots are like swimming pools !

[jjh3d]

erso63, great points. I sort of got that feeling in looking at maps, etc. Thanks.

It looks like C Grove and Coral Gables are almost the same area, right next to each other anyway.

We're going to go down for a few days after Xmas and snoop around. Thanks to all for the great info.

[induhvidual]

Originally Posted by jjh3d

I have read almost everything in the Miami forum but I haven’t seen many comments about the Downtown Dadeland area being developed around the Dadeland Mall (apologies if I missed something).
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I am from Connecticut and my wife and I are trying to identify a city / area for a future retirement or second home. We live in Connecticut now. Although I am only 40 with 2 young kids, we want to identify a place early so that we can visit and become familiar with it for several years before actually making a move or purchase.

I am an American white guy and my wife is from China. I speak Spanish and we like the Latin culture. We have our eye on the Downtown Dadeland area because it appears that you can walk to stores/restaurants and also take the train downtown and someday to the airport. We do not need night life. We do NOT like the beach. We plan on spending the hot summers elsewhere (not in Miami).Dadeland sounds perfect but some of the threads here make me concerned. We will be visiting for 4 days at Christmas time and any comments on this specific area or the developments there would be appreciated.

I can give you a perspective from a newcomer's point of view.
I do live in the dadeland/pinecrest area and like it because I can walk everywhere to restaurants, stores etc. There is the Mall, Borders, B&N, Best Buy, Chili's etc. and also my favorite, Lan Asian Restaurant.
There are multiple nationalities in this part of town, it is a true melting pot.
I have met and befriended Chinese, Koreans, NYers, Lebanese, not to mention Cuban, Nicaraguans etc etc---------
I had decided to move to Miami after visiting many cities/states (incl CT) and finally decided on Miami for several reasons.
Most everyone on the forum told me that Miami would be the city I would love to hate. I also promised I would get back and repost after moving here and staying awhile. I have lived here for 4 months and it is the city I love to Love. I am learning spanish fast and also like everything Latin. You have to come and see for yourself like I did.
I made several visits over a year, researched forever and stayed in different parts in Dade and Broward before deciding.
Miami is also the city where you do not have to visit several Latin countries. They come to you and I think that is a great thing. It would take me a year in the different countries absorbing the culture what I have learned in Miami in a couple of months.
However, do your homework on the schools, they are not the best in Miami.
Dadeschools.net will give you all the information you need.
Pm me if you need school info, I have done all the research.
And oh, there are lots of negative posters here that will have you believe that Miami is like Iraq and it is a third world country ruled by a despotic dictator. Oh please give that tired song a brrrreak.
This is a big city and you have all kinds of people, good, bad, ugly, glamorous, rude, polite, friendly and so on.
And there are so many shades to Miami, you can live in upscale Aventura, CG or suburban Kendall, So Mia, or hi-rise living downtown or in Dadeland
Stepford it is not, but if you like excitement and a little gritty flavor to your city like I do, then you are going to have fun
I promise...
And to the jaded here that keep asking me; I am not a realtor, this is just my personal opinion that I am entitled to have.


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[BUBBAboyTM]

Hi... I considered moving to the Downtown Dadeland project. I took a good look at it and decided no. It is a bunch of tall buildings literally right up on each other. You could probably borrow a cup of sugar through your window from a neighbor in the next building. LOL Because of that, I considered the options. If I get an interior unit, it is darker, everyone can see directly into my apartment, there is NO air circulation (not good in hot Miami living over a funky hot courtyard without air circulation) and then all of the noise from below coming up or ricocheting off of the other buildings. OK... so I considered an exterior unit. Um... did I really want to be overlooking Kendall Drive with busy traffic and car honking? No... Did I want to be overlooking US 1 with busy traffic and car honking? No again. Oh... and lets not get into being right next to the Metrorail. It DOES MAKE NOISE... it DOES CLANK, SCREECH AND BANG! Do I want to overlook a train track? No... ever worse... can you imagine living at the same level as the Metrorail? You are sitting here having a dinner party and all of a sudden this TRAIN just passes by your windows like if the rockin' rollercoaster from MGM came off of the tracks and came to get you! LOL It was too much of what I didn't want for WAY too much money! And I have found that in many cases, "full service" buildings really end up being "empty service but full pockets for management companies..." Gave it a total thumbs down and moved on.

[esthermv]

What Chelito 23 posted is right on the money. It doesn't sound like this is what you are looking for. To the two realtors that posted, it sounds like your trying to plug for a deal. You really need to come visit the area and decide for yourself if it's a sound investment for you.

Good Luck!

[rogerbacon]

Why not consider retiring in China? Your wife is Chinese and property costs are much lower in China. If you want the same weather you could consider Guangzhou or Hainan. There is a lot more energy on ther street level in China since more people get out and about walking, rather than driving a car. Buying now in China could mean a big profit in 15 years when you are ready to retire. Heck, you miht even be able to sell then and buy two places here. The only downside is the political uncertainty of investing in a country who's governmnet is still somewhat totalitarian.

[jjh3d]

Thanks for all the great info. Rogerbacon: China! That's funny. We considered buying a place there years ago, but my wife just came back from week in Beijing. Some of her Chinese friends, who are scattered around the US and Europe, all go back once a year to visit with each other (instead of visiting the relatives). Anyway, she had a great time as always, but every time she comes back she swears that she could NEVER live there again. This forum isn't the place to get into the reasons, but suffice to say it's not going to happen. Good idea, though.