Time to pack and leave - 10/14/2008

The cost of living here in Miami is outrageous,it's almost impossible for a middle class family to make it here.

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Miami Cultural Scene - 10/4/2008

Miami is a vibrant city full of things to do for virtually all tastes. I have lived here for almost 14 years after moving here from the Midwest and have really enjoyed discovering the various facets of the city and seeing it's development. Pluses: There is always something to do here and your social life, if you wish it to be, will be packed. Miami social and cultural scene revolves around a never ending schedule of events put on by various organizations and corporations trying to build buzz for their business or offerings. There is the Latin/Hispanic influence so you can partake in everything from Cultural Fridays in Eight Street to salsa lessons, to learning about the Latin American and Cuban art scene. A few new areas including the Design District and Wynwood have edgier galleries and warehouse spaces full of great contemporary works and photography. These new areas offer a lot more than South Beach and breathe new life into our social scene. The fashion scene has grown and orgs. like MOCA, Gen Art, MOMA, Historical Museum of Southern Florida, and others all have young prof. orgs. you can get involved in which often showcase great content and talent. Minuses: Coming from a background where I love live music, esp indie and alternative, there is very little of that here either by way of performance or on the radio. The theater scene here is not very strong - few equity houses so while you can catch something good once in a while tends to be inconsistent.

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Moving - 8/27/2008

Cost of living is to high

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great schools - 8/8/2008

the schools are rate by the grades of the students and most of the schools are "A" schools.

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Miami - 6/30/2008

Miami is a beautiful city. Beautiful beaches. Amazing night life.

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Life in Miami -- a few comments from a resident - 3/28/2008

Miami is a beautiful city, breathtaking in its lights, waterfronts, cruise ships and beaches; many outdoor activities, sports, excellent restaurants, growing cultural scene, bilingualism, heavily Caribbean in overall flavor, but in my opinion not a first choice for families and/or retirees. Many tourists, expensive, weak public transportation systems, little affordable housing--all these factors could be deterrents to retirees. There are still-affordable communities throughout Florida that should be viewed before deciding to move to Miami.Hurricane and storm season is worrisome,yet the tropical climate a good part of the year is welcoming. Just a quick overview and by no means the whole picture....

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Miami, not what you think - 3/20/2008

I couldn't agree more with the great majority of negative comments about this town. Miami is NOT a great place to live, unless, of course you're rich and can get away with anything. Corrupt policitians, high cost of living, maniacs with bootleg drivers licenses and no insurance; you name it, it's here! I can't understand why this place is advertised as paradise, the weather isn't even that great: the beaches are ugly, the heat is unbearable, it's humid and when it rains, it really rains! The people are the rudest I have ever seen; no culture, no education, no manners. The public transportation system is a joke, and the inside of the train/buses are disgusting (you need a bio-hazard suite to ride public transport).

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Miami - 3/12/2008

VERY EXPENSIVE....TAXES OFF THE ROOF....INSURANCE OFF THE ROOF....HORRIBLE COMMUNUTE....VERY LOW PAY RATE....NOT ALL FUN AND GAMES!

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THIS IS NOT A PLACE TO LIVE - 1/20/2008

I'm a true miami native, born and raised here. I can't stand living here anymore. The cost of living is extremely too expensive. Insurance is unbelieveable. It's over crowded with a high rate of crime throughout the city. Traffic is horrible, no matter what time of day. It's forming to a third world country. Please learn spanish if you plan to relocate here. "I thought this was a city in the US, not a foreign country". Identity theft is out of control here. The politicians are corrupt. Don't belive what you see on t.v., this is not a place to raise children. It only gets worse.

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The City of Century XXI - 12/29/2007

An International City with a Latin flavor, where all nacionality's dance to the rhythm of SALSA,nice beaches,good climate, good places for dances an entreteiments, medium cost of living and friendly people, without discrimination. THE LATIN AMERICA CAPITAL.

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Watching a city grow.. - 12/22/2007

A little background..I am a Miami native..with Cuban parents..33 yrs old. Miami has grown to be a large and culturally diverse city. I have seen the city grow from a small city riddled with crime in the Miami-Vice days ( 1980's) to a sprawling urban-suburban mecca. In 2007, Miami is still growing. Those growing pains come with a transient population, crime and increased traffic. The culture diversity is limited to Central and South Americans, with a growing Russian population near the beaches ( Miami Beach ). A large influx of people from mostly Central and South America has created a large employment base for the service and tourism sectors. The word "job growth" is generally limited to these sectors, ( Service, tourism ) which generally pay less and are less desirable jobs for anyone with a strong academic background or a developed corporate skill set/background. I believe that part of the frustration from the comments I am reading and the general negativity is partly based on the increased cost of living, but relatively stagnant salaries. It is not a simple solution..but clearly, most of the "bilingual" population is strong in ONE language and generally weaker in the other.( English and Spanish ). I would further say, this is pretty evenly divided. You will find 2 generation Cuban-Americans that speak a broken spanish, with limited gramatical skills. You will find other hispanics that have developed a "ghetto" spanish mixed with English and/or a variation of Spanglish. Lastly, you find those that Spanish is the main language and English is not needed since everyone pretty much understands what is being said so their is little incentive to learn English.. This issue, among others has been to the disadvantage of employees. Strong accents, not particularly strong in either language, fewer college graduates staying in South Florida, and a less demanding EMPLOYER for quality of work and skills all contribute to a growing bitterness and negativity in this city. I have faith things will turn around, but it has to start with the individuals. Learn BOTH languages well...get the needed skills ( School, College, training ) and as a friend of mine says..in the language of Generation Y....STOP the hatred... Sergio / Miami Native

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Its Like a Sauna in MIA - 11/15/2007

Sunshine state.....yeah right!! During the summer you get more rain than sun thats for sure! It will rain at least once a day everyday in the summer( 3 months or more)and depending on where you live once it has rained for an hour you already have water up to your ankles. Now about the sauna once it stops raining and the sun comes out.....the humidity is horrible. Its like you are a steaming potato out there. The only nice thing is the beach where it rains less but if you can afforde a tiny 1/1 apartment for $500,000 plus then yes come to Miami. Oh one thing I forgot to mention....HURRICANE SEASON yep 6 months out of the year you have to watch out for hurrincanes....and you know what that means home owners insurance is through the roof!!

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Life - 9/19/2007

Miami is a great place to stay because of the beautiful tropical weather, the palm trees, the beaches, the different ethincity, & the great foods!

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Miami has last it's "Paradise" appeal - 9/11/2007

Cost of living is through the roof. The insurance eats you alive, the traffic is terrible and everyone is stressed out and rude. I was born here and I used to love it, not anymore!! The only thing it's got going; it has a lot of palm trees; big deal.

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public transportation - 9/6/2007

not to a city standard

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Miami FL or just another third world country !!! - 9/4/2007

I you want to live in The United States, A place where Eglish is spoken and being American your not discrimitnated against do not live here.

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too expensive - 8/23/2007

to expensive to buy, rent and live

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"Welcome to Miami" - the most overrated city in th - 8/6/2007

MIAMI Forget Will Smith's 1998 hit "Miami", forget Miami Vice and forget those glossy images of Miami Beach...... In reality, there are 2 versions of Miami: there's the Miami you see on TV, which is mostly Miami Beach, then there's the rest of Miami - a bland, urban landscape littered with apartment buildings that look like cheap motels, gas stations, tacky strip malls, Publix supermarkets (Publix are the only real chain here), endless fast food restaurants, warehouses and cheap looking business parks. The version of Miami you don't see on the TV is version 2 (an urban wasteland), where poverty, crime and inequality are rife and where the streets are literally choked with traffic. If you're poor, you'll live in a shack or an efficiency, or if you're lucky, you'll live in one of those apartment buildings that look like cheap motels with tiny windows and no view. There is no middle class here anymore, but if you have a little money, you'll probably have paid over $400k for a box-like house, somewhere in the depths of Kendall or Homestead on SW 2,005,442 Street and 1,245,667 Ave, dealing with a 2 hour commute every day. You're led to believe that Miami is some sort of tropical paradise, full of beautiful beaches, great nightlife, great women and that Miami is simply bubbling with culture. Sure, it has palm trees and the nightlife is great, if you're prepared to shell out well over $200 to go to one of the clubs on South Beach. Miami is no paradise though - in fact, it's about as far from being a "paradise" as you can get. You'd think that with the tropical climate, people would have beautiful and lush gardens, but in reality, people here tear down trees and plants and replace them with asphalt and concrete. Miami is no paradise - it has become a third world banana republic that broke away from the United States a long time ago. Miami is a city with some of the worst traffic in North America. The roads here are inadequate, sub standard and generally f**ked up. Construction here takes 1,000 times longer than it does in the rest of the United States. Drivers here are amongst the rudest in the country. Not only are the drivers here rude, but they're downright reckless too. They drive like maniacs in their Ford F150s, Dodge Rams or Honda Civics, with reggaeton blasting. This is a city with far too many "hit and run" type accidents - in other words, not only will they run you over, but they'll drive off, because t

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Miami, FL - 7/20/2007

Offers a diversity of peoples, good climate (except for hurricanes) and endless activities.

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Climate in Miami - 7/16/2007

Though at times days can be exhaustingly hot, the weather is very conducive to outdoor recreaion and events. Not only water sports but arts/restaurants/shops/special events/people watching and strolling.

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