Miami is not as bad as the reviews say, it is an e - 7/3/2007

In response to some of the negative comments about Miami: Being a native Miamian who is a first generation American with Cuban parents is NOT a rarity in Miami. I am in the same situation and so is almost everyone here! It's a fun city with a lot going on, it always feels like summer and the ocean is nearby. Personally, I have met some amazing people here and have lifelong friends all over the city. FIU and UM are great universities; but I can't say the same about the public school system, it stinks, I admit it. There is a lot of traffic and people can be rude in certain parts of Miami, but there are nicer areas where people wave instead of flipping you off. And even out there in the craziness, it can be fun and exciting, it's all about YOUR mindset. My friends were once robbed at gunpoint at a Starbucks, but none of us are scared to go to Starbucks or anywhere else now, it's just part of living in a big city (but still, it's a rarity). No matter where you live, it's all about your attitude and taking advantage of the good things your area has to offer. I love the multicultural feel of Miami, nothing shocks me anymore but I still have a sense of wonderment at the world. There are plenty of beautiful parks and beaches, don't let anyone tell you differently; I hang out at the mangroves after work some days and just dip my feet in the ocean, how many people can say that? In conclusion, Miami is exciting, sub tropical / summer (which I love), multicultural (which I love, we should all learn respect for other ethnicities, etc), and there are a lot of amazing people here... on the other hand, it can be excessively hot, the traffic is insane on the highways (there are always back roads), there are plenty of jerks to go around (but plenty of really nice people too), yes a high Cuban population but if you try being open minded instead of racist, then it's not a problem. It's a cool city!

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My place - 6/14/2007

Miami is an excellent place to visit and I would enjoy living there too!! It is like being in a different country but that's what makes it great. Plenty of things to do in miami. The people are really friendly and respectful. The beaches are beautiful and clean. The trafic is probably the only negative to the area I could see.

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cost of living in Miami sky rocketing out of contr - 5/29/2007

They sky rocketing out of control due to attempts by fat cats to turn the city into New York, when it took New York 200 years to become New York. It didn't happen overnight!!

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Deteriorating Quickly in Many Aspects - 5/4/2007

Quality of life in Miami is decreasing at an alarming rate. Most people know of the common concerns with living in South Florida... hurricanes, property insurance and tax nightmare, crime etc...however, skyrocketing health and auto insurance rates, transportation gridlock, uncontrolled building, low wage growth, crowded schools/universities have lead to long time residents leaving the South Florida area. For the first time in many years public schools are reflecting a decrease in enrollment due to families moving from the area. As a 40 year resident of Miami, my time will arrive in 2008 when my son graduates from HS and will likely be accepted at a good public university (FL has some of the largest public university enrollments) in NC or GA while my wife and I will appreciate living a less stressful life with a higher quality of living.

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Pardise Lost - 5/4/2007

I am a rare species: a native Miami, born and raised. I am first generation American as my parents came over from Cuba in 1960 when they themselves were in their teens. What I have seen happen to my hometown should not happen to anyone: it went from being a place where I felt I knew everyone to a place where someone who got here literally yesterday feels the need to treat me like garbage. The envy and the sheer greed that is evident every day in this city is appalling. If you were lucky enough to be born in the USA (thanks, Mr. Springsteen), people tend to be pretty mean. They want every privilege I have had to work for my whole life and they want it NOW. The newly-arrived Cubans do not like the ones that have been here for 40 some years. We have nothing in common, especially not those bizarre names that these people show up with. It's not just Cubans, either. Name a country from South or Central America and chances are they have their own neighborhood here. To compare us to New York is an insult to New York. We have neither their museums or their cultural art centers. We do have, however, the following: EXTREMELY corrupt politicans, congested traffic, over-priced housing, skyrocketing taxes and insurance rates, constant condo building (which no one is buying right now) and the best examples of plastic surgery gone wrong you will ever want to see. We live in a town where people can't afford the basic needs, but still manage to drive "un tremendo Hummer" or Escalade. In Miami, it's all about $$$$ and how much you have. Also, please make sure the horn on your car works so you can participate in the Miami National Anthem: BEEEEEP, followed by extravagant hand gestures. Your indicators can be ripped out and removed; they are unnecessary. Guys need to wear an excessive amount of thick gold chains, the likes of which went out of style for the rest of the country in the 70s. They need to learn to say "mamita" or "jeva" and they need to speak with as thick an accent as possible. The women basically need to be totally reconstructed. They need at least 5 gold chains, one of which will have a huge saint dangling from it. Her name should be displayed in her huge hoop hootchie-mama earrings. The best thing about Miami: NO CLASS NECESSARY!!!!!! (or English either).

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Really good and Really Bad - 4/14/2007

Miami is one of the best Cities in the America both North and South. There are several issues anyone should be aware of before you start believibg this place is a Utopia. I will give the Pros and Cons. Pro 1. Weather - From Mid-October to Early April nothing comes close to matching the mild days and semi-chilly (60's) nights. Almost no rain during this part of the year. Con 1. Weather - The heat in the summer is brutal. Sometimes it will rain for days at a time. Locals spend their working days either in air conditioned cars or air conditioned interiors. Those who work outdoors spend a solid chunk of their disposable income in Gatorade. Pro 2. Quality of Life - If you measure this based on what you can do with your spare time, this is a great place to live. Orlando and Disney is a 4 hour drive from anywhere in the county (Miami-Dade). There is a Seaquarium, several museums, several huge shopping malls, boating, cheap cruises, NFL Football, MLB Baseball, NBA Basketball and NCAA Sports. Key West is 3 hours away and Gambling (real gaming table gambling) is available at the Seminole or Micousoukee tribal Casinos. Con 2. Quality of Life - High crime, ridiculous traffic and low wages. Need I say more? Pro 3. MultiCultural Mecca - In case you haven't heard Caucasians, Blacks and Hispanics are all minorities here. In fact there are no Majorities here. Hispanic festivals, Octoberfests, Jamaican Jerk Chicken Festival, The Las Olas Arts Festival and on and on and on. The Super Bowl is here every five years and don't get me started on the World Cup. Your neighbors will introduce you to food and customs you did not know about. You will become more worldly (really you will learn more about the carribean and South America). Con 3. Multicultural Mecca - Be real clear, people will bring there own way of life into yours. If you don't like Loud Rock music, cope. If you don't like all night parties because Jamaica is in the finals of the Cricketf World Championship, cope. If you don't care about South American Politics, it will still affect you in the form of protests and traffic congestion. Final Pro Health - You will live healthier when drastic weather changes are not an issue. There are an abundance of doctors who have set up shop down here and it feels as if there is a boatload of quality hospitals. Final Con Financial Health and Hurricanse - It is expensive to live here. In the last five years the cost of house insu

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you don't want to come here - 4/8/2007

Miami is a city where the weather is great, the beaches, the ocean is beautiful. It's fun in the sun. . The nightlife is great because there's many sports bars, night club, and daytime event you can attend. You will never get bored. Thats the only good part. The quality of life is horrible. When you talk to people down here, the main complain you will get is you have to speak spanish in order to get a job. The attitude is that ,well I don't need to speak english, why don't you learn to speak espanol. These people don't want to assimilate. When your looking for a job it reads English/Spanish is a must, so we get punish for this. Non spanish speakers have to put up with this crap. I get real insulted when I hear that. It makes all the non- spanish speaker very angry and frustrated. Don't listen to these people when they say we are being racist. They don't know what there talking about.It's a very diverse culture with many jamacians, haitians, cubans, brazalians, columbian, bahamians and so on. When you read all the negative comment which is about 90%, that the main complaint your read. Take our advice. You will regret it. Traffic is crazy, cost of living is at New York City level or beyond with the expensive real estate market, high property tax, high homeowner insurance. Everybody is working two jobs and living from paycheck to paycheck. Why do you think people trying so hard to move. I know so many of my neighbors and friends who moving out of state heading to Georgia, Tennessee, and the Carolinas. That tell you right there.

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quality of life - 4/2/2007

nice weather...but other than that-Miami is a third world cultural wasteland made worse by a large Hispanic community that have refused to assimilate. The daily newspaper is just a disgrace, filled with mostly news about cuba and central america as well as spelling and grammatical errors that are just embarassing. So if you want to move here...practice your spanish...because people have lived here for 40 years and never bothered to learn the language of their host country. The property taxes keep rising as a direct result of our "banana republic" out of control spending. I will be happy to leave.

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Miami-Cost of living, culture, schools, health car - 4/1/2007

In my work, I deal with individuals everyday who want to move in or move out of Miami. Given this experience I offer what I hope is objective information to make an informed decision. Cost of Living vs. Cost of Wages From the employee side you look at cost of living. What will it cost me to buy the essentials, and a few luxuries, and be happy? Your employer looks at cost of wages. That is what do I need to pay to keep people? This is usually done by surveying to see what everyone else is paying in the market. For years Florida paid in sunshine. People moved here because the weather is nice year round and they understood and accepted the trade off of being paid less than the northeast. "At least I don’t shovel snow anymore.” This balance was upset about four years ago when housing appreciated nearly 23% annually compared to a national average of 10%. Along with housing came other cost of living increases-fuel nearly 100%, property taxes, insurance, etc. Cost of wages being a lagging indicator, people still make about what they did four years ago with modest 3-4% increases in wages. Only now are employers recognizing they must pay more to keep people from leaving or attract new employees. In short costs are high, wages are low relatively speaking. Do your research before moving here. Cultural Divide This is a culturally diverse area where most people desire to maintain the roots. If you are Caucasian, you will be in the minority. Check the census data-- more than 50% of the population is “minority” status--a minority majority. If you group the whole population as Hispanic, or Cuban, you will be in for a shock. This would be similar to grouping all Asians together, rather than as Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Indian, Singaporean, or any of 100’s of countries that comprise the Asian continent. Here you have Cubans, certainly, but you also have Dominicans, Costa Ricans, Venezuelans, Columbians, Argentineans, Brazilians, Peruvians, Ecuadorians, Chileans, and the list goes on. That is not to mention Haitians, Jamaicans, those from Trinidad, Mexico, Spain, and Puerto Rico. Even then, the above is not an all inclusive list. Now, take all those diverse upbringings and beliefs, add a perceived hierarchy of whose better than whom based on where you are from and your skin tone, a dash of governmental preference to some countries but not others, make sure there is no common language in which to communicate, and pile them live

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Living in Weston - 3/28/2007

Commutes from Weston to many of the western Miami suburbs aren’t too bad; however, if you are wanting to travel to the heart of Miami during a busy traffic time, it will take you about 1.5 to 2.5 hours on a good day. Weston is a nice suburb of Ft. Lauderdale, and it's a planned community -- it's a filled-in area of the Everglades. Homes in the nice areas of the city are very expensive (millions). The cheaper areas are near Sunrise and look run-down compared to the desirable areas. You'll be disappointed by the lack of good restaurants and grocery stores, both of which are very crowded. There is a new senior living community that will add to the overcrowding.

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Living Well In Miami - 3/23/2007

We moved from Austin, Tx to Miami FL 4 years ago. Big change!!We knew it would be, but moved down to be closer to family that live here. I'm Swedish and my husband is american, born and raised in NY. We moved to TX after College and had good jobs and a comfortable life. My husband is now self employed and we are doing really well. For US standards we would be upper middle class to whealty, but in Miami we are struggeling. Ok. we are not poor, but our mortage payments are killing us, and now we're paying $17000.00 a year for kindergarten and daycare for our kids. Public schools are out of the question here. We are not snobs, in Tx I would have no problem with public school, but in Miami...NO WAY. Miami is not a child friendly city, nothing is geared towards kids living here...there are a lot of things for tourists but not for kids living here. I think my favorite part of raising kids here is that they are in a muli cultural enviroment, we have the ocean and beaches and our family live here. I think it's a great place for people without kids, if they can afford the lifestyle. It's a very phony place, be and be seen, and I hear dating here can be a nightmare. Our biggest issue with Miami is the cost of living, my property Taxes are $27000 a year, my insurance $ 17000 a year...did I mention our mortage....! We love living close to our childrens grandparents but the price tag is getting high, we have no money to put away for savings...and we still drive our old 1990 and 2000 model Mitusbishis...our kids go to a presbyterian school now, but in a few years we need to find another school as this one only goes to 4th grade. It is very scary....I'm not a person that believe money is everything, but I do like security. Suddenly our $179000 home and excellent public schools in Tx seems like a sweet dream that we should never have left. I know this seems negative, but it is the honest truth...it's expensive here...very expensive. It's also beatiful, exciting and suprisingly friendly, but all in all, I think I'd like to move to a more down to earth place to raise my family...we'll have to see if we can move the grandparents with us. Dont think that warm weather and sunshine will make all your troubbles go away...Miami is one of the poorest citys in America...I'll take sleet and snow any day to living in this place...but then again I'm Swedish.

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Spanish World..that's what my son calls it - 3/23/2007

'Mama, why do we have to live in Spanish World?', asked my 1/2 Cuban son the other day. He is tired of getting picked on in school because he is not Spanish enough, having light brown hair and blue eyes. People who do not speak Spanish are literally laughed at, to their face, when they pronounce 'se habla no espanol'. Like to have a job? Sorry, no speaka spanish, no joba. Also, make sure your car has a functioning horn; in Miami, it is apparently used as a greeting, as in 'Hello, jou son of a beach!' In my family, we pronounce the name of the city Me a Me, because that's what it's all about here...ME! Zee beeeeutiful people are everywhere, even the 90 year old grandmas dress like putas with caked on makeup, miniskirts, and halter tops. Eef jou are not beeeeeutiful, and rrrreach, jou are a nobodeeeee. Leave, jou son of a beach! Never seen so many Hummers in all my life. Bars on all doors and windows. Fountains and Santaria altars in the front yard. It's all about keeping up with the Martinez's. Got $400,000? Then you can afford a house, but if you are anything but Latin, you will be unwelcome. Think I'm a racist? My husband is a Cuban refugee, which makes my children 1/2 Cuban, so no. One good thing...the food is great.

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Miami is overrated. - 3/17/2007

If you think Miami is NipTuck, do you have a wake up call coming. I'm a second generation Miamian. I have a ton of family that I still visit who call Miami home. Lets get the facts straight. First, Miami is a place where you better know people, who know people, who know people, in order to get ahead. Otherwise your SOL. Second, crime has always been an issue in Miami and throughout South Florida. There's a reason why Miami Vice chose South Florida. Just to give you a couple examples of the type of crimes that I know of first hand, here are some examples. My cousin had his trash cans stolen in a neighborhood where homes are 300k plus. Now if your a true Miamian, you know thats not that much. He lives in Kendall, known as the nicer part of Dade. My friend had his car stolen twice, once they found it on a ship on its way to Central American, second time, wasn't as lucky. Others have told me how you have to be careful when you go home since thieves will wait for you at your house and rob you. Crime is just a way of life in Miami, so is corruption. Next, you better speak Spanish, bottom line. If you want a career or just go out, Spanish is the main language in Miami. Last but not least, everyone work their asses off in order to maintain the super high cost of living. I'm glad I don't live there anymore. It's a mini New York, in the tropics. Same mentality. Just more third world standards. Rich and poor, no middle class. Excellent place to visit though. Beautiful women, nice beaches and scenery, thats it. You better have some serious money when you come. Everyone I know of, wants to leave asap. Its just too much! Too much glamour, money, stress, crime, competition, traffic, hurricanes, home and car insurance, corruption, noise, etc.

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This is the unbias opinion - 3/10/2007

I've lived in Miami for 22 years. I will tell you the Pros and Cons. The Pros: 1. very multi-cultural city. After New York City, we have the most immigrants coming from South America and the Carribean. So you have many different foods and culture. 2. So many thing to do. If your outgoing,this is the place for you. You can go to the club, movies,carnival, dining,fishing,boating, going to the beach and shopping. Friday night and Saturday night is were everybody is out partying at South Beach or a club venue. Its like Las Vegas without the casino. South beach has become the new Hollywood. This it were the celebrate hangout. Also Miami has a reputation of everyone dressing, driving and living in style 3. The weather is fantastic if you like warm humid weather 365 days of the year, palm trees everywhere. Winter is the best time because while everbody is freezing up north, the sky is so beautiful, mostly clear, mild at 70 degrees and you see the sun often. There is rarly such a thing has overcast skys.That means everybody dress comfortably. Cons: 1. Only the tourist enjoy Miami. They have a good time. A typical Miami resident hate it because everybody spends a lot of time working at least two jobs just to pay the rent. It is very expensive to live. Its a good city for a people who are wealthy because they have a lot of fun going golfing, jet sking, going to fancy shopping center. Its the city for rich and famous. 2. Housing is so expensive. A typical condo is worth between $400,000-5million. So now Miami has become so overcrowded because of the mass migration from 1999-2004. There is no more land to build. Homeowner insurance is at an all time high plus property tax is so high. The wages in Miami are not high enough to pay the high cost of living. 3. Traffic is the worst. We have a lot of man roads but the main way to get around town is by car.You can forget about mass transit. On a good day, the interstate is mainly backup for about 20 miles or so. Live close to where you work. You wouldn't be able to take it. 4. Its hard to find a job If your not bilingual. It seems like nobody want to learn English. So before you come here, take Spanish 101.

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Very Disapointed and leaving soon - 2/25/2007

I moved about 2 years ago from the NY/NJ area. I was born in Brookly, NY and raised in the suburbs of NJ. So being a first generation North American I am very proud of my Spanish heritage but prouder to be from NY/NJ. The reason is because I grew up surrounded by many cultures and many life styles. I moved to Central Florida first and enjoyed it but then decided to move to South Florida too be closer to family but have not been able to adapt due to not enough diversity lives here. Also another important factor is money! Before I moved here I did all my research with regard to cost of living and so on and came prepared and knowing that pay is lower but I did not realize how un-affordable housing would be and unproffesional most business are. Many have commented that Miami is a city for the wealthy and not for the Middle Class even less poor and struggling. I work harder have more responsibility at my job but am getting paid less doesn't equate no matter how you try to manipulate the numbers. I see alot of abuse of immigrants close than I ever have. It has been a true learning experience and has taught me to appreciate where I'm from and for the more important reasons such as Laws to protect society and education and tolerence of different lifestyles. I will be moving to Atlanta, GA in my search for a financially better lifestyle (own my own home) I will try it there if not I will go back home to NY/NJ and be tolerant of the cold winters and never complain again.

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Miami:good place to visit/enjoy for few days/but T - 2/4/2007

Do not be fooled by what you see on TV this week with the Superbowl event and the South Beach party scene. Let me give you an "insider's" view of the Miami: overpriced housing, horrible (not just terrible) drivers, rude,obnoxious people who think the world revolves around Cuba and the Miami Dolphins,HIGH CRIME (just read the Miami Herald recent articles about how random crimess/murders have picked up in last 2 years),low salaries yet exhorbitant cost of living, nightmare traffic, corrupt politicians,poor city planning,oppressive & humid heat in the summer (oh and don't forget about possible Hurricanes), no sense of community,corrupt business integrity (here they'll screw you in a heartbeat) from almost everyone you do business with, etc etc etc....Now this is from someone who's 100% bilingual (Spanish/English), with a salary in the low 6 figures and I still am priced out of most desirable places (check home prices in zipcodes 33129,33130).I came from NY over two years ago and frankly I have never been so disappointed in a city as I have been to move here. Thank God I found a great job opportunity in VA so I am leaving Miami in the next couple of months. In summary, as I said in my title, good place to hang out, go see the Miami Heat,an occasional sports event, enjoy the beach,etc...but NOT a place to live and much less have a family. "Quality of Life is a skill you learn....just like any other in life". I've learned the hard way that experience is a great teacher. I'm glad I had the chance to live here, and now I know better. I'll still come back here to visit now and then (South Beach, etc.) but good riddance!

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weather in miami is not very nice - 1/18/2007

I don't like hot weather in miami, in summer it's very terrible. But in winter it's very nice. Also I complain about a lot of hurricans.

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Big money no problem, little money stay out!!!!!!! - 1/15/2007

I've lived here in miami for 10 years and I'm being forced to move out. I can't afford it anymore. everything is so over priced. I have a great job here and good friends. But if your not a Millionaire stay out of miami.

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Gone with the Wind - 1/15/2007

A tropical paradaise that became a tropical nightmare in a few years.

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climate - 1/11/2007

Great in the winter, spring and early summer, hot and humid in summer/fall

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