Here's the Good and the Bad
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12/30/2019
I've lived in Miami and off for 20 years. Love the weather. I'm ok with hot & humid. I lived up north and I'm over cold winters. Living in Miami depends on where you live. There are sections, bubbles really of concentrated ethnicities. Ex: Hialeah is predominantly Cuban, Little Haiti is mostly Haitian, Doral is mostly Venezuelan, Central Miami Beach has an area that's all Argentinean, Opa Locka & Liberty City are mostly African Americans and so on etc... It's a melting pot of many Caribbean, Central & South American, Northerners, Europeans, people from everywhere really.
From my perspective, here's the bad:
1. IT IS EXPENSIVE! Housing is ridiculous! You might find one bedroom in a shared house for $900 a month, but almost any apartment is over $1300 a month and that's in not so great areas.
2. You NEED a car! Some people I know Uber to work but that gets expensive.
3. Some areas are NOT safe and I would not go anywhere near them at night. Just talk to a local and they'll tell you where not to go, I guess it's like any big city in that respect.
4. There are no seasons. It's just hot all year round. It can get chilly in the winter like 50 degrees but it never lasts long.
5. The pay for average jobs is not great & doesn't allow for high cost of living. You'll more than likely need a roommate to survive. Almost EVERYONE here has two or more jobs just to make ends meet. Unless you have a high paying job.
6. The traffic is INSANE! People drive here like they did in their countries, no rules, just the first one to get in, gets in. Rude drivers, crazy drivers, STUPID drivers! And don't even think about giving them the finger or trying to argue, that's a sure way to get killed. You will spend about an hour and a half each way to and from work in bumper to bumper traffic, unless you live close to work.
7. It's a Rat Race. It's a GO GO GO city. People don't stop. There's never enough time to slow down and just chill. Most people I know have school and full time jobs. People here work HARD! If you're not into that, you probably won't succeed here.
Ok now The good:
1. There are many job opportunities. You just have to look for them. Mostly here it's who you know- gets you in to a good job.
2. Beach weather almost year round! If you just want to get away from it all, just head to the beach or the Keys which are an hour away. Melt your cares away!
3. Culturally RICH! Most of my vacations have been staycations. There is SO much to do here. You will NEVER get bored! Like ever! There is ART, Music of every genre, Night life, clubs, theater, Museums, Historical sites, amusement parks, zoo's, outdoor activities, literally EVERYTHING!!!
4. It's family friendly. Look for good schools though. Public schools are just ok.
5. Universities and Colleges are everywhere, SO many opportunities to better yourself! People of all ages go to Colleges here. Easy to get scholarships.
6. People are welcoming and friendly! You can strike up a conversation with anyone! And they won't look at you weird.
7. Food is AMAZING! You can get anything anywhere, high end, home made, mom pop shops, large chains, anything! Any price range.
Overall it's good, just hate the traffic and how expressive it is to live here.
Hope that helps!
Betsy | Kendall, FL