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kyparrish

Diamond Member
Nov 6, 2003
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Things are happening pretty quickly with a work opportunity, and I might be up for a job in Miami (currently living a good life in Charlotte, NC).

I'm googling like a champ right now, but need your help. All I know of Miami is from movies (Bad Boys 2, etc.) pics of South Beach, and I guess there's a stereotype that parts of it are thugged out.

My question, is there anyway in or near Miami for normal middle-class people to live? We'd be renting for a few years before we bought a house.

Also, how does it compare to Tampa? I've spent about a month living in Tampa for work, and know that area pretty well.

Thanks!
 
M

Mill

Lifer
Oct 10, 1999
28,558
3
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Originally posted by: kyparrish
Originally posted by: Mill
Live in Ft. Lauderdale or North Miami.
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Due to cost of living? Thugs? Neither?
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Thugs, essentially. See, if it were me I'd prefer to live in a "nice" multicultural area with a mixture of Haitians, Cubans, Whites, etc. Since you don't have time to track down such an area and I don't know much about Miami, I'm just giving you what I know. Those are nice cracker-heavy areas.

Here's a bump for your thread.
 
Mermaidman

Mermaidman

Diamond Member
Sep 4, 2003
7,987
93
91
?Se habla espanol? :D

Traffic is awful--much worse than Charlotte, so if you live in the 'burbs, you'll have to deal with a commute if you work in Miami proper. But if you live close to town, you'll be in (ahem) culturally-diverse areas. My bet would be towards the south (Kendall or Homestead).

Best thing about Miami: Hot chicks/night life. And of course . . . hurricanes.
 
K

kyparrish

Diamond Member
Nov 6, 2003
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Si, hablo espanol!

Kyparrish = married guy, so none of that stuff :). Do the hurricanes hit Homestead harder than say Ft. Lauderdale?
 
M

Mill

Lifer
Oct 10, 1999
28,558
3
81
Originally posted by: kyparrish
Si, hablo espanol!

Kyparrish = married guy, so none of that stuff :). Do the hurricanes hit Homestead harder than say Ft. Lauderdale?
Click to expand...

Andrew did.
 
EagleKeeper

EagleKeeper

Discussion Club Moderator<br>Elite Member
Staff member
Oct 30, 2000
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Originally posted by: Mill
Originally posted by: kyparrish
Si, hablo espanol!

Kyparrish = married guy, so none of that stuff :). Do the hurricanes hit Homestead harder than say Ft. Lauderdale?
Click to expand...

Andrew did.
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Homestead needed some reworking anyhow:p

 
C

Carbo

Diamond Member
Aug 6, 2000
5,270
11
81
It'll be the mistake of a lifetime. You're better off wherever you are now.
 
R

Reel

Diamond Member
Jul 14, 2001
4,484
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76
How much do you have in mind for the house? I can think of some areas for half a million+ down in Miami that are pretty nice and safe. I haven't been for a while but I would not go in to Miami without looking at a house for less than 300k probably. The creep from the immigrants is just really negative. The traffic has skyrocketed. Areas that were nice when I was a kid have just been infested with human scum.

My parents recently moved back to South Florida and they would not consider Miami and moved to mid-Broward county now. There is some creep northward too but you really have to spend a bit of time to get the feel or talk to people that are actively in those areas to know how it is.
 
B

Blieb

Diamond Member
Apr 17, 2000
3,475
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It's expensive, fast paced ... fun ...

There's a lot of places to live. It's just like anywhere else. You can live far away and drive your butt off in traffic, or live close to where you work and not.

You need to GO VISIT for a few days (weekdays & weekend) and just figure it out!
 
J

jemcam

Diamond Member
Jan 3, 2001
3,676
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I lived in Florida for 35 + years.

Miami is practically it's own country compared to the rest of the state. For that matter, all of Dade and Broward (Ft. Lauderdale area) is completely different from the rest of the state. If you're going to live anywhere in Dade County, you better learn spanish and be prepared to be immersed in Cuban culture.
 
F

flot

Diamond Member
Feb 24, 2000
3,197
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Originally posted by: kyparrish
My question, is there anyway in or near Miami for normal middle-class people to live? We'd be renting for a few years before we bought a house.

Also, how does it compare to Tampa? I've spent about a month living in Tampa for work, and know that area pretty well.

Thanks!
Click to expand...

Of course there are places to live. But coming from Tampa, Ft. Lauderdale might be more your speed. That may or may not be a horrific drive to where you want to work. "Miami" is a big place and can mean a lot of different things - there are plenty of areas where if you don't speak spanish, you won't be able to understand anybody. But there are plenty of places where gringos fit in fine. As you head north things get a little more laid back and 'normal'.

Honestly, get your ass off the internet and come over to this coast for the weekend. It is only a 4 hour drive.

There are a lot of good and bad things, how you'll fit in all depends on you. Offhand though, traffic is pretty bad (prob similar to tpa though) and houses are expensive (expect to pay at least $300k for a single family.. NOW.. I can't imagine in 2-3 years).

I don't have a lot of experience with Tampa, but generally speaking - imagine that for every person over 60 in tampa, there's someone who speaks spanish in Miami. :)
 
D

darkamulets

Senior member
Feb 21, 2002
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Ya the spanish thing... you can use english about I would say 95% of the time. However knowing spanish does help. Mind you I live in Hialeah a suburb of Miami which is pretty much the nexus of Cuban culture and you can get away with Engligh most of the time. If you're in downtown look at a small apt in brickell nice area I suppose. If you want something farther out you're looking at 40min to an hour for 10-15mile commute. If you need some assistance with specific areas IM me or PM I been doing my own house hunting. AIM: Darkamulet
 
C

Carbo

Diamond Member
Aug 6, 2000
5,270
11
81
Originally posted by: darkamulets
Ya the spanish thing... you can use english about I would say 95% of the time. However knowing spanish does help. Mind you I live in Hialeah a suburb of Miami which is pretty much the nexus of Cuban culture and you can get away with Engligh most of the time. If you're in downtown look at a small apt in brickell nice area I suppose. If you want something farther out you're looking at 40min to an hour for 10-15mile commute. If you need some assistance with specific areas IM me or PM I been doing my own house hunting. AIM: Darkamulet
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I know Hialeah well, and I dare say that 75% of the population is Spanish speaking only. Your assessment is way off.
Same with living in the Brickell area. Unless this poster is making $150K to start, he won't be living anywhere near there.
You are correct about the traffic, though. An hour or so for a ten mile commute sounds about right.

 
O

overclock

Senior member
Apr 28, 2001
720
0
0
Originally posted by: SilentZero
learn spanish or die
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These two Iranian friends that haven't seen each other for over 20 years all the sudden bupm into each other on the streets of New York City. They start reminiscing and talking about the old neighborhood in Iran and of course are speaking in their native tongue of Farsi. One of them stops the conversation, looks at the other and says, "We're in America. Speak spanish."
 
K

kyparrish

Diamond Member
Nov 6, 2003
5,935
1
0
Originally posted by: flot
Originally posted by: kyparrish
My question, is there anyway in or near Miami for normal middle-class people to live? We'd be renting for a few years before we bought a house.

Also, how does it compare to Tampa? I've spent about a month living in Tampa for work, and know that area pretty well.

Thanks!
Click to expand...

Of course there are places to live. But coming from Tampa, Ft. Lauderdale might be more your speed. That may or may not be a horrific drive to where you want to work. "Miami" is a big place and can mean a lot of different things - there are plenty of areas where if you don't speak spanish, you won't be able to understand anybody. But there are plenty of places where gringos fit in fine. As you head north things get a little more laid back and 'normal'.

Honestly, get your ass off the internet and come over to this coast for the weekend. It is only a 4 hour drive.

There are a lot of good and bad things, how you'll fit in all depends on you. Offhand though, traffic is pretty bad (prob similar to tpa though) and houses are expensive (expect to pay at least $300k for a single family.. NOW.. I can't imagine in 2-3 years).

I don't have a lot of experience with Tampa, but generally speaking - imagine that for every person over 60 in tampa, there's someone who speaks spanish in Miami. :)
Click to expand...

Actually, I'd be coming from Charlotte, NC. I just know Tampa, because I lived there for 9 weeks and worked there for a month afterwards. Updating OP to show I don't live in FL now.
 
F

flot

Diamond Member
Feb 24, 2000
3,197
0
0
Originally posted by: kyparrish

Actually, I'd be coming from Charlotte, NC. I just know Tampa, because I lived there for 9 weeks and worked there for a month afterwards. Updating OP to show I don't live in FL now.
Click to expand...

Aha, ok, in that case, I would say it is approximately nothing like tampa. :)
 
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