Quote:
Originally Posted by rammstein
There are good schools in the right areas. Research that and determine where to live based on that. Would you be working right in downtown? If you are, check out the Silver Bluff/Roads area of the city. Your commute would be about 10 minutes tops, on local roads (no highways), and I've been told that area has good schools. Of course, there's always private school too.
As for crime, if you live where I mentioned, you're going to be fine, just realize that for a house to be big enough with your 2 kids, I think you're going to be in the $400k range minimum. That being said, 2 years ago it would have required $650k, so on a relative scale you'd be pretty insulated from taking a loss (market already tanked).
As for heat, that's the part I've never understood. In the Northeast, I had to stay indoors for 6 months while it rained/snowed. The whole winter here is beautiful, with very very nice sunny days. Starting right around now, it gets hotter. In the middle of summer, its tropical and humid- big deal. That's what airconditioning and swimming pools are for. If you are outside, you'll be near a pool. Miami Beach has topless chicks. It never gets old.
As for the Spanish speaking part, you have to view it as part of the charm. This is the only place in america where there's a window shop for cuban coffee every block. There's a lot of interesting south american cuisine. If you go up to broward, its chain restaurant/strip mall world, which bores me to death.
As you can tell, I really like it here and plan to stay. I began living in South Beach in 2005. It wasa lot of fun, and the topless scene at my apartment building was amusing. But its really not very adult-oriented- more 18-24 year olds. I moved to Brickell (the nice part of downtown) 2 years ago, and I really like it. Lots of great places to walk on foot. The wife and I both work within a mile of our apartment.
Overall cost of living is high. Not QUITE as high as in Boston, but compared to North Carolina, its going to be high. That's a fact. $80k here won't feel like mich compared to where you live now. You're gonna have to reasearch if you'll have enough money to be comfortable. I personally rent, and for teh time being renting is the way to go for cheapness, but with kids I feel like you'd want a house. That being said, there are a lot of people in my apartment building with nice kids, but I just don't know where you go to school from here. You'll need to investigate.
If you have any specific questions, seriously feel free to ask me.
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Best response in this thread.
You can hyper focus on the negative, stereotype groups of people, and just have a ****ty outlook on life. OR you can embrace the culture and the surroundings and enjoy it like Rammstein.
I love Miami, I would live there in a moment if I could afford to. I love the hot tropical weather, I love the Latin Culture, and I love the energy that city has.
I don't get it, if Miami was like every other place in the country then what would be the charm? Everything needs to be white bread land?
OP expand your horizons, if I were you I would learn to speak spanish, it will come in handy. You can look at this as a negative or look at it as an opportunity to enrich yourself and family.
Rammstein can probably help you the most as far as where to look to live with a family. If I had no kids like him I would be smack downtown or in the middle of SOBE.
BTW- The PCA puts on a decent AX down that way and Equipe Rapide does as well. Then there is the annual Bay Bottom Crawl, I am planning on going this year its an even that would make Hemingway proud.
Equipe Rapide
http://www.erscc.com/
Bay Bottom Crawl:
http://www.evscc.com/
400RWHP+RX-7+running+Bay+Bottom+Crawl+in+Key+West+