Yet Another Couple to Relocate to Miami!

Hi, my husband and I would like to move to urban Miami. We are true city people stuck in a sorta small town and are ready to flee!

We don%26#39;t have kids (and don%26#39;t want any), no pets and love urban areas. We will both more than likely work in downtown Miami, we are paralegal and system admin., so we%26#39;d like to be in close commute, no more than say, 15 or 20 minutes.

What we want is to be close to the water (ocean/beach) so that we can at least bicylcle there or drive just a few minutes. We like to be able to walk to the grocery store, have a few restaurants/bars around, shops, etc. We want to be able to do this at night, not live in some area that shuts down at 9pm. If we want a sandwich at 10pm, we%26#39;d like to be able to walk to get it. Or run to the store a coupla blocks away for that milk we forgot.

I%26#39;ve been looking at the Grove, but it doesn%26#39;t appear to be anywhere near the beach.

We are planning on renting an apt. for awhile, then possibly finding a house. We could very well end up renting the rest of our lives as we really don%26#39;t mind it. We love to travel!

Any ideas for neighborhoods to check out? Is South Beach as expensive as they say? What about North Beach? We can spend about $1300 - $1600 per month. Oh yeah, a pool is a must.

Thanks guys!!!!

Yet Another Couple to Relocate to Miami!

the only beaches anywhere near downtown Miami are on Key Biscayne (which I don%26#39;t fell fits the rest of your requirements) or Miami Beach.

South Beach is expensive unless you get an apartment with no parking -- then you%26#39;ll get to spend large parts of your time circling for a parking spot (and you%26#39;ll need a paid permit to park in one once yoou find it). North Beach is cool -- but it is not 15 minutes from downtown during rush hour.

You%26#39;re not going to find everything you%26#39;re looking for at the price you want. IMO it%26#39;s easier to drive to the beach when you want to be at the beach rather than being stuck in extra traffic 10 or more times a week.

Yet Another Couple to Relocate to Miami!

Miami is a car town. If you want to be able to walk to things then you have to go to Miami Beach/South Beach. Key Biscayne maybe. But I think Miami Beach is what you are looking for. Other than SOBE, the rest of the county isn%26#39;t a walk to get your groceries place, everyone gets into their cars (summer and 90 degrees and 90% humidy isn%26#39;t nice to walk in and that is usually 5 months of the year). Coconut Grove is really cute, they just got a Whole Foods Market so if you rent close by you could walk to the market and to shops and restaurants. But no beach in walking distance. Hope this helps.

Welcome TT%26gt;

You are going to get a lot of feedback and opinions on this issue so I%26#39;ll add my 2 cents. You don%26#39;t say where you are leaving so I can%26#39;t give you any comparisons... but I have lived and worked and played in Miami and I can tell you that the lifestyle you%26#39;re seeking is entirely possible.

If you decide to live on the Beach, the commute to Downtown is minimal. Even in rush hour from the Beach to the City can be no more than 20 minutes bumper-to-bumper in the pouring rain. If you live in NY or LA that%26#39;s NOTHING.

I have a friend who lives in the 50s (MidBeach) and takes a city bus Downtown to work every day. Yes, it is hot in the summer and yes it rains. She has a car and drives when it%26#39;s bad weather or grabs a ride with a co-worker... but she enjoys reading and listening to her iPod on the bus. There are a few high rises on Collins in the 50s with pools you might sublet if you want to live right on the ocean.

South Beach is the ideal place to rent if you like the bicycle or scooter lifestyle. There are a million places to shop and dine south of 17th Street and you can find apartments or the little cottage houses built behind larger ';mansions'; for short or long term rental due north. I think South Beach is a great spot for those new to the city because you will have ample oportunity to meet people. The park on Meridian around 10th is a popular place with a dog walking area (you can get a dog-child!), a brand new public pool and a tennis center too.

North Beach is happening. A few recent visitors to this forum booked 6 month rentals at the Burleigh House at 71/Collins which puts you in the center of the new North Beach shopping/cafe/theater district. The area is a late night destination as well with many transplants from South America - a large Argentinian/Brazilian community thrives in the area and the shops and cafes have amazing food from many different countries. There is an open air band shell on 73/Collins with concerts and dancing and a second, communtiy-based theater opened on Byron Avenue.

Downtown Miami is experiencing a building boom. There are brand new high rises going up everywhere. While the center of town does get pretty quiet after 6pm, that will all change as the new residents will demand more places stay opened later. There is already a great and bustling community just south of town near Brickell Key. There is a Publix super market and the requisite video stores and cafes opening all along Miami Avenue. If you opted to rent a condo on Brickell (that%26#39;s bayfront), you could indeed take a train to work in the center of the city.

Your best plan of action is to visit for about a week and do some walking and driving around to get a feel for the area. The communities of Surfside and North Bay Village are also waterfront areas with shopping districts near by. Again - no more than 20 minutes to Downtown by car.

Keep an eye on the Miami New Times and Craigslist.com to see what pops up in their real estate listings. Consider paying a little more for a short term lease just to get here and get settled and then decide where you want to stay. Know also that there are paralegal jobs on South Beach and mid-Beach (Arthur Godfrey Road) that would make it possible to bike to work too!

Good Luck and See You SOON!

AG

Holy cow Ms. Miami you gave me a lot of info!!! Let me respond:

I know that opinions vary, especially in the city. We are leaving a burb area in the cold mountains, midwest. We hate it!! We are always traveling to the caribbean, visiting other cities and wishing for tropical weather which we just won%26#39;t get. We made a mistake and bought a townhome where we can%26#39;t walk anywhere!!! We MUST drive at least 5 miles just to get to a market. There are no restaurants/bars/shops within a 7 mile radius.

One thing I should make clear: We really don%26#39;t want to spend more than $1600 per month, so that limits us, we know. We also know we won%26#39;t get beachfront for that price. We really don%26#39;t want beachfront anyway (well, maybe if we were rich!). Mostly, we are concentrating on our day to day lives and wants, which is having stuff nearby in which we don%26#39;t have to drive to. That means having a coffee shop within a block or two, a market within 6 blocks, bars/restaurants really close by. Basically, urban living.

We don%26#39;t mind having a car to get to places when weather is bad, driving to work, driving to the beach. Which brings me to the sea. We think that most days, we%26#39;ll be in our apt. pool. Then, on the weekends, we%26#39;ll be packing up to do a day trip at the beach! So if the beach is say, 1/2 an hour a way and no more, we are thrilled.

South Beach sounds really nice and what we want, we will only have one car, but then there%26#39;s the price issue. That%26#39;s why I say we are willing to compromise on not being right next to the beach, more like being 15 minutes away from the beach. Or 20.

dog child! ha!

North Beach sounds good too, can we get a decent place for our price range? ($1600 tops)

I%26#39;ve heard about downtown Miami. We aren%26#39;t moving for awhile, so maybe by the time we get there it%26#39;ll be up and running. Our first plan is to take a trip to Miami and view the neighborhoods that you have written about. Our second plan is to get plenty of savings before coming out there.

I%26#39;ve read about Brickell. Forgive me, I%26#39;m a mountain girl, what does bayfront mean? Obviously bay, but no beach? Is beach within driving distance (20 min.)? I heard from someone that Brickell is dead at night. But I don%26#39;t know what they meant by dead.

One other thing, we are in our 30s and really aren%26#39;t into party party all night long. We more like little pubs and such where you can hang, have a drink or two, and call it quits by 10pm. We aren%26#39;t looking for all night crazy clubs (although we aren%26#39;t that old! and will probably hit a few), so that is not really important to us.

Here%26#39;s the summary: $1600, 1 bed. ok, would like 2 toilets!, close to beach (driving 20 min.), able to walk to restaurants/cafes/bars at night (8pm) safely, able to commute to downtown Miami within reasonable time (no L.A. commutes!!!)

I know about craigslist and the times, will definitely keep an eye out. Also, someone told me to get a real estate agent to find a place (I know, some will rip you off, so be careful). We will also consider paying more for short term, although moving is such a drag and so expensive!

Thanks for the tip on paralegal jobs, are they big firms? I work for a very big firm.

Thanks!!!

thanks also karma and doggie bus!!!!!!!!!

TT%26gt;

Zoinks!!

First things to note... I am not affiliated with any real estate firms or anything ';conflict of interest-y'; in giving you the info I do. I know there is a lot of BS on any forum from folks ';loosely affiliated'; with places they endorse - so take everything you read with an open but skeptical mind.

Have you ever visited Miami? You mention ';looking at the Grove'; but I think you mean on-line, no? I suggest you spend a little time on Google and pop onto some general websites to get a sense of the layout of the city... and definitely visit Miami to see how you guys feel here.

The weather right now is turning lovely - breezier and less humid. It gets better and better until February (which is my favorite month here) and stays really lovely til April when things start to heat %26amp; moisten up. If you have curly hair, you%26#39;ll understand when I tell you that after April, it%26#39;s nothing but bad hair days until October.

Because South Florida is a resort community, LOTS of people buy investment properties - homes or condos - and then rent them out short or long term with the idea that they might use the unit over the holidays for 2 weeks or save it for retirement. I have a few married %26amp; co-hab friends who bought condos when they were single and realized it was smart to hold onto their units ';just in case'; or for long romantic weekends or simply because they got in cheap and the real estate values just kept going up and up again. What this means for you is OPPORTUNITY. You can start watching craigslist daily (think of it as fishing) and see what pops up. Online classifieds on the Miami New Times pay off as well! There are plenty of reliable brokers...

If you decide to live on South Beach, you can walk around the community easily to get to day-to-day places like the dry cleaner or the video store etc. Lots of people buy scooters or bikes and putput around town as well. Lincoln Road is the ';Main Street'; of South Beach where locals and tourists meet and eat. There are streets and streets all closed to cars filled with shops and bars and cafes and galleries. A few years back, it was a lot ';artsy-er'; and now it is more commercial (exit vintage stores enter GAP). The plus side includes an 18 plex movie theater and a weekend farmer%26#39;s market with a GREAT Antique/Flea Market during the fall on alternate Sundays. People hang out on Lincoln Road with their kids, their dog-children, their families... all the time. I often encourage solo travelers to hang out on Lincoln Mall because they%26#39;ll never feel alone there. 15 minutes to Downtown.

One more thing - $1600 is not too small an amount for a beachfront rental. I googled up a listing place online (randomly ) and found lots of cool listings in your price range:

miami.condocompany.com/Miami-Beach/PL548002/

Look for South Beach (South of 21st Street - zip 33139)

Look for Mid Beach (Collins Ave in the 50s - 33140)

Look for North Beach (Collins in the 60s-70s - 33141)

Look for Surfside (Collins in the 80s - 90s - 33141)

Look for North Bay Village/Normandy Isle too.

The west side of Miami Beach (which is a long ';barrier island'; running down the coast of the state - so waterfront is plentiful) faces Biscayne Bay as does the eastern shore of mainland Miami. Brickell is eastern shore of Miami. West Avenue is western shore of South Beach (mostly high rises).

You will need one car. There is so much to see and do that requires a decent car - and by this I mean something that runs and has A/C. People in Miami spend zillions on ridiculously plush cars and then crash them while talking on their cell phones... just bring along (or buy) a car that you can depend upon. Good tires, good brakes (it rains) and good air will serve you well. You will need renter%26#39;s insurance that covers hurricane damage - don%26#39;t scrimp on that - period.

You will find the apartment pool/spa/gym/laundry a huge benefit. Definitely see all the amenities before you sign a lease. Knock on someone%26#39;s door and get feedback from an existing tennant too. Definitely try to get covered/secure parking. You will find the beach a godsend. There are just miles of beach and it is still possible to go and be ALONE by the ocean. It does not require a day trip or a long haul. You can keep a bag in the trunk with swimwear and sunscreen and just pop by for a quick dip anytime. You can be topless and - at Haulover - you can be naked. Miami Beach also has miles of wooden board walk running down the coast for a brisk walk or a slow romantic stroll...

Downtown Miami will continue to evolve. Less amenities now - more to come. Do not write off the ';City'; yet. It is a work in progress. Brickell is an area just South of the Downtown cluster that has our financial center and a long string of high rise condos facing Biscayne Bay (hey - look at a map - will ya!?) It is quiet and residential and many people bought on Brickell who are not year round residents. It is already expanding to suit folks just like you. New stores, new services, new everything on the southern part of Miami Avenue. Quiet at night - not dead... but quiet. That is NOT a bad thing.

I am not considering a club nightlife for you at all. You will check them out or not. You will find a pub you love and you will become a member of the cast of Cheers... I get it. On South Beach - that is the Purdy Lounge, the Abbey Brew Pub, Lost Weekend, Ted%26#39;s Hideaway... a few more you%26#39;re going to have to find on your own as my friends forbid me to mention them on TA.

Please let me know if you need more info and when you do decide to schedule a visit - I can point you to some inexpensive places to zzz.

Have a Great Weekend!

AG

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