486,388
Population
Sunny Days: 248
58100 Affordability
89100 Schools
47100 Diversity
69100 Safety
I don't know how anyone lives in Miami. Because no one goes to sleep.
-Dave Portnoy
Miami, Florida
Magic City
The Best Thing About Miami?
The People
Miami has one of the most fascinating populations on the planet due to its location at the intersection of the Caribbean, Central America, the Northeastern United States and Canada.
Economic and snowbird expats combine to give Miami both the most and least American vibe of any city. Economic ambition has always been a hallmark of immigrant populations but these communities brought along the culture, beauty, food and language or their native countries and made Miami the capital of the Latin diaspora and the city with the highest percentage of foreign born residents.
Here's a local on Miami:
Miami is one of the best cities I’ve ever lived in, keep in mind this is a naive perspective. it’s open minded. it’s multicultural in fact one of the most diverse group of people in the world. Egyptian, Spanish, I’m American, European, Italian. Etc. which comes with a very special underlining you can find your tribe here if you wait long enough. Also, the food here is great.
I’m middle income, coming from the north east this is a huge plus. Taxes, cost of living while living in a higher standard of living city. don’t get wrapped up in the scene. I mean dabble and have fun, but really people that have money don’t need to show it off really.
For more reviews of Miami from locals check out the Buzz: https://lookyloomove.com/locations/miami?page=buzz
The Worst Thing About Miami?
Transience
The average Miamian only stays for 4-5 years. That makes living here feel like a constant influx of new and departing neighbors. This transience is only increasing as northerners flock south to escape the pandemic and live in a city with better weather than New York. Some who have lived here claim it is more like a multi-year vacation than a real permanent home.
Here's a local on is issue:
That's interesting that thats your view point. I'm not saying that you are wrong, but i believe that Miami is one of the most transient cities in our country with so many people coming and so many people leaving each day
Lifestyle Of Miami
Miami is widely noted as a beautiful city, with beautiful people and a beautifully diverse cultural and social scene. If you’re the kind of person who enjoys a night out then expect some amazing food from across the Latin food world with a particular brilliance in authentic Cuban dining, and one of the better music scenes in the country. Warm nights out in Miami are unlike any other city in the U.S. so again, if nightlife is your passion then you’ll love it here.
In the day time weather and water color much of Miami lifestyle. It gets seriously hot here but the Atlantic provides much comfort and hitting the beach is a big part of weekend and summer days.
If you're curious what locals do in Miami check out the calendar of events: https://www.miamiandbeaches.com/events
Workstyle Of Miami
During Covid Miami became popular as a destination for finance and wealthy techies to flee their northern cities. That trend aside, many people think of Miami as a place to move for the lifestyle rather than work. One of the challenges of working in Miami is that it’s very expensive and not particularly family-friendly downtown so if you’re commuting in then you’ll historically be stuck in your car for an hour. There’s virtually no public transport and so many people commute into the tourist and commercial work downtown. While some of that may be changing, a heavy service, real estate and tourism economy means in-person dominates much of the job opportunities. There is a growing tech economy here as the lack of state taxes and cool culture is pulling VC and startup business down here.
Why You Should Move Here Now?
I Like The Nightlife, I Like To Boogie
Miami has a lot going for it: great beaches, a diverse population, booming economy, and warm weather. However, if there is one thing we’d say that should drive you to make the move to Miami it is the nightlife. If you enjoy great music, amazing restaurants, delicious food from all over the planet, packed bars and dance clubs, and a beautiful population to enjoy it all with then this could be your city.
Living in Miami
Neighborhoods in Miami
View All
The Area
Miami is part of an area collectively known as the “Gold Coast”. It is known as such because so many wealthy northerners brought their $$$ down in winter and had big estates and fancy condos built for their snowbird lifestyle The Miami Metro area lines the southeast Florida Atlantic coast and includes Miami, Ft Lauderdale, Palm Beach/West Palm Beach, Hialeah, Hollywood and Boca Raton. Miami and the surrounding area is majority Hispanic in part due to proximity to the original homes of those who have immigrated. Cuba is only a couple hundred miles away and The Bahamas only 100-160 miles away. The majority of people here speak Spanish and Miami truly feels like the most International city in the U.S.
Brickell
Young Professionals
As with most cities Downtown draws tons of young professionals. The massive condo/apt buildings that line one of the more famous neighborhoods, Brickell. Sitting on the water, overlooking Brickell Key, and surrounded by shopping, amazing dining options, bars and nightclubs. Unlike much of the area Brickell also has great public transportation options with free trolleys, the Metro-Movers and the Metrorail to scoot you around town. There are a lot of good options but we’d suggest at least starting with Brickell if you’re moving here to be in the action.
- Brickell
- Wynwood
- Downtown
Coral Gables
DINK/SINKs
Coral Gables and Coconut Grove are interesting options for couples with no children. Coconut Grove has an incredible walkable social scene that rivals Miami for quality of food, bars and shopping. If you can afford it this is a compelling place to start your search. Coral Gables is a bit more affordable, as it is a bit more off the water and has more traditional housing than the “Grove”. It also has its own social scene and walkable commercial district.
- Coral Gables
- Coconut Grove
- Midtown
South Beach
LGBTQ+
Only a few other cities rival Miami for the richness of the LGBTQ life and culture in Miami. If you’re looking then start with the South Beach neighborhood. Imagine the Castro but glamorous, filled with all-night parties, access to sun, sand and surf, and bathed in extremely cool Art Deco architecture. Wynwood and the adjacent Design District also acts as a hub of the Miami LGBTQ community. It used to be a relatively empty warehouse district that is now an incredibly hip arts center filled with galleries, boutiques, breweries, cafes and clubs.
- South Beach
- Wynwood
- Design District
Coconut Grove
Families
Coconut Grove is Miami’s oldest neighborhood and is the most popular for families in the city. It has tall oak trees (rare for Florida), tons of parks and has bike riding trails for families to spin around town. It’s extremely walkscore friendly and you’ll feel good about it because it has 24/7 police surveillance making it one of the safest neighborhoods in Miami. It has the great private and public schools and the local CocoWalk commercial district has a movie theater, shops and Silly Monkeys Playhouse, where the kiddos can take art, music classes and just play and explore.
- Coconut Grove
- Weston
- Brickell
Edgewater
Retirees
Edgewater is a popular neighborhood for retirees. Right next to the happening neighborhoods of Wynwood and the Design District, it has a bounty of great condo options and easy access to shopping and entertainment. The University of Miami Hospital and Jackson Hospital are minutes away and prices are reasonable relative to some of the other neighborhoods nearby.
Bal Harbour is a technically a suburb of Miami but it sits at the north end of Miami Beach and is famous for upscale shopping and beautiful oceanfront resorts, condos and apartment buildings. Retirees who want the beach but want to be a bit removed from the city pick Bal Harbour.
- Edgewater
- Bal Harbour
- Miami Beach