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.

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. 



The People

LookyLOO Review of Miami

Miami is justly celebrated as a gorgeous city, with beautiful people and a wonderfully diverse cultural and social scene. If you enjoy 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 daytime weather and water color much of Miami's lifestyle. It gets seriously hot here but the Atlantic provides 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).


Lifestyle

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 typically be stuck in your car for an hour. 

There’s virtually no public transport and so many people commute into the commercial district 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 businesses down here. 


Worklife

[**Miami-Dade County Public Schools**](www3.dadeschools.net)is an above-average large city school district, receiving a [**"B+" grade on niche.com**](https://www.niche.com/k12/d/miami-dade-county-public-schools-fl/). It excels in College Prep and Clubs & Activities. 

Like all large city districts, there is a big mix of high and lower-performing schools. As with many districts in Florida, charter schools have come on to be among the choices for many locals. Catholic and Private are also popular here. Among the most highly regarded include: 

-[**MAST@FIU**](mastfiu.org) is the highest rated high school in Florida, receiving an [**"A+" on niche.com**](https://www.niche.com/k12/mastfiu-biscayne-bay-campus-north-miami-fl/). It's THE public magnet in Miami and draws students from all over the area. 

-[**International Studies Charter High School**](ischs.net) is another standout, coming in rated #5 in the [**high school rankings**](https://www.niche.com/k12/international-studies-charter-high-school-miami-fl/) for Florida. 

Schools

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. 


I Like The Nightlife, I Like To Boogie 

Why You Should Move Here Now?

**DonTom93**
Living in Miami
6mo ago
✭✭✭✭

Beautiful nature, being able to see manatees and dolphins etc. in Biscayne Bay, visit miles of miles of beaches, and swim during winter is pretty cool. Lots of Latino and Caribbean culture and generally people from all over the world. Different neighborhoods to explore, Design District, Coconut Grove, Wynwood, Brickell, Miami Beach, Little Havana etc. Pretty much never run out of things to do, especially with events like the Boat Show, Wine and Food Festival, Art Basel etc. A sunny place full of shady people! 😂 but no it’s a great city, just takes a bit of time to figure out, moreso than other cities I think.

Edit: Just saw a manatee casually on my walk after work. That’s pretty magical.

For more reviews of Miami from locals check out [**The Reviews**](https://lookyloomove.com/locations/miami/reviews).


Transience 

Reviews of Miami from Locals

**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. 

**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. 

**How You Living?** In A Condo

There are several stunning neighborhoods in Miami, with Coconut Grove and Coral Gables topping the list. Both have luxurious sections with beautiful homes, beach access, and jumping commercial districts. Much of living in Miami now though is about the condo market. Lining the coastline are a truly varied selection of condo buildings: stunning luxury with penthouses and full floor units, smaller hipster spots dead center in the bar scenes of downtown, and more modest and more affordable units for the rental and middle class. The majority of these newer buildings and complexes offer incredible amenities including pools, fitness centers, indoor/outdoor yoga studios and some get crazy with chef’s kitchens, private movie theaters, and helipads. 

**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. 


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. 


The Area

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


Young Professionals

Brickell

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


DINK/SINKs

Coral Gables

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


LGBTQ+

South Beach


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


Families

Coconut Grove

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


Retirees

Edgewater

Miami

**DonTom93**
Living in Miami
6mo ago
✭✭✭✭

Beautiful nature, being able to see manatees and dolphins etc. in Biscayne Bay, visit miles of miles of beaches, and swim during winter is pretty cool. Lots of Latino and Caribbean culture and generally people from all over the world. Different neighborhoods to explore, Design District, Coconut Grove, Wynwood, Brickell, Miami Beach, Little Havana etc. Pretty much never run out of things to do, especially with events like the Boat Show, Wine and Food Festival, Art Basel etc. A sunny place full of shady people! 😂 but no it’s a great city, just takes a bit of time to figure out, moreso than other cities I think.

Edit: Just saw a manatee casually on my walk after work. That’s pretty magical.

For more reviews of Miami from locals check out [**The Reviews**](https://lookyloomove.com/locations/miami/reviews).

**bedobi**
Living in Miami
6mo ago
✭✭✭

I'm an armchair urbanist who follows all the channels and forums. In 2022 I took a year off to travel the world to figure out where to move. My top list ended up being Paris, Lisbon, Miami and Praia, Cabo Verde. Weird list for someone who's into urbanism right? Only Paris and Lisbon fit the bill. And why isn't Amsterdam and others on it?

Thing is as much as I love good urban design, there's more to life than that. Eg, Amsterdam has terrible weather and tbh I find Dutch people, culture and lifestyle boring. Lisbon is diverse and great but salaries too low. Paris is diverse and amazing but too cold and salaries too low. Cabo Verde you need a good remote job to live. Miami has mostly terrible urban planning but is diverse, fun, gives access to good USD high paying jobs and has nuggets of gold which if you chose your neighborhoods, activities and lifestyle wisely can be much, much more livable than it looks. So I ended up in Miami.

I live car-free in Little Havana, walking distance to both Brickell and Ocho. Plenty of restaurants, supermarkets, pharmacies and every imaginable service within walking distance. I ride my electric bike to South Beach, Little Haiti etc in ~20 minutes. (Wynwood and Overtown in like five ten lol) (that's faster than driving!) I can take the TriRail and Brightline to Ft Lauderdale and beyond. I can even ride the Amtrak all the way up the East Coast. Not living in Kendall or Hialeah, and not having to drive everywhere, I'm simply not as affected by the bad aspects of Miami's terrible urban planning as most people fuming in traffic on I-95 on the daily are.

Don't get me wrong, Miami gets a solid F in so many ways when it comes to urbanism, so I don't want to plug it too hard. But yeah def not just doable but outright enjoyable if you make the right choices.

**coffee_401**
Living in Miami
6mo ago
✭✭✭✭

I love living in Miami! I moved down here for work a few years ago. The thing about it is that living in the suburbs of Miami is terrible - if you want a sprawly car dependent lifestyle with warm weather and easy beach access there are a thousand places that are cheaper and have less traffic. Unfortunately for the locals, the suburbs are also where the less expensive housing is, so they end up with long commutes in traffic and come online to complain.

It's different when you can afford the urban neighborhoods - Brickell, South Beach (really almost anywhere in Miami Beach), downtown, coconut grove, downtown Coral Gables, and a few others. Living downtown I regularly go weeks without getting in a car, so traffic isn't a concern. There are great restaurants an easy walk or metromover ride away. It's two blocks walk to the grocery store.

As others have pointed out, the heat is really no worse than it is in the northeast - I've lived in both DC and Baltimore and don't find Miami much different in that regard. Summer lasts a bit longer but the trade-off is beautiful weather all winter.

**writerboy1550**
Living in Miami
5mo ago
✭✭✭

I love Miami and a don't have a desire to leave, but generally here are what you should be aware of:

Love or appreciate Latin American culture. Miami is not like being in the rest of the US. It's basically a Latin American city located in the United States. Learn Spanish if you want to connect more with locals and integrate yourself more. You will thank yourself later, because not knowing Spanish will limit you in different ways, be it jobs, friends, cultural events, etc. It's like moving to Montreal and not knowing French. Sure, you can get away with it, but it will be much harder to connect on a local level.

Try to come as a remote worker with a much higher salary than the Miami average. Miami has gotten very expensive and salaries just don't match here. If you can, come here with an already good salary.

It's not as diverse as you think. Miami is a very international and cosmopolitan city, but it is not diverse (there's a difference). Firstly, it's majority Latinos (which is why I moved here). While you have Latinos from all nationalities, and most people here were born in other country, there is a lack of representation from other continents. Aside from the significant French, Italian, Spanish, Russian and Israeli populations here, outside of those you don't find many Europeans from elsewhere, Africans, Asians, nor Middle Easterners in Miami. But also Miami is not diverse in its type of people. While in a place like NYC, LA, Chicago, SF you might find a goth scene, or guys who are preppy, punk rockers, or hipsters, etc., Miami doesn't have that wide array of subcultures. Miami has more of a monoculture and doesn't cater to those other types.

Pretend you are not in the US and instead living in another country. You need to do that with Miami. Customer service here, how people drive, the language people predominantly speak, is reflective of Latin America and the Carribbean, not the US. Customer service and the driving here is practically identical to what you would find in say Puerto Rico or in Brazil. If you come and live in Miami expecting US culture, you are going to struggle. Moving to Miami is like moving out of the country and you have to expect that.

**Living In Miami For Over a Month... 5 Things You Need To Consider Before Moving Here**

Miami, Florida

Magic City

Looklyloo Score: 93

We're on it!