Real Talk Miami Living
So let us just begin with the fact that living in Miami is not all sunshine and catching waves. It involves a lot of parking fees, Traffic jams, and mini heart attacks. Don’t get me wrong Miami is beautiful, but I am going to be completely honest, and explain both the good and bad things about living in Miami.
Thus let us begin with the bad…
1. MIAMI TRAFFIC
So you’re probably thinking this is no big deal if you live anywhere but Miami. psst, Traffic is a piece cake. NOPE let me tell you I moved here from Texas, and I am still not used to this traffic. No joke I eat full course meals while sitting in traffic. Is that illegal?
Yeah, so apparently Florida hasn’t included eating and driving as part of the distracting driving law at least as far as I researched.
Looking at the positive side of this issue would be that I have gotten some numbers out of sitting in traffic XD
2.DRIVING OUT HERE
I mean come on how hard is it to put a signal! That’s not even the main issue… its the fact that you have a Lambo or Audi turning in on you and making you hit the breaks. cause god forbid hitting the back of one those.
Note: The majority of the worst drivers drive the nicest cars here in Miami. (Awesome for the people trying to avoid getting collided with the people racing the streets.)
AKA: Don’t be fooled by the people driving around a Lamborghini at Miami beach literally there is car rental center on Collins that rent out luxurious cars for the day. These are the people that are making a lot of noise and attracting attention.
3. PESKY PARKING METERS/ TICKETS
Oh, im just going to run to the restroom real quick shouldn’t be a problem leaving my car parked. Few minutes pass by and the magical ticket ends up waving hi to you on your windshield. 15 bucks or more every time it happens.. reasons why I Avoid south beach. I’m going to write a blog of just south beach alone cause that’s another animal.
I’ve seen these parking patrol officers… legit they are standing next to your car waiting next to it for 2min to put you a ticket. Better off paying an extra hour or so then to get slapped with a parking ticket.
Anywhere to the East of Tamiami or Kendall is going to require you to pay for parking. Oh, you thought there wasn’t a parking meter… there is probably a sign starting at the beginning of the street with the suggested apps such as ParkMobile and PayByPhone to pay the hour which usually will cost you $1.25 in normal places, and about $4 the hour in south beach. Yeah, basically the cost of a latte it adds up.
If you’re visiting Miami I recommend to download these apps ahead of time and enter your vehicle information, cause you’ll be using it a lot.
4. FINDING A JOB IS DIFFICULT
Most of the people working at restaurants and stores have degrees and aren’t working in what they studied for. Most well-off people here are the ones that are able to land a position at an insurance company. Still, don’t have a degree or certification? You’ll be lucky if you find a job that pays you minimum wage.
So it’s not surprising to be working two part time jobs in Miami its the norm if you want to survive.
If you’re going to move on your own and don’t have a job lined up just know it’s going to be hard. I am not going to give you bs that if you work hard it will all work out. Not in Miami, it works like that in Texas, but not over there. I am currently back in Texas I got a good paying part time above the minimum wage of $11 that I was being paid at a retail store in Miami. It took me less than a week when I was actively looking for a job in Texas to find a job while in Miami it took me over a month. I’m not the type of person to wait for a call or get an email. I would go in person to hand my resume and shake someone’s hand. Went to several job interviews with big marketing companies, but no one would hire me.
Note: If you’re given a job offer in Miami in your profession, and it’s a reasonable pay this doesn’t necessarily apply to you. I’m speaking to the majority of college students like myself that live here.
5. SUNPASS
SunPass system here in Florida can be a major headache, and if you are like me trying to avoid the traffic is going to cost you more a month. Your phones Navigation will constantly push you to take a toll when they are alternatives that you can take. At one point depending on where you plan to move to or live you’ll memorize these routes by heart cause they’ll save you a lot in tolls.
6. PEOPLE ARE RUDE AF
Wave Hi to someone, and you’ll end up scratching your head awkwardly lowering your arm hoping no one saw.
Oh, and if you smile at a stranger you’ll be returned with a weird look and complaint like “Que” or the worst you become a ghost they never even saw you.
Completely different than the type of people in Texas who would Smile and some even tell you good morning.
This also applies to the driving in Texas you would put your turn signal and people would actually slow down and let you pass into a lane. Here in Miami that never happens unless the person driving is someone from another state. So you learn to throw your car and remember that whoever hits the back pays. Pretty much this is abused in Miami.
7. DON’T KNOW SPANISH? GOOD LUCK
So there are so many Cubans here not trying to be racist or anything I am Salvadoran and Mexican so I’m Latina as it gets. Looking to buy something at Walmart? an employee will 9/10 times only speak Spanish. Which is ok for me since I am bilingual, but sometimes I forget what freaking q tips are called in Spanish. The struggle is real rambling “son unas cosas para las oídos que tienen algodón”. Lady looking at you like your dumb. Most of the time having a picture in hand is handy.
Note: Most people living in Miami are relatively short so being 5’9 like myself I always ended up the tallest among the group.
8. FINDING A ROOMMATE TAKES A LONG TIME
A Majority of the people that live in Miami under the age of 30 are still living with their parents. Since the cost of living in Miami is a substantial amount that can bankrupt anyone if they tried to live alone. So yeah sometimes that guy that drives a BMW is still living with their parents. If you’re lucky you can manage to get a job that is relatively close to where you live. Meaning walk or bike cause that gas bill ain’t covering itself. If you manage to get a job and find a place to live along Miami beach you’ll have access to the trolley and of course, there is Uber, but the trolley is free. There is actually an app called Miami Beach Trolley that you can download to track where exactly each trolley is heading to.
Alright, so I listed the majority of bad aspects of living in Miami…
GOOD REASONS
BEACH BOARDWALKS ARE AMAZING
- While living here I’ve found that the best place to longboard would have to be down 69th up to 80th street on Collins. So, the only reason why I’m telling y’all this go to spot is due to the fact that I am moving back to Texas. So don’t tell that many people, they are very limited in parking. Allison Park is the best place to go to if you want to enjoy the beach, and not break the bank. Reason being the parking is cheap $1 the hour compared to the dreaded south beach prices at $4 the hour. Not only that but parking is free 6pm-8am AGAIN keep this a secret guys. (post content on blog either way)
You’ll Make a-lot of Connections with interesting People
2. While living here I’ve met several young entrepreneurs, artists, and DJs who are just starting out in pursuing their dreams. Not only that, but the majority of people here are very active. Which is awesome if you are a gym rat like me. I’ve made connections just by playing beach volleyball on South beach granted many of the people I met were there for vacation only.
Tip: If your moving here I recommend getting a gym Lime card at You-fit. (I’m not sponsored by them or anything it’s just my personal opinion) Miami Traffic is terrible so you’ll be making your life easier if you are able to go to any of the You-fit locations in Miami. Note I also have a membership at UFC for my Martial Arts Classes.
Night Life Is Lit
3. If you’re near Miami Beach/ South beach area the bars and restaurants are going to be open well over 11pm. A major difference between Texas and Miami. Try to find a place past 11pm in Texas and you’re looking at Whataburger and McDonald. Unless its a weekend and you’re at Downtown Dallas you’re not going to see any action at night.
Note: My favorite place was Pollo tropical that was always open until 11 at night. Along with Palacio de Los Juegos to get cheap natural juices.
Weather Is Almost Always Sunny
4. Unless for some reason you hate warm tropical weather Miami may not be the best choice for you. They don’t call Florida the sunshine state for no reason. I myself on the other hand love living In tropical conditions. Here is a list of reasons why tropical weather is better.
- You can Exercise outside without freezing yourself
- Can pretty much Tan all year round except for December ( it actually gets pretty chilly around this month and starts to warm up again mid-January)
- The Ocean is not cold all year like it is on other beaches
- Can play outdoor sports like beach volleyball all year long
Personally, I love it because my eczema for some reason flares less during the summer months, or where there is the tropical weather. Mostly it is a combination of tanning and swimming In the beach that has helped clear up my skin.
Overall, I miss living in Miami where I was able to actually live an almost normal life physically health wise. My eczema would rarely flare up, but emotionally I was depressed. Unfortunately for me I didn’t live in the best conditions and was constantly budding heads with my old roommate. I was stressing out, to be honest, felt lonely since I didn’t move with friends, or had anyone I knew in Miami. Don’t recommend moving on the whim when you plan to go to Miami.
From personal experience, I ended up driving all the way to Miami to a roommate that confirmed with me over the phone that she had a room available. I arrived with my car and all my stuff in her apartment complex . She ended up telling me that one of her sons wanted the room and couldn’t rent it out to me. So at that point, I was desperate frantically looking for a place. I called a realtor and he connected with me 2 options. One was going to be with a family of 6, and I would have to share the bathroom. Another option was an old lady but I would have my own restroom and was close to FIU where I was planning to transfer to. So I went with the old lady. I’m going to write a whole another post about my struggles with my roommate.
PS: Sorry for my terrible grammar. I don’t want it to be an excuse as to why I’m not posting anymore.
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