[s]Probably[/s] moving to Miami - Please advise

[shmokes]

It looks pretty likely that I will be moving to Miami in the next few months (Sometime between May and August).  San Francisco is a possibility, but it's a long shot.  I'd put it at 70/30 Miami to San Francisco.  So, I'd like to start putting out feelers and getting some info.  Where are some good places to live?  I'll most likely be dirt poor, and I want to be as near Coral Gables as possible (including in Coral Gables, but cost of housing is one of my primary concerns).

This is a big move.  My wife has never lived in a big city before.  I'd appreciate any general advice about the area, and specifically nice places to live (we have an infant and will most likely be living there for the next three years), eat, shop, etc.  Fun and inexpensive entertainment.  Things to avoid.  Neighborhoods to avoid living in, etc.

Also, my wife is a graphic designer.  Her forte and love is 2D design, but most of her professional experience is with Flash animation and Action Script.  Web design is not her strong point, as her knowledge of HTML and CSS borders nonexistent.  She REALLY wants to work in 2D design and would love to get out of Flash, but more important than that is having a steady, well-paying job, so Flash is certainly not out of the question.  Any contacts that could lead to gainful employment would be spectacular.  Also, I'm a network admin.  Most of my NOS experience is with Novell -- I'm not real strong with Windows Server, but I know my fundamentals pretty well and have recently installed and maintain one Windows 2003 server, so I know the basics and really learning the ins and outs shouldn't be tough.  But I'm not planning to work much.  Maybe just pick up some freelance here and there to help make ends meet if needed.  So, if you or anybody you know is looking for some competent help in graphic design or computer/network tech (especially graphic design) shoot me a line.

Thanks for any suggestions.  I'm sure the vast majority here can't be of any help, but hopefully I get lucky and there just happens to be a graphic designer on the boards who lives in Miami.

[shmokes]

Okay . . . the board won't let you put strike-out in a subject line.  The ratio has changed from 70/30 Miami/San Francisco to 100/0.  Didn't get accepted to Berkeley, so Miami it is.  The People Finder doesn't show any BYOAC members in the area, but I'm still hopeful.

[ChadTower]

Prediction:  There will be less Mormons in Miami.

[shardian]

Culture shock city, here schmokes & Co. come!

Good Luck with the move.

[somunny]

Prediction:  There will be less Mormons in Miami.

At first glance, I thought you said "Morons". 

[ChadTower]

Anyone who knows me would never attribute a statement resembling "there are less morons" to me.

[Grasshopper]

Incidentally, out of curiosty, are you still planning to live in France for a few years?

The reason I ask is that in an earlier thread you said you were hoping to do a course which was partly based at Cornell and partly based somewhere in Paris.

I remember feeling quite jealous at the time because a few years ago I vaguely looked into the possibility of studying in the US and after some (admittedly fairly superficial) research, I decided that Cornell was my preferred university. Anyway, it was more of an idle dream than a genuine plan. I never really got past the stage of browsing a few websites as I quickly realised the idea was a non-starter for a number of reasons including the fact that it would have been prohibitively expensive.

Anyway good luck with the move.

[shmokes]

Prediction:  There will be less Mormons in Miami.

And more Cubans.  Really, I'm looking forward to the less Mormons thing.  It'll be nice to live in a state that isn't literally run by a church (especially a church that I am so ideologically at odds with).  Thanks for the good lucks.

[ChadTower]

Prediction #2:  You'll hear the word maricon twenty five times a day until you adjust.  After that you'll hear it thirty five times.

[leapinlew]

Learn Spanish and the Macarena

[shmokes]

Nope.  Cornell and Berkeley are the two universities so far that I have not been admitted to.  I'm still waiting on a few, but Miami is my third choice so their decisions are irrelevant.  Cornell was my first choice (though it's not ranked as high as Berkeley) because of their association with the Sorbonne in Paris.  I desperately wanted to get in there because it's not like I could just go to a lesser school and do the same thing.  It was basically Cornell or nothing (actually Columbia has an identical program, but there was no way I was getting in there).  So I won't be doing that program.

I still plan to live in France for a few years, hopefully.  I think that the combination of speaking French, an international law specialty and some other stuff like my undergrad degrees and professional work in the computer industry should probably be enough to get me hired on with a company like Microsoft or Intel or Ubisoft or something -- a company that does lots of business between the U.S. and France.  I'd certainly be in a better position with the Cornell thing, as I'd have a practicing law degree in both countries, but you win some you lose some, I guess.  The real kicker is that this amazing program would have actually been less expensive than what I'm doing now, as while I was studying in France I'd only be paying half-tuition at Cornell, and tuition at the Sorbonne is like $150/year (god bless socialism) vs. $38,000/year at Cornell.  Miami is only $32,000/year, so that's a little better, I guess.

[ChadTower]

Not only did they not admit him, they won't admit he submitted an application.

[shmokes]

Learn Spanish and the Macarena

God, I hope the Macarena has come and gone.  I'd love to learn Spanish, but I don't think I'll consider taking that on until I feel like I could reasonably describe myself as fluent in French.  I'm close, I think, but not there yet.  So, as useful as Spanish would be in Florida, it'll have to wait.  I'll definitely be passing on the Macarena, though, even if it means that I'll never be considered a true Miamian (or whatever they're called).

[shmokes]

Not only did they not admit him, they won't admit he submitted an application.

You should hear the heated arguments I've been having with the secretaries at the admissions offices.

[ChadTower]

Heh.  It must be freakin hell trying to debate something like that with School of Law applicants.

[shmokes]

I'm sure it is.  The first thing I got from Berkeley a couple months ago was a letter saying, "Thanks for applying.  Your application materials are currently under review.  We know that this is a very stressful time for you and waiting for decisions from law schools causes a great deal of anxiety, but please do not contact us.  We receive more than seven thousand applications per year.  It takes a while to get through them.  Just be patient.  Don't call us, we'll call you."

I bet they still get dozens of phone calls a day from neurotic applicants who just can't handle the suspense.

[ChadTower]

More than half of them thinking they're clever enough to "debate some type of advance info" out of the poor office employee unlucky enough to be on phones.

[somunny]

...I'll never be considered a true Miamian (or whatever they're called).

They call them octogenarians. 

[tommy]

It's too damn hot here in Miami (or where i am Ft Lauderdale) and i don't want to have to worry about running into you on the streets either. 

[Dartful Dodger]

Get a conceal carry weapons permit.

Florida's CCW can be used in most of the other states, especially if you're a resident of Florida.

[shmokes]

I doubt that will happen, at least until something really scary happens. 

[TOK]

I doubt that will happen, at least until something really scary happens. 

That message should be on about 75,000 tombstones.

[shmokes]

Chances of my needing to have a concealed weapon are just really really low.  It's practically like taking special measures to be sure that you will have everything in place that you might need in case you win the lottery.  And I think that they are bad for society in general.  So until I have some subjective reason for wanting one (i.e., I get mugged or my wife gets murdered, etc.) I'll just objectively say no thanks for now.  I'm not saying that I will never get a CCW.  I'm not saying that I won't ever regret not having one.  I'm just saying it's not a priority for me right now, and most people I know who get them are paranoids, fanatics and conservatives -- all of which leave a bad taste in the mouth.      

[Buddabing]

University of Miami law school? You'll have something in common with this guy:

[mr.Curmudgeon]

I'd love to learn Spanish, but I don't think I'll consider taking that on until I feel like I could reasonably describe myself as fluent in French.  I'm close, I think, but not there yet.

Do you dream in French yet? (ie: you or others speak French in your dreams)
I hear that's a pretty good determination of one's fluency in a foreign language.

[shmokes]

Unfortunately no.  I don't think I ever have. 

[ChadTower]

Chances of my needing to have a concealed weapon are just really really low.  It's practically like taking special measures to be sure that you will have everything in place that you might need in case you win the lottery.

Apparently a lot more people win the lottery in Miami than in Utah.  Consider the difference in location.  I'm not saying you should get one, of course, but don't use Utah as your frame of reference when considering the chances of being mugged or worse in Miami.

[tommy]

If you plan on living in Miami you NEED to learn Spanish. Living there would be very close to living in Cuba from what i can tell. ( i try to stay out of there, both places)

I can't go to Miami and expect to be able to talk to others or even order food and have a chance of anyone understanding me. If i remember correctly they even got the city to take out all the MC Donald's stores and fast food of that nature and replaced them with Cuban food stores over there. (joking) 

But really, it's almost how i described.

[BobA]

If you plan on living in Miami you NEED to learn Spanish.

This seems very true in some areas of Miami.   I was staying at a hotel near the airport and could not order fast food easily in english once outside the hotel.   I was a one of the touristy malls and everyting was easy to do in english.  If living there for any period of time speaking Spanish would be a good idea.

The armed guards in the parking garage were an eyeopener but being from Canada you only see guns on police and armmored truck personel.

[Dartful Dodger]

I went to Florida 7 years ago.  At that time European tourist were being mugged or killed daily.  My friend told me the crooks know tourists especially foreign ones, wont stay around to attend the trial, so they were easy marks.  He told me to never look at a map or ask for directions, if the wrong people see you doing either, you'll be followed then car jacked at the next red light.

Another thing that I thought was a lie until I saw it was that the expressway had smiley faces on the exit signs that went to tourist friendly locations.

Miami was growing so all the building were new and everything was clean, so it was hard to tell where the bad neighborhoods were unless you lived there.

I think 7 years is enough time for the natives to make their neighborhood look as nasty as they are, so this might not be an issue.

[CCM]

Scrap french and learn spanish.  Hell, english is barely useful in Miami.  Get used to the worst traffic and accidents you can imagine.   Oppressive heat in the summer.  Very high real estate costs.  Watch out for hurricanes, gang members, alligators...  I travel to Miami quite a bit for work and I would never live there!

[patrickl]

I'd love to learn Spanish, but I don't think I'll consider taking that on until I feel like I could reasonably describe myself as fluent in French.  I'm close, I think, but not there yet.

Do you dream in French yet? (ie: you or others speak French in your dreams)
I hear that's a pretty good determination of one's fluency in a foreign language.

Well you have to be speaking the language a lot too. I only dream in English (as opposed to dutch which is my native language) when I speak English practically all the time.

[DrewKaree]

Anyone who knows me would never attribute a statement resembling "there are less morons" to me.

My first thought was that he was new here

[DrewKaree]

Chances of my needing to have a concealed weapon are just really really low.  It's practically like taking special measures to be sure that you will have everything in place that you might need in case you win the lottery.  And I think that they are bad for society in general.  So until I have some subjective reason for wanting one (i.e., I get mugged or my wife gets murdered, etc.) I'll just objectively say no thanks for now.  I'm not saying that I will never get a CCW.  I'm not saying that I won't ever regret not having one.  I'm just saying it's not a priority for me right now, and most people I know who get them are paranoids, fanatics and conservatives -- all of which leave a bad taste in the mouth.      

Dude, think about it!  You could skew the exit polls!

[ChadTower]

Dude, think about it!  You could skew the exit polls!

At gunpoint!

[shmokes]

Heh . . . that's right.  I only just now thought about it.  2008 will be my first real presidential election.  I'll be in a state where my vote matters for the first time in my life.  That's kind of cool.

[DrewKaree]

Heh . . . that's right.  I only just now thought about it.  2008 will be my first real presidential election.  I'll be in a state where my vote matters for the first time in my life.  That's kind of cool.

See?  You'll need that gun to make it through the conservative blockade that they set up in areas like Miami and any area that's large enough to have been incorporated. 

Flashing your gat will just make them think you're a fellow NRA member heading to the polls to vote out dem durrrty lib'rals. 

I think that's how the playbook is supposed to read.  See if Hatch will send you a few pages before you move.

[ChadTower]

Didn't you spend a bunch of time at the end of the last election complaining about a rigged system in Florida?  If anything you should be saying that in Florida your vote is less relevant.   

[shmokes]

I don't think so.  It's possible, I suppose, but I have no memory of it.  The closest thing I can think of to my thinking Florida had a rigged system was the butterfly ballot of 2000, but I didn't think that was deliberately rigged; I think it was just inadvertently confusing and produced an inaccurate outcome.  I guess I also complained that rich areas had optical voting machines, while poor areas used punch cards, but that's not an issue anymore either.

[ChadTower]

I don't think so.  It's possible, I suppose, but I have no memory of it. 

Now you're going to get indicted for obstruction of justice.  Good going.