[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.

[shmokes]

Damn it!  I know better.  So Stupid!   

[DrewKaree]

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.

Better get your gun before the law says you can't own one anymore.  Everyone knows once you're convicted you can't get that gun.  Make sure to put this one in your wife's name too, in case you're convicted.  Wait....you should know all kinds of ways around the law, and yer only gonna learn more....nevermind.

JEB BUSH WON!

[shmokes]

Oh, Drew.  Like all your arguments in PnR there are gaping chasms in your logic.  If I'm going to put it in my wife's name either way, I don't need to get the gun before I'm convicted.

[sphetr2]

Hmm...I don't think I would ever want to live in a place where they made a GTA game...

We went to Miami last year (drove from St. Pete) and it sucks pretty bad. The crime is bad (car got broken into), the beach is not really anything to write home about (well, the features of the landscape, that is  ). Oh yeah, and art deco gets old very quickly!

[Dartful Dodger]

We went to Miami last year (drove from St. Pete) and it sucks pretty bad. The crime is bad (car got broken into), the beach is not really anything to write home about (well, the features of the landscape, that is  ). Oh yeah, and art deco gets old very quickly!

Did you have nonFlorida plates?
Did you ask for directions?

My friend lived in Miami for six years, he loved it.

He was born and raised in Chicago, so he didn't think the crime was that bad.



shmokes, don't listen to the nay sayers.

Miami is a nice place to live, but you wouldn't want to visit there.

[jbox]

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.

Outstanding! Almost got cola all over my monitor. 

[shmokes]

It's the heat that worries me most, to be honest.  Criminals strike here and there, and maybe I'll get robbed or something at one point (hopefully not).  But the sun and humidity will be assailing me on a daily basis.  If I learn to truly hate the city, I suspect that will be the reason.  We will see.  Crime or heat, though, I'm moving there, so there's really no use in trying to talk me out of it.  It's a made decision at this point.

[sphetr2]

We went to Miami last year (drove from St. Pete) and it sucks pretty bad. The crime is bad (car got broken into), the beach is not really anything to write home about (well, the features of the landscape, that is  ). Oh yeah, and art deco gets old very quickly!

Did you have nonFlorida plates?

Yea, I drove from St. Petersburg, Russia  .

I guess you might be right, though. As you live there more, you get to know it more, and know how to avoid crime, etc.

[DrewKaree]

We went to Miami last year (drove from St. Pete) and it sucks pretty bad. The crime is bad (car got broken into), the beach is not really anything to write home about (well, the features of the landscape, that is  ). Oh yeah, and art deco gets old very quickly!

Did you have nonFlorida plates?

Yea, I drove from St. Petersburg, Russia  .

Riiiight, because it's not possible there's another "St. Pete" in America, and him being so familiar with Florida what with living in Illinois and all, he'd have known you were talking about THAT one

Shmokes, don't worry.  It's not so much the heat, it's the humidity that'll getcha.

[quarterback]

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.

While this might sound like hyperbole to some, it's completely accurate.   I used to live in Miami and when I moved there I was stunned at how truly nasty a place it is.     The crime rate is very high, the education rate is low, the number of people below the poverty level is high and it's expensive to live there.

Unless you make lots and lots of money you'll find that normal daily interaction with retail or restaurant employees is a true battle of wills.  At least half the people would just as soon see you dead on the street as anything else.

You'll live in a place with gates and alarms and you'll still be concerned for your safety.   You'll see crimes taking place on a weekly basis during daylight hours.   You'll learn to never stop at a light or stopsign without enough space between you and the car in front of you to allow a quick escape. 

I've lived in many cities, including Los Angeles and Chicago, and Miami is without a doubt the dirtiest, worst place I've ever lived and the only place I would never ever live again.  No matter what.

[quarterback]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miami,_Florida

Based on the FBI's Uniform Crime Reports Program, Miami ranks as the second most dangerous metropolitan area in the United States, based on the number of murders, rapes, robberies, aggravated assaults, burglaries and motor vehicle thefts that have occurred in the metropolitan area. The city proper ranks 14th.[3]

The city ranks second-to-last in people over 18 with a high school diploma, with 23% of the population not having that degree.

[shmokes]

Seriously, guys, stop it.  My wife sometimes reads these forums believe it or not.  We.  Are.  Moving.  There.   

[shmokes]

But, Quarterback, now that that's out of the way, for someone who will be going to school in Coral Gables, and who's wife will more than likely be working in the design district, which is just a few miles from Coral Gables from what I understand, where should we live?  Coral Gables is out of the question.  We'll be poor.  What do you suggest.  In any city there are high-crime places that you simply want to avoid.  It sounds like you think Miami has more than its share of those places.  Help a BYOAC member out . . . 

[tommy]

Ft Lauderdale is pretty nice, i even have a nice little love shack for you and your hunny-bunny to live in right down the street from me. 

[shmokes]

Yeah, the 60 or 70 mile commute to school every day will be a pleasure.   

[DrewKaree]

Yeah, the 60 or 70 mile commute to school every day will be a pleasure.   

You should get one of those smart cars that're all the rage in places where large trucks/SUV's evidently don't exist. 

Either that, or that Toyotamabob Cruiser.  That'd be a nice drive then, no?

[shmokes]

Yeah, because an SUV is the ideal vehicle to drive 130 miles a day in.   





edit: I just looked it up.  It's only 33 miles.  That's still quite a daily commute.    Maybe by Tri-Rail/MetroRail it wouldn't be so bad (apparently the thing has a stop right on the University's campus).  How much do rail passes cost, Tommy?   

edit 2:  Nevermind.  I'd be looking at $80/mo. for the Tri-Rail pass and $56/mo. for the MetroRail pass.  All this for the luxury of it taking me an hour or more to get to and from school.  I did spend a night in Ft. Lauderdale once and what I saw of the city (which was pretty much confined to just a single street along the ocean) was very nice.

[patrickl]

Maybe you save more than $80 on the monthly rent if you live in Ft Lauderdale instead of Miami.

I went (on vacation) to both Miami and Ft Lauderdale and I have to agree that the latter was much nicer. I couldn't stand the heat in the whole of Florida though.

[ChadTower]

Oh, Drew.  Like all your arguments in PnR there are gaping chasms in your logic.  If I'm going to put it in my wife's name either way, I don't need to get the gun before I'm convicted.

Gun license background checks include a scan of who your spouse is in a lot of states.  It does matter.

[CCM]

edit 2:  Nevermind.  I'd be looking at $80/mo. for the Tri-Rail pass and $56/mo. for the MetroRail pass.  All this for the luxury of it taking me an hour or more to get to and from school.  I did spend a night in Ft. Lauderdale once and what I saw of the city (which was pretty much confined to just a single street along the ocean) was very nice.

What will it cost you every month for gas if you drive to school everyday?  Do you have to pay for parking once you get there?  These factors may make the $80 or $56 cheaper than driving.

[ChadTower]

Parking costs in major dense cities are always quite high.  In Boston you'll pay $200/month.

[DrewKaree]

Parking costs in major dense cities are always quite high.  In Boston you'll pay $200/month.

MrC doesn't strike me as MAJORLY dense, but I'm willing to go with your judgement on this one Chad

[shardian]

MrC doesn't strike me as MAJORLY dense, but I'm willing to go with your judgement on this one Chad

He sure is working his way toward it though.

[Dartful Dodger]

We went to Miami last year (drove from St. Pete) and it sucks pretty bad. The crime is bad (car got broken into), the beach is not really anything to write home about (well, the features of the landscape, that is  ). Oh yeah, and art deco gets old very quickly!

Did you have nonFlorida plates?

Yea, I drove from St. Petersburg, Russia  .

I guess you might be right, though. As you live there more, you get to know it more, and know how to avoid crime, etc.

I figured you started your vacation in St. Petersburg, then drove to Miami.
Rereading these posts, it's more obvious you'd have Florida plates.
Even if you started your vacation in St. Petersburg you would have rented a Floridian car.

[shmokes]

I'm thinking I'll likely get a monthly MetroRail pass ($56) either way.  My wife and I only own one car and keeping it that way will help us avoid acquiring and insuring another one.  With a MetroRail station on campus it seems like a no-brainer.  But living in Ft. Lauderdale would add $80 per month PLUS the commute time, which would include however much time it takes at the transfer station to change trains from the TriRail system to the MetroRail (I have no idea how long this takes or how frequently MetroRail trains come, etc.).  So while living in a nicer, safer area is appealing, it sounds like this is unrealistic.  Plus, I think Ft. Lauderdale might be more expensive than Miami.  Tommy might be able to comment on that. 

BTW Tommy, what is the commute like by rail?  Google tells me it's about 40 minutes by car.

[vader]

I feel for you moving to the Miami area.  I live about 10 miles north or North Miami area and if your going to be farther south, have fun.  English is the second language the farther south you go if spoken at all.

I only browsed through the thread and since your looking to live in Coral Gables I'm guessing you were accepted at UM.

Housing is not cheap near the campus, so you may want to look elsewhere.


Good luck..

[vader]

I'm thinking I'll likely get a monthly MetroRail pass ($56) either way.  My wife and I only own one car and keeping it that way will help us avoid acquiring and insuring another one.  With a MetroRail station on campus it seems like a no-brainer.  But living in Ft. Lauderdale would add $80 per month PLUS the commute time, which would include however much time it takes at the transfer station to change trains from the TriRail system to the MetroRail (I have no idea how long this takes or how frequently MetroRail trains come, etc.).  So while living in a nicer, safer area is appealing, it sounds like this is unrealistic.  Plus, I think Ft. Lauderdale might be more expensive than Miami.  Tommy might be able to comment on that. 

BTW Tommy, what is the commute like by rail?  Google tells me it's about 40 minutes by car.

your looking at around 1:10 by rail.  As far as cities near Ft Lauderdale...   look at Sunrise  .. Plantation ...   Tamarac  ... stay away from anything East of I-95

[shmokes]

Thanks.  Specifics like that are awesome.  I do not want to end up getting my family into an apartment where it turns out that we fear for our safety on a regular basis.  Frankly I'd really like to live much closer to campus than Ft. Lauderdale.  If I can keep it to 15 miles or less I'll be pretty happy.  And, yeah, I'm going to U of M, so if I can live right near a MetroRail stop on the line that stops right on campus that would make it much easier to live further from campus without too much trouble. 

If we could live in Coral Gables that would be awesome, but if I could afford to live in Coral Gables I probably wouldn't be enrolling in law school right now   I'm sure we will be living further away from campus.

[vader]

Thanks.  Specifics like that are awesome.  I do not want to end up getting my family into an apartment where it turns out that we fear for our safety on a regular basis.  Frankly I'd really like to live much closer to campus than Ft. Lauderdale.  If I can keep it to 15 miles or less I'll be pretty happy.  And, yeah, I'm going to U of M, so if I can live right near a MetroRail stop on the line that stops right on campus that would make it much easier to live further from campus without too much trouble. 

If we could live in Coral Gables that would be awesome, but if I could afford to live in Coral Gables I probably wouldn't be enrolling in law school right now   I'm sure we will be living further away from campus.

You might want to consider Hollywood or Miramar then ... possibly Hallandale.  Hollywood has the nearest Tri-Rail station that connects to the Metrorail.  DO NOT MOVE TO HALLANDALE NEAR I-95.

Those 3 cites are between 15-20 miles south of Ft Lauderdale


There's alot of apartment complexes near Hollywood Blvd and 35 avenue and they have pretty reasonable prices .... should be at or around 950-1000 a month for a 2 bedroom apartment.

[MikeQ]

Shmokes, I live in the Orlando area now but grew up in South Florida.   Been to Miami a lot then and now.  It is a ---steaming pile of meadow muffin--- hole now.  The best advice, don't move there.

Crime is horrible, traffic is horrible, housing is horrible.  Boca Raton is about the only place that is nice in that area but still has horrible traffic problems. 

[vader]

Shmokes, I live in the Orlando area now but grew up in South Florida.   Been to Miami a lot then and now.  It is a ---steaming pile of meadow muffin--- hole now.  The best advice, don't move there.

Crime is horrible, traffic is horrible, housing is horrible.  Boca Raton is about the only place that is nice in that area but still has horrible traffic problems. 

Boca Raton ? ....  you've got him about 60 miles north of the campus there.  He can get nice housing if he's will to live farther west.   ANYPLACE in Pembroke Pines is very nice and majority of Hollywood is good too with the exception of the area between I-95 and A1A.  He doesn't need to live two counties away to live nice.  Not to mention, but he probably can't afford to live in Boca ATM

[MikeQ]

Shmokes, I live in the Orlando area now but grew up in South Florida.   Been to Miami a lot then and now.  It is a ---Cleveland steamer--- hole now.  The best advice, don't move there.

Crime is horrible, traffic is horrible, housing is horrible.  Boca Raton is about the only place that is nice in that area but still has horrible traffic problems. 

Boca Raton ? ....  you've got him about 60 miles north of the campus there.  He can get nice housing if he's will to live farther west.   ANYPLACE in Pembroke Pines is very nice and majority of Hollywood is good too with the exception of the area between I-95 and A1A.  He doesn't need to live two counties away to live nice.

I wasn't suggesting he live in Boca.  I was just saying that is the only nice place I would live in South Florida.    My original sentance sums it up.  "Don't move to Miami"

[shmokes]

Not helpful, MikeQ.  Seriously.  Miami is where I'm going to law school.  I can't call Berkeley up and say, "Hey guys, I know I didn't get accepted, but it turns out my 3rd choice school is in a city I don't want to live in.  Can you please reconsider?" 

I.  Am.  Moving.  To.  Miami. 

If it's hell, I'll just have to be in hell for at least a year.  Maybe I can get into Cornell or Berkeley as a transfer student if my class standing is good.  Otherwise, I'll just tough it out for three years.  Millions of other people seem to be doing it.  But . . .

I.  Am.  Moving.  To.  Miami.

If you think that Miami is horrible the best you can do for me is give me suggestions that might help me minimize its horribleness as much as is possible, as Vader is doing.

By the way, Vader, any suggestions you have that would put me in a reasonably safe/nice area on the MetroRail, rather than on the Tri-Rail would also be nice, as that would make my public transit costs $56/mo, rather than $136/mo.  Unless there is a cheaper pass I am unaware of that will let me use both systems.  But as near as I can tell the Metro would be $56 (for college students) and the Tri-Rail pass is $80.

[MikeQ]

Not helpful, MikeQ.  Seriously.  Miami is where I'm going to law school.  I can't call Berkeley up and say, "Hey guys, I know I didn't get accepted, but it turns out my 3rd choice school is in a city I don't want to live in.  Can you please reconsider?" 

I.  Am.  Moving.  To.  Miami. 

If it's hell, I'll just have to be in hell for at least a year.  Maybe I can get into Cornell or Berkeley as a transfer student if my class standing is good.  Otherwise, I'll just tough it out for three years.  Millions of other people seem to be doing it.  But . . .

I.  Am.  Moving.  To.  Miami.

If you think that Miami is horrible the best you can do for me is give me suggestions that might help me minimize its horribleness as much as is possible, as Vader is doing.

By the way, Vader, any suggestions you have that would put me in a reasonably safe/nice area on the MetroRail, rather than on the Tri-Rail would also be nice, as that would make my public transit costs $56/mo, rather than $136/mo.  Unless there is a cheaper pass I am unaware of that will let me use both systems.  But as near as I can tell the Metro would be $56 (for college students) and the Tri-Rail pass is $80.

Sorry, didn't read the whole thread.  Didn't realize this was school.  I was just doing some quick scanning.

I have a friend who lives in North Miama Beach.  He's a cop.  I'll ask him for his reccomendations.

I'm not sure how old your kids are.  Is school an issue?

Are you driving here?

[vader]

By the way, Vader, any suggestions you have that would put me in a reasonably safe/nice area on the MetroRail, rather than on the Tri-Rail would also be nice, as that would make my public transit costs $56/mo, rather than $136/mo.  Unless there is a cheaper pass I am unaware of that will let me use both systems.  But as near as I can tell the Metro would be $56 (for college students) and the Tri-Rail pass is $80.

Unfortunately, there is no area around the Metrorail I would want to live without owning a gun,knife,mace,taser and knowing Karate.  I know it's another 80 bucks a month, but for your well being and not looking over your shoulder every minute waiting to get mugged, not to mention the bums trying to get money from you, I'd live farther north and deal with the commute

[Grasshopper]

Wow, this thread doesn't paint a very flattering picture of life in the US.

Not helpful, MikeQ.  Seriously.  Miami is where I'm going to law school.  I can't call Berkeley up and say, "Hey guys, I know I didn't get accepted, but it turns out my 3rd choice school is in a city I don't want to live in.  Can you please reconsider?" 

Actually, that's not such a bad idea. Have you considered deferring entry for a year, and seeing if Cornell or Berkeley will accept you next year?

OK it's another year of your life treading water, but on the bright side, it's also another year in which to save up so you don't ultimately have to borrow as much.

This seems to be pivotal moment of your life and the stakes are pretty high. You don't want your education to be screwed up because you don't like your college and/or the place you're living in.

Also, didn't you say in another thread that you might end up being up to $200,000 in debt? To me that's an insane amount of money. If I was spending that amount of money on going to college then I'd be very reluctant to compromise over where I went.

[MikeQ]

Wow, this thread doesn't paint a very flattering picture of life in the US.

Not helpful, MikeQ.  Seriously.  Miami is where I'm going to law school.  I can't call Berkeley up and say, "Hey guys, I know I didn't get accepted, but it turns out my 3rd choice school is in a city I don't want to live in.  Can you please reconsider?" 

Actually, that's not such a bad idea. Have you considered deferring entry for a year, and seeing if Cornell or Berkeley will accept you next year?

OK it's another year of your life treading water, but on the bright side, it's also another year in which to save up so you don't ultimately have to borrow as much.

This seems to be pivotal moment of your life and the stakes are pretty high. You don't want your education to be screwed up because you don't like your college and/or the place you're living in.

Also, didn't you say in another thread that you might end up being up to $200,000 in debt? To me that's an insane amount of money. If I was spending that amount of money on going to college then I'd be very reluctant to compromise over where I went.

Miami is hardly representative of the entire U.S.

[DrewKaree]

Wow, this thread doesn't paint a very flattering picture of life in the US.

Mike, here's an example of how you respond to a point without having to rehash the entire post he made.  Heck, ya didn't even have to quote him on that one!

Grasshopper, that'd be kinda like saying certain parts of Italy don't paint a very flattering picture of life in Europe.  The area you're referring to (the U.S.) is far more than Miami.  Check out the population of Miami, then compare it against your entire country.  Are you telling us there's no place in Britain you would consider seedy or less-than-ideal?

It's also kinda funny - what Vader said was "reasonable" for a 2-bedroom apartment ($950-1000/month) would be rent for a NI-ICE HOUSE in my area...but then again, who wants to live in a cow pasture in almost-Canuckistan?

[shmokes]

My daughter is 7 months old, so schools are of no concern.  As to debt, $120,000 is probably closer to the mark.  It's still an enormous figure, but better than 200,000 I suppose.  Tuition is $32,000 / year.  Deferring at this point is unattractive to me, both because I deferred my bachelor's degree for so long (I'm graduating in a couple months at 28 years old) and because my best hope of getting into a better school at this point is as a transfer student.  The only way I could increase my chances without starting at another school is to study for and retake the LSAT, which I'm sure I would do even as a transfer student (I scored very well the first time, but I know for a fact that I can do considerably better). 

Also, Miami is a very good school, ranked in the top 25 for international law (around 18 or 19, I believe).  It's important to remember when applying for schools that everyone applying knows that schools standards.  Every school publishes the median LSAT and GPAs for their previous entering class (as well as the 25th/75th percentiles of the LSAT scores and GPAs).  Since it costs about $100 per school to apply, most people don't apply to schools that they obviously have no chance of getting into.  The vast majority of applicants who are turned down were qualified to go to that school.  Berkeley, for example, gets over 7000 applicants per year and they only offer seats to less than 10% of those.  So putting off law school for a year in order to try again is a pretty tough prospect considering the lottery you are up against. 

[shmokes]

It's also kinda funny - what Vader said was "reasonable" for a 2-bedroom apartment ($950-1000/month) would be rent for a NI-ICE HOUSE in my area...but then again, who wants to live in a cow pasture in almost-Canuckistan?

More importantly, which law school is located there that I can attend?   

[DrewKaree]

It's also kinda funny - what Vader said was "reasonable" for a 2-bedroom apartment ($950-1000/month) would be rent for a NI-ICE HOUSE in my area...but then again, who wants to live in a cow pasture in almost-Canuckistan?

More importantly, which law school is located there that I can attend?   

ScrewU

I bet if I put in a good word, you'd get accepted in a heartbeat

[MikeQ]

My daughter is 7 months old, so schools are of no concern.  As to debt, $120,000 is probably closer to the mark.  It's still an enormous figure, but better than 200,000 I suppose.  Tuition is $32,000 / year.  Deferring at this point is unattractive to me, both because I deferred my bachelor's degree for so long (I'm graduating in a couple months at 28 years old) and because my best hope of getting into a better school at this point is as a transfer student.  The only way I could increase my chances without starting at another school is to study for and retake the LSAT, which I'm sure I would do even as a transfer student (I scored very well the first time, but I know for a fact that I can do considerably better). 

Also, Miami is a very good school, ranked in the top 25 for international law (around 18 or 19, I believe).  It's important to remember when applying for schools that everyone applying knows that schools standards.  Every school publishes the median LSAT and GPAs for their previous entering class (as well as the 25th/75th percentiles of the LSAT scores and GPAs).  Since it costs about $100 per school to apply, most people don't apply to schools that they obviously have no chance of getting into.  The vast majority of applicants who are turned down were qualified to go to that school.  Berkeley, for example, gets over 7000 applicants per year and they only offer seats to less than 10% of those.  So putting off law school for a year in order to try again is a pretty tough prospect considering the lottery you are up against. 

I'll see what my cop friend can turn up.  I left him a message.

If you are driving from UT to here, you should put a call out to all the BYOAC members to put you up for a night along your route.  BTW, I have a brother that lives in Morgan.

University of Miami was a good school when I lived down south (20 years) ago.  Glad to hear it is still well ranked.

[billf]

It's also kinda funny - what Vader said was "reasonable" for a 2-bedroom apartment ($950-1000/month) would be rent for a NI-ICE HOUSE in my area...but then again, who wants to live in a cow pasture in almost-Canuckistan?

More importantly, which law school is located there that I can attend?   

ScrewU

I bet if I put in a good word, you'd get accepted in a heartbeat

 
Nearly spit out my drink on my keyboard.

[shmokes]

My daughter is 7 months old, so schools are of no concern.  As to debt, $120,000 is probably closer to the mark.  It's still an enormous figure, but better than 200,000 I suppose.  Tuition is $32,000 / year.  Deferring at this point is unattractive to me, both because I deferred my bachelor's degree for so long (I'm graduating in a couple months at 28 years old) and because my best hope of getting into a better school at this point is as a transfer student.  The only way I could increase my chances without starting at another school is to study for and retake the LSAT, which I'm sure I would do even as a transfer student (I scored very well the first time, but I know for a fact that I can do considerably better). 

Also, Miami is a very good school, ranked in the top 25 for international law (around 18 or 19, I believe).  It's important to remember when applying for schools that everyone applying knows that schools standards.  Every school publishes the median LSAT and GPAs for their previous entering class (as well as the 25th/75th percentiles of the LSAT scores and GPAs).  Since it costs about $100 per school to apply, most people don't apply to schools that they obviously have no chance of getting into.  The vast majority of applicants who are turned down were qualified to go to that school.  Berkeley, for example, gets over 7000 applicants per year and they only offer seats to less than 10% of those.  So putting off law school for a year in order to try again is a pretty tough prospect considering the lottery you are up against. 

I'll see what my cop friend can turn up.  I left him a message.

If you are driving from UT to here, you should put a call out to all the BYOAC members to put you up for a night along your route.  BTW, I have a brother that lives in Morgan.

University of Miami was a good school when I lived down south (20 years) ago.  Glad to hear it is still well ranked.

That's really cool.  I appreciate it a lot.  Morgan, UT?  Is he Mormon?

[MikeQ]

My daughter is 7 months old, so schools are of no concern.  As to debt, $120,000 is probably closer to the mark.  It's still an enormous figure, but better than 200,000 I suppose.  Tuition is $32,000 / year.  Deferring at this point is unattractive to me, both because I deferred my bachelor's degree for so long (I'm graduating in a couple months at 28 years old) and because my best hope of getting into a better school at this point is as a transfer student.  The only way I could increase my chances without starting at another school is to study for and retake the LSAT, which I'm sure I would do even as a transfer student (I scored very well the first time, but I know for a fact that I can do considerably better). 

Also, Miami is a very good school, ranked in the top 25 for international law (around 18 or 19, I believe).  It's important to remember when applying for schools that everyone applying knows that schools standards.  Every school publishes the median LSAT and GPAs for their previous entering class (as well as the 25th/75th percentiles of the LSAT scores and GPAs).  Since it costs about $100 per school to apply, most people don't apply to schools that they obviously have no chance of getting into.  The vast majority of applicants who are turned down were qualified to go to that school.  Berkeley, for example, gets over 7000 applicants per year and they only offer seats to less than 10% of those.  So putting off law school for a year in order to try again is a pretty tough prospect considering the lottery you are up against. 

I'll see what my cop friend can turn up.  I left him a message.

If you are driving from UT to here, you should put a call out to all the BYOAC members to put you up for a night along your route.  BTW, I have a brother that lives in Morgan.

University of Miami was a good school when I lived down south (20 years) ago.  Glad to hear it is still well ranked.

That's really cool.  I appreciate it a lot.  Morgan, UT?  Is he Mormon?

No.   He's religion free.   He use to live in Tampa and worked for Delta Airlines doing avionics.  Delta closed the maintenance hub in Tampa so he transfered to Salt Lake.  He wanted a bunch of land and Morgan had it so that is where he bought.

[shmokes]

I bet it's interesting for him.  I'll bet his town is up around 90% Mormon.  You get into Salt Lake and the number drops down to around 50%, but in the small places it's practically unanimous.

[MikeQ]

I bet it's interesting for him.  I'll bet his town is up around 90% Mormon.  You get into Salt Lake and the number drops down to around 50%, but in the small places it's practically unanimous.

He's okay with it.  He's like me.  I like everyone until they give me reason not to.  Don't preach to me and I'll like you.  Don't think your better than me because you read the bible and I'll like you.  He has acres of land so he isn't right next to his neighbors.  The closest ones are Mormon but he likes them a lot.  Nice people.

I use to work with a bunch of people from Evans & Sutherland who were from Salt Lake.  They worked on a project I worked on with IBM.  They were all Mormons.  Very nice people.  I wouldn't have know they were Mormon unless someone told me.  The huge families made me suspect it though.

[MikeQ]

My daughter is 7 months old, so schools are of no concern.  As to debt, $120,000 is probably closer to the mark.  It's still an enormous figure, but better than 200,000 I suppose.  Tuition is $32,000 / year.  Deferring at this point is unattractive to me, both because I deferred my bachelor's degree for so long (I'm graduating in a couple months at 28 years old) and because my best hope of getting into a better school at this point is as a transfer student.  The only way I could increase my chances without starting at another school is to study for and retake the LSAT, which I'm sure I would do even as a transfer student (I scored very well the first time, but I know for a fact that I can do considerably better). 

Also, Miami is a very good school, ranked in the top 25 for international law (around 18 or 19, I believe).  It's important to remember when applying for schools that everyone applying knows that schools standards.  Every school publishes the median LSAT and GPAs for their previous entering class (as well as the 25th/75th percentiles of the LSAT scores and GPAs).  Since it costs about $100 per school to apply, most people don't apply to schools that they obviously have no chance of getting into.  The vast majority of applicants who are turned down were qualified to go to that school.  Berkeley, for example, gets over 7000 applicants per year and they only offer seats to less than 10% of those.  So putting off law school for a year in order to try again is a pretty tough prospect considering the lottery you are up against. 

I'll see what my cop friend can turn up.  I left him a message.

If you are driving from UT to here, you should put a call out to all the BYOAC members to put you up for a night along your route.  BTW, I have a brother that lives in Morgan.

University of Miami was a good school when I lived down south (20 years) ago.  Glad to hear it is still well ranked.

That's really cool.  I appreciate it a lot.  Morgan, UT?  Is he Mormon?

I talked to John.  He said Coral Gables is nice and is where the University is.  However, it is expensive.  He live 40 mile outside of downtown Miami and he says it takes an hour to make the commute.

He said the best thing to do would be to look for apartments and rental property that fits your $$ level and then email him the location.  He can tell you how good/bad the area is.

I'll PM his email to you.

[shmokes]

Thanks.  Thanks.  One thousand times thanks.

That is an awesome resource.  My wife is going to be crazy excited when she finds out that we'll have that option.  We've been looking at places quite a bit, but mostly to get an idea of prices and just out of excitement, etc.  We are planning to move by July 1st if she hasn't got a job, but she is applying for jobs now.  If something came through before then she would move earlier (I'm pretty much locked in until July 1st). 

Thanks again.

[MikeQ]

PM Sent.

You probably already have seen this but I thought I'd pass it along anyway.

http://www.sa.miami.edu/off-campus-services/off-campus-housing/

[tommy]

Oh, i almost forgot to tell you the best part of living in Florida, it applies to where i am and where you say you will be....no buying beer past 12 midnight. Better stock up early if you're a drinker.

It's a damn shame a grown man can't walk into a store and buy whatever he feels like it at anytime.

[DrewKaree]

It's a damn shame a grown man can't walk into a store and buy whatever he feels like it at anytime.

....or you

[tommy]

Don't be a doody head. 

[ChadTower]

In MA the liquor stores are all closed well before midnight anyway.

[tommy]

In MA the liquor stores are all closed well before midnight anyway.

7/11 is open 24 hours.

If i suddenly have an urge to wake up at 3 am and decide i want to go buy a beer i should have that right. It may be a bit crazy, but i want that right to be crazy. Think I'll go talk to my congressman now. 

[ChadTower]

7/11 is open 24 hours.

In MA very few retail stores can carry alcohol.  It's a bit more lenient within 10 miles of the border for some reason, something about "losing sales to the other state".  Even those that do have to have their alcohol in a gated section of the store that they can close off while the other parts of the store are still open.

[tommy]

The reason they do this here is to stop all the drunken punks from driving around all night crashing into people while hopped up on the beer. I really can't understand it though, i only hit 1 or two people. 

But really, i have to pay for others mistakes as life goes.

[ChadTower]

Is it that hard to keep a case of beer in the basement for just such occasions?

[tommy]

Basement, you're funny, no basements in florida. I guess i could stock up as i've told shmokes to in another post here... but it's the point of the thing.

[ChadTower]

If you had a cold beer you wouldn't care about that point.

[tommy]

 

[CheffoJeffo]

It's a damn shame a grown man can't walk into a store and buy whatever he feels like it at anytime.

....or you

Talk about trampling all over a guys dreams. 

 

[shmokes]

I live in rural Utah.  The only place allowed to sell liquor, wine or real beer (beer with more than 3.2% alcohol) is the state liquor store.  The liquor store closes at 7:00 p.m. and is not open on Sundays or holidays.  Trust me, Florida will be an upgrade

[ChadTower]

Believe it or not, NH is pretty restrictive on alcohol sales.  "spirits" and wine only in state liquor stores, only beer in private retail stores.  All retail alcohol sales stops before midnight and restaurants/bars stop at 1am.  I can't remember if you can buy alcohol on Sunday but you must be able to since that is the justification for allowing MA stores within 10-15 miles of the NH border able to sell on sunday.

[boykster]

WA is pretty liberal about liquor/wine but not quite as much as say California.

We can buy beer and wine in grocery stores 7 days a week between 6am and 2am.  Liquor is only available at state run liquor stores, most of which are open M-sat, but a select few are now also open on sundays.  There is no set closing time for the stores (depends on store) except there is a hard 2am cutoff on sales.  I think the latest liquor store I know if is open until 1am (in seattle).

bars are open 7 days a week and serve until 2am.