Of the 60+ cities I've visited across America and other continents, I can't emphasize enough how unique Miami is. Let's see the wonderful things about Miami before moving on to why I've moved to another Florida coastal city.
Caribbean city life in the U.S.
Miami is bewilderingly unique as it is the only city with a truly Caribbean vibe in the continental U.S. You feel like you are in Latin America without having stepped out of the states.
Furthermore, the east coast beach is Caribbean-warm and receives the swells and breeze of the Atlantic Ocean.
Art Deco architecture
The art deco areas of Miami Beach inspire the imagination of prohibition gangsters and the high life of the roaring 20s. You feel like you're walking through time, something that most cities in Florida can't offer, with the exception of St. Augustine.
Healthy living
For those on a health kick, the beach area is walkable, encouraging wellbeing.
My years here have been full of dance, meals with friends at sidewalk café's, tropical cocktails and a great vibe.
In Miami I feel in my element, so why did I move? The cost of living and competition for apartments is ridiculous!
Rentals and buying are prohibitive in Miami
Real estate agents won't reply to any locals looking to view apartments to rent or buy because they don't need to. For every real estate listing they have five people on the phone calling from other states or countries begging to wire money directly, sight unseen - just based on pictures! Locals are outbid at every turn. With high demand and lots of people with the higher purchasing power, locals have seen rent increases of $400 - $1000 from one month to the next. Buying in Miami is out of the question.
Even hotel stays are ridiculously high! Check out this chart on hotel room pricing. It's surpassed even pre-pandemic pricing.
Kizomba is stronger in other Florida cities
And secondly, the Kizomba scene in Miami is not quite as stable as in the Orlando/Tampa area. My favorite dance, Kizomba, has very brief moments of growth in Miami, and then the enthusiasm dwindles down. When it's growing, it's great, but the local Kizombeiros tend to lay low and the new Kizombeiros to Miami are sporadic.
Miami is not in the past for me, however! There are always events and work that allure me to other cities in Florida, so I will be visiting this amazingly unique city.
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