What should I know before moving to Miami, FL?

Are there any neighborhoods I should try to stay away from living in?

What should I expect as far prices for things like gas and other stuff?

Apartment wise do you have any suggestions?What should I know before moving to Miami, FL?
I would recommend not moving to Miami at all. North of Lauderdale is far nicer, its cheaper, safer and less congested. Plus people actually speak English there. gas is $3 a gallon for the cheap stuff right now.



Expect to pay $1000 and up for a crummy 1bd/1ba in Miami-Dade, unless you want to live in a bad neighborhood. Car insurance is also twice as high as it would be if you lived in Palm Beach County. Traffic is awful, any time of day. Even during hurricanes the streets are crowded. I think people live in their cars.What should I know before moving to Miami, FL?
Miami is a beautiful place and of course people speak Spanish....its Miami!!!! u don't have to stay away from Hialeah...it just takes getting used to...and i guess some people are afraid to adjust. if u live in an apartment u will know where to stay away from like over town, liberty city etc. just because some people hate Miami doesn't mean u will. iv lived here all of my life and i love it. ummm gas is expensive but isn't it expensive everywhere??? anyways if ur open to learning about different cultures and people u'll love it
Spanish.



Know spanish.



And how to drive. Fast. hahahhaWhat should I know before moving to Miami, FL?
Well, Florida is a state that has hurricanes annually so be prepared if a hurricane is coming your way. Also, Florida is a state that doesn't give big paychecks so expect to be recieving little paychecks. And some of the driving laws are sorta different.
well...i'll prepare you for one thing...the miami dolphins football team sux.What should I know before moving to Miami, FL?
I echo the last poster. Just don't do it. And if you do, don't forget your English-Spanish dictionary, because ain't nobody down here tryin' to speak English. It's expensive, overcrowded, rude, bad drivers, the list goes on. Oh yeah, dangerous too. Go to Fort Lauderdale. All the benefits, none of the drawbacks.



Good luck.
If you are moving to Miami, avoid the following neighborhoods: Opa-Locka, Overtown, Liberty City. I prefer to avoid Hialeah too... too many people there that refuse to speak english.



As far as gas prices, they are usually just a little lower than national average, but not a whole awful lot. Regarding pay, that's all relative. Housing is cheaper than some places, so your pay will obviously be less too. That said, housing will be cheaper if you live in Ft. Lauderdale, or Broward County, rather than Miami Dade County. If you are looking for some good apartment options, my recommendation to you would be to stick with apartment communities. They are all over the place, and living in one is very pain free. You get lots of amenities, and someone else is always there to fix whatever you need done, with no little mom and pop operation. Additionally, communities can be a value because of all the amenities you get. If you consider going to Broward, I can recommend a couple that might work for you. There's one I used to live in called Windsor Hollywood in Hollywood, FL. which is very centrally located to both Miami and Ft. Lauderdale. Some other places you might consider living (in Broward) are: Plantation, Sunrise, Victoria Park, Wilton Manors, Davie, Pembroke Pines, Miramar or Weston.



In Miami, the best places to live are South Beach, Miami Beach and Downtown Miami. Coconut Grove and Coral Gables aren't far behind, though don't have the amenity of being on the water. Just to give you an idea, my last place I lived in before I moved away 4 months ago was in downtown Miami. I was in a brand new building that was a high-rise. I lived on the 15th floor and had a partial bay view, and the apartment was a 1BR and 1,000 square feet. I paid $1650. That was considered a pretty good deal. Again, Miami is more expensive than Broward.



In the end, make the decision on where to live based on where you will be working. I lived in Plantation and commuted to downtown Miami for a couple of years, and my commute was 1 hour and 15 minutes one way, to travel 27 miles. For reference, during rush hour, traveling south on 95 into Miami Dade, east on 836 near Miami Airport, and North on US1 in the Coconut Grove area is going to be where the worst traffic is. I would also avoid west Miami, like Kendall or Homestead and South Miami. Those areas are so far away from downtown, and are developing so quickly, that traffic is just hell if you have to travel to the airport area or downtown.



I hope this helps!