I just want to echo what all the other posters have mentioned--Although I was never a student at UM, I grew up in the area and also worked in close proximity to the university while living on Miami Beach. The drive from South Beach is not a short one--30-45 minutes at best. A better bet is to stick to the Coral Gables/South Miami area, or other areas like Coconut Grove, Brickell, or even Kendall. Not having a car in this city is EXTREMELY limiting. Miami is a beautiful, culturally diverse, fun place to live though! Good luck to all