Things to know about living in Miami

[lgarb215]

I'm moving to Miami for grad school at FIU this August.  I'd appreciate any advice, as this will be a huge culture shock for me.  How do you deal with the humidity?  How can I find a roommate not via craigslist?  Can I live comfortably on a stipend of 20k annually?  I'd like to live in a particularly safe neighborhood (coral gables.) Is this possible?  

[zabius]

I don't know anything about Miami, but here is a thread (from the "City Guides" section of the forum) that may have some of the info that you're looking for:

 

 

You could always bump it up with new questions too; you'll probably get more responses there than here.

[Panama Slim]

Congrats on your FIU acceptance! Can I ask from where are you coming?  I can answer some questions, but living as a grad student is not my experience.  People do it every year, but how, I struggle to imagine.  Probably includes multiple roommates, frugal living, maybe even small student loans to make the ends meet.  

 

In terms of culture shock, well, that all depends on you and prior experiences.  I love Miami and hate to be leaving, but my wife, on the other hand, probably won't even look in the rear-view mirror as we drive away.

[lgarb215]

I don't know anything about Miami, but here is a thread (from the "City Guides" section of the forum) that may have some of the info that you're looking for:

 

 

You could always bump it up with new questions too; you'll probably get more responses there than here.

Thank you so much!

[lgarb215]

Congrats on your FIU acceptance! Can I ask from where are you coming?  I can answer some questions, but living as a grad student is not my experience.  People do it every year, but how, I struggle to imagine.  Probably includes multiple roommates, frugal living, maybe even small student loans to make the ends meet.  

 

In terms of culture shock, well, that all depends on you and prior experiences.  I love Miami and hate to be leaving, but my wife, on the other hand, probably won't even look in the rear-view mirror as we drive away.

I'm coming from Arizona, but I'm from Texas (prior to college.)

[Panama Slim]

Miami is a great town.  Sometime it can feel like living outside of the US.  But, that's what I like about it.  Coral Gables is great with lots of shops and restaurants.  Some parts are very pricey, but if you look around you might be able to find a good deal.  The University of Miami area may have more offerings for grad students and the school may even have online resources.  Good luck!

[Provincial Cosmopolitan]

I spent a while living in Miami, and it's a great city, perhaps my favorite or second favorite in the U.S. (second only to Boston). I don't know much about Coral Gables, but a lot about North Beach and the area in general.

 

Miami, aside from a few areas, like South Beach and Brickel, is a very affordable city. I had a nice, big apartment a few blocks away from the beach for only $700 each month. This is entirely affordable on $20k per year, and if you look around, you can surely find something cheaper than that.

 

Maybe be a little careful in certain areas of the city/Miami-Dade County. There aren't that many weird zombie guys, but the area still does have a high crime rate in comparison to other U.S. cities. Still, as long as you take care you should be fine. There are some areas to definitely avoid (anywhere near Pork and Beans projects), and there are some areas with a terrible reputation but that are worth visiting. For example, Little Haiti, despite a bad reputation and a crime problem, has a vibrant cultural life that provides arts and music and foods that you simply can't find anywhere else in the United States.

 

Each year, there is Miami's Carnivale, which takes place in Little Havana in and around Calle Ocho. There are a bunch of other street festivals as well - they are fun and, like much in Miami, unlike anything elsewhere in the U.S.

 

Get used to Cuban coffee; it's omnipresent in Miami, and, I found, easier to come across than your typical Starbucks coffee. Cuban coffee is basically espresso with a very large amount of sugar, served as a very thick beverage in tiny little cups. You can buy these cups - about the size of the containers you get cream in at a diner type restaurant - for 50 or 75 cents at a ventanita, i.e. a store window/counter. You can also buy a colada, which is a larger size cup of the coffee meant for serving several people, for a dollar or two. If you're like me, you'll start out buying a cafecito here and there, then routinely, then serially. Eventually you'll end up buying coladas to drink yourself several times each day.

 

Also, what the commenter above said about the city seeming like another country: this is absolutely true. The culture of Miami is nothing like anywhere else I've been in the U.S. It's a very Latin American (Cuban, Venezuelan, Argentine, especially, not so much Puerto Rican or Mexican) city. If you don't know any Spanish you could have some trouble, so it's best to try to practice that.

 

Enjoy the salsa music and the generally laid back and happily chaotic lifestyle.

 

Enjoy your studies at FIU, but don't seal yourself off. Miami is too good of a city to spend half a decade in and not really come to know and explore.

 

Congratulations on getting accepted and going to Miami!

 

[MonkeyDr]

Miami is a huge culture shock. It is like living in another country at times. The heat sucks, but you get used to it. Sharpen your driving skills! 

 

The gables is expensive and you could probably find a nice place in other areas...(kendall for example)...

 

Keep in mind the farther you live from campus the more you will struggle. I lived 25 min from campus during undergrad and with traffic that easily turns into 1 hour and looking for parking can patch on another 15-20 minutes...avoid traffic by avoiding the streets from 7am-9am and again from 4:30-6:30...

 

Msg me if you'd like any more details/ etc..

[jmu]

Congrats!

I will respond with some details in the morning. I'm native to the area and will be staying.

[jmu]

Where you want to live and how affordable it will be will depend on which campus you are one. The MMC campus, which is where most of the psych department is, is out in the west side of the county so you'll want to consider travel/transportation as part of what constitutes affordable. You could live in parts of Coral Gables on $20,000/year (the downtown Gables area in particular) but, to be honest, the area is expensive and you probably would be better off looking in other areas where you don't have to travel to afford entertainment. There are a couple cheap bars in the area but they can take on a nightclub vibe really quickly and get really crowded (I'm thinking specifically of The Local and The Bar.) On the plus side, though, you are in the Cars2Go area so getting to cheaper, quieter bars and cafes and stuff wouldn't be difficult.

 

If you want to stay closer to campus I would look in the West Flagler, Westchester, Fountainbleu, University Park, and Sweetwater areas. They tend to be more affordable working and lower-middle class areas and there are still places to get away and eat or study (Specialtea, A&G Burger, etc.) I live in Sweetwater right now and plan on staying in the Sweetwater/UP area because I like it so much.

 

Anywhere you go in Miami there will be crime and it will range from petty crimes of necessity (robbing a store), crimes of passion (there was a murder in Sweetwater a little while back but it was a jealous lover), to terrorism (a right-wing Cuban Liberation group firebombed a travel agency in Coral Gables last year.) It is more common in other parts than others. For example, I have a friend who lives in Little Haiti (not the main strip on NE 2nd or the gentrified neighborhoods of Buena Vista or the Design District, but parts closer to Liberty City) and people will break into his house and steal little things, steal plants from his yard, and he will occasionally be woken up by gun shots. This is one of the realities of the city that you will come to learn. Most acts of violence are not random, however, and I generally feel safe no matter where I am.

 

If you have questions about a specific area let me know and I can give you more info.

 

http://classifieds.fiu.edu has roommate matching and house searching for students. UM has an off-campus housing website also that may be useful if you are seriously considering the Gables or South Miami (I would also recommend looking at Shenandoah if that is the case.) Until the housing situation on campus improves I would not even consider applying for it. There is no dedicated grad housing, instead it is a grad floor in undergrad dorms and as there is already an on campus housing shortage (until the new dorms are built there is only housing for 5% of students) it is really hard to get. Everyone gets on-campus parking and there are several bus lines that run to the campus.

[msocean]

Humidity will bring bugs and spoil food.  I have visited many times.  My friends in FL keep one of those little hand-held vacuum cleaners on a charger to suck up the bugs instead of squishing/crunching them!  I think it's a great idea.  Bugs are everywhere.  You may find it works to keep things like flour and sugar in sealed containers.  Think Ikea!  I have always kept excess food in the freezer, like bread.  Food left out does not last long.  So most fruits and veggies will go in the fridge to last longer.  Take a cooler along to the grocery if you can, especially on hot days.  Frozen foods won't make it out of the parking lot without melting.

 

You...melting...always keep a water bottle with you.  Drink and refill often.  Rain will melt you.  Have several umbrellas...one in your office, one in the car, one in your bag, a couple at home.  It rains a lot, especially if you come from a desert climate like us.  It rains every day sometimes.  Have good tires on your car if you will be driving.  On the same note, find info about hurricanes and make it your business to put together a survival kit with water, food, cash, ...  

 

You will probably find the need to change up a few personal care products for your hair, soap, moisturizers.  

 

Don't plan too much for the first few weeks until you get acclimated.  Moving is stressful enough and we all have tons of obligations upon arriving.  I'm planning my move to a coastal state a month before I'm expected so I can acclimate.  I have too many non-school things to take care of...register the car, change car/renters insurance, change drivers license, find a vet for my dog, get started with filling the pantry, buy a bed (won't fit in my SUV for the move and I don't want a used one), figure out the university shuttle service and pucblic transportation in town, ....I have a huge list.

[Soleil ت]

If I've learned anything from watching Dexter, Miami thwarts a new serial killer every year.

 

Joking.

 

I'm from Florida, and Miami is very pretty.  Culture shock? Maybe - it's heavily cubano.  Yet it's quite easy to find really nice neighborhoods in and around Miami, and the nightlife is extravagant.  Just be safe!  As with any large city, it has its cautions.