Violent crime is becoming rampant in South Beach

[Maria de los Angeles]

I was on Lincoln Road this weekend and it was fine. Actually there were a lot of teenagers ... more than I was ever used to seeing (regardless of Spring Break ... it was a Friday).

South Beach is very congested and urban no matter how you slice it. It is much more packed than other more sprawled out neighborhoods in Miami, so you've got every element mingling on a small island and so if a lot of green people decide to visit there, you're going to see more green, period. I think people have this image of South Beach being some tropical paradise but it is not. It is a jam-packed urban/tourist environment that happens to be next to a body of water. Anywhere you have that kind of concentration of people there's going to be greater chances of misbehavior. But I don't think those jerks are coming to South Beach to commit crimes. I think they would do that anywhere.

I think Doug makes a good point. Tides may change. They always have.

When I lived in SoBe, I just avoided Washington Avenue & Ocean on weekends etc; That whole scene didn't bug me because it wasn't my lifestyle. That's one reason why I loved living on West Avenue.

And it's ironic that the only time I've experienced a mugging was in one of the best areas of Coral Gables. So you just never know.

[Maria de los Angeles]

I didn't think Miami would have that type of crowd. Last time I visited briefly it seemed like it attracted a lot more upscale people. Then again it wasn't spring break. I wasn't expecting to see so many people from the urban areas there. Perhaps it's a recession and it attracts a different crowd of people. Hopefully Memorial Day will be different. I keep hearing it's a blast.

Tinkerbell, did you visit Miami or just South Beach? Miami is very different!

By the way, I completely agree with Jess. If you didn't like Spring Break, forget it. You're going to hate Memorial Day weekend.

[Jess]

Lucky... I love your location

Yes, the locals all leave that weekend. Usually for the Keys.

Hey... Do you think everyone in the Keys is like, "oh God, it's Memorial weekend... all those Miami locals are coming, we need to get away for the weekend" LOL!

[Lucky_213]

Lucky... I love your location

Yes, the locals all leave that weekend. Usually for the Keys.

Hey... Do you think everyone in the Keys is like, "oh God, it's Memorial weekend... all those Miami locals are coming, we need to get away for the weekend" LOL!

Haha...I needed to get away from the hustle and bustle of city life in London!

I totally imagine that is the case for the people in the Keys ))

[Todd Packer]

I was wondering why there were so many ambulances yesterday around 1st Street. I hope the victims were able to get to Ryder Trauma quick enough through all the traffic on the bridge. Nearly had another homicide.

What kind of person goes to the beach with a knife?

Man Accused In Stabbings At South Pointe Park

Two Women Stabbed At South Pointe Park - cbs4.com

[Doug]

I wonder why she wasn't airlifted?

It really does seem like South Beach is getting a little rougher these days. It was always a little on the...passionate...side, but I'm hearing a lot more things now.

[TechJunkie]

I don't think it's any rougher, we just have more people. Every weekend our population booms, from 80,000 residents to over 300,000 visitors. Any place that's a concentration of inebriated revelry is going to have some crime problems. Miami Beach is actually gentrifying and becoming a much nicer and safer place. But that attracts more people, who come here to drink and do drugs, and that leads to these problems.

I saw lots of young women in the helpless state that these girls from South Pointe Park were in over the week during WMC. Stumbling barefoot down the beach walk with blank expressions, carrying high heels in their hands, zig-zagging defenselessly around at random. Anybody could take advantage of them for anything. I'm sure that a few bad things happened to a few more of those women last week other than the ones who got stabbed and ended up in the news. But none of that was due to Miami Beach becoming a rougher place.

[Matt Meltzer]

No, all reasoning aside, it really does seem like you're hearing more of those stories this year than in previous ones. It doesn't feel any rougher, although I was attacked by a 90-pound girl outside a pizza place over Super Bowl weekend. And, no, not in the good way either.

Speaking of girls, I saw a girl like the ones TechJunkie described walking past Big Pink at about 1 p.m. on Saturday. Obviously not from here, as I think the last place anyone would want to do a walk of shame is in front of Big Pink. I think literally everyone at the table looked at her and said, in one form or another, "Wow, there's a walk of shame." Classy!

[Jess]

I see the walk of shame all the time here. I go to work early on this beach, and boy do I see some sights at 8am!

[Maria de los Angeles]

I see the walk of shame all the time here. I go to work early on this beach, and boy do I see some sights at 8am!

Boy now that would make a good Sex and the Beach blog post ...