Moving to Miami from the UK - don't know where to start!

[Mariamoley]

Hi all,

My husband has secured a new job in Miami (which will be located near the Wolfsonian in Miami Beach) and we will be moving to Miami from London in approximately 3-6 months time). We have no idea where to live! We know what we want but not what areas of Miami would fit the bill. In short, we would like:

• somewhere that is safe-ish but not fancy. Preferably somewhere with a bit of community (ie. we'd like to go to a local church). If anyone knows London we currently live on the edge of Stoke Newington and Finsbury Park, which we love. Some people might consider it a bit rough but it's residents are quite mixed and a bit bohemian.
• somewhere that my husband can commute to work from in under 45mins, preferably by public transport (although we do plan on getting a car).
• somewhere that I can easily access places (eg. Starbucks and a few shops) by walking and/or public transport as I currently don't have a drivers licence. I will be on a spousal visa so unable to work, so I do need to be able to get around on my own so I don't go crazy stuck indoors.
• 2 bedrooms for $1500 - $2000 per month

From trawling the internet we have been thinking of Sunny Isles Beach or Aventura, but not sure if that would be too far for hubby to commute?...or if both areas are full of condos where the residents are not there full time? We are not party people although we enjoy eating out, going to the theatre and I also run a book club and sing in a community gospel choir in London. Oh, and we don't speak Spanish (although plan on taking lessons when we get there).

Any guidance would be gratefully received!

Thanks, Maria

[Doug]

Hi Maria, considering all of your needs, it sounds like South Beach is the best place for you to live. It is the only area that has the walkability you desire -- the only place I would consider living without a drivers' license -- and of course, the Wolfsonian is right there. While the touristy section (along Ocean, Collins and Washington) gets all the publicity, you would be surprised how residential-feeling the area further west of that section is! Much of it consists of low-rise residential buildings. There is a park and all kinds of shopping nearby.

There is a beautiful community church on Lincoln Road. In fact, it is called the Miami Beach Community Church! Here is the website:
http://www.mb-communitychurch.org/

The other areas you mentioned are nice, but they don't have the villagey quality you'll find in South Beach, and you'll be much more car dependent.

[Mariamoley]

Thanks for the guidance Doug.

I was quite surprised to see you suggested South Beach - although I know it is hard to get around most cities in the US without a car - as I have only visited Miami once before and stayed in a hotel on Collins Ave and didn't realised there were residential parts to that area.

Do you think it's likely we could find a new-ish property with a pool in South Beach? I thought a lot of the properties were old round there. Moving from cold, wet London so we would really like to make the most of the move by renting a property with a pool (I mean a shared pool, not one to ourselves!). Also, is it a very 'white' area? One of the things we love about where we live in London is it's very diverse - lots of Turkish, Jewish, Somalis etc...so would like to be in a mixed area - we are a mixed couple as hubby is white and I am asian.

Another place my husband suggested was Coconut Grove as he's been there a few times and liked it. Any views on this area? I understand it used to be quite diverse and bohemian but now has been gentrified. Would it be bad commuting from Coconut Grove to South Beach? And would I be able to get to most places by public transport from there - just to say we don't have a car in London and we go everywhere by public transport so I'm quite used to long bus journeys etc.

Sorry to sound fussy - we'd love to just find an area we want to stay in long term rather than have a 6 month tenancy when we first get to Miami and then have to move again.

[Doug]

South Beach is probably the most diverse place I have ever lived on the planet! And I've spent some time in London, too! Sussex Gardens, Rosary Gardens (near Gloucester Road), and Earl's Court. I would say that's one of its strongest selling points. The buildings in the residential areas vary in age. A good way to get a quick sampling of which places have pools would be to look at the Google satellite map of South Beach. But if you do have to settle on a place that doesn't have a pool, no worries: there is a neighborhood pool in Flamingo Park. It's only a couple of bucks to get in if you're a resident. They have a kiddie pool as well as one for adults.

I wouldn't really recommend Coconut Grove as a good walking location. The roads tend to be narrow without much in the way of sidewalks. So you're forced to walk in the narrow street much of the time. It's lost its Bohemian groove, really. The two things to do there are to go to the Coco-Walk (which is a small mall) and the Shops on Mayfair, but as for practical everyday walkability (bank, post office, grocery), it's not really very well set up. It does have beauty in the way of lush, tropical foliage, but walkable...not so much.

[Patrick20]

You could rent a 2/2 at Axis for $2,195; Axis is in a great location right next to Mary Brickell Village. But if you wanted to rent a condo on Miami Beach at a nice building you would have to pay more than $2,000.

[Mariamoley]

Thanks again for the guidance - Doug I think I still underestimated the non-walkability of even residential parts of Miami, so thanks for spelling it out for me; I definitely thought I'd be able to walk around any area without a main road running through it! And thanks for reassuring me that it's a diverse area.

We'll def start from South Beach and if budget forces us to cast our net wider then so be it (or I'll get hubby to up the budget!)

Thank again!

[LoveMiamiBlog]

Welcome to Miami! I'm a fellow British person who's lived in Stamford Hill and knows Finsbury Park too.

I agree with what's been said here - South Beach is a good choice. I lived there for a year but moved out because I'm very sensitive to noise.

I suggest you get in touch with the British Bureau at www dot BritishFlorida dot com - very friendly welcoming people who arrange get togethers of Britishers and others for drinks and networking. Last time I went it was at the News Lounge, nice venue.

Best of British! There's so much to enjoy in Miami, hope you have fun.

[rk]

If you're looking in south beach also check the "south of fith" neighborhood (i.e. the southermost 5 blocks of south beach). It's much quieter and nicer than most other sections. Staying under $2000 for a newer 2-br with pool will be tough, but sometimes you get lucky esp if flexible. Also check mid-beach, i.e. north of 23 Street.

[Doug]

South Beach can run the gamut of very expensive to very cheap. It just depends on what kind of lifestyle you want to lead. If you need a highrise condo, parking and all the amenities, it can get very expensive. But if you can settle for an older Deco style building, even one that's in very good condition won't set you back too much. My one bedroom place was just under $1000 a month, and it had central air/heat, palm tree views, and was really quiet.

Another area you might want to consider is the residential neighborhood immediately to the north of South Beach. There are some residential rentals in duplexes and triplexes there. You get a much more relaxed feel there than you do in South Beach, but South Beach is just a short hop away. It's not quite as walkable, and the area is less diverse, though. It is home to a large Orthodox Jewish community.