Moving to Miami: Things to Know Before You Move
As a tourist destination, Miami is world-famous for its glittering beaches, lively Caribbean nightlife and endless glittering sand beaches. Miami may be even better as a place to live, with numerous fantastic neighborhoods, great schools and an infrastructure that rivals any metro area in the country. Moving to Miami opens up opportunities for work, courtesy of the thriving local economy, and even on vacation, residents can simply stay in town and enjoy all that this beach metropolis offers its residents.
Things To Do in Miami
There's no end to the recreational opportunities Miami offers. Visitors to the city have plenty of beachfront that's open to the public, and the bars and nightclubs reach right down to the edge of the sand and stay open all night. Residents have more time to seek out smaller fun-spots away from the crowded tourist areas. Coconut Grove, for example, offers some of the best retail and dining on the East Coast, which is stiff competition to match. Lincoln Road Mall -- known to the locals just as "Lincoln," boasts upscale shops and seemingly endless theaters, coffee shops and cultural happenings that keep the place jumping every day of the week. Lincoln may also have the most elaborately designed and adorned parking garage in the world for the thousands of people who come to shop here on a typical day.
Consider These Areas to Live In When Moving to Miami
Miami, perhaps more than most large cities, is an amalgam of distinct neighborhoods, each with its own unique atmosphere. South Beach, for example, is a kind of Floridian Malibu, where a stroll along the boardwalk might put you next to any one of dozens of celebrities who own homes on the barrier island. Just a few minutes' walk up the road, and you can walk through the doors of the St. Patrick Church, where Cuban emigres and their children, from all levels of Miami society, kneel together in prayer during the daily masses. Back on the mainland, the neighborhoods run outward from Downtown: Little Haiti, Little Havana, and Vizcaya, where Sylvester Stallone and Madonna used to live next door to each other. Keep moving south, and you're in Coral Gables, one of the most carefully zoned, and most beautiful, towns in the entire South.
Finding Affordable Housing in Miami
Like most American cities, Miami has a dense urban core with lots of tall buildings. Unlike many other cities, however, Miami's economy supports this cost of living with thousands of well-paying jobs and countless opportunities to start or to expand small businesses. If renting or buying in the most populous part of town is a bit beyond your reach, no worries -- just 10 or 15 minutes on any freeway in the city takes you to one of the dozens of quaint, livable, and thankfully affordable, outskirt towns. Here, along the golf-course belt of the city, a solid single-family home can be had for roughly the national average, while two-story apartments are, frankly, underpriced.
If you're more of a rustic type, and you've never been happy without a bit of acreage to play fetch with the dog on, Miami is probably still a great place for you. Get into town, shoot south on Highway 825, and once you get past the Executive Airport you're in Richmond West, the edge of Miami's urban sprawl and the beginning of actual farmland, just minutes from one of the world's most well-regarded zoos and right on the edge of the Everglades, where you might catch a pet gator to keep on the lawn (please do not do this).
Need Help Moving to Miami?
Moving anyplace new is exciting and challenging all at once. To make your move to Miami -- a city that defines exciting and challenging -- you can do with a bit of friendly local help. You Move Me has been helping new neighbors move into the Miami area for many years. We do a lot more than move your boxes; when you reach out to us to help you get settled, we walk through your home with you to note fragile items, put your most urgently needed items (such as medicine and toiletries) aside for quick unloading later, and carefully pack your still-hanging clothes inside special wardrobe boxes to save you the hassle. If you're moving anywhere in Miami, reach out to our staff and get a no-obligation estimate to find out what You Move Me can do for you.