Where to Move in Miami: Honest Reality Check for Transplants

So it was winter. You had just gotten done scraping the ice off your car and driving through snow-lined streets and were walking through a negative 5 wind-chill to your office when you slipped and cracked your ass on a sheet of hard ice. And that, my friend was the last straw. So you decided to pick up and move to Florida. But not just any part of the Sunshine State, oh no! You wanted to go to the hottest, sunniest part of Florida. But you had never heard of Naples so instead you decided to move to Miami. It’s warm. There are beaches, there’s nightlife. How could this POSSIBLY be a bad idea?

Bienvenidos, Welcome To Miami, Florida USA

Oh, recent transplant. Dear, dear recent transplant. Your enthusiasm and naiveté amuse me to no end. Since this is the first installment of my relocation guide, I am going to go ahead and let you know the main theme of this whole thing right off the bat: MIAMI IS IN NO UNCERTAIN TERMS NOT LIKE MOVING TO ANY OTHER CITY IN THE US. Hell, it isn’t even moving to the U.S.

What you must understand is that if you are from another part of the country, no matter if it’s some self-proclaimed “melting pot” like New York or LA or Dallas, you will experience culture shock when you cross the Dade County Line. Miami is the only major city in America where government and business are run by people of another culture. And that culture is not one you are going to be used to. So buckle up and don’t unpack too much, because without the proper instruction you, like so many Americans who think this might be a fun place to live, will not make it through your first year.

Oye! Miami’s Nothing Like New York Or LA

Now, I am not going to make it sound like this is an awful place to live, but you have to have the right mindset in order to survive in this city. It is not the fast-paced, competitive mindset of New York, or the laid-back mindset of LA, but more the frenetic, anything goes mindset of, oh, say, El Salvador. If you are not 100% comfortable with Latin culture save yourself some U-Haul miles and stop when you get to Orlando.

This theme will be prevalent throughout all parts of this guide, beginning today with an overview about where to move and how to find a place. Where you move will depend on your lifestyle and budget, but most importantly on where you work. Because commuting in Miami could very well be the worst part of living here. When you are young and single, this is much easier as you are not hampered by things like schools and affordable houses.

In the coming weeks, we will examine the different living options for different demographics and which is the best for them. Be it the young and single (aka the only people who should really consider moving here) or those trying to start a family, everyone has a neighborhood in Miami that can be right for them.

While some American transplants have difficulty making the transition here, there are many people who become acclimated to the culture and do quite well. And if you fall into that second category, you may find this guide to be immensely helpful as you will not be hampered by things like language and cultural barriers.

No matter what your demographic, there is a part of Miami that can be right for you. I say “can” because if you are not prepared to move to this city, you will dislike any part of it you decide to call home. The most important things to remember are living close to where you work, quality of life and cost of living. There are less-expensive areas that can still be fun and convenient, but the more you spend the easier your life will be. Much like everything else down here.

Editor’s Note: Originally published April 11, 2007. Updated in 2026 with new photography; Matt Meltzer’s original writing remains unchanged.