Miami?

www.condovultures.com

Lots of info on current market conditions.

 

Thats why we all take cabs. I only drove my brand new car 7,000 miles in two years and that is typical for a lot of people on the beach because everything is nearby or within walking distance.

Re cabs: why pay a valet $20 to park my car and wait 15 minutes for him to get it for me when I can grab a cab for $5 each way.

 

Wife and I (with 2 kids) have a condo in south beach. We are currently looking to upgrade to a stand alone home on Miami Beach... Nothing beats South Beach. Just back from Raw bar happy hour at Monty's... Lincoln Road last night. Breakfast at News Cafe...

 

Its a great spot and nice architecture. I had a place similar in design up on 78th.

Also, check out icon and 450 alton rd. its a phillipe starck designed building. I lived there for a little while when it was first built and really miss the building.

 

Lets start a Ferrari chat Timeshare program.. Rent 1 two million dollar oceanfront pad (yesteryears price) for 3500 month and share expenses Lets see 42k a year divided by 10 people 4200 per year>? Good times!

I love it. We go to Southbeach at least 2 times a year, usually 4th of July and New Years eve and 1 or 2 short trips.
Gonna bring the 360 down again on the 2nd of July staying for a week. If you guys plan a meet try to make it before the 8th so I can attend.

 

Renters paradise abounds!

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121330327323268959.html?mod=RealEstateMain_1

My place cost about $1 million, and I got it for a price so low I ain't sayin. But I will say within 5 minutes of walking in I wrote a check for the entire lease to get the keys on the spot...

 

the lofts are nice, great area, I live right down the street. quiet enough, but close to the action. walk to lincoln road (outdoor cafes, shops, movies), the standard hotel and spa down the street (coed steam, great hangover remedy on sundays) . if you are renting there, make sure you get a unit facing west over the park and water, the north or east units have lousy views and traffic noise. I have to agree with nicholas (buckminster), if you are single, the flamingo rocks. the pool scene on the weekends is legendary!! that would be my choice. still in the same hood. brickell is up and coming but not south beach.

 

No offense to anyone who lives there, but Miami is the LAST place on earth I'd want to live. Great place to visit though

 

agreed..

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Thats why we bought in Boca Raton this time.. We used to have a place in bal harbour and found it to be a place only enjoyable in the spring season.. Its ok, if you are young and like to have numerous nightlife options, but the only other benefit is that it is near the caribbean (which is why we bought there in the beginning.) Other than that, its mostly superficial and more geared to the new money families. Its nothing compared to the Portugues, Spanish, French or Italian rivieras...even for nightlife... (or the coast of Kenya and Tanzania, as well as Maputo, Mozambique, for that matter)

But for America, it is probably my first choice since we are not based there anyway.

 

I will be down for the most of July (celebrating my birthday), and the GT2 will be there by then so let us know what you have planned.

 

Thats why I live in west palm now...

 

I'll start a new thread about a First of July meet in the Florida section.

 

When I lived in Miami Beach (late '60s), the hotels on Ocean Drive in South Beach were rather run-down residential hotels where elderly people from the Northeast came to spend the last years of their lives, typically sitting in rocking chairs on the front porch during the day. At night it was so quiet you could hear the proverbial pin drop. How things have changed completely!

 

LOL. now it's like someone looked at the Las Vegas strip, and said 'Hey that would be great for Ocean Drive'. And that's most nights. On a holiday weekend, it's like frickin Mardis Gras.

 

Is Miami-Fort Lauderdale really "that" bad? Seems like it has two worlds with a lot of wealth, yet a lot poverty. Seems like the area is going "upscale" in shops, restaurants, clubs, hotels, and such. Isn't South Beach rather upscale and pricey? How do get rid of the crap?

 

SoBe has its pricey parts, mostly South of 5th

Washington St is pretty grungy

Lincoln is very nice

Ocean is a mix of nice, hip hop, grunge, & beach all together

 

you miami naysayers obviously don't live here. After going thru a brief period where I thought there might be better, i spent a lot of time on the west coast of florida, and farther north...sarasota, naples, vero beach, jupiter..there is no place like miami beach. period. I live in a quiet neigborhood, with my boat in my backyard, just 1/2 mile walk from fantastic restaurants, clubs and shopping, and the beach. take the scooter everywhere. try that in boca. you need to get in your car and go to the MALL, yech!!! 24 hour city, anything you need, when you need it. my son goes to a fantasitc school, where, in pre k, he is learning mandarin and spanish! it is truly an international city, we have freinds from mexico, spain, france, and even kentucky! beautiful cars, beautiful women, and beautiful weather...you are all just jealous!!!!

 

To the OP thinking about signing a lease in Miami, I recommend you read this article first:

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/miami_dade/east/story/575458.html

In addition to verifying that your lease is with the actual owner (especially if he drives a BMW and offers to help you move in ) I'd also recommend verifying that there is no pending foreclosure action on the property and that you have something in your lease stating you can terminate the lease in the event you are served with foreclosure papers. Fairly common these days for an owner/landlord to take a bunch of money up front from a T only to walk away and let the property go into foreclosure.

 

And thats why people who can live anywhere in the world live here. It truly is an international playground.

 

assuming the boca statement was directed to me.. i'll just entertain the response.

There is nothing to be jealous of.. i used to live in bal harbour, lived the miami glamourous life, did the boat partys and the like and moved on after 4 yrs.. Did the same phase in New York - now we are primarily based in south portugal and london...(European) London glamour is far more high-end than the superficial stuff you find in Miami at times.. and that was my only point in the previous post. Miami is great - probably one of the best places in the states to reside if you can afford to enjoy the best parts about it. But compared to the rivieras found on the Mediterranean sea or on the Indian ocean, Miami is just a brand new hot spot, lacking natural beauty, just flat beach terrain and loads of sexy caribbean & latina women standing around expensive cars and clubs. Back when i was in my 20s that was ideal... even in my 30s... but now, one grows out of the superficial lifestyle. If you want to talk about class, you cant possibly tell me that Miami is the classiest riviera in the world when less than 20min drive from south beach you get murders taking place.. Thats the beauty of Miami, its the best of almost all worlds in one big city, with a beach... Good for some, Better for others, bad for the rest...In the end its an experience everyone wants to live..

 

This is so true. For now, I really enjoy SoBe, not likely when I get older. I find it a similar vibe to my hometown, just with tropical environs.

 

DuadiW. no offense meant. I agree we are not up to the level of London, for example, but the weather there sucks!! what i want people to understand is that it is not just a party city, after doing the whole 24 hour party scene, i've settled down with my family here, and it is just as good (no, better) now to wake up early on a sunday morning without a hangover or a strange girl in my bed, walk to lincoln road for eggs benedict and pancakes with my son, then a cruise in the boat on the bay..best of evrything! regards, mark

 

Modern day Miami is built on the solid foundation of strong cocaine sales throughout the 1980's. There's nothing to worry about here...everything is coming along nicely...

 

I guess I'll be the only naysayer to the SoBe suggestion.

I enjoy Lincoln Rd. for dinner and drinks some nights and Ice Cream at Ghiradelli's in the afternoon once in a while, but I wouldn't want to live there. Getting onto the island Thursday through Sunday nights can be a hassle, with really heavy traffic. Parking is a pain in the @ss. I find most of the Lincoln Rd. and Ocean Dr. restaurants overpriced and overhyped. Once a month or so it is fun to go out into the crowd, but I can't imagine doing it every day and wouldn't live in the middle of it.

I much prefer Coconut Grove or Coral Gables as far as places to live, and you can still go to SoBe when you want, without putting up with the downsides. If condo's are your bag, the grove has Grove Isle, which is exclusive, has a small beach, great restaurant, club, gym, etc. but will be more expensive than SoBe because there isn't the oversupply of units. In the Grove proper, there are a number of new condos in front of the Fresh Market, again, deals may be had, but nothing like the SoBe availability. There is a very good, small building off of South Bayshore right on the bay with available docks, but you won't get a bargain there.

In Coral Gables, condo's aren't the thing, so you'd have to find a nice single family home, and if you want to be on the water, you'll have to spend some coin.

Key Biscayne is also a good place to live, but you have to deal with the causeway and weekend beachgoers.

In short, the deals that are to be had in SoBe come, in my opinion, with a price: High traffic, congestion, high dining and drinking prices and the oversupply that will keep prices depressed for years to come.