Nestled along the Florida coast is the always popular city of Miami. With a thriving party scene, opportunities for employment, and pleasant weather nearly all year, Magic City can be a great place to live. But if you’re going to call Miami you’re home, here is a short list of things you need to know.
1. Miami is not Miami Beach
If you’re going to be a local here some day, you have to know there is a distinction between Miami and Miami Beach. For starters, each are their own municipalities or cities, and even if there’s only a 10-mile difference between the two, they do have their own unique culture and flavor.
As for Miami itself, it’s much more decidedly urban than the Miami Beach, with most corporate settings, classic Latin nightlife, and rich historical roots for you to enjoy.
1. Be prepared for visitors almost year-round
Despite a few months of hurricane season, Miami is a tourist hot spot. In 2018, more than 16.5 million overnight tourists visited the city. This doesn’t even include the 6.8 million who drove in for a day trip. While a good chunk of these tourists are from Latin American countries, some do visit from other states. What does this mean for you? Well, you may want to bump up on your Spanish as well as be prepared for families and friends to visit you more often.
2. Don’t expect to be at the beach every day
As with most touristy cities, the locals start to pick up on where the visitors often go, and then they head the opposite direction. It’s not so much that the people here don’t like tourists, it’s more or less to avoid the traffic and crowds. That being said, the beaches are amazing.
While Miami’s South Beach is famous and a must-see, locals also love nearby spots such as Matheson Hammock Park or Nixon Beach when they can get out on the water.
3. Miami habla español
On that early point about speaking Spanish, well, it may really come in handy as the primary language in Miami is actually Spanish. According to a census report, nearly 70% of the population speaks the language, while barely more than 23% speak only English. This isn’t to say English won’t be understood, but knowing the local language certainly helps.
4. Driving can be hard at times
A common plight for most major metros, driving can be difficult in Miami. In fact, it’s among the top congested cities in the country. Locals will tell you that it’s acceptable though, as long as you know your way to get around Miami. Tips for navigating the city would require a whole new article on its own, thankfully, Miami provides a helpful driver’s guideline for getting around Miami.
5. Space can be tight in Miami
We’ve hit on this a little bit already, between the congested streets, high tourist attraction, and already large population, space can be tight around the city. Thankfully, Miami self storage can be a great solution. Whether you need it to help get more living space out of your Downtown Miami or Edgewater apartment or you want to expand your business without drastically raising your overhead, click here to see how a storage unit in Miami can help you.
Do you live in Miami and feel like there’s something we missed that people need to know? Tell them and us in the comments below!
