I grew up and spent most my life in an edgy area of Chicago (Edgewater/Rogers Park), lived a year on the UPE and now I'm living in Ft. Lauderdale. I agree wholeheartedly with your assessment. I will say SoFla is a
bit safer than the old days but Florida's
always been creepy. I've found however that many places, including Vegas, New Orleans (even pre-Katrina) and DC are far worse than Miami.
That being said, those who best prosper in Miami are those from the crime ridden, pre-gentrified NYC of the 70's or those from Latin America. Miami-Dade is a quarter parts of Sau Paulo, Havana, Long Island and the Deep South. I like it.
It's a place where you can get a Ruben, a Cuban sandwich or a hoagie at three different Deli's on the same block. It's a place where swimming pools with elaborate tropical foliage can be used year round. It's a place for boaters. It's a place where you can drive with the top down in the middle of January on the way to Gulfstream Park or to dinner in the dining room of some kick ass art deco hotel.
The important thing to note is: South Florida from Kendall to Jupiter is basically two worlds, east of Federal Hwy 1 and west. If you look at east in a vacuum, it's just another wealthy, crime free urban play land. No different than West L.A.
Quote from MYDemaray:
It's a different kind of crime. I live in Chicago a stone's throw from Cabrini Green but grew up in SoFla. My mom grew up in the Bronx.
In SoFla I've had friends beg on their knees at gun-point for their parent's lives. I had a friend of the family killed in his driveway for his Rolex. Just a few months ago someone in my parent's neighborhood was killed during a middle of the day home invasion -- they live in a $3 MM home on the intracoastal. I've known other friends held hostage in their own home. My family's house was robbed and car stolen by the time I was 5 years old. I'm telling you -- I've spent plenty of time in NY, lived in LA and now in Chicago -- but crime in SoFla finds you. Sure if you stand in Harlem at 3AM trouble is going to happen -- same in LA or Chicago. That's called being an idiot -- but when someone follows you home and shoots in your driveway, or when someone kills you for pulling off at the wrong exit in the middle of the day that's a different story. Sounds a lot like how my Venezualen friends describe Venezuela...of course not all of SoFla is that bad -- I'm just always careful about where I am (in Miami in particular...Broward is fine)
