MrBojangles

I will be moving from Olympia, WA in Feb-Mar down to Miami. I have never been to Miami so I really have no idea which areas are nice areas and which are bad areas.

I am looking for a 1 bedroom apartment around $800/mo. If anyone could give some good advice, I want to be in a clean safe community. As some places here in WA look real nice and safe in the pictures, however when you visit them you find yourself in the ghetto.

Only requirement is that it is somewhere near a Costco, so my girl can transfer for her job.

Please help and feel free to ask any more specific questions.

-Chris

RoninAutoBoX

$800 a month? In Miami? Clean? Safe?

MrBojangles

That is what I was wondering... Or a clean suburb of Miami. I pay 765 here and it gets me a 3 bedroom, 2 full bath apartment in the center of town, but I know seattle is another story, and thus is Miami.

Please do your best to help me out. If need be I can go a little more I would really like to keep it under 900 a month though.

I do not have to be in the heart of Miami.

rich367

Check www.apartments.com
You should find a few in your range.

MrBojangles

Rich: I have found plenty in my price range, I just don't know what the areas are like that they are in.

So I figured since some of you live in and around Miami, you might be able to help me. I know Miami has its bad areas and its good areas. I don't expect to live in the best part of town however I want to feel safe when I walk my dog at night.

Too clear up any confusion in what I am asking let me offer an example. Imagine you were looking for an apartment here in olympia (somewhere you have never visited), you had a price range around 700. Many options would come up, two of them being A) The Peak and B) Capital Park, both in Olympia about 10 miles from eachother, realitive price. Now since I live here I could tell you that A) The Peak are nice clean apartments in Tumwater a safe area. Not rich just safe. and that B) Capital Park are in Lacy, mainly filled with teenagers that think they are gangsters, probably will mess up any nice car that parks in their, and will steal your bike. However apartments.com unfortunatly will nto tell you any of that.

Thank you though the response, and I apologize that I did not clarify more.

papsmagu

iTrader: (19)

it all depends where in miami. i have to agree with Roninautobox........800 for a clean safe area in miami is pushing it. my suggestion would be to post up some of the potentional locations that you have found and we can tell you weather or not that is a good area/complex. another idea would be to visit miami for the weekend, you can get a good idea of prices areas ect. ect. good luck

MrBojangles

papsmagu: Good idea, thank you for the input. I will find some apartments that seem to fit my needs and location and post later tonight,

RoninAutoBoX

Anywhere 800 bux a month in Miami is going to be a compromise. One way or another, it is is going to be a compromise.

I like clean, safe, well located places too, but when I lived in Miami, I never payed less than $1400 a month to get exactly that.

The biggest problem with Miami, is that the ghetto is near everything. Even if you go live downtown in the Brickell area, which has some of the most premier buildings in Miami, you are like 5 minutes from calle ocho, and the worst infested abandoned homes you can possibly imagine. Brickell Key? Yeah, totally safe, and totally isolated, but places there start at $1900+. Neo Lofts? Starts at $1400, and sits smack in the middle of Little Havana. And ths is considered to be the best of Miami.

You could always go to South Beach, but the traffic situation there is a nightmare, and $800 a month will only get you a fleabag efficiency apartment at the worst dives on the island.

Cost of living in Miami is NOT favorable at all.

I am just trying to give you a realistic perspective of what I found when I came to move into Miami. My suggestion would be to bring a lot more money, live somewhere further north in Broward, or invest in earplugs, roach spray, and a lot of firearms.

ruos

iTrader: (1)

From looking at the Costco site whse locator, the Miami Lakes store seems pretty decent. Also, the Kendall store is pretty good. I recommend the vicinity of those 2 stores. North Miami Beach is not too bad and South beach is pretty cool. As far as the price range of those 2 areas, most likely they're in the $1,000/m ballpark. I would take a little trip and take a peak first.

You can minimize just about every city to crap and Miami is no exception, especially the downtown area of any city.

rich367

If your interested in Miami Lakes check out the Moors. It's pretty decent. Close to Costco( you could walk to it). Price in your range.

MrBojangles

Wow, thank you guys for all of the input!

rich, I checked out Latitudes at the Moors I think that is what you are reffering to. Sounds nice, gated community etc. Does any one have any experince here, or at other places in these locations? Thanks again...

Ronin: I would probably stay further out of Miami, because of the prices and crime, however my girl gets free college at Brown Mackie University, her mom works for one of their affiliates in GA. So that sticks me in Miami, and the town does seem to have its benefits in entertainment. I just doesn't want to have to live in the middle of it

Directfreak

iTrader: (2)

There are Four Costcos in Miami

Kendall Area - Nice, relatively Safe.
Flagler Area - Oh No!! - Also the busiest Costco in the state
Miami Lakes - Okay, kinda inbetween towns, not too great. Slow..
North Miami - EEK!!

I Used to work for Costco (years ago), and had a GF that worked there too.

For you GF, I recommend the Kendall store - and the Kendall Area to live in. currenlty live 5-10 minutes from the Kendall store, and it's all pretty decent around this area. I can hook you up with a realtor that does rentals in the area if you like - Just PM me.

nyc_scorpio

iTrader: (1)

I say, he should aim for the Pembroke Pines area. only 15min away from the greater Miami area, my brother-in-law is a lease manager of a very nice complex. gated commuity, pool, gym, yada-yada-yada lol. bad thing is the freaking traffic jams on 95.

RoninAutoBoX

Pembroke Pines is a good idea. Stay out of the city of Miami.

Forget the Moors. That's right in top of Hialeah.

RoninAutoBoX

Not really. A lot of major cities have a defined line in beteen the bad and the good, usually defined by property values. For example, downtown Manhattan is ten million times better than anything uptown, and the price justifies it. If you live on Wall Street, for example, which carries the same price as the Brickell area in Miami, you are FAR FAR fromt he ghetto. The ghetto starts about 70 blocks up.

Miami, on the other hand, has ghettos and dangerous neighborhoods that spot the entire face of their territory. There are few places that you can go, where you will not be near a bad neighborhood. Fact is, the only truly clean neighborhoods in Miami are either expensive, located on an island, or the middle of nowhere.

Take the Moors for example. It is right on top of Hialeah, and Carol City, as well as the infamous Red Road. For those of you not so informed ont he infamy of Hialeah, Hialeah has had several daylight shootings recently. Crime there is just terrible.


If you want to live near Miami, and don't want to have to put up with the overflow of scum, I would HIGHLY suggest Pembroke Pines. Pembroke Pines is about 20 minutes north of the Moors, but it puts a good buffer in between you and the rest of society.

papsmagu

iTrader: (19)

stay away from the moors!!!!!! it might be gated but all that does is keep the crime in lol

i agree with direct freak, kendal is a good area also, if you don't mind the comute miramar or pem. pines are really good areas.

MrBojangles

Anyone know anything about Pembroke Bay Apartments ( http://www.rent.com/apartments/flori...s/360078/?sp=1 )?

The pictures look very nice, well within my price range and the larger 1br floor plans have a nice layout with decent sq footage.

You guys sold me on Pembroke, sound like the type of community I am looking for.

ERAUMAZDA

There are some really nice apartments in liberty city.
















LOL just kidding. There are some apartments on the west side of us1 by culter ridge mall that are nice and by southridge high school.

baddassTurboII

Kendall park apartments

rich367

There is a new Costco being built in Pembroke Pines.

MrBojangles

rich, have they already broken ground?

also does anyone know anything about pembroke bay?

rich367

They just prepped the site, it may take a few months. It's about 10 min drive from Pembroke Bay Apts. These apts are priced right and rather large in my opinion.

Fatman0203

I'd say anything in the Kendall area, you'll probably have alot better luck once you get hear searching yourself. Anything between 157th ave all the way down to 57th Ave and 40th St to 120th Street is all a good area in general. Basically Kendall and part of Central Miami.

MrBojangles

I have decided on Pembroke Bay apartments, they have a good size one bedroom apartment for $845/mo. Close to everything I need, and from the sounds of it a decently safe community.

I just wanted to thank you all for your help, I have no doubt that I would have chosen a bad place if it was not for your advice.

Thanks

rich367

Why don't you take a trip down to Miami and check out the apartments before you finalize your decision?