Quote:
Originally Posted by newplace
English is my 2nd language and I grew up in Miami. (Downtown is the exception in the statement I’m about to make) the infrastructure in Miami is 3rd world highways, gov. buildings ect... The middle class is moving out of the area at an alarming rate. Their numbers are small to begin with. The level of education college grad, and skilled workers are a huge cause for concern in Miami and has been for years. that’s all I’m saying… 3rd world-ish, 3rd world like city. is that so bad to say. Miami as a city was bankrupt in 99' 00. I think ignorance would be not knowing the facts. I do live in Canada know because of my work but i grew up in south Florida and my family still lives there. We have been saying this for years, its really nothing new.
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Well I also lived in Miami for a number of years and we obviously have far different outlooks on the city as a whole. Just to comment on your points: if Miami's highways and government buildings make Miami 3rd world, then the highways and buildings in PA, NY, and NJ (among other states) must make those states somewhere around the 5th world or so. As for the middle class moving out at an "alarming rate"... Moving out of the city proper, probably, owing to how ridiculously expensive living in nice areas of the city has become. It has become one of the least affordable cities to live in in the US. Case in point: my friend bought his 2 bdrm home in the Roads area near Brickell in 1997 for $190,000... last year it was assessed at over $800,000. The suburbs to the west, north, and south continue to grow at a rapid pace - that's where your middle class is (just like anywhere else in the USA - the suburbs).
A highly-educated, skilled workforce is a concern for just about every city; especially industrial cities in the Northeast and Midwest. Does this make Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Buffalo, Detroit, Philadelphia, etc. 3rd World? And as for the "bankruptcy" claim... do you realize how many cities across the nation are considered financially distressed or bankrupt still? Miami has more than emerged from that financial mess and did so without consolidation of the city and Dade county as was proposed at the time.
I realize that Miami serves as one of the largest ports of entry for immigrants, especially those from various nations of Latin America and the Caribbean (places many consider to be developing countries or "3rd world"). Does this add to giving Miami an exotic feel and a mix of cultures that are not present anywhere else in the US? Yes. Does the majority of the city speak Spanish? Yes. Do a high percentage of these immigrants lack higher education. Yes. Do these factors warrant that the entire city of Miami be termed "3rd world"? No.
And if one really thinks about it, if Miami is "3rd World", then why is it home to:
- one of the nation's most important financial centers
- one of the nation's busiest ports
- numerous international consulates
- a private, research university that is among the nation's best (UM)
- the largest medical center in the southeast and one of the largest in the nation (UM/Jackson Memorial)
- many corporate HQs for multinational corporations
- an enormous, thriving international tourism destination
- a higher percentage of BMWs, Mercedes, Porsches, etc. than I've seen anywhere
- one of the wealthiest "suburbs" in the US - Coral Gables
If one has ever been to a true "3rd World" place, then it's more than apparent that Miami does not fall into this category.
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