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I'm a recent arrival in Fort Lauderdale, from San Jose (though I spent several years in Boston as well). The vibe is uniquely its own down here. The biggest dif
by sparky_ 5y ago
I'm a recent arrival in Fort Lauderdale, from San Jose (though I spent several years in Boston as well). The vibe is uniquely its own down here. The biggest difference is that tech feels like a minority in South Florida. That is, unlike the experience of Boston or SF, you'll be an oddity, and a curiosity. Wow, app developer? Really?
People are friendly, the drinks are strong, and the pretty relaxing, cheap beachfront lifestyle is a warm welcome. It's not a place I'd view as a career destination.
If you're looking for a lifestyle change _outside of the office_, and your idea of a good time is working less and chilling on the beach, well, it's a fantastic option.
On the other hand if you're considering Miami for a tech career alone - well, it's a second fiddle town. The seriousness and quality of the local startups reflect that. There are a lot more crypto bros masquerading as a viable business than anything else.
Personally, I'm working remotely for a Bay Area company while living on the beach here. A pleasant mix of the two.
Edit: As for your specific questions... Summers are low nineties with a humidity index in the nineties as well. You'll not want to go out for a good six weeks, save in the water. But the rest of the year is beautiful.
Cost of living in Miami proper is similar to Boston, but 20 minutes outside and it's half price. I picked Fort Lauderdale over Miami primarily due to a more relaxed and upscale vibe. We're 20 minutes away. Highly recommend checking both FTL and Miami out, as the two have different scenes and crowds.
Brickell is.. well, vertical, modern, expensive, vibrant and dirty. Would you want to live directly on State street? Same idea.
If you're looking for something a bit less sterile - might look at Edgewater in MIA or Flagler Village in FTL.
- bogomipz 5y agoWhat's the housing and rent situation like where you are? Do you need a car or is it generally a walkable place?
- sparky_ 5y agoBoth Miami and Fort Lauderdale themselves are fairly walkable downtown. But the metro area is LA style car-first. I shipped my car from CA, but I only drive it when I want to leave Fort Lauderdale, basically. Paying $2300/mo for a 1600 sqft 2 bed 3 bath apartment about a quarter mile from downtown and a half mile from the main beach with all the expensive resort hotels.
- mikegreenberg 5y agoNo OP, but I will offer this: Some may say downtown areas are walkable, but you are severely limiting your access to resources. Public transportation in South Florida is poor. One train line runs north/south between Miami to West Palm Beach and it is not the most reliable. Miami has an above ground metro train which gets you to most areas there and is actually pretty decent. There are many buses but I have not invested the time to understand them. For the most part anywhere else in South Florida, you better have Lyft or Uber at the ready. Sure, you could find a place where you can walk, but it's not really that common unless you're in a densely populated area. I biked exclusively during college and did relatively alright for a few years but I upgraded to a car as soon as I could afford to.
- bogomipz 5y agoIs the metro what's referred to as the "people mover" and runs on the elevated tracks?
- mikegreenberg 5y agoYes: https://www.miamidade.gov/global/transportation/metrorail.page https://www.miamidade.gov/global/transportation/metrorail.pa...
- yardie 5y agoI lived here 3 years without a car. South Beach is a great walkable beach town. For anything further I used: Zipcar (<day), Hertz/Avis/Ent (>day), Lyft/Uber (<1 hour). I only bought a car during the early stages of the pandemic, rideshare and rentals basically shutdown and leased cars were being firesaled.
- bogomipz 5y agoInteresting. That's pretty good chunk of time to be car free. Are the rents expensive in South Beach? My mental image of it is a wealthy place.
- yardie 5y agoSouth of Fifth (SoFi) and north of 17th are where the pricier condos exist. The Flamingo Park neighborhood are older (1920s) bungalows and apartments. This is the neighborhood where most of the families, retires, and service workers live. So while I had a few friends that lived in $5000/mo Portofino, I making substantially less, lived in a cute walk up with a great parking a block away and my choice of ventanas nearby.
- the_only_law 5y agoFlorida is weird. For the third largest state by population, I expected a much better market. For career stuff RTP seems better or even Atlanta.
- Dracophoenix 5y agoHow did Boston and San Jose compare in your experience? Any notable differences, VC money and Biotech aside?
- sparky_ 5y agoI guess I’d describe SJ as a kind of monoculture. Everyone I knew was a fellow tech person, and escaping the programmer scene was impossible. When I lived in Revere Beach, my neighbours were chemists, doctors, geologists, professors… a brainy but varied bunch. I earned more money in SJ but had a better work life balance in Boston. Companies in the former were more expecting of the grind, raising and deploying capital as early and often as possible; in the latter, more self-pacing of the growth curve and interested in sustainable, organic numbers. Not sure if I answered your Q, but feel free to ask just about anything and I’ll follow up mañana.
- Dracophoenix 5y agoIn which decade were your stays in SJ and Boston? If you had to make the choice all over again would you choose to live in Boston, or even pick another city entirely?