El Tico

I'm so sorry you've had to put up with such a negative picture. I partly agree with certain things like the infrastructure area (too much concrete, terrible public transportation) and the fact that Miami shows a nice facade to the world, which does not always reflect its entire reality. South Beach, Coral Gables, the Downtown area (not to mention residential areas like Star Island and Palm & Hibiscus Islands) all seem very shiny and beautiful on TV. On the other hand you'll never see the western part of the city because it's simply the "creepier" part (Hialeah, Liberty City,...). Another thing is that if you don't own a car you're basically handicap, because public buses take forever to get you to your destination (note that other cities like Houston aren’t much better off in this case). Then the consequence of every resident owning an automobile (not to mention the amount of unnecessary SUVs) not only creates a huge mess on the roads but highways end up reaching an excessive size. And finally to end Miami's "not so great stuff" tour, most people will tell you they avoid traveling through Miami airport because of its chaotic reputation, instead they'll use Fort Lauderdale airport.

Now I can understand all this frustration. Nevertheless I think you’ve either had the worst experiences of your life in this city or you’re just used to very high life standards. I’ve heard people talk exactly the same way of NY, LA, Paris and London. Believe me, all these places have their ghettos too. I moved to Switzerland over a decade ago but I keep in touch with my relatives in Miami and visit them quite often. I know you and I don’t live the same experiences but I must say I find people in Miami extremely nice. There’s also a great feeling of freedom that I don’t sense anywhere in Europe. And I know you’re not going to find kids reading novels in Burger King but I think the excess of consumerism extends to areas such as bookstores and more, allowing you the possibility to choose healthy activities. But yes, not everyone lives in the same Miami, some have never taken public transportation and work in an office on Brickell Avenue, others can only afford to ride the metrorail and work somewhere west of the airport. That’s the unfortunate truth almost anywhere you go on this planet. Now culture shock is a reality and does not only apply to different countries, but also exists within nations. Out of all people you’re probably the one who would agree the most with Tom Tancredo’s comments on Miami-Dade being “a third world country”. I know many people confront Spanish as the US’s second language, yet it’s a reality and it has its history. Just as the British, with their customs, set on the East Coast centuries ago, Cuban refugees came to South Florida looking for a place where they could practice freedom. The result is that nowadays Miami’s wealthiest people are from Hispanic background. These people not only worked hard but they played a key role in the city’s development. I think that makes Miami special and I know many people would agree with me, including former governor Jeb Bush. But of course it may be culture shocking for someone coming down from Denver. We mustn’t forget that Florida (literally meaning “flowered” in Spanish) was discovered by the Spaniards. I don’t agree with radical ideas that prohibit Spanish as a second language just like I don’t sympathize with banning English from the dominating Hispanic areas. Both extremes seem like an “ostrich” way of seeing things. One thing I’ve learned in Europe is how to cultivate that kind of heritage. For instance Switzerland has three official languages and the country is half the size of Florida. Everything is printed and published in German, French and Italian. Each group has its own culture and the people who are fluent in all three languages are quite rare. But this is a huge part of the country’s identity and it helps distinguish the nation from its neighbors and creates great diversity. Therefore wanting to put a huge standard is not only low fetched, it’s boring. I think Miami’s popularity and uniqueness has a lot to do with its variety.

Anyway I appreciate getting to know other opinions, it allows me to keep my neck and head out of the ground. By the way my dad told me that driving conditions in Tennessee were suicidal, in other words by far some of the worse he’d ever seen in the U.S of A.