Choosing Your Miami Neighborhood

You may like the Miami area, but it is enormous and diverse, so you are going to need to narrow down your needs and preferences to choose a neighborhood. Where do you begin?

1. Look online. Many towns within a city area will have their own websites with information about their town and their residents. Miami neighborhoods like Coconut Grove and Coral Gables, for example, have excellent websites that highlight information about their towns and the people that live there. They also give you a good feel for what that town is trying to be - the direction in which they are going.
2. Local Newspapers - Try and pick up some local papers. These will give you an idea of the local news, events and feeling of a given community. You'll also see local real estate ads and you may find out valuable information about local developments and communities.
3. State Website - Check out the state website for city and town profiles. Look at the Department of Education and check out overall test scores and school evaluations. 4. Call the Local Police - Although the polics are limited in the information they can give out, they can give you local crime statistics and a feeling for the overall safety of the neighborhood.
4. The Drive By - Go and look at these Miami neighborhoods personally. Check out the downtown area and the local shops. Identifiy the parks, playgrounds and local areas that appeal to you.

File all of this information together and you'll be well prepared when it comes time to shop for your Miami home.