Amanda's guide to...moving to Miami
When I left Ireland for New York City, I was 20 years old and looking for an adventure. Like so many young, ambitious people, I felt the draw to the city and the desire to make my mark on it.
I arrived at Kennedy airport and jumped into a Manhattan-bound cab, starting my 27-year stay. I immediately fell in love with the city, where I made lifelong friends and had experiences that young Amanda couldn’t have imagined. I’ll never forget attending a party in Soho shortly after I arrived, only to be introduced to Andy Warhol. Only in New York!
It was also there that I discovered my love of architecture and design. Real estate became a natural career choice, and soon I was ranking in the top 5% of brokers nationwide every year. What a dream it was to be able to help people find homes in the city I loved, and to get to know every neighborhood, every street, and just about every building in the process.
Then came time to press pause and return home to care for my parents. That’s the amazing thing about real estate - you can jump in and out as life happens. The pandemic came after that, and my husband and I found ourselves extending our stay in Ireland (there’s hardly a better place to spend a lockdown).
When we decided to come back to America, we thought, perhaps it was time for something different; a new adventure. For the first time in my life, I considered a [slightly] slower pace, maybe even better weather - but I still wanted to be somewhere lively. The obvious answer was Miami.
Miami has always stuck out in my mind because, when I first visited in my 20s, it was the only warm place I’d ever been. Back then it was quite different - rundown hotels, not many big name restaurants, and a go-to destination for retirees. Hardly the vibrant city we know it to be today.
What I have come to love about Miami is that while you can still enjoy so much of what New York offers, it feels like an entirely different place, even a different country. The people, the food and the culture make Miami as much of a “main character” as New York.
I’m so excited to dive back into real estate in a whole new city. If you’re also considering the big move south, please don’t hesitate to reach out. As a fellow newbie who is having a wonderful time exploring Miami, I can advise on the transition as much as I can on the real estate. Particularly in the market we’re in now, you’ll need someone who can do both.
In the meantime, I’ve included a few tips that have helped me get acclimated and will help with your own research in where to live and what to do. I’ll continue sharing more guides to Miami, so stay tuned for those and let me know what you’d like to learn about.
Amanda’s top 3 tips for new Miami residents:
Follow local social media accounts:
The easiest way to get acclimated before you even arrive is to use social media to get familiar with where to go and what to do. You can, of course, follow news accounts, like the Miami Herald. But another wonderful way to really understand how you can spend your time is with accounts like Secret Miami and Miami Bucket List. They regularly promote events, activities and even day trips so you’ll have plenty of ideas.
Start building your restaurant hit list:
Miami’s restaurant scene is fun, diverse and growing. This year, local restaurants earned more Michelin Stars here than anywhere else in the state. Add Infatuation Miami to your follow list and keep up with others covering local food, like Eater Miami and, of course, The Herald. Some of my favorite restaurants so far have been Carbone in Miami Beach, Uchi in Wynwood and the brand new Pastis.
Pick a few walkable neighborhoods to get to know:
What those who don’t know Miami underestimate is its neighborhoods, which are colorful characters all their own. Areas like Wynwood and Brickell have a lot of what people love about New York but with a distinctly Miami vibe, and others like Little Havana are cultural touch points you won’t get anywhere else.
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Brought to you by Amanda Sawyer, part the Chad Carroll Group at Compass.