I'm going to Miami

[MissCrabette]

I'll be leaving later today to visit my fiance in Miami. Can anyone recommend any good restaurants and interesting things to see or do around the Jackson Memorial Hospital area? I don't think I've seen any active member who lives in Miami but I hope some of you have lived there at one point. Thanks a lot!

I don't know where the hospital is. We were in South Beach a few years ago, I wish I remember where we went! A famous place for stone crab that was worth it -- Joe's Stone Crab? I can't remember the other places.

Have fun!

[MissCrabette]

Well, it looks like not many people are familiar with Miami. That's OK, I'll play it by ear.

On another note, I'm having a very hard time getting off my butt and packing so I thought I'd ask... What's YOUR packing style? Do you visualize what you'll be wearing each day? Do you throw in enough underwear to last you the whole trip and then some random tops and bottoms? Do you pack unnecessary items because you think you *might* need them? How about grooming products? Do you take only the bare necessities or are you unable to function without packing your entire bathroom?

Me? I try to pack outfits but I always throw in enough extras to last me one or two extra weeks. I'm weak, I can't decide. As for grooming, I could open my own drug store. The odd thing is that I really am not that high maintenance but there's always that nagging thought in my head that I might need this or that product and I should play it safe.

[MissCrabette]

Ooops, it seems I posted at the same time as you, Nellie. Thanks, I'll check that out, although I'm not much of a seafood fan. I guess I should've mentioned that. I do eat crab cakes but that's about it. I'm sure Andrew would absolutely love it.

Yes, it is very seafood-y though I think they had steak and other items. The crab is what makes it worth it. I'm not much of a red meat person, but whatever kind of steak we had at the Cuban place was very yummy. Lots of mojitos, some gauva pastry sorts of things? (also Cuban I believe).

I think you get in a different packing mindset with kids. When I travel without them, I do everything I can to just bring a carry on and not check the bag. I feel like a gazelle going through the express check-in lines and whizzing out of the airport without waiting for a bag. My packing theory? I have to anything I can't buy elsewhere -- everything else is gravy. And layers and as few shoes as possible. The shoes are hard for me, I love them all.

[alison]

Dh interviewed back in the day at the Univ. of Miami. I went with him and I believe the hospitals are all in the hospital district. The area is really seedy--I'd stay around the South Beach area and Key Biscayne if I were to go again... Along Lincoln there's a pizza restaurant where you can pick your own toppings (lots of fresh veggies, fish) and they put it in the oven for you. It was yummy. If you ask around, I'm sure they'll be able to tell you where on the shopping strip it is.

I'm in Chicago and I've seen just about everything--in Miami though, a guy was pushing a grocery cart with another guy in it. We had to slam on the brakes because the guy doing the pushing was trying to run the cart in front of our moving car!!! AHHHHHHHH!!!!

[MissCrabette]

Laura and Nellie, thanks for your recommendations. I'll definitely look into Joe's Stone Crab House if we go to South Beach.

Alison, you're right about the hospital district. Andrew keeps telling me about it. Unfortunately, he ended up staying at the Days Inn Civic Center, a few blocks away from the hospital. He had looked into staying in an apartment with some med students but the deal fell through because the guy who was leaving didn't mention anything to the guy Andrew would've lived with. That other guy had already gotten a roommate. Oh well, I'm actually happy things turned out this way cause I don't like living with roommates very much, especially when one of them has been there longer and feels somehow more entitled to everything in the apartment.

I don't know about Miami, I'm not sure I'd like to end up there. Judging from pictures I've seen while looking at homes in the area, it probably looks as bad as Baltimore. And Baltimore IS bad. Miami Beach seems a bit better but it's also a heck of a lot more expensive. That and I hate the look of the homes in Miami. Tile throughout the home doesn't exactly do it for me.

[DCJenn]

Cristina-

trust me, when it's 100 plus degrees, tile would do it for you. That's why there are so many places here in San Antonio and in New Mexico that use the saltillo tiles throughout. Carpet is just too flippin' hot.

Jenn

[alison]

That's where we stayed because the school recommended it!!! We rented a car--if you've got one, don't take 14th Ave. into town (that's where the whole grocery cart thing happened). Take the freeway in even though it's a bit out of the way. I don't want to bash Miami, but a big reason we didn't rank Miami was because of it being... Miami. Neither of us were comfortable there. It was the same feeling I had in some sections of Baltimore when dh interviewed there... Am I putting my foot in my mouth here? I hope no one gets offended.

[DCJenn]

My SIL's sister lives in Miami but is one of those people for whom waking up at noon and being seen at social functions is actually her job. Not my bag, that's for sure.

The Cuban food is great if you can find someone to take you to a real Cuban place. The coffee is seriously high test though- fabulously sweet and delicious but the heart palpitations later make having more than one a problem! If you can get a real cuban sandwich, do it.

Jenn

[MissCrabette]

Jenn, I know what you mean about carpet not being suited for hot weather but hardwood floors would do fine too. Maybe I'm being too picky but unless it's very fancy tile, tile tends to cheapen the look of a house.

[Meenah]

To address your question on packing!!!!!

When I travel I pack my "old" underwear and throw it away!!!! This way I get rid of the worn out stuff and have an excuse to buy new!!!! Maybe TMI but it really works for me.

That is funny, Luanne. I love that idea.

[MissCrabette]

Alison,

I'm not sure how much of the Days Inn Civic Center you remember but let me remind you. It's absolutely horrible. I arrived there at about 11 pm and it was so bad that I scrambled for the laptop to search for a hotel while I'm here. Well, their prominently advertised free wireless internet doesn't work from every room so they offered to let us switch rooms, which we did until about midnight. The new room is nothing to write home about but at least it's not musty and it doesn't smell of mold and cat pee. :: I'm not one to disinfect everything I touch, but I feel like I need a big bottle of Lysol right about now. :floor: I thought I'd seen it all, you know, coming from a damned 3rd world country and all... :!

[alison]

I remember a lot from the Days Inn at the Civic Center. I just didn't want to scare you--it was really REALLY bad, but not bad enough to tell you to stay away. It wasn't unsafe, but it was just disgusting. We had a room above the pool and overlooking the freeway. It was loud, but we're used to city noises, so we could still sleep. I showered in flipflops, I think. So where are you staying now?