6 of the 7 Continents For The Budget Traveler: Miami: My Favorite East Coast City In The US

New Year's Eve 2019

Like many New Yorkers my first taste of Miami was spring break as a college student... Or maybe college drop out by that time. It started for me as a place to party, but over the years and countless trips there it's become something more to me now. I have friends that live there, I've dated girls there, in 2006 I almost moved there, I'm about to be the best man at a wedding there, it's been my link to most trips to South America or the Caribbean. From the days of it being a party spot, it's become more like a second home, and it's become a major key for me coming back to the USA. I have some other common airport hubs when I go abroad, but Miami is the only one where if the layover is in Miami, it's not a layover anymore, but a separate layover vacation to visit this beautiful city.

Early 20's first visit!

Young traveler with a total of zero passport stamps drinking in the hotel

on South Beach to save money! I had actually visited two or three countries back then,

but in those days Canada, Mexico, or the Bahamas didn't need for passports

Hanging with the gators in 2017

In the early 2000's I made my first trip out there, partying on south beach, partying on south beach, and partying on south beach. I didn't speak a word of Spanish, didn't see the gators, didn't visit Little Havana, or anything cultural for that matter. Wynwood didn't really even exist back then. Brickell I'm not so sure. I can at least say between the partying we did go in the ocean. I also remember those days I was making about $10 an hour working for an ambulance company in Brooklyn, NY. The South Beaches prices were steep to say the least! Fast forward to the wedding trip in 2025! I'm now a Fire Captain, investor, real estate investor, home owner, business ower, and of course blogger! And the prices are still steep! Every time I come here, Miami is one step above my pay grade! But I still love it, and will never stop coming back.

So what makes this place so special? Where to start? 9 months of glorious weather and beautiful beaches. We are talking beautiful beaches with calm, warm, clear water, white sands, super chill and comfortable. I will say 9 months, definitely not 12, the summers can be rough with humidity, and I live in Arizona and still say the summers are rough there! If are single, its lined with beautiful singles looking to mingle, if you are there with your lover, there's countless romantic date spots to visit and things to do from exploring underwater to a rooftop bar overlooking the city. It's the cultural link to Latin America, Spanish is spoken everywhere, as a huge part of the USA has Latin American roots Miami is the city that really links it together. I'm sort of passed the age now, but the party scene can start in an Irish dive bar and finish in a night club at 5am, still hungry after? The food scene, from a street pizza to elegant dining, options for everyone. But these are things I think a lot of tourist books or tripadvisor reviews will say... I decided to write this today, to also say more specifically why Miami is special to me.

Wynwood was born

This will be a blend of stories, hopefully it makes sense. It's the year 2000 something? Shit, too far back to remember, it's one of the 7 spring breaks I went on (I only went to college for 2 years). I'm in the Bahamas with my buddies, we just get back from the beach, and it's almost the end of the trip... Memory is an odd thing, because I am imagining we are all on smart phones for this story, in reality, I don't even know if we had cell phones here. My first cell phone comes 2004ish when I'm working, I'm pretty sure I'm still in college for this story, so likely no. We are 5 guys from NYC, Connecticut, and one guy living in Miami, Florida. My buddy Justin checks the weather and sees it will be 15 or so and snowing in New Haven, CT. Team NYC checks the weather, we are going back to 20's with no snow, so I guess it's a little better. Then Victor from Miami chimes in, 72.... 21 or so Celsius....

Two of my brothers love the snow, they ski, they snowboard, they love the cold. I love to visit the cold. I don't love to live in the cold. The Spring Break trips from freezing NY to tropical destinations were the initial steps to me leaving the city to start life elsewhere, and of course, Miami was a big part that. When it came time to leave NYC I had narrowed it down, and had to decide between Miami, Florida, and Phoenix, AZ. I chose Phoenix, mainly because housing was more affordable. Ironically where I live now in Scottsdale, AZ is more expensive than most areas of Miami. But no regrets, that humidity in the summer wasn't for me.

Then we cut to my single days, more specifically when relationships ended, it seemed like a good idea to head down to Miami, I am dating someone now, so we will not get into details... But again, Miami is good for singles. It helped me through a rough break up or two!

One of the countless nightclubs spinning all night long

As I got more experienced at international trips, and more fluent in Spanish, I started to realize the hub Miami Airport was a great launching point to South America, but since I always enjoyed my trips there, why just hang out in the airport. I pretty much always would spend a day or two visiting friends or chilling on the beach. For some of those long flights it definitely helped breakup a boring flight. I also became more and more aware of how my Spanish was opening the doors to blending more and more into the culture there. I loved walking into a store or restaurant and being spoken to and responding completely in Spanish from someone from Colombia, Cuba, Peru, etc. And of course if I was with a Gringo friend the staff would kindly speak English as well. It gave me a feeling of being able to visit a little bit of all the Latin American countries in one. Like a Copa America tournament in one city.

But hey, it's also America to the fullest. Coming back from an international trip, and it being the welcome home city and welcome back city for me was far better than other international hubs. I always felt, this is my country, and my city welcoming me back, even though I didn't live there. The weather isn't the only warm thing, the people never disappoint me.

I have now been to all 50 states. I loved all 50, but I don’t need to revisit every one. But Miami, Florida… this is a place I hope to always come back to. After countless trips there, beyond all the Tripadvisor-type stuff, there are memories in the corners, the neighborhoods, the bars, the clubs, the cafés, the late night pizza, the beach… I walk those memories with my former self every time I walk the streets there, and make countless new memories as well. When you go somewhere you love, it’s a trade-off. You take part of that place with you everywhere you go, and you leave a part of yourself there. But when you go back… you can see and feel that part, relive that part, and you always will remember it.