What are the dangers of being homeless?
There are several. First, you are always being told to move.There is constant threat of weather condition change in some areas. Or it's cold or hot for months. I've slept on ice, in the snow, while wet. All three are deadly. Sleeping in 90 degree heat can be deadly.You can be attacked, pranked, robbed, or beaten at any time.It's far more likely that you can be arrested. The first time I was arrested, I was homeless. Even if you don't bother them you still have to put up with people picking fights and stealing your food. It's happened to me.I would rent a room thinking that it would be more secure because there's a few people there. No, that just makes it easier to steal. They'll look you right in the face and say that they didnt take it. A lot of those rooms don't have landline phones so there's no phone call tracing or placement.It takes FOREVER to look for a job. People don t answer phones, toss your resume whenever they want. Super long psychocheck applications.Try remembering where you worked 10 years ago and the address and zip code and how much an hour you made without being false about ANY of it while homeless. Then give 6 references with phone numbers. Just so they don't bother calling you at all, or you get an interview but you know you can't get the job because you have nothing to wear and nothing to buy it with. Because your unemployment or other check was DENIED.Try repressing the anger and frustration when you realize you forgot three quarters of the way there. It happened to me.I've to sleep in vacant houses with my work outfit on. That's how broke I was. The others would just say that they haven't been homeless and that would be it.There are other dangers: Temp to hire agencies, hunger, lack of sleep (this is actually worse than being drunk), inattention to focus, daydreaming, gambling problems, addiction, nicotine cravings, poor diet from high sodium food like cold cuts, pizza, chili, hot dogs. Poisoning or illness from contaminated, expired, or undercooked food. Sunburn. Alcoholism. Foot or knee problems from excessive walking or standing. Sexual urges. Loneliness and boredom. Repetition.
Is Miami ghetto?
Yes it's "ghetto". My bf moved here from NYC and said it's worse here. It's true that certain areas are worse than others but it's either one extreme or the other. There's a lot of crime, people are mean, and yes there's a lot of crackheads. You just get use to it, you'll be fine.
Where's the cheapest area to live in Miami, FL?
Well, if you don't care about safety, the areas around liberty city, allapattah, etc. are all pretty darn cheap, $3-400, if you don't mind the drug dealers, hookers, drifters, gangs and all that. Ok neighborhoods for cheap prices are Hialeah, Miami Gardens, Miami Lakes, or Doral; certain parts of North Miami are also pretty cheap and ok to live in (low crime). Studios are generally in the 600-800 range on average, depending on neighborhood (not kidding, check out criagslist if you don't believe me) these are just rooms with toilets as you describe, average one bedrooms can be in the $1000 range. Most of the ones in the 500s and lower are mostly in the aforementioned bad neighborhoods. The areas around kendall, south miami, coral gables, and UM are medium to high priced especially closer to any university as many students living alone drive up demand for studios and efficiencies. Also, you would need a car to get around the southern suburbs since they tend to be mostly residential and require a car to get to most jobs unless you only plan to do retail or want to deal with Miami's terrible mass transit system. The central and northern suburbs tend to also require a car, but have less distances to reach most major job areas. Miami Beach is the most expensive area with studios in the thousands as are parts of downtown that aren't bad. Little Havana and the hispanic neighborhoods in the center are also cheap, but also have their share of crime. If you don't mind paying $6-700 for a studio, i recommend Miami Springs, Doral, Miami Lakes, and South Miami, for a mix of good price and low crime and also short distance to major job areas; the northern portions of Kendall work, too. If price is no problem, do the beach and barrier islands as you'd get the best miami experience from them.
Is Miami, FL dangerous? Why or why not?
I travelled to Miami several times and lived there for a couple months working by night. I'd say Miami is like any other American or European city dangerously talking. It does have its dangerous parts, but also its wonderful and safest neighborhoods.I'm the kind of person who like to see any aspect of a city and also an adventurous individual (I've been living in Colombia for a while and everybody keeps asking me the same question). Anyway. One day I rode a bike and went all around Miami - by day and by night - with a couple of friends. We went from South Beach to North Miami the all day going through all the western and central neighborhoods. We saw what poverty and insecurity mean this day, but nothing happened to us. I think people were just amazed to see random people passing by their neighborhood. Of course you don't want to stop everywhere and stare weirdly at people there, but it wasn't that bad at all. I think it's substantial to see all the aspects of a major city like Miami. This neighborhood I'm referring to is mainly Little Haiti. Little Havana is actually pretty safe and has this Latin atmosphere that I particularly affectionate. Plus it does have the well-known Calle 8 (full of tourists).To me, I'd say the "worst" parts of Miami are the close surroundings (Opa-locka, Liberty city, Little Haiti, etc.).The safest neighborhoods (which is also personal opinion I guess) are Coconut Drive, Brickell & Miami Beach. In South Beach, due to the massive touristic population, a lot of "hustlers" from the not-so-great neighborhoods come to sell drugs and stuff, but they're not really here to harm you. Just be as careful as in any other city.I think there are so many other criteria to look for before coming to live in Miami ;)PS: And trust me I really look like the typical northern european guy (blond hair, blue eyes, tall, white skin, etc.).
Homelessness: How can I get to and live in San Francisco/Palo Alto starting with no money?
Dude,I don't mean to rain on your parade, but If you can't find a job in Florida, with its decent tech sector in Brevard County, Tampa, Miami-Dade; you're not going to find one in the SF Bay area, let alone in Palo Alto/SF. (I won't get into details)If you're looking to re-invent yourself (which is harder than it sounds/seems)At 24, with no money, degree or friends/family willing to mentor/back you, your best bet might be joining the "techie" branches of the Military -- Navy, Air Force. You'll be moved around from place to place and have a fresh start each time. You'll have your basic living needs covered, taught how to structure your life effectively; the military is always looking for people with tech skills. If you get out with an honorable discharge, some good skills, and the holy grail -- a security clearance -- life's a lot easier.Don't let your pre-conceptions of military life discourage you ... lots of cool people in there who have the potential to be your lifelong friend/mentor/creative partner. It's not at a all like it's portrayed in the media as a collection of Psychos or No-Hopers.I've seen too many people let their best time time of their life (20's-30's) slip away because they didn't have the structure or discipline to make something of their ideas.