I don't understand the need to make embarrassed noises around "Florida". I am a New Yorker who gets to visit Miami with regularity including during COVID and from my obviously limited perspective, it's a well run place, much more so than NY to use an obvious example.
To make this more objective - you meet tons of folks in Florida who moved from another state recently and never the other way.
You are logical but maybe don't have the context. Historically, old people moved to Florida while young people moved north for careers etc. Currently, you can meet a lot of young professionals / families who have moved to FL. This is new.
I am with you on the weather, but on the flip side it's VERY hot in the summer.
As for NYC vs Miami... there's a palpatable shift. It used to be "what does Miami have for me besides sunshine" and now it's more like "why would anyone stay in NYC?" The former question has more and more good answers now while the later fewer and fewer.
And again I say this as a new Yorker who hasn't moved yet so it's not like I am just talking my own book here.
As someone who lived in New York for a long time (and calls myself a New Yorker but natives may take offense) but moved to Chicago recently, I find myself missing so many of the NYC amenities (subway/buses, entertainment, food, culture, etc) that Chicago has mirages of.
I can't see how Miami (also having spent a decent amount of time there), aside from the weather, could provide anything close to either NYC or Chicago. You have to squint even harder since Miami has none of the public transit, entertainment or other amenities I would expect from a large urban center. Plus, if you lean left on the political spectrum, you inherit the unpalatable politics that come with FL.
At least in Chicago I can buy a house within a ten minute walk to a beach and not break the bank. Something that, unless you're in Rockaway/LI or are ballin out on Star Island/Key Biscayne/Bal Harbor/etc wont get.
If you find people asking "why would anyone stay in NYC", they had no idea why they were there to begin with.
Odd that the specific example you chose is better in NYC than Miami. The news orgs constantly harping on urban crime rarely mention Miami, for some reason. Maybe because Miami has a Republican Governor, state legislature, and mayor while NYC has a Democrat in each of those roles?
Yes, that is my impression. The odd thing is that the endless repetition disinformation machine works so well, 'centrist' Dems pick it up. NYC suburbs voted Republican because of the 'crime' in the city.
What in Miami compares to NYC, other than winter weather (I much prefer NYC winters to Miami summers!)? Food? Culture? Energy? Transit? Crime (much lower in NYC, iirc)? Schools (NYU, Columbia, etc. etc.)? Arts? Music? Parks? Architecture? Dynamism? Workforce talent?
I understand NYC isn't for everyone, and I don't criticize people for living elsewhere, but it's hard to compare ....
Also, no income tax, which suits retirees well, and low housing costs.
The income tax thing is perplexing to me - you need to pay somehow, no? Without a graduated income tax, probably you are paying more tax overall (unless you are in the top 1%).
Yes correct. I am not meeting them in NY and other places...
In case you aren't familiar with this topic, the map about 30% down this page shows which cities and gaining and losing population. https://eig.org/city-population-2023/
Well, "Florida man" is an archetype in American culture for a reason (although some people say that reason is Florida's sunshine reporting laws).
I'd also argue a place where the state surgeon general posts anti-vax memes and the governor has made his national bones by gutting educational programs and rights isn't "well-run" by most definitions.
Would love to hear more about what you meant by "well-run."
To make this more objective - you meet tons of folks in Florida who moved from another state recently and never the other way.