Moving to Miami soon and a little nervous :)

[SilentMermaid]

Hi, my name is Chantelle and my family will be moving to Miami sometime before the end of the year. I have two kids, Kaela who is two and Max who is 6 months. My husband is in the military and we just reenlisted. Im a little nervous about moving here but Im looking forward to making new friends and getting a little more comfortable with the city before we move

[cd123]

Welcome.

What part of Miami will you be living (will you be with Southern Command? Homestead Air Reserve Base?). I ask because I'm with the YMCA and we have a number of programs for your kids and family. Right near the Homestead Air Reserve Base we have a Family Branch and Preschool, as well as youth sports, aquatic, day camp and afterschool programs. There is also a program for military families, but it has category and deployment criteria. Here's a link to basic info on that http://www.ymcamiami.org/NewsYMCA.aspx?newsID=12

Southern Command is in Doral, where we primarily have afterschool programs.

If you want to see what we have available in Miami-Dade County, visit http://www.ymcamiami.org

[sharon32]

WHICH PART OF MIAMI R U MOVING TO?
i LIVE IN THE HOMSTEAD AREA AND I'M A STAY AT HOME MOM ALSO,RIGHT NEXT TO THE AIR BASE.

[andi]

Chantelle - Congrats on your future PCS to Miami. I am also a military wife/stay-at-home Mom. Being stationed in Miami is a little different (for a military family) because Miami does not have a large military presence or community. You took a great first step by going online and researching. I would recommend getting involved with playgroups/places of worship/clubs close to where you think you will live. I do not have any military friends here in MIA because all of my husband's co-workers and families are scattered from Homstead all the way up to Weston. We live in Coral Gables. The geographic disbursement of families makes it difficult to get together. That being said, I made friends through a playgroup, Weight Watchers meetings, church, neighbors, etc. Depending on where you live, you may also benefit from learning Spanish (if you do not speak it). It will come in handy. Also, Spanish class is another great way to meet people. Miami Dade College has a Saturday class for around $100.00.

I hope this helps!! Miami is definitely not a 'typical' military assignment. But you will benefit greatly if you have an open mind and take advantage of the sunshine and the cultural diversity that Miami offers.

Please feel free to contact me again if you have any questions.

-Andrea Flournoy

[mdrgator]

hi there. best of luck to you and your family!

[FamilyGal]

Hello and welcome. Although Miami is not your typical military town you'll find so much to do here and lots of people to meet. Moms Miami is surely a great place to start.

[cindytheveg]

Hi Chantelle. Miami has quite a few mother support groups you can join to help you settle in to your new zipcode. I belong to South Florida Preschool PTA which meets in Pinecrest. Don't let the name fool ya! We're not a school.....we're a mom's group/child advocacy group. We offer socialization for parents and playgroups for the kids, plus much more. Learn more about us at http://www.sfppta.org. You are off to the right start by posting on MomsMiami.com. This is a very informative website. Hope your transition down to Miami runs smoothly. Best of luck, and maybe I'll see you at one of our meetings.

[SilentMermaid]

Thanks for all the information...Im especially interested in all the childcare programs available in the area. My husband is getting stationed at Southern Command...what are good areas to be looking for a house around there? from what I've heard about Southcom, it sounds a lot different from the military assignments we've had in the past. We are in Louisiana right now but before that we were stationed in Hawaii...so Im looking forward to warm weather and nice beaches again!

[vnahmad]

welcome! where are you moving from? it's a great time of year to be moving here! we're about to be enjoying the best weather around. miami can seem a bit strange at first, but it's a friendly, warm place with lots of wonderful children's opportunities & mommy support groups.

[cd123]

Most people pick where to live in "Miami" by what feeder school pattern they want for their children. I'm sure those on the site will post ideas on that.

Our YMCA Association Office is fairly near by Southern Command, and there's lost of neighborhoods scattered around the Doral area. Doral is also fairly commercial, so that's something to consider. I live in Homestead, 'cause I like space. Less space down here now, but still can get a lot more for the $$ than closer to "town." Just one heck of a commute!

I know a lot of other people who move down here from other states and end up in Weston (Broward County). Planned communities is not my thing, but most seem to think the public school system for the Weston area is ideal.