I wish I could take the best of Miami and bring it to Melbourne and the best of Melbourne and bring it to Miami.
From Miami
Caribbean and Latin food
Melbourne could use a few more people from the Caribbean and Central and South America. Then they could establish restaurants, and I wouldn’t miss Jamaican jerk chicken, Nicaraguan churrasco, Venezuelan tequeños, Colombian arepas, and all those delicious dishes that Caribbean and Latin people share. For example, rice and beans, yellow rice and chicken, carne con papas, malanga, boniato, fufu, tostones, tres leches, and, of course, all those Cuban delights – lechon, platanos maduros fritos, yuca con mojo, pastelitos, empanadas, croquetas, tamales, and flan.
The spiritual community
In the greater part of the U.S., religion and politics are closely tied. Politically conservative people tend to be religiously conservative, and faith informs politics. Miami is unique in that it is largely politically conservative but religiously plural. Miami has many people practising Afro-Caribbean religions, such as Vodou and Lukumi. It also has a vibrant Pagan community. Perhaps even more interesting is that many people participate in various faiths. It’s not uncommon to find a person dancing the night away to the beat of African drums in the worship of Yemaya on Saturday night and at Catholic mass Sunday morning.
Images of loa and orishas appear in street art, the sounds of drums can be heard in the streets, offerings are left at sacred trees, new initiates smile as they walk down the street wearing white from head to toe, and Pagans dance around bonfires at the beach under a full moon. It all gives Miami a unique flavour that I miss.
Coffee
Melbourne thinks it has a great coffee culture, but let Miami introduce you to Cuban cortadito, café con leche, colada, and that delicious shot of sweet rocket fuel we call café Cubano. Just walk up right up to one of the many take-away windows of the cafes that heavily dot the streets of Miami and lay down a couple of bucks.
I think Melbournians equate coffee in the U.S. with Starbucks. Sadly, the chain has taken over and put a lot of independent cafes out of business, and I agree that Starbucks is not good coffee, but I appreciate the stores staying open late. There aren’t a lot of quiet after-hour spaces that aren’t bars or pubs in Melbourne.
Melbourne has resisted the Starbucks takeover. The chain is here, but there are few stores. Melbournians don’t seem to enjoy Frappuccinos and Caramel Macchiatos nearly as much as Americans. Flavoured coffee is unusual, and Melbournians seem unfamiliar with drip coffee. At home, surprisingly and strangely, many drink instant coffee. On the bright side, Melbourne baristas are into coffee art.
Ice cream
Melbourne is just as hot or hotter than Miami, and there are few things better than delicious creamy ice cream on a hot summer day. Yet, sadly, Melbourne lacks great ice cream shops. You can buy ice cream at your local supermarket, of course, and I’ve seen kids emerge from milk bars with ice cream bars in their hands, but I’m talking about the classic ice cream parlour.
We’ve got Carvel, Cold Stone Creamery, Ghiradelli, Ben & Jerry’s, and many independent ice cream shops in Miami. It’s a treat to enter one of these and build your sundae to the delight of your inner child. While I’m pretty dull – vanilla bean with caramel or cookie dough ice cream will do for me – if you want three scoops of rainbow-coloured bubble gum ice cream topped with chocolate fudge and Oreo cookies on a waffle cone, you can have that.
Melbourne has some good gelato shops, but the gelato menu is usually small and traditional, like coffee.
Lemonade
Dear Melbourne, Sprite is not lemonade. Sprite is a colourless, lemon-lime flavoured carbonated soft drink produced by Coca-Cola. Lemonade is a refreshing non-carbonated drink made with freshly-squeezed lemon juice, water, and sugar. The frozen variety is especially lovely on a hot summer day at the fair or park.
From Melbourne
Bicycle infrastructure
People in Miami have always ridden bicycles. Aside from tourists and beach locals riding for leisure, Miami is a city of poor working immigrants from countries where bicycling is common, and bicycles are a cheap alternative to cars. I’ve seen older men hauling groceries in baskets on tricycles for as long as I can remember. On my last trip, I noticed many more people on bicycles – older men with groceries, young men going to work, some women running errands, a few students wearing backpacks. I’ve also noticed more new bike shops.
Nevertheless, Miami is not a bicycle-friendly city. There are few bike lanes and fewer bike paths. Cyclists may ride on the street, but considering how bad and hostile Miami drivers are, this is like playing Russian roulette. Many cyclists ride on the sidewalks to the dismay of many pedestrians.
Miami could learn a lot from Melbourne when it comes to bicycling. It could learn that bicycling is inexpensive, healthy, environmentally friendly, and can often get you to your destination faster than driving. It doesn’t require special gear or clothing (spandex is optional), provides a nice breeze on a hot day, and is easy enough on the body that almost anyone can do it. Miami needs more bicycle lanes, paths, parking, education and law enforcement to teach people how to share the road.
Mediterranean and Asian food
What Melbourne lacks in Caribbean and Latin food, it makes up for in Mediterranean and Asian cuisine. Melbourne has the largest Greek population outside of Greece. Thank the Olympians that some of them, along with the Lebanese and Turks, have set up terrific eateries. I’ve had the best kebab and baklava in Melbourne.
Melbourne also has a substantial Asian population. You can find streets with one restaurant after another of delicious Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai, you name it, and all very reasonably priced. Equally, delicious Indian food is abundant. There’s good Indian food in Miami too, but there’s not enough.
Public transport
Melbourne’s public transport system integrates rail, the largest tram network globally, and bus services. Not having been in Melbourne long, I find the network confusing, but it has always gotten me where I want to go with a bit of research. The trains, trams, and buses are reasonably comfortable, clean, and mostly on time.
Miami’s public transport is abysmal. We have one rail on one line. Recently, a second line that goes to the airport has opened. We have buses driven by hostile drivers. Buses rarely arrive on time, mainly due to Miami’s heavy traffic, and sometimes they don’t stop at all, leaving groups of people in disbelief at bus stops marked by graffiti and broken glass.
Miami is a car city, and buses are taken mainly by the poor, the elderly who ride for free, and the homeless. They’re often dirty and smell bad. Riding a bus in Miami is not a pleasant experience.
Markets
I’ve written before about Melbourne’s wonderful markets and how much I love them. Every weekend, Melbourne hosts several markets. I love a good Trash and Treasure. Sadly, Miami fleas markets have all but disappeared over the years, and those that are left sell mostly new junk rather than old junk/treasures.Â
I also love all the arts and crafts markets. Melbournians appreciate unique handmade designs in jewellery, clothes, housewares, furniture, and more. And at markets like Camberwell, you can find a great mix of old junk (the good kind), vintage treasures, new handcrafted goods, and cupcakes (they’re all the rage these days).
Law enforcement
Many ex-pats observe that there’s a lot of officialness down under. Even Aussies will sometimes complain that Australia is a “nanny state”. There are a lot of rules and laws that are enforced with fines. It can be frustrating, but it’s also what helps make Melbourne a peaceful, orderly, safe place to live.
Miami has laws too, but people don’t follow them, and the police don’t enforce them. Of course, I’m generalising and exaggerating (though not by much), but Miami is a pretty chaotic place to live.
My brother-in-law recently made an illegal turn. He didn’t realise a stationed police vehicle was just a few feet away, and he hoped the officer hadn’t seen him. My 11-year-old nephew told him not to worry because the officer was probably having his doughnut or Snickers bar. Sure enough, my brother-in-law went on his merry way.
As she suddenly and quickly backed the car up and crossed two lanes to make the highway entrance she’d missed, a good friend told me she doesn’t mind driving a little crazy in Miami. It’s just keeping up with everyone else.
Last week, I posted on Facebook that I accidentally drove on the left side of a residential road. Friends laughed and said, that’s okay, it’s Miami, nobody noticed. It is all a big joke.
Red lights, stop signs, speed limits, and pedestrian crossings are merely suggestions. At roundabouts, the person with the right of way is the one who can make it there first and fastest. Hit and runs are a daily occurrence. Car registration and insurance are not required. I mean, legally they are, but, you know, not really. Theft, littering, gun violence, rudeness, that’s Miami. Where are the (under-trained, underpaid, overextended) police, you may wonder? Ignoring emergency calls while they have Cuban coffee. I told you it was good.
I like ‘houswifedownunder’ comments about it being easier to be healthy in Australia than America. As you pointed out, Cossette, America needs more bike lanes and to promote biking. Americans complain constantly about the price of gas, yet they refuse to get out of their cars, and in some cases, no wonder. The vast majority live in housing developments that require a car to get a loaf of bread, due to the onset of super stores, i.e., Costco, Walmart, and such, small businesses have not been able to compete. Local shops rarely exist (I realize they do in certain cities, like Miami and San Francisco, and New York), but most have to live in the ‘burbs’, and therefore are harnessed to a car. Don’t get me started! It really burns me up when people drive up and down rows of spaces – miles to get a better parking space at Costco, closer to the door… How about getting out of the car and actually walking a bit!
Not only do Americans love their cars, they love big cars. Despite the rising cost of gas and that parking spaces get smaller to accommodate more cars, Americans love their SUVs. I always roll my eyes when I see a Hummer on the road.
Where ever I go in the world, I seek out an Australian style iced coffee. Love them.
I also love American lemonade, and dislike Sprite and other Australian so-called lemonades.
Yeah, whoever thought of putting ice cream in the iced coffee is pretty darn genius. We gotta work on the lemonade though.
You must not have good gelato places near you because the one I go to has all kinds of cool flavours and every time I go in there, I never know what they will have.
From America, I’d like to bring forward-thinking traffic infrastructure to Australia. I’m sick of these narrow little roads, major roads being only single lane, freeways that just suddenly end, a lack of turn lanes, I could go on and on. I miss big wide roads that can accommodate the traffic of their respective cities.
What I’d like to bring from Australia a greater appreciation for healthy living. I think America could benefit from little produce markets, cycling infrastructure, more parks, etc. You don’t have to try as hard in Australia to be healthy as you do in America.
Yes, I’m still not comfortable driving in Melbourne. I completely agree that it’s easier to be healthier in Australia. I also find that my Aussie friends like to cook more than my American friends. I mean really cook, make things from scratch with fresh ingredients.
I loved this post. I actually live in Adelaide which I’m pretty happy with. I’ve been to the US a number of times but never to stay and i’ve never visited Miami except through TV shows like ‘Dexter’ and movies. Melbourme’s okay but I prefer Adelaide. Great swimming beaches and everytrhing’s close.
There is a brand available from Coles and the likes, called ‘Charlie’s’ they have lemon (and other citrus and fruit) quenchers which is what I believe you are referring to as lemonade.