A Local Expert’s Guide To the Best Affordable Neighborhoods to Live in Miami

I’m Kelly, your ApartmentHomeLiving.com local expert from Miami, Florida. I’ve lived in Miami for a while now, and it’s truly one of the most exciting, vibrant, and beautiful places to live. There’s so much to explore all over this wonderful city along with activities and events going on all year long. You’ll never find yourself bored with nothing to do in Miami. Like many big cities across the US, the expenses for getting the most of of living here can sometimes stack up, but overall it’s easy to find creative things to do at a fraction of the cost. Luckily, as a long-time resident of Miami, I’ve also managed to find some of the more affordable neighborhoods over the years and can make some fantastic recommendations of top places around town to find an apartment or home that is less likely to break the budget. I’ve enjoyed every bit of the plentiful free culture and amenities around the city, including gorgeous parks, hiking trails, and beaches all up and down the coastline on the Atlantic. In this list of neighborhoods, I’ll highlight some of my favorite parts of Miami that you’re sure to love if you're looking to keep your living expenses in an affordable range.

Downtown Miami

I love a big city. That’s why one of the first places I lived in Miami was the downtown area. Being in Downtown Miami allowed me the opportunity to live in a neighborhood with a lot to do within walking distance like coffee shops, great restaurants, and shopping at the Bayside Marketplace. The overall feel of Downtown Miami is pretty urban with tall skyscrapers filled with condos and apartment buildings, many of which have the fantastic benefit of overlooking the water. Plus, you’re very close to Miami Beach and other suburbs, like Coconut Grove, Coral Gables, and Key Biscayne, which is an island village in Miami that has access to wonderful spaces like Crandon Park and Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park. You can picnic, kayak, and just swim in the gorgeous blue waters, enjoying some of that famous Miami sun that shines year-round. Living in Downtown Miami also allows you access to public transportation like the Metrorail and the Metrobus. There is even the Metromover, which is free to ride and goes in a big loop around Downtown Miami. If you're an art and history lover, don’t miss the Perez Art Museum Miami and the History Museum Miami, which are just two of the many options of sights to see within easy access of living in Downtown Miami.

Riverside

Riverside is a great community located right in the middle of a variety of fun and popular Miami neighborhoods, including Downtown Miami, Brickell, and Little Havana. Riverside is a beautiful place to live with many options in Miami rentals that are affordable for the area that provide residents with easy access to getting outside and great city parks. Riverside Park, which was just renamed the General José Francisco Morazán Quesada Park, is located right along the Miami River and has baseball and soccer fields. I love the fact that there are many paths where you can walk along the Miami River. I take my bike to this area all the time for a scenic ride that is part of the Great Miami River Recreational Trail. There are over 32 miles of trails that you can bike, run, or just stroll along. The overall feel of the community is densely urban, with many different bars, restaurants, and coffee shops right nearby. Public transportation is easy to access, and the Metrorail and the Metrobus are both great options to get in and out of Riverside. Lots of families love settling in to the Riverside and calling it home. It is easy to see why so many people choose to rent Riverside homes in this picturesque community.

Little Havana

Get ready to be exposed to vibrant culture and history galore in Little Havana, one of the most exciting neighborhoods that I’ve rented while living in Miami. This is the heart of Miami’s Cuban area, and delightfully offers residents many unique Cuban coffee shops and incredible dining options to enjoy. I loved to stroll among the many options of great establishments here and enjoy a café con leche or cortado and people watch. Don’t miss the wide array of bakery treats at many different shops too, like guava pastelitos, a puffed pastry filled with guava and cheese. Delicious! The famous main street of Little Havana is Calle Ocho, which is lined with stores, Cuban bars, and restaurants, like Versailles, which bills itself as the “World’s Most Famous Cuban Restaurant.” There, you can sample tasty Cuban cuisine, like the Cuban sandwich, yuca croquettes, and ham empanadas. The culture around this area includes plenty of historic places to visit that tell the rich history of this part of the city. The Cubaocho Museum and Performing Arts Center is there, along with the yearly Calle Ocho Festival that takes place in March. It’s a musical festival with fun for the whole family and 15 blocks of stages, dancing, food, and entertainment to explore. When I lived there, this was an event that I never missed.

Melrose Heights

Located right along the Miami River is the quaint community of Melrose Heights. Another area of town where I’ve been able to rent an affordable apartment and truly enjoyed how beautiful and scenic this area really is along the river. For those with families, this is a perfect area that has many community parks, like Melrose Park with picnic tables, a playground, and plenty of green space to run around. Being close to Downtown Miami, the Wynwood District, and the Miami Design District is also great, especially for those who love to shop. There is excellent shopping in a large outdoor mall space that has everything from designer to independent stores. There are lots of classic Spanish-style ranch houses and apartments in this area that make it feel more suburban, even though you’re close to the city center in Miami. Sidewalks line the streets, making it easy to walk around to various coffee shops and restaurants. Casino Miami is located within the neighborhood of Melrose Heights with over 68,000 square feet of casino game fun and music concerts. It’s an exciting way to spend the evening not far from home.

Brownsville

If you like a mix of suburban and urban amenities, look to the Brownsville neighborhood of Miami. This is located east of Miami Springs and right along Interstate 95, which will take you directly into Miami Beach very easily. I love going to the beaches in Miami, so this was a convenient spot to live. Plus, it’s only 4 miles away from Miami International Airport, so if you travel a lot for work or pleasure, it’s a quick ride away. The Metrorail, the Metrobus, and even the Brightline run through the Brownsville neighborhood. The Brightline is especially convenient to take if you work in Fort Lauderdale or want to travel to West Palm Beach, or even up to Orlando. Also, very close to Brownsville is the area known as Wynwood. It’s only 4 miles to the east, with plenty of art to explore among the famous Wynwood Wall murals that line the streets. Craft beer bars and art galleries are also very popular in this exciting and trendy area. If you like to go out, like I do, this is the area to see and be seen in Miami.

Midtown Miami

Midtown Miami is a comfy neighborhood of young families that live in what was formerly known as the industrial part of town. It’s been transformed into a trendy, hip, and inviting neighborhood that has plenty of bars, restaurants, coffee shops, and shopping. There is a Target and Marshall’s located there that give this neighborhood a more suburban feel, even though it’s only 4 miles north of Downtown Miami. Another benefit that I love about Midtown is that it’s sandwiched between the Miami Design District and Wynwood. There is just so much to see and do in this area, especially if you love art. The Margulies Collection is located in Midtown Miami, and it has a diverse collection of contemporary art in an impressive converted warehouse space.

Shenandoah

The Shenandoah neighborhood of Miami is a beautiful location with tree-lined streets, cute bungalows, and Mediterranean-style architecture. Overall, when I’m in this neighborhood, I’m happy to explore all the culture it has to offer, especially since it borders the famous Cuban neighborhood of Little Havana with its Calle Ocho as the main street. It’s also close to Coral Way, which is a busy street of Latin eateries, shops, and museums like the Bay of Pigs Museum and Library, featuring artifacts from 1961. For nature lovers, the Vizcaya Museum and Gardens is just a short walk away, a historic landmark and 1916 waterfront estate. I love that it’s so much fun to roam around and take in the beauty for hours at a time. As an urban neighborhood close to everything Miami has to offer, the suburban feel of the Shenandoah community is quite different from many other parts of Miami. Living here is more low-key and calmer than in other parts of Miami.

Liberty City

Formerly known as “Model City,”  most residents today call this wonderful Miami by this new name - Liberty City. With a location just a little over 5 miles north of Downtown Miami and west of Little Haiti, nestling into an affordable Liberty City apartment or home rental has become a favorite destination for Miami residents. This diverse area is home to Miami Dade College, so there is a good number of young students that live in the area. For public transportation, it’s located right along the Metrorail line at the Martin Luther King Jr. Plaza, making it easy to get to the surrounding areas all over Miami. History is a big part of the appeal of Liberty City. The historic Hampton House is still there, where Muhammad Ali had his own suite named after him. The town square, called Liberty Square, is where I would often go to shop in independent retailers for art and decor items that were unique finds. Another favorite spot of mine in Liberty City is Naomi’s Garden, which is a famous restaurant and lounge featuring tasty Caribbean food, like jerk chicken and sweet plantains.

Gladeview

For a more suburban living environment in Miami, it’s nice to live in the neighborhood of Gladeview. It’s located just a little over 6 miles northeast of the Miami International Airport. Public transportation is easy to access in Gladeview, with the Metrorail stopping at the M.L. King Station. Many residents who setting in the Miami area opt to rent homes in this area, which has a diverse population of people the friendly community. I like the fact that this is a very family-oriented area with lots of sidewalks and community parks like Gwen Cherry Park. The playground is great for all ages with a public pool that’s open during the summer, basketball courts, and picnic areas. Plus, Gladeview is just to the south of Route 934, which takes you into the northern part of Miami Beach. You can easily access Surfside and Bal Harbour, with its array of upscale shops and restaurants. Traffic is always an issue in Miami, so having such easy access to the road that takes you directly to Miami Beach is a big plus for beach lovers.

Westwood Lakes

One of the best neighborhoods with a great mix of parks and activities for families alongside affordable options in Miami area rentals is Westwood Lakes. It’s very close to the Zoo Miami, which has over 2000 animals on 750 acres and is the largest zoo in Florida. There are many parks located in Westwood Lakes, which gives it a more suburban feel. This was a great place to live and some of the parks that I visited while I lived there were Concord Park, which has a playground, pools, tennis courts, and basketball hoops, and Tropical Estates Park, which has a specific dog park and playground for kids. Overall, the vibe of this suburb is quiet and peaceful. While I lived there, I liked being out of the way of some of the traffic in Miami, but it was nice to be only 13 miles away from downtown to the west. The public transportation is the Metrobus there, but I could also take the Brightline into Fort Lauderdale, West Palm, and even up to Orlando for a trip to Disney World. It’s so convenient not to have to fight the traffic on some of these Florida highways.