Brandon Gross

Miami is a transient town flocked with snowbirds and sunshine-seeking transplants. It’s also a vacation spot, which leads people to believe they can defect to paradise and thrive. Not so fast! The city may not have the same gritty reputation of New York, but not everyone is cut out for life in Miami. Wondering if you should pack it in? Heed these seven signs to decide whether you'll make it in Miami.  7. You’re a safe driver Miami drivers are insane. This is not a stereotype; it is a fact. If you are someone who drives below the speed limit, doesn’t blast the radio and keeps both hands on the steering wheel, you’re too safe a driver to maneuver these streets. Unless you want cacophonous honking to follow you everywhere you go, drive recklessly every chance you get. 6. You’re afraid of Zika   Photograph: Shutterstock If you’ve been avoiding Wynwood, or Miami as a whole, due to the dreaded Zika virus, it’s time you toughened up. True Miamians are undaunted by Zika, or rather, we are ignoring it altogether. Just the other night, I walked through Wynwood shirtless and covered in honey while eating a burger from Kush to see if I’d get bitten. Here I am, still kickin’. 5. You go to Marlins Park to watch the Miami Marlins play  slgckgc" data-width-class="" /> Photograph: Courtesy CC/Flickr/slgckgc The Fish aren’t as ignored as they once were. The team is now in Marlins Park, a beautiful stadium with a fancy retractable roof, and winning enough games to warrant a weekend expediti

What’s the quickest way to get to know a city? Follow its most popular Instagrammers, of course. For a taste of what’s hot in the 305, we turn to these 10 best Miami Instagram accounts, which are run by a pair of pug-loving foodies, a sports star and a couple of photographers whose shots you will ogle for days—just to name a few. Time to refresh your feed? Check out these awesome accounts that showcase the real Miami.    1. @miami_foodporn   A photo posted by Miami Food Porn (@miami_foodporn) on Oct 29, 2016 at 2:18pm PDT Porn that’s actually SFW. This Instagram page showcases the best dishes in Miami, from South Beach to Wynwood. One look at the account’s delectable shot of Lulu’s ice cream and you’ll be craving dessert all day. 2. @miamifoodpug   A photo posted by Miami Food Bloggers (@miamifoodpug) on Oct 25, 2016 at 12:01pm PDT The duo behind this Miami food IG (and eponymous blog) trademark their photos with a pug (think “Where’s Waldo?” with an adorable pug in place of a stripes-clad Waldo), which finds its way into desserts, atop French fries and into all sorts of dishes. The account is one of Miami’s most prolific food IGs and also the funniest. They get bonus points for getting the pug to wear a chef’s hat. 3. @lifestyle_miami   A photo posted by Miami | Official Page (@lifestyle_miami) on Nov 2, 2016 at 7:27am PDT A smattering of shots showing what life in Miami is like, only with fewer food posts than most local IG accounts. A shot of Miami architect

To outsiders, Miamians seemingly speak a different language. It’s often spoken with a thick Latin accent that a gringo like me doesn’t understand or written in a text you then have to enlist friends to help decipher. To keep you from killing hours on Urban Dictionary or appearing like a loser to the girl you’re messaging on Tinder, I’ve put together a handy guide to figuring common abbreviations and acronyms used in the 305. 1. MIA: Miami Ok. This one is super obvious, but it is special because it is both an abbreviation and an acronym. MIA is an abbreviation on Miami, but it is also an acronym for Miami International Airport. This is the most tell-tale of all Miami slang. You can figure out if someone is really from the MIA by how they use it. (See what I did there?) For instance, if someone says, “I attended a stellar conference on the plastics industry near the Miami International Airport,” they are not a Miamian. 2. SoBe: South Beach Another obvious one, but maybe the most important Miami colloquialism. All Miami b-roll shows SoBe and its throngs of hot people doing beach things. SoBe is the face of the MIA. 3. MiMo/BiBo: Miami Modern/Biscayne Boulevard Now this is where Miami starts sounding a little like New York City. MiMo is short for Miami Modern while BiBo is short for Biscayne Boulevard. You’ll find MiMo on BiBo and some parts of SoBe. 4. BRKL: Brickell This abbreviation for Brickell is most helpful to non-Miamians who insist on pronouncing it Brick-elle. 5. W4G: W

Mizner Shops This two-block hangout for restaurants, bars and quasi-upscale shopping is perfect for recent college grads. At 5pm pretty much every day, you can find a group of young business professionals sharing a Tsingtao at Mizner Asian Fusion restaurant Ka-Pow, speaking about how their alumni’s football team while bemoaning how much they miss college and how they should consider a move to Miami. Boca Town Center Mall This is not your average Florida mall. It has a Cheesecake Factory, and Apple Store and a Container Store. If those three things don't scream "Millennial," I'm not sure what does.  Highland Beach Boca's most fmaous beach is notable for its sand, water and a homeless guy who asks “like the t-shirt?” Millennials love this beach for night walks with their significant other or friends they haven’t seen since high school who still wants to smoke pot in the sea turtle nesting pit. There are plenty of beautiful sights to see in the daytime too, but nighttime is when it really shines. Office Depot Headquarters If Millennials aren’t already utilizing their business degrees here as a career, chances are they sit in the parking lot in their Nissan Versa’s on Sundays. This five-story is, surprisingly, one of the sights in the region—it's often referred by the locals as "Parthenon South."  Ben’s Deli Every Millennial and 80-year-old geriatric named Fran Schwartz frequents this Jewish delicatessen. If you’re looking for a filling meal, look no further. This restaurant know