If your picture of Miami is a few years old, it is out of date. The skyline, the bus system and even who is moving here have changed. In my video on things that are no longer true about living in Miami, I walked through those shifts. Here is where each one stands now.

10 Things That Are No Longer True About Living in Miami — Joe Sells MiamiWatch the original tour and read the supporting guide with verified, practical context.Watch on YouTube

“Miami is a low-rise beach town”

Not anymore. The 100-story Waldorf Astoria tower on Biscayne Boulevard will be Florida’s first supertall when it opens in 2028. It was about seven weeks from its top floor in mid-October.

Branded towers are now part of the skyline too. Aston Martin Residences, a 66-story tower with 391 homes on the Miami River, opened in April 2024. The carmaker said 99% of the units were sold before it was finished.

“You can’t get around without a car”

That is still true for many trips, but it is changing. On Oct. 27, 2025, Miami-Dade opened Metro Express on the South Dade TransitWay. The 20-mile, all-electric bus line runs from Florida City to the Dadeland South Metrorail station. Its 14 stations have level boarding and pay-before-you-board fares. Downtown and Brickell also have the free Metromover.

“Miami is just for tourists and snowbirds”

The numbers say otherwise. Miami-Dade added 64,211 residents between July 2023 and July 2024, a 2.3% jump, Census Bureau estimates show. Net international migration of 123,835 was the highest of any U.S. county. But it is not one-way: more people moved from Miami-Dade to other parts of the U.S. than moved in, a net loss of 67,418.

“Finance lives in New York”

Citadel is building its global headquarters at 1201 Brickell Bay Drive. The 52-story office tower restarted site work the week of Oct. 12 after a September accident, the Miami Herald reported. Vertical construction has not started yet.

“Big announcements mean it’s happening”

Not always. The Magic City Innovation District in Little Haiti was pitched years ago as a major tech campus. In June, its backers revived it with a new $3 billion plan. Construction has not started, and more rental towers were filed in October. Treat projects like this as proposals until crews are on site.

What it means if you live here

Miami is bigger, taller and more connected than it was a few years ago. Before you buy, rent or move, check the status of any nearby project yourself. A proposal is not an approval, and an approval is not a finished building.

Buying or selling in Miami? The Miami Lookout is founded by Joe Biscaha, a Miami realtor with Joe Sells Miami.