I miss Real Life Basic. I miss Cafeteria. I miss the Pink Palm when it was in its bigger space. I miss Mosley's Linens, and the shady Health Store next to Zeke's. I'm going to miss the New World Symphony at the Lincoln Theater. I miss the Rayco Store on Biscayne Boulevard. I never shopped at any of those places (that's a lie - I miss you, Real. Life. Basic. and Cafeteria!) but I still miss them.

I miss when Miami Beach wasn't a gigantic outdoor mall.

::sigh::

I have to get the hell out of this place soon. This city went from being edgy and awesome and fun, when I first moved here, to being an across-the-board overpriced Tourist Trap, with only little pockets like Joe Allen and The Abbey and La Sanwicherie reminding me of the awesome little independent places that once dotted the beach. They didn't even have to be charming - remember The Chambers? That place was a hellhole.

Ugh. I'm over this city. Anyone wanna buy my place? I'll sell it to you for what I bought it for - 290K. It was a steal then, it's a steal now.

And anyone have any recommendations for anywhere that's like Miami Beach was in the late 90s? Cool, weird, affordable and gritty?

Seriously. I'm having a major "hate-on-Miami" month. Maybe I'll snap out of it. But I have started to do my D.C. Bar application. I need some sort of escape plan.