Miami is a seaport city at the southeastern corner of the U.S. state of Florida and its Atlantic coast. As the seat of Miami-Dade County, the municipality is the principal, central, and most populous of its metropolitan area and part of the second-most populous metropolis in the southeastern United States. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Miami's metro area is the eighth-most populous and fourth-largest urban area in the U.S., with a population of around 5.5 million.
Miami is a major center, and a leader in finance, commerce, culture, media, entertainment, the arts, and international trade. In 2012, Miami was classified as an Alpha−World City in the World Cities Study Group's inventory. In 2010, Miami ranked seventh in the United States in terms of finance, commerce, culture, entertainment, fashion, education, and other sectors. It ranked 33rd among global cities. In 2008, Forbes magazine ranked Miami "America's Cleanest City", for its year-round good air quality, vast green spaces, clean drinking water, clean streets, and citywide recycling programs. According to a 2009 UBS study of 73 world cities, Miami was ranked as the richest city in the United States, and the world's fifth-richest city in terms of purchasing power. Miami is nicknamed the "Capital of Latin America" and is the largest city with a Cuban-American plurality.
Miami has the third tallest skyline in the U.S. with over 300 high-rises. Downtown Miami is home to the largest concentration of international banks in the United States, and many large national and international companies. The Civic Center is a major center for hospitals, research institutes, medical centers, and biotechnology industries. For more than two decades, the Port of Miami, known as the "Cruise Capital of the World", has been the number one cruise passenger port in the world. It accommodates some of the world's largest cruise ships and operations, and is the busiest port in both passenger traffic and cruise lines. Metropolitan Miami is the major tourism hub in the American South, number two in the U.S. after New York City and number 13 in the world, including the popular destination of Miami Beach.
From Wikipedia
Geography
Miami and its suburbs are located on a broad plain between the Florida Everglades to the west and Biscayne Bay to the east, which also extends from Florida Bay north to Lake Okeechobee. The elevation of the area never rises above 40 ft (12 m) and averages at around 6 ft (1.8 m) above mean sea level in most neighborhoods, especially near the coast. The highest undulations are found along the coastal Miami Rock Ridge, whose substrate underlies most of the eastern Miami metropolitan region. The main portion of the city lies on the shores of Biscayne Bay which contains several hundred natural and artificially created barrier islands, the largest of which contains Miami Beach and South Beach. The Gulf Stream, a warm ocean current, runs northward just 15 miles (24 km) off the coast, allowing the city's climate to stay warm and mild all year.
Miami is partitioned into many different sections, roughly into North, South, West and Downtown. The heart of the city is Downtown Miami and is technically on the eastern side of the city. This area includes Brickell, Virginia Key, Watson Island, and PortMiami. Downtown is South Florida's central business district, and Florida's largest and most influential central business district. Downtown has the largest concentration of international banks in the U.S. along Brickell Avenue. Downtown is home to many major banks, courthouses, financial headquarters, cultural and tourist attractions, schools, parks and a large residential population. East of Downtown, across Biscayne Bay is South Beach. Just northwest of Downtown, is the Civic Center, which is Miami's center for hospitals, research institutes and biotechnology with hospitals such as Jackson Memorial Hospital, Miami VA Hospital, and the University of Miami's Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine.
The southern side of Miami includes Coral Way, The Roads and Coconut Grove. Coral Way is a historic residential neighborhood built in 1922 connecting Downtown with Coral Gables, and is home to many old homes and tree-lined streets. Coconut Grove was established in 1825 and is the location of Miami's City Hall in Dinner Key, the Coconut Grove Playhouse, CocoWalk, many nightclubs, bars, restaurants and bohemian shops, and as such, is very popular with local college students. It is a historic neighborhood with narrow, winding roads, and a heavy tree canopy. Coconut Grove has many parks and gardens such as Villa Vizcaya, The Kampong, The Barnacle Historic State Park, and is the home of the Coconut Grove Convention Center and numerous historic homes and estates.
The western side of Miami includes Little Havana, West Flagler, and Flagami, and is home to many of the city's traditionally immigrant neighborhoods. Although at one time a mostly Jewish neighborhood, today western Miami is home to immigrants from mostly Central America and Cuba, while the west central neighborhood of Allapattah is a multicultural community of many ethnicities.
The northern side of Miami includes Midtown, a district with a great mix of diversity with many West Indians, Hispanics, European Americans, bohemians, and artists. Edgewater, and Wynwood, are neighborhoods of Midtown and are made up mostly of high-rise residential towers and are home to the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts. The wealthier residents usually live in the northeastern part, in Midtown, the Design District, and the Upper East Side, with many sought after 1920s homes and home of the MiMo Historic District, a style of architecture originated in Miami in the 1950s. The northern side of Miami also has notable African American and Caribbean immigrant communities such as Little Haiti, Overtown (home of the Lyric Theater), and Liberty City.
From Wikipedia
Languages
As of 2010, 70.2% of Miami's population age five and over spoke only Spanish at home while 22.7% of the population spoke English at home. About 6.3% spoke other Indo-European languages at home. About 0.4% spoke Asian languages or Pacific Islander languages/Oceanic languages at home. The remaining 0.3% of the population spoke other languages at home. In total, 77.3% spoke another language other than English.
As of 2000, 66.75% of residents spoke Spanish at home, while those who only spoke English made up 25.45%. Speakers of Haitian Creole (French-based) were 5.20%, French speakers comprised 0.76% of the population, and Portuguese at 0.41%. Among U.S. cities, Miami has one of the highest proportions of residents who speak languages other than English at home (74.55% in 2000).
Due to English-speakers moving away from the area, the percentage of residents who speak only English is expected to continue to decline.
From Wikpedia
Economy
Miami is a major center of commerce, finance, and boasts a strong international business community. According to the ranking of world cities undertaken by the Globalization and World Cities Study Group & Network (GaWC) in 2010 and based on the level of presence of global corporate service organizations, Miami is considered a "Alpha minus world city." Miami has a Gross Metropolitan Product of $257 billion and is ranked 20th worldwide in GMP, and 11th in the United States.
Miami is a major television production center, and the most important city in the U.S. for Spanish language media. Univisión, Telemundo and UniMÁS have their headquarters in Miami, along with their production studios. The Telemundo Television Studios produces much of the original programming for Telemundo, such as their telenovelas and talk shows. In 2011, 85% of Telemundo's original programming was filmed in Miami. Miami is also a major music recording center, with the Sony Music Latin and Universal Music Latin Entertainment headquarters in the city, along with many other smaller record labels. The city also attracts many artists for music video and film shootings.
Since 2001, Miami has been undergoing a large building boom with more than 50 skyscrapers rising over 400 feet (122 m) built or currently under construction in the city. Miami's skyline is ranked third-most impressive in the U.S., behind New York City and Chicago, and 19th in the world according to the Almanac of Architecture and Design. The city currently has the eight tallest (as well as thirteen of the fourteen tallest) skyscrapers in the state of Florida, with the tallest being the 789-foot (240 m) Four Seasons Hotel & Tower.
During the mid-2000s, the city witnessed its largest real estate boom since the Florida land boom of the 1920s. During this period, the city had well over a hundred approved high-rise construction projects in which 50 were actually built. In 2007, however, the housing market crashed causing lots of foreclosures on houses. This rapid high-rise construction, has led to fast population growth in the city's inner neighborhoods, primarily in Downtown, Brickell and Edgewater, with these neighborhoods becoming the fastest-growing areas in the city. The Miami area ranks 8th in the nation in foreclosures. In 2011, Forbes magazine named Miami the second-most miserable city in the United States due to its high foreclosure rate and past decade of corruption among public officials. In 2012, Forbes magazine named Miami the most miserable city in the United States because of a crippling housing crisis that has cost multitudes of residents their homes and jobs. The metro area has one of the highest violent crime rates in the country and workers face lengthy daily commutes. Like other metro areas in the United States, crime in Miami is localized to specific neighborhoods.
Miami International Airport and PortMiami are among the nation's busiest ports of entry, especially for cargo from South America and the Caribbean. The Port of Miami is the world's busiest cruise port, and MIA is the busiest airport in Florida, and the largest gateway between the United States and Latin America. Additionally, the city has the largest concentration of international banks in the country, primarily along Brickell Avenue in Brickell, Miami's financial district. Due to its strength in international business, finance and trade, many international banks have offices in Downtown such as Espírito Santo Financial Group, which has its U.S. headquarters in Miami. Miami was also the host city of the 2003 Free Trade Area of the Americas negotiations, and is one of the leading candidates to become the trading bloc's headquarters.
From Wikipedia
Culture
In addition to such annual festivals like Calle Ocho Festival and Carnaval Miami, Miami is home to many entertainment venues, theaters, museums, parks and performing arts centers. The newest addition to the Miami arts scene is the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, the second-largest performing arts center in the United States after the Lincoln Center in New York City, and is the home of the Florida Grand Opera. Within it are the Ziff Ballet Opera House, the center's largest venue, the Knight Concert Hall, the Carnival Studio Theater and the Peacock Rehearsal Studio. The center attracts many large-scale operas, ballets, concerts, and musicals from around the world and is Florida's grandest performing arts center. Other performing arts venues in Miami include the Gusman Center for the Performing Arts, Coconut Grove Playhouse, Colony Theatre, Lincoln Theatre, New World Center, Actor's Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre, Jackie Gleason Theatre, Manuel Artime Theater, Ring Theatre, Playground Theatre, Wertheim Performing Arts Center, the Fair Expo Center and the Bayfront Park Amphitheater for outdoor music events.
Miami is also considered a "hot spot" for dance music. Freestyle, a style of dance music popular in the 1980s and 90s was heavily influenced by Electro, hip-hop, and disco. Many popular Freestyle acts such as Pretty Tony, Debbie Deb, Stevie B, and Exposé, originated in Miami. Indie/folk acts Cat Power and Iron & Wine are based in the city, while alternative hip hop artist Sage Francis, electro artist Uffie, and the electroclash duo Avenue D were born in Miami, but musically based elsewhere. Also, ska punk band Against All Authority is from Miami, and rock/metal bands Nonpoint and Marilyn Manson each formed in neighboring Fort Lauderdale. Cuban American female recording artist, Ana Cristina, was born in Miami in 1985.
Miami's main four sports teams are the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League, the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association, the Miami Marlins of Major League Baseball, and the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League. As well as having all four major professional teams, Miami is also home to the Major League Soccer expansion team led by David Beckham, Sony Ericsson Open for professional tennis, numerous greyhound racing tracks, marinas, jai alai venues, and golf courses. The city streets has hosted professional auto races, the Miami Indy Challenge and later the Grand Prix Americas. The Homestead-Miami Speedway oval hosts NASCAR national races.
From Wikipedia
Meta-human Vigilantism / Crime
Possibly as a result of massive influx of mutants from Venezuela, as well as the appeal of super-powered drug Konite to both street dwellers and high-rise occupants, Miami has experienced a measurable rise in metahuman activity. As per normal, this has lead to an increase in extra-normal crime, ranging from muggings to vigilante-style murders. In poorer neighborhoods, vandalism is extremely common, with the gangs now superhumanly powered. Even those without inhuman abilities are buying into the "masked combatant" craze; basic animal-inspired costumed outlaws, potentially inspired by the likes of Dark Vengeance and the Silver Spider, are now recurring elements of the Miami criminal underworld. The influx of Konite has been unstoppable by conventional police forces; they seem content to let the supers handle the problem.
In addition to the rise of superhero-inspired extra-judicial acts, a wave of retro-style culture is currently gripping Miami. The DeLorean DMC-12, made a symbol of the 1980s by its use in Robert Zemeckis' film Back to the Future, has found a resurgent market in the high-rise dotted Florida capital. The 80s are said to be resurgent in Miami.
OOC
Standard CVU Rules apply; contact the COE or myself to request events, destruction, etc.
No no-selling, autohitting, godmodding, etc.
Feel free to establish reasonable corporations / residences within the city
Try to sell the 80s tone! Wanted something a little different.
You must listen to this, this, or this whenever reading / posting here.
The sun hung high in the sky over what could only be considered a pinnacle of human craftsmanship; the yellow rays of light caught the copper colored exterior of what everyone would assume was just another hero. Never wearing his Copper Titan in public it made for the perfect disguise considering his new status as 'Terrorist at Large' would most likely grab the unwanted attention of some spandex wearing nobody looking to build their reputation. His thrusts carried him through the complex maze of city streets and alleys while his optics scanned every green or blue metal bin that passed underneath him. So far he had found fifteen homeless individuals, three of which were preforming some heinous acts to a turkey. The worst part of that encounter was that they didn't even stop they just invited him to join them...he didn't. Still he couldn't find that one purple clad bastard he was looking for and it was starting to grow tiring sifting through peoples waste and rubbish.
He touched down in a new alley, this dumpster giving off a human heat signature. His metal fingers curled around the plastic lid and lifted it high to reveal exactly what he was looking for. His foot reeled back before colliding with the metal bin and producing a loud ringing noise, like a gong struck with another gong.
Who knew what time it was? It could have been noon, morning, or night. Who knew the month or even the year at this point? Not Reynard.
The United States government didn't know what to make out of Reynard. In one hand, he had gone after the French Administration and allegedly blown up their equivalent of the White House. In the other, he had stood in front of a bullet for the current Present of the United States. Besides, what could a drunk old man do to the most powerful government in the world?
Night after night of debauchery. The days started to bleed together at one point. He thought putting on the cape would make him quit, that it would magically make the bad habits disappear. Living in Miami was a problem, every one of his contact knew how to reach him there. He should have moved back to Boston and aged like an alcoholic watching reruns.
Reynrad looked up, covering his face from the shining lights around him. They could have been neon nightlights or it could have been the blinding sun. Grunting, he responded "Sorry, kid. I don't do autographs until noon."
The stench of late night drinking and human waste had mixed into something even his air filters couldn't keep out. It was as if the Terran's equivalent of the Darkspawn had defecated into a metal bin and let it fester under the Terran sun. Now lying in that pile of human filth was an incredibly powerful hero. With the way he looked and smelled though, it was hard to tell.
Neuromind moved around to the side of the bin, positioning one hand on the back and one wrapped around the green lip. A slight sigh of disbelief escaped his mouth.
"Good thing it's noon"
With a slight heft and a couple grunts the rubbish bin fell on it's side allowing its contents to flood the already filthy alleyway. He lifted his wrists in the direction of both cameras that flanked the illuminated hovel, metal panels opened up and the barrel of a gun extended outwards. A single shot took out both surveillance devices and another scan of the area concluded it was mostly secure. Lowering his arms and retracting his wrist weapons he let out another sigh. His mask began to disassemble, plates and panels shifted across the side allowing his head to become fully visible.
"Remember me now Reynard. I was in Washington, I was in France, I was in Nebraska."
He paused for a moment gesturing towards his figure.
Reynard slowly laid his back against the wall and took out a cigarette and a lighter from his utility belt. Puzzled he responded “Uh..Sure. I remember you. You fought someone big in Nebraska and did something in Washington. Didn’t you fight the henchmen or something?” In truth, he only barely remembered him from Nebraska and didn't even know he had participated in France and Washington. “So what brings you to my humble acienda?”
Ronald Larson would've slapped his palm against his forehead if not for the fact that his palms was currently covered in metal that would cause him some serious pain if it was to strike his forehead. Instead he brought his eyelids together and sighed for a moment; it was blatantly obvious that Reynard had little to no memory of their interactions which would make this quite a bit harder. His goal today was to get Reynard's help in standing against the corrupt government and had he known prior to today that this man was a raging drunk, he would've picked a later time then noon to find him.
"Well thats the interesting part, I've done my research on you, quite the...record you've managed to put together. Defending the President one day and then allegedly bombing the French government another."
He interlocked his mechanical fingers behind his back and positioned himself in front of the Violet Vigilante.
"You've done some good work and I want you to help me do more. Recent events have triggered a shift in my overall opinion of the worlds governments and the man who runs this country. I experienced first hand the type of monster that sits in that oval office and like any monster he needs to be hunted."
His words were treasonous and if he was wrong about Reynard he would have only moments before he was staring down the barrel of a telekinetic powerhouse ready to fire. Yet he was confident from his analysis of the Terran Telekinetic that he would at least be open to the idea.
"God, you're dramatic." Larson reminded Reyanrd of himself when he was young and hopeful. When he and Honorbound had a similar conversation about the cynical nature of the superhero community.
"What do you want to do? Team up like superheroes did in the old days? Take down the villain behind the great conspiracy? Throw Brutus into prison and get applauded by the public? Maybe even get a few medals?" Reynard stood up slowly, his knees wobbly and his head dazed.
"That's not how the world works anymore. It's more complicated than that now. They're not going to impeach him. Stark didn't get impeached for Grimm. You think Brutus isn't going to get away with it? Come on."
Rey as always was waiting on her. Someone special--the woman of his dreams. The one and only Jesse James. He thought about her as he waited and blushed. Rey had a shiny object in hand, not sure how he'd tell her how he feels. He quickly put it away and shook off the feeling, put on a cocky smile and waited for his date.
The air shimmered, then the fabric of space opened to allow me to step through. My outfit was a bit more formal than my usual civilian dress--Rey had requested that I dress up. I wondered why but couldn't come up with anything. After using the Icefire guns to open my portal I'd set them aside. We were going on a date, after all, not a robbery, though we'd done that before too.
My floor-length black skirt brushed the tops of my boots, my blonde hair was double French braided into pigtails, my face had some blush and mascara. I wore around my neck a necklace that belonged to my mother, small sapphires circumscribing a larger ruby, or what I liked to call an Icefire insignia. My white blouse was flawless under a thin grey vest. My blue eyes sparked when I saw the familiarly cocky smile of the man I loved.
I whistled in a flirty type way. "Now that's one of the outfits I was suggesting you'd wear more often. Damn you're gorgeous," I said while blushing. "Anyway, take a seat and let's enjoy this date, and I sure hope it's not interrupted or anything...this is by far our most important date."
@rey_everdeen: I giggled and blushed as I sat down. "Each seems to be more important than the last," I said with a smile. "I'd hate to have tonight interrupted too. It would be a nice change."
"That's true, but this one will be something very unforgettable. Something that can change our lives forever." I winked and continued to speak. "Sooooo are you hungry?"
"Yeah, you'll find out after we're finished eating. What will you order? I know what I'm ordering already," I laughed and pointed to the lobster and a bottle of wine.
@rey_everdeen: I ordered too and saw ow serious he looked. It made me smile. He looked much more mature when he was like this, much more like a grown man than a cute, slightly but lovably annoying boy. It made me feel a bit younger, nor childish than usual.
@rey_everdeen: "Yeah. I do. There was one one time that it caused an issue for me lately though. It's a funny story, sort of. One of the Bandit Queen's old enemies caught up to me and we dueled it out."
"I've been trying to help Emma get her life together, and I decided to take a really valuable item...for a reason. I'm holding it in my pocket right now."
"Figured you'd like her. She reminds me of that Alexis girl you always talk about." I got a little nervous answering the question. "Heh heh, you know I can't tell you that just yet. It's a surprise. But if you're so eager to know, we can step outside in private?"
His nervousness made me a little nervous, and I wondered if he'd gotten himself into trouble again. I looked from my half-finished plate, my cheeks turning red. "Or we can wait, since that's what you seemed to be planning anyway. Just promise me you're not in trouble with someone you can't handle."
@rey_everdeen: "Really?" I asked, trying and failing to guess what it was. That was another thing about Rey, how his typical unpredictability always kept me on my toes. I loved it. I loved him.
@rey_everdeen: I ate quickly, but not too quickly. I'd be finished soon. The excitement was getting to my head, all of my voices guessing at what could possibly be going on.
@rey_everdeen: I would have laughed had it not been for a memory it bright back... A young Stella, with her mother explaining the phrase. "Go ahead and be curious, sweetie," she had said. "Any trouble you find will simply make you stronger. Don't let them shoot you down..."
I came back to the present and realized I had slowed down considerably, barely poking at the last few bites with my fork.
Larson simply smiled at the remark, it hadn't occurred to him that his personality had become dramatic yet, he enjoyed it. There was only one thing wrong with the Mauve Master of Mental Manipulations statement and that was the end goal. Righteousness and Justice were all fabrications of the warped minds pulling the strings that held everyone together.
"Yes...and no."
He positioned himself casually against the maroon brick that formed the walls of a middle class apartment building.
"Nebraska showed me alot about the way things work around here and its wrong. Pigs sit on thrones and govern the sheep who spend their daily lives engrossed in spoon fed media. If he was somehow locked away how long would the walls he helped build hold him? How long until the people who he put into positions of power get him out?"
He removed himself from the wall and assumed an upright posture moving only two steps closer to Reynard.
"The reason he's going to get away with it is because you can't just rush the king. He's got assets and allies that grant him his immunity but; what happens when those allies aren't in play anymore? What happens when he has nothing to defend him? The answer is simple, the beast gets slain."
"What I'm asking for isn't a team up, no team in this solar system could stop Brutus. I'm asking for your help in building an army...in staging a good ol fashioned rebellion. Brutus condemned those who didn't agree with him as Terrorists and enemies of the State. Whether he wanted to or not he started a war in Nebraska and I plan to show him the repercussions of that decision. The question is if you'll help me?"
He held out his hand as was custom for Terrans when they wanted to make a deal.
@rey_everdeen: I looked up at him with a wistful smile. "No, no," I promised. "Just an old memory decided to come up. I think I'm full. Maybe too full for dessert even," I added with a laugh.
I had been laughing as he led me out, expecting lots of things...but not this. This hadn't even crossed my mind, any of them for that matter. Had I had my equipment I probably would have turned goddess on the spot from sheer surprise. As it was, my my eyes widened and a hand went over my mouth as I gave a little laugh. I didn't know what to say. I, Jesse James, was speechless. There was so much he didn't know about me, so much I had yet to learn about him.,..
....passion overtook rationality. I loved him. I would die for him. I would sacrifice the world for him if it meant we could be together. And so I nodded. My mind still muddled so that instead of a simple yes, a quote escaped my lips.
"Lets commit the perfect crime. I'll steal your heart, and you'll steal...mine." A tear of excited joy ran down my cheek. It was perfect. The most perfection I'd had in nine years. And I loved it almost as much as I loved him.
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