NEW YORK-Americans might like to visit Miami but few of them
want to live there, a new poll by Zogby International shows.
Only three percent of respondents chose Miami when asked
which of eight major US cities they would like to live in. San Francisco led the
pack with 13 percent followed by Chicago, Orlando, New York, Las Vegas and
Houston.
Forty-nine percent of those surveyed had an unfavorable view
of Miami, with a fear of crime dominating the reasons for people's negative
impressions. Two thirds of those surveyed agreed with the statement "Miami is
plagued by crime."
"Miami has a very good reputation as a vacation spot but it
has had for a couple of decades a rough opinion when it comes to crime," said
Fritz Wenzel, the director of communications for Zogby International.
"Crime is a major consideration when people think about where
they would want to live," he added in an interview.
Wenzel said Miami has also taken a bit of a hit because of
the housing bubble bursting and troubles in the real estate market.
"I really think that is short lived but it could also be
contributing to its low ratings as a place for people to relocate," he
explained.
The perception of the city as a den of criminals extended
into people's thoughts about Miami's economy. Respondents said they thought
illegal activities were the second largest segment of city's economy after
tourism.
Zobgy conducted the online poll between Jan. 18 and 21. -Reuters
