Former New Yorkers Are Networking Through WhatsApp

“I like to have intellectual conversations about politics and things of that nature, and I want to have a safe space for doing that,” said Ms. Khan, 40. “I won’t say no one in Miami will do that, but New Yorkers are much more likely to be aligned in that way.”

She joined New Miami Girls, a Facebook group, and soon received a message from another former New Yorker. The two women, along with a friend of a friend also from the city, met for drinks and have remained close throughout the pandemic. This has helped her state of mind during a fraught time, when opinions on public health practices have varied from state to state.

“Miami is a little more liberal than other parts of Florida, but I would be lying if I didn’t say I was cautious about Covid conversations and assuming things about vaccination status,” she said. “My friends from New York all kind of erred on the more cautious side with it.”

Over the summer Ricky Berrin, an entertainment lawyer at a production company, started a Miami WhatsApp group for former New Yorkers to swap tips on house and car shares.

“I created the group selfishly,” said Mr. Berrin, 39. “I didn’t want to commit to a lease, and I wanted to see who was around, who had empty bedrooms.”

He was shocked by how popular the chat became. “We now have two separate WhatsApp groups that are completely full,” he said. “I have to kick people out now, and approve certain people. I would say there are at least 10 posts a day.”

He said that meeting New Yorkers in Miami and Los Angeles improves the experience of living in these sunny, airy cities. “There is something about the ambition of people in New York and a certain style of how they interact with the world,” he said. “They are more ambitious, adventurous and curious.”