Introduction
Welcome to Miami — a world-class city bursting with attractions, water
sports, nightlife and shopping. Take a deep breath and dive into the excitement
of diverse activities. Wiggle your toes in miles of uncrowded beaches and watch
perfect sunsets.
Greater Miami's first few hundred settlers came armed only with
determination, a railroad and a dream of greatness. One century later, the dream
has been realized: this area's two million residents live, work and play in what
has become one of the fastest-moving and influential metropolitan areas in the
world.
Much of the area's success is due to its diverse neighborhoods, whose residents
contribute in their own singular way to making Greater Miami and the Beaches one
of the greatest - and most fascinating - places to live in the world.
Bal Harbour Discreet elegance is the keynote of Bal Harbour, a one-of-a kind
enclave that embodies both sophistication and small town charm.
Bal Harbour may be one of the smallest municipalities in
Miami-Dade County, but it is also one of the best known. Covering a
third of a square mile, the village has long been the favored
hideaway of the rich and famous (including a recent American
president), and celebrity spotting is easy. Here, the main street
Collins Avenue becomes a wide boulevard graced by stately palm trees
and greenery. To the east, against a backdrop of the Atlantic Ocean,
you find the village’s two luxury resorts and gleaming condominium
towers set among flowers and fountains. On the west side of Collins
Avenue, low-rise apartment buildings stand next to the gated
entrance to Bal Harbour’s single family homes. Heading north out
of Bal Harbour the road rises to a crest over the Haulover Bridge
and the park beyond.
Below the bridge, boats glide out to sea through the deepwater
channel alongside the popular fishing breakwater. Viewed from the
breakwater, Bal Harbour beach curves in a mile-long arc of golden
sand and greenery bordered by a jogging/walking path. Since its $1.8
million renourishment, the beach here has more than doubled in size.
Swimming, sunbathing, and windsurfing are activities of choice.
Bal Harbour Shops is the village’s crown jewel. The
upscale mall is open to the sky but designed to protect shoppers
from the elements in a tropical garden setting swathed in scarlet
and purple bougainvillea. Here you may browse amongst a unique
collection of internationally renowned boutiques and stores evoking
style centers in New York, Paris, Milan and London. The latest
designer fashions and accessories, precious gems and fine decorative
objects may be found in the anchor stores Neiman Marcus and Saks
Fifth Avenue, and in shops such as Christian Dior, Giorgio Armani,
Hermes, Georg Jensen, Chanel, Christofle, Tiffany & Co.,
Bulgari, Prada and Pratesi.
When it comes to dining, you can choose from an array of elegant
cuisines – Continental, Italian, Latin, seafood, steaks, sushi and
New Miami World cuisine offered by the restaurants of Bal Harbour
Shops and the village’s two resorts. Whether you dine indoors or
outdoors in a Mediterranean-style garden café or bistro; in an
elegant dining room or on a terrace overlooking the Atlantic Ocean,
you will savor the ambience of Bal Harbour.
Coral Gables Wide, tree-lined boulevards, winding roadways and green space
give Coral Gables its identity as “The City Beautiful.” Planned
on a grand scale in the late 1920s, the city’s design blends color
and detail with Mediterranean Revival style.
Coral Gables’ enduring charm recalls George E. Merrick’s
vision of beauty. Merrick developed a gracious suburb, which
combined monumental buildings, ornate plazas and fountains with
“villages” of houses built in Colonial, French, Dutch, South
African and Chinese styles.
Sightseing
A walking tour will take you past some of the meticulously preserved
landmarks that grace Coral Gables. Coral Gables City Hall,
the city’s most important publicly owned building, is decorated
with interesting interior murals and a distinctive portico. Not far
away, two fountains mark the ornate entrance to the Country Club of
Coral Gables Historic District, typical of the master-planned city.
Beyond, many charming houses may be seen in streets with evocative
names. The Venetian Pool, carved out of a spring-fed coral
rock quarry, is a popular landmark and local attraction. Other Coral
Gables landmarks include the University of Miami, the oldest
university in the Greater Miami area dating back to 1925. The
University enhances Coral Gables’ cultural amenities with the
on-campus Lowe Art Museum; The Gusman Concert Hall; the Bill
Cosford Cinema and the Ring Theater.
Shopping
Red brick paving, sidewalk cafes and tropical landscaping give
character to Miracle Mile, the stretch of Coral Way between LeJeune
Road and Douglas Road. Shoppers flock to fine boutiques and
specialty stores to find the hottest new styles in everything from
casual to couture fashion, bridal gowns and accessories and elegant
home furnishings. The Village of Merrick Park is South
Florida's newest luxury retail forum. The Mediterranean-style
Village is set in an attractive garden setting and is anchored by
Neiman Marcus and the first Nordstrom in Miami along with 115
internationally renowned retailers and a variety of upscale
restaurants. The Downtown Coral Gables area is also noted for fine
art galleries, which are a feature of Gables Gallery Night on the
first Friday of each month. The events bring in thousands of people
to view the works of local and international artists.
Dining and Nightlife
Check out any list of fine restaurants and you will see that Coral
Gables has a selection of highly rated dining establishments. Coral
Gables restaurants appear on the culinary map for a variety of
cuisines: French, Spanish, Brazilian, Floribbean, Cuban, Italian and
classic steak houses. Their elegant ambience and exacting service
are taken for granted in a city dedicated to fine living.
Never unduly loud, Coral Gables gently winds down after-hours as
a more mellow mood takes over. Energy is redirected to quieter
pursuits – live music in an art café, smooth jazz in a supper
club or a film in one of the city’s three art cinemas.
Downtown
Miami's city center pulsates with activity as commercial, cultural and
leisure pursuits come together in dynamic diversity. Low buildings, shopping
arcades and storefronts tightly packed with merchandise evoke Miami’s
origins as a trading town. On West Flagler Street the original 1920s Olympia
Theater has become the Gusman Center for the Performing Arts, a worthy
venue for concerts and performances.
A few blocks away, a broad Mediterranean piazza is at the heart of the Miami-Dade
Cultural Center, cornered by the graceful arches, barrel tile roofs and
cream-colored stucco of the main public library. Also on the piazza, the Miami
Art Museum showcases changing exhibits of international art, while the Historical
Museum of Southern Florida interweaves the tapestry of local and regional
history through permanent and special exhibits. On Biscayne Boulevard, the Freedom
Tower, built in1925 as Miami’s first skyscraper, recorded city events
when it housed the offices of the Miami Daily News and then played a
starring part as the gateway to freedom for thousands of Cuban refugees.
Across the Boulevard, the white sculpted curves of the American Airlines
Arena mark the home of the NBA’s Miami Heat. Football is celebrated in
the Orange Bowl, home of the University of Miami Hurricanes team.
Shopping
Downtown Miami offers big city shopping with a cosmopolitan flair. Department
stores and emporiums selling clothes, electronics, sporting goods and more
fill the Historic Downtown Miami Shopping District from SE 1st Street
to NE 3rd Street. The sounds of Spanish and Portuguese are heard and the aroma
of Cuban coffee wafts through the air. Downtown is also the place for jewelry,
with dazzling displays in the stores and workshops that make up one of the
largest jewelry districts in the U.S.
On Biscayne Boulevard, Bayside Marketplace next to Bayfront Park,
borrows from the past as it looks to the future. The open-air shopping and
entertainment complex built on the site of Pier 5 fishing pier, one of
Miami’s most popular tourist spots in the 1950s, is now a waterfront
destination for gift shopping, dining and enjoying outdoor performances. Here
you can browse through shops and pushcarts selling everything from T-shirts to
one-of-a-kind souvenirs.
Just a few minutes north of downtown, the city’s historic Buena Vista
Village, is the charming setting for The Miami Design District,
overflowing with exciting interior design showrooms and stores; art studios
and galleries; movie production and theatrical costume companies and more.
Here you find interesting furniture, carpets, lighting, fabrics and
cutting-edge design accessories, presented in a stylish environment. Don't
miss a unique opportunity to explore the area's vast galleries during Gallery
Night at the Miami Design District, taking place the second Friday of each
month.
Dining and Nightlife
Miami’s diversity inspires dining delights in a variety of culinary styles
from sophisticated to casual. Fine restaurants, grills, bistros and bayside
cafes feature flavorful food served in attractive surroundings making Downtown
Miami an area of good taste. The James L. Knight International Center
is a venue for concerts and sporting events.
Miami Beach Palm trees, wide sandy beach and blue ocean waters — Miami Beach’s
picture-postcard winter playground has blossomed into a sophisticated, diverse
community that warmly welcomes Greater Miami and the Beaches’ visitors at any
time of year.
Miami Beach’s lush, tropical environment evokes one great movie set, a fantasy
world peopled with models and celebrities. But on this stage everyone can enjoy
the same alluring lifestyle, relaxing poolside or beachside, lunching at
umbrella-shaded tables, even zipping along Ocean Drive on ‘blades. At night
the non-stop action moves to sizzling clubs, bars and restaurants.
And when sun and surf don’t suffice; enjoy shopping, sightseeing and sampling
exotic food in trendy restaurants in always-fascinating Miami Beach. Miami Beach
is known for its fashion, glamour and non-stop nightlife.
Sightseeing
Miami Beach offers more than fantasy Art Deco buildings, it is blessed with
diverse cultural in stitutions. The new Cultural Campus houses the Bass
Museum of Art with a permanent collection of important European art, the
public library and the Miami City Ballet headquarters. On Washington
Avenue, the Spanish Baroque facade of The Wolfsonian/FIU is as
distinctive as the eclectic collection of more than 70,000 objects inside. The Sanford
L. Ziff Jewish Museum of Florida is housed in a beautifully restored Art
Deco synagogue and the Holocaust Memorial is built around a stark
sculptured hand pointing skyward. Public beaches define the 10-mile strand along
the Atlantic Ocean, enlivened by colorful, funky lifeguard stands. A raised
boardwalk along the beach invites strolling. Collins Avenue, Miami Beach’s
main artery, carves out a scenic route parallel to the beach.
For a different view of Miami Beach take a boat tour around the private
Biscayne Bay islands – Star, Palm and Hibiscus – where
celebrities reside on elaborate estates. Or, get close-up to Art Deco
architectural gems on a walking, biking or in-line skating tour offered by the Miami
Design Preservation League.
Shopping
Boutiques and specialty shops put a designer spin on shopping in Miami Beach. On
Collins Avenue, Washington Avenue and Ocean Drive, the
names on the shopping bags reflect the range of designers — Benetton, Urban
Outfitters, Banana Republic, Versace, Kenneth Cole and Hugo Boss among them —
selling clothes on the cutting edge of cool.
Lincoln Road Shopping District, once known as “the Fifth Avenue of
the South,” is now a pedestrian-only oasis of tropical vegetation, Art Deco
structures and street theater. High-style stores, art galleries and restaurants
attract visitors until late at night. Here you will find avant-garde design in
lamps and home furnishings, books, original gift items and the latest hip gear.
An Outdoor Antique and Collectibles Market complements a smaller flea market
among the funky stores on Spanish-inspired Española Way.
Dining and Nightlife
Miami Beach’s trendy charms revolve around its sizzling clubs and night spots
and the plethora of dining and entertainment options for every taste from Asian,
Cuban and Floribbean to no-nonsense fare. Outdoor eating is appealing all over,
where watching-the-world-go-by is as fascinating as the cuisine. And in Miami
Beach’s famed restaurants, celebrity chefs work their magic for the most
discerning palate.
The cultural scene thrives too on music of every genre; modern and
experimental dance programs, film festivals and art shows. Broadway regularly
comes to Miami Beach with performances of top hit shows. Both on and off the
stage, Miami Beach plays a starring role as the place where you are most likely
to have fun!
North Beach Tucked away in mostly urban Miami-Dade, North Beach, the upper third of the
barrier islands that make up Miami Beach, is a seaside paradise yet to be
discovered. With beautiful uncrowded beaches, affordable historic hotels, a
multitude of recreational activities, and great restaurants, North Beach is the
perfect destination for a relaxing family getaway. Check out the North Beach
neighborhood, where Miami Modernism is the favored building style while an
ornate fountain sets the French theme on Normandy Isle. You might even have time
to slip off to experience the international buzz - South Beach is just minutes
away.
North Beaches & Key Biscayne
Sunny Isles Beach
The scene is changing in this lively resort area. The atmosphere is still casual
but the funky 50’s motels and small beachfront hotels are giving way to luxury
apartment towers and hotels. Little has changed on the Newport Fishing Pier,
where you can drop a line and fish from shore. For real deep-sea fishing, head
to the charter boats docked on the Intracoastal Waterway at Haulover Beach Park.
Ocean breezes cool the nine-hole Par 3 golf course and tennis courts, and make
the park a mecca for kite flying. Across the way, a one-mile stretch of pristine
white sand and open ocean surf invites sunbathing and swimming. Shaded picnic
facilities and landscaped sand dunes complete the scene.
Surfside
One of the attractions of this quiet family-oriented town is the
wide, secluded beach bordered by a path through the dunes.
Rejuvenated hotels and new luxury condominiums are changing the
style of Collins Avenue, but Harding Avenue, retains the feel of an
old-style main street with small shops and a 50’s corner drugstore
and soda fountain. Small bistros welcome strollers for a
casual meal. Shows and events take place at the oceanfront pink
Community Center. Just south of Surfside, the North Shore State
Recreation Area offers an unspoiled beachfront nature preserve
and picnic area that caters to families. Be sure to visit the Surfside
Community Center and Tot-Lot, with an Art deco-style outdoor
stage reminiscent of a miniature Hollywood Bowl, where various shows
and events are presented year-round.
Other Biscayne Bay Islands
Island living has its charms, and nowhere better than in Bay
Harbor Islands and North Bay Village. Lapped by the calm
waters of Biscayne Bay, these quiet communities offer a small-town
atmosphere away from the mainland bustle across the causeways. Bay
Harbor’s main street is defined by fashionable shops, art
galleries and restaurants while North Bay Village offers the
delights of waterfront dining with a variety of cuisines. In
contrast, Dodge Island is busy with the activity of the Port of
Miami, the largest cruise-ship port in the world — luxury
cruise ships in dock are awesome when viewed from the MacArthur
Causeway. Just beyond the port and accessible only by ferry, boat or
plane lie the upscale residences, resort and spa on Fisher Island.
Key Biscayne
The secluded island of Key Biscayne can be reached via the scenic
Rickenbacker Causeway, which spans beautiful Biscayne Bay. Located
just south of Downtown Miami and north of Coconut Grove, the island
touts miles of golden sand beaches and features a quaint, quiet
neighborhood atmosphere where parks abound. You can play tennis at
the Crandon Park Tennis Center, home to the NASDAQ 100 Open
tournament every March, featuring the world’s top-ranked tennis
players. while Crandon Park Golf Course’s intriguing terrain puts
it among the top 50 public courses in Florida. Thick tropical
foliage lines the road to Bill Baggs Cape Florida State
Recreation Area, where the beach invites swimming or kayaking.
Also, you can rent small sailboats, paddle boats and water bicycles.
On land, rent a bike, hike the nature trails and climb to the top of
the 1825 lighthouse. Swim with the dolphins at the Miami
Seaquarium or meet Lolita the Killer Whale and visit a host of
fascinating sea creatures and exhibits. The Majorie Stoneman
Douglas Biscayne Nature Center offers hands-on marine
exploration among dunes, beaches, coastal hammocks, mangroves and
fossil-rock reefs. The delicate ecology of Biscayne Bay is studied
at the University of Miami’s noted Rosenstiel School of Marine
and Atmospheric Science on Virginia Key.
Northeast Miami Mellow residential suburbs and newer, fast-growing communities
make up the vibrant northeast area of Greater Miami and the Beaches.
Aventura
After becoming a city in 1995, Aventura has established its niche as
an enclave of tropical landscaping and water surrounding sleek
high-rises and luxurious single-family homes.
Majestic palms and shade trees line the roadways, colorful
flowers cover the medians of Aventura Boulevard and Country Club
Drive. Aventura Founders Park located in the center of
Aventura, features a bayside path, a children’s playground, tennis
courts and a multi-purpose athletic field. Nearby, the Don Soffer
Aventura Fitness Trail sweeps around the golf course inviting
the energetic to jog, walk, bike or skate around the 4.3 miles. The
Aventura Festival of the Arts attracts 60,000 visitors each
February.
Aventura is synonymous with world-class shopping at Aventura
Mall. To date, it is the largest in the area with six department
store anchors — Bloomingdales, Burdines, JCPenney, Lord &
Taylor, Macy’s and Sears — and more than 250 shops set among
fountains and palms. A multiplex movie theater and an array of
interesting restaurants complete the attractions.
There is another multiplex movie theater at Loehmann’s
Fashion Island, a center for designer clothing for men and women
as well as furniture and toys. Barnes & Noble and the
International Jewelry Exchange and other smaller shopping centers in
the area add to the offerings.
The Waterways replicates a village around the marina.
Wander around the shopping area with its boutiques and galleries,
meander down to the lighthouse and then enjoy a snack or meal in one
of its distinctive restaurants. Eating in Aventura entices with a
choice of styles ranging from sophisticated to casual.
North Miami Beach
Planned as a “perfect city” in 1917, North Miami Beach still has
the same street layout. Now it is a large residential, business and
shopping area that includes The Mall at 163rd Street. Nearby
historic Greynolds Park boasts a 9-hole par-36 golf course
while the Oleta River State Recreation Area offers kayaking,
picnic grounds and more. The oldest building in the Western
Hemisphere, the Ancient Spanish Monastery, dating back to
1141, was brought from Spain to the United States in pieces by
newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst and in 1954 rebuilt on its
current site. The North Miami Beach Performing Arts Theater presents
a full program of shows during the winter season.
North Miami and Miami Shores
The 100-year old community of North Miami stretching inland from
Biscayne Bay has grown to include homes, businesses, Florida
International University and Johnson and Wales University and 11
parks. Arch Creek Park is the site of Arch Creek Natural
Bridge, a natural rock formation used as a roadway bridge until it
collapsed and was then painstakingly recreated in the park in 1988. The
Museum of Contemporary Art (MoCa) is a recent arrival on the
cultural scene. North Miami is also a center for the television and
film industry. Miami Shores remains a village at heart with a
charming main street and private homes on tree-lined streets. Miami
Shores Country Club offers golf, tennis and a new water park.
Northwest Miami The roots of the northwestern area of Greater Miami and the
Beaches go deep into local history. Now the area has flowered into
an engaging blend of small town charm and bustling new communities.
Airport Area Miami International Airport is the hub of a fast-growing area
with new hotels and offices marking the corporate and commercial
focus around Blue Lagoon Drive to the west. Further afield, you will
still find horses grazing in fields adjacent to new homes in
suburban Doral. To the north, pueblo-style mansions in Miami Springs
recall pioneer aviator Glenn Curtiss’ vision of a
Southwestern-inspired town.
If you want to watch the world’s fastest game, head over to the
Miami Jai Alai Frontón just east of the airport. Or if you
prefer a stimulating yet more sedate experience, visit the
cutting-edge exhibits at the Art Museum at Florida International
University, just off the Tamiami Trail (SW 8th Street) on NW
107th Avenue. Tamiami Park next door is the site of shows and
events and the annual springtime Miami-Dade County Fair &
Exposition.
Shopping and entertainment will become even more enticing when
the new Dolphin Mall opens in addition to the area’s two
major malls — the Mall of the Americas and Miami International
Mall.
Hialeah
A distinct Hispanic flavor characterizes Hialeah and Spanish is the
main language heard on the streets and in the supermarkets, stores
and cafeterias. It is also distinguished by picturesque Hialeah
Park, a race track and historic landmark dating back to 1925,
where hundreds of pink flamingoes have made their home. The park’s
future for thoroughbred racing is undetermined but the 220-acre
wildlife sanctuary is open all year and plays host to festivals and
events.
Westland Mall, with three department stores and 100
specialty stores, is Hialeah’s own shopping destination.
Opa-Locka
Find the unexpected – the largest collection of Moorish
architecture in the Western hemisphere — in this city originally
called Opatishawockalocka by the Tequesta Indians. In the 1920s
developer Glen Curtiss shortened the name to Opa-Locka and built an
Arabian Nights-style fantasy city of buildings with an array of
domes and elaborate minarets in brightly painted colors (20 are
listed on the National Register of Historic Places). City Hall and
the Logan Building (formerly the Opa-Locka Hotel) have been
renovated. Opa-Locka has its own airport.
Miami Lakes
This meticulously planned city is more hometown than metropolis. A
traditional Main Street anchors curvy residential streets,
tasteful corporate parks and lots of lakes and green spaces. You can
enjoy fine dining and shopping in the quaint ambience created by
old-fashioned lamps, colorful striped awnings and brick sidewalks.
Live entertainment is featured weekly and art and music festivals
take place throughout the year. Miami Lakes’ golf courses are
among the best in Greater Miami and the Beaches.
The highways northeast of Miami Lakes lead to two major sporting
facilities: Pro Player Stadium, home of the Miami Dolphins
and the Florida Marlins; and Calder Race Course, where
thoroughbreds race.
Other Miami Neighborhoods Diversity is the theme that links Miami’s urban lifestyle to
areas rich in culture and tradition.
Little Havana
The official name is Southwest Eight Street but everyone knows it as
Calle Ocho, the artery that keeps the heart of Little Havana
beating. Cubans who fled the island in 1960 recreated their
community west of Brickell Avenue, imbuing it with nostalgia for
their heritage.
The vibrant neighborhood, home also to many residents from
Nicaragua and Honduras, has a distinct Latin flavor with signs and
billboards en español and music to match. Everything is
authentic: from the fruit stands and cigar factories to the eat-at
windows of the cafeterias where patrons passionately discuss
politics.
Visit the area’s quaint shops to find embroidered guayabera
shirts, hand-rolled cigars and Latin music or explore gift shops
offering unique items and Cuban memorabelia.
Cultural activities are blossoming along with art galleries,
studios and theaters. Cultural Fridays take place the last
Friday of each month along Calle Ocho and feature music,
dance, poetry, visual arts and theater. The historic Tower
Theater is alive with performances, cultural and educational
programs and multicultural films while Teatro Ocho is home to
Spanish-language theater.
Food plays an essential part of life in Little Havana from the
anytime snacks of chicharones (fried pork morsels) to croquetas,
pastelitos and sugary mouthfuls of merenguítos. Dining
is infused with many cuisines. There are a variety of restaurants
serving authentic Cuban dishes and delicacies and others serving
traditional Spanish, Mexican, Peruvian, Colombian and Argentinean
food.
Every March, thousands of revelers flock to the grand Hispanic
street festival called Calle Ocho to celebrate the finale of
Carnaval Miami. Little Havana is one of the best places to
experience Cuban culture and Latin cuisine.
Little Haiti
Little Haiti spans the old Miami neighborhoods of Lemon City, Edison
Center, Little River and Buena Vista East with its heart at N.E.
54th Street between Biscayne Boulevard and North Miami Avenue. This
bustling Creole-speaking community continues a traditional lifestyle
amid stores selling familiar foods, spices and music.
Overtown
There is more to Overtown than the Miami Arena. Before the highways
sliced through the area, Overtown was a thriving center for Greater
Miami’s African-American community. Now, hidden between Downtown
Miami and the civic center, Overtown is welcoming the restoration of
buildings in the two block area designated as Overtown Historic
Village. The Lyric Theater, once a venue for star-studded
performances; the home of D.A. Dorsey, Greater Miami’s
first African-American millionaire; and the Greater Bethel AME
Church celebrate Overtown’s past as it looks to the future.
Liberty City
Liberty City’s roots go back to the 1930s when people moved from
Overtown. Nowadays, Liberty City’s active African-American
community spans the area from NW 12th to 19th Avenues and 62nd to
73rd Streets. Local artists display their talent and civic pride
with colorful murals of African-American heroes, notably slain civil
rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., decorating the exterior walls
of buildings. The African Heritage Cultural Arts Center is a
hub of activity within the local community. The five-building
facility houses a black box theater, visual arts gallery and dance,
art and music studios.
Brickell Avenue
Since the time William and Mary Brickell (founding father and mother
of Greater Miami and the Beaches) named a tree-lined thoroughfare
after their homestead, Brickell Avenue has been associated with
wealth and prestige.
Now the international banking and business center of Greater
Miami south of the Miami River is taking on a new role as a vibrant
place to stay, dine and reside. Luxury condominium towers, hotels
and the tallest building in Florida are transforming Brickell
Avenue’s skyline. And, instead of rolling up the sidewalks at
night, Brickell is thronged after hours with residents and visitors
dining in the area’s fine restaurants or shopping in new
neighborhood stores.
South Beach South Beach's broad, immaculate strand ranks as one of the Travel
Channels’ top ten beaches in the world. The Surfrider Foundation voted it the
premier urban beach in the U.S. But there’s more than fine white sand to this
fantasy land of exuberant architecture, pulsating night life and spectacular
shoreline in a scene as cool as the sun is hot. Occupying less than two square
miles on the southern tip of Miami Beach, South Beach’s subtropical sandbar
has an identity of its own.
South Beach has been called the American Riviera and an Art Deco Playground.
The area has taken on new life as a big, ultra-chic, 24/7 street party.
With its beautiful beach and whimsical architecture, the area has also become
a favored location for films, music and television shows and a backdrop for
fashion shoots. The renaissance of South Beach was a factor in Greater Miami and
Beaches’ growth as a nationally recognized center for film, television and
print production and Latin music.
The Art Deco Historic District, with the largest concentration of
1920's and 1930s architecture in the world, is listed in the National
Register of Historic Places and recognized globally as one of Greater Miami
and the Beaches’ unique attractions.
Sightseeing
Start at South Pointe Park, the southernmost tip of Miami Beach, for a close-up
view of ships heading through the deep water channel known as Government Cut to
the Port of Miami. Across the channel rise the Mediterranean-style buildings of
Fisher Island, accessible only by ferry.
A visit to South Beach redefines how you look at buildings – the corner
curves, soaring finials and glass brick expanses of the Art Deco architectural
style create a time warp here. Stand in Lummus Park, a green expanse
bordering the wide beach and note how the pastel pinks, bright aquas and canary
yellows of the Ocean Drive hotels fight for space in the sky. Outdoor cafes are
ideal for people-watching.
To feel the area’s buzz you can join a walking tour given by the Art Deco
District Welcome Center or explore the area on your own. Look out for South
Beach’s other attractions: the Wolfsonian/FIU collection, housed in a
1927 Mediterranean Revival building; The Bass Museum with a new Grand
Gallery to display its art collections; the Jackie Gleason Theater, where
Broadway Shows come to town and the Miami Beach Convention Center, site
of major expositions and events. The Lincoln Theatre on Lincoln Road is
home to the New World Symphony; the Colony Theater, a performing arts
center, and the Alliance Cinema, specializing in foreign, art,
documentary and independent films. Second Thursdays turn South Beach streets and
venues into a monthly cultural celebration with open dance, music and theater
rehearsals, lectures, art gallery opening and meet-the artist receptions.
Shopping
South Beach has its own designer district on Collins Avenue and Washington
Avenue and on Ocean Drive. Find shops and boutiques with names like Armani
Exchange, Nicole Miller, Versace, and Betsey Johnson as well as locally owned
stores with limited edition merchandise.
Pedestrian-only Lincoln Road Shopping District offers an eclectic mix
of intriguing boutiques and bookstores, art galleries and home design shops.
Here you can join the crowds browsing and buying until the stores close well
into the night. Regular antique shows draw throngs on the weekends. Española
Way, a block-long Spanish-style village street, is dotted with stores selling
New Age and retro items.
Dining and Nightlife
With dozens of restaurants within a few blocks, South Beach rates as a culinary
meeting-spot for gourmet to casual cuisine inspired by Italy, France, China,
Thailand, Cuba and Latin America. Stone crabs are a South Beach specialty too.
In a town that seems to never sleep, restaurants are busy until the wee hours.
At night South Beach comes alive with crowds dressed in party-casual chic
heading for the action in one of the liveliest night scenes found anywhere.
Talented musicians and singers perform live in local night spots; dancers gyrate
to throbbing house music in packed dance clubs and rock and jazz spills out of
hotels, clubs and bars. Club hopping is the rule in the neon-lit darkness. In
South Beach the possibilities are endless.
South Miami South of the city the rural face of Miami-Dade County is
revealed in an exciting blend of modern suburbs, historical villages
and bucolic back country. Eco-tourism is to be enjoyed in a unique
environment.
Sightseeing
South Miami-Dade’s attractions have a distinct character—fun,
fascinating and unique. At Monkey Jungle, the monkeys frolic
free. Nature blooms in a riot of exotic vegetation at Fairchild
Tropical Garden and rules over the Deering Estate at Cutler.
Miami Metrozoo is rated one of the top 10 zoos in the country
and nearby the Gold Coast Railroad Museum recalls a vital
stage in South Florida history. Coral Castle, carved from two
million pounds of oolitic limestone, is an extraordinary monument to
lost love. Speed is the scene at The Homestead-Miami Speedway
Complex home to NASCAR, Indy and other motorsports events
including the Grand Prix of Miami, Pennzoil Miami 400 and
NASCAR Winston Cup Race.
Shopping
Follow the major thoroughfares south to find superb shopping in the
department stores and specialty stores at The Shops of Sunset
Place, Dadeland Mall, The Falls Shopping Center and Southland
Mall, formerly Cutler Ridge Mall, and seek bargains
galore at the open-air Prime Outlet Mall at Florida City.
Browse for hidden treasures in Cauley Square Village Shops in
Goulds and in the antique district of Homestead’s Main Street.
The Everglades
Within an hour’s drive of Greater Miami is the largest wilderness
in the eastern United States, supporting a unique and fragile
ecosystem. The Everglades is truly a river of grass — fresh water
six inches deep and 50 miles wide creeping seaward from Lake
Okeechobee to empty into Florida Bay. Everglades National Park,
set aside in 1947 as one of the nation’s largest parks, is home to
many rare and endangered species.
Enter the Park at Shark Valley just off the Tamiami Trail
30 miles west of Greater Miami and hike, bike or take a two-hour
guided tram ride. Or, for a different view of the Everglades start
from the Visitor Center at the Park entrance southwest of Florida
City and drive the 38 miles through Long Pine Key to Flamingo,
which overlooks Florida Bay. A lodge, restaurant and marina mark
this outpost. Flamingo is a popular base for experiencing the
raw beauty of the Everglades by canoe or on guided excursions
through nature trails and mangrove islands.
Biscayne National Park, surrounding the northermost coral
reef in the U.S., is 95 percent underwater and best explored by
boat. Glass-bottomed boat tours run regularly. Diving and snorkeling
are also available.
At Miccosukee Indian Village and Big Cypress Seminole
Indian Reservation you can skim through the sawgrass in swamp
buggies or on air boats and observe exhibitions of alligator
wrestling. At the Everglades Alligator Farm, you can see
2,500 alligators, snakes and reptiles on a working farm.
