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Over in Miami Beach, South Beach is one of
the most-visited neighborhoods, famed for its pastel and
stainless steel Art Deco buildings, where the legendary Ocean
Drive boulevard is fringed by Miami’s trendiest sidewalk
boutiques, bars and restaurants – the favorite haunts of such
local celebrities as Gloria Estefan, Madonna, Ricky Martin and
Donatella Versace.
Perhaps Miami’s biggest crowd-puller
is its rich multicultural flavor, which gives the city an
undeniably unique atmosphere. Just as the rest of America has
embraced the rhythms of heart-throb Ricky Martin, Enrique
Iglesias, Shakira and other Hispanic music sensations, Miami has
long been swaying to a Latin remix of sensuality, salsa and
South Beach style, making it one of the most exciting cities in
the USA.
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Miami, Florida |
Visitors should note that Miami is divided into quadrants.
Flagler Street runs east–west, thus dividing the city into north
and south sections, while Miami Avenue runs north–south,
splitting the city into east and west sections. Most Miami
addresses refer to these quadrants.
Downtown Miami
Downtown Miami is the metropolis’s nerve center (the
commercial heart of the city) distinguished by its sleek
skyscrapers, impressive government buildings and cultural
centers and edged by the Port of Miami, the largest cruise ship
port in the world. Brickell Avenue is home to major
international banks and businesses, as well as Brickell Village,
the area around SW Sixth Street, which has power-lunch
restaurants cum buzzing nightspots. On the waterfront, the
lively Bayside Marketplace is a popular shopping and
entertainment arcade, clustered around a small harbor and abuzz
with bars, shops and market stalls. Bayside is the main stop for
the water taxi service (see Getting Around) and the
starting point for several boat tours (see Tours of the City)
of Miami Bay. Adjacent to Bayside Marketplace is the American
Airlines Arena, a 20,000-person entertainment venue and home
of the basketball team Miami Heat. The historic Gusman
Center for the Performing Arts nearby hosts the Miami Film
Festival and other cultural events under a painted ‘starry sky’
ceiling. Beyond the port, exclusive Fisher Island,
accessible only by boat or private plane, is the address in
Miami and home to many celebrities.
South Beach
Glitzy, glamorous South Beach is undoubtedly the
trendiest part of town, the place to see and be seen and a
magnet for celebrities and fun-lovers who thrive on its
cosmopolitan atmosphere, designer shopping, upbeat restaurants
and fast-paced nightlife. By day, a young, hip crowd of trendy
film-star wannabes, international supermodels, artists, writers,
tourists, strollers, strutters and the thriving local gay
community all cruise Ocean Drive and the pedestrian-friendly
Lincoln Road Mall, with its art galleries, shops, and
restaurants – providing the colorful mix that fuels the district’s
feverish energy levels. By night, salsa or techno music flows
from the many dance clubs onto the busy streets.
South Beach itself, with its white sands, palm trees and
dazzling blue sea, stretches from Lincoln Road Mall to South
Pointe Park at the southernmost tip (great for surfing, fishing
and sunsets). The main access point is Lummus Park,
bordering Ocean Drive, a favorite park for in-line skaters and
volleyball players. However, the most striking feature of South
Beach is its famous Art Deco Historic District – over 800
buildings within one and a half sq kilometers (one sq mile), all
in the same streamlined architectural style, painted in pastel
shades and lit with brilliantly colored neon lights. Even the
Burger King on Alton Road is housed in an Art Deco structure.
Tours of the district are offered on Wednesday, Friday, Saturday
& Sunday mornings or Thursday evening and self-guided tour maps
are always available at the Art Deco Welcome Center.
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Key Biscayne - Miami |
Miami Beach
Miami Beach is located on a long slender island connected
to mainland Miami by four main causeways. It comprises various
coastal towns, each with its own personality – including
Surfside, the upscale shopping district of Bal Harbour,
Sunny Isles Beach, South Beach (see above) and Golden Beach.
Miami Beach’s white sands extend from Lincoln Road Mall
northwards to 87th Street, with a scenic boardwalk popular with
joggers and strollers, and pastel-colored Art Deco lifeguard
stations dotting the shoreline. A variety of watersports are
available, including windsurfing, sailing, jet-skiing and
parasailing.
Little Havana
After Fidel Castro took power in 1959, refugees fleeing Cuba
settled just west of downtown Miami, in a neighborhood known as
Little Havana. Today, with its 800,000-strong Cuban-American
community, this colorful district has a distinctly Latin
atmosphere with its Spanish signs, Cuban coffee bars and
restaurants, small cigar factories and street-side food stalls,
selling such delicacies as baho (Cuban stew) and freshly
squeezed juices. Monuments to anti-Castro Cubans line the
streets, especially around Calle Ocho (Eighth Street),
the liveliest part of Little Havana and the venue for the Calle
Ocho Festival, a famous annual spring carnival – America’s
largest street party.
Key Biscayne
Linked to the mainland by the Rickenbacker Causeway, Key
Biscayne combines traditional Florida-style houses with
ostentatious mansions belonging to some of Miami’s wealthiest
residents. The beaches here rank among Florida’s best – their
fine sand and relatively calm seas make them a popular choice
for families. Other top attractions include two beautiful parks
(Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Recreation Area and
Crandon Park) both with magnificent beaches, bike trails and
nature walks. The small Crandon Family Amusement Center
in the park has an old-time carousel, playground and outdoor
roller rink.
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Coconut Grove
Located on the edge of Biscayne Bay, south of downtown Miami,
Coconut Grove is one of the city’s oldest neighborhoods,
with bohemian roots. Settled by a multicultural group of
Bahamians and New Englanders, the neighborhood drew artists and
intellectuals, who set up summer homes here. Today, it is a
trendy district with a bustling village atmosphere, full of
colorful galleries, theaters, nightclubs, fine restaurants, hip
sidewalk cafés and shops. The main attraction is The Gallery
at CocoWalk, a stylish shopping mall packed with restaurants,
bars, shops and a cinema. It is also home to the
Vizcaya Museum and Gardens.
Coral Gables
This elegant Mediterranean-style residential district (16km (10
miles) southwest of downtown Miami) was created by local
developer George Merrick during the boom years of the 1920s.
Today, it contains some of the city’s finest architecture, set
amid broad boulevards, canals and parkland. Some buildings are
preserved as historic landmarks, including the stunning
Biltmore Hotel, identified by its 15-story tower modeled on
the Giralda bell-tower in Seville. The remarkable Venetian
Pool, transformed from a mere rock quarry in 1923, has
exotic bridges and waterfalls and was the site of many high-society
soirées and beauty pageants in its time, as the vintage on-site
photographs reveal. Today, it is the only swimming pool on the
National Register of Historic Places. Coral Gables is also known
for its art galleries, its exclusive Miracle Mile
shopping street, its neatly manicured golf courses and some of
the best hotels and restaurants in town.
Historical Museum of
Southern Florida
This museum offers a fascinating insight into the region’s past.
It has a small but impressive collection of hands-on displays,
archive material, historical objects and multimedia
presentations, which covers 10,000 years of Florida history from
the first settlers to the present day.
Art Museums
The Miami Art Museum displays international art since
World War II, complemented by art from other periods to provide
historical perspective. Meanwhile, the new Miami Beach Cultural
Park has many art institutions, one of which is the Bass
Museum. The permanent exhibits of this weighty art museum
focus on European works from the 15th to 18th centuries. A new
wing, designed by Japanese architect Arata Isozaki, also has a
outdoor sculpture garden. The Wolfsonian Museum,
affiliated with the Florida International University, was
founded by an eccentric world-traveller and Miami native from
his own collection of modern design and ‘propaganda arts’. One-of-a-kind
exhibits address 19th- and 20th-century political themes,
displaying the arts and crafts that were created to persuade,
nationalise or rally citizens. The gift shop sells high-design
home decor objects and lovely art books.
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