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by JennyLee Herrera
While conversing with both local and foreign students who have made Miami their home, we learned that South Beach is like paradise to many of them.
“I wouldn't have it any different, there is no better place to be in” said Vanessa, an FIU student. And Kevin, also an FIU student said “I love to spend my weekends on South Beach, I would be crazy to move away for school when we have it all right here”.
UM students Diane and Jessica from New York State both say “great weather” when asked why they chose Miami. But aside from the weather they also mention the South Beach scene and then go on to talk about the different areas of Miami where they find endless things to do. “We always find a different place to go, something new to do” says Diane. They all also mention their great schools and how proud they are of being a student at these great institutions.
And when Michael, also an out of state student, said full of excitement, while holding his girlfriend's hand, “Miami and South Beach is like Paradise for a young couple”, I couldn't help but laugh, his excitement was such that I found it amusing, but I had to agree - Miami and the Beaches has it all!
Not only the young and upcoming Miami students are excited about what they find in this city. Veronica and Emiliano, a very sophisticated looking Italian couple in their mid-30's who had just been married a few days before we met them decided to come to Miami for their honeymoon because of the great nightlife, resorts, restaurants, shopping and beaches. Both of them had visited Miami before they met, so when they decided to get married and started discussing honeymoon, they both said Miami!!
So for all those thinking where to go on their next weekend getaway, a few days of romance and adventure, honeymoon or vacation - here is a little information on the different areas of Miami you may want to stay in or visit. South Beach is a young couple's paradise, but all of Miami and its different neighborhoods have plenty to offer the young and the young at heart.
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South Beach/Art Deco District/Ocean Drive:
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Located at the southern end of Miami Beach. South Beach's Art Deco District has a collection of more than 800 architecturally protected buildings from the 1930s and 1940s, which is the largest concentration of Art Deco buildings in the world. It has been anointed the “American Riviera” in a nod to the unmistakable air of casual chic that permeates the district. This popular visitor destination is home to a wondrous mix of luxury resorts, boutique hotels, inexpensive hostels and moderately priced national chain hotels. Ocean Drive is known worldwide for its see-and-be-seen cafés, bikini-clad in-line skaters and beaches packed with beautiful young sun seekers, while trendy Lincoln Road has emerged as a lively magnet for culture, entertainment and shopping.
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The rest of Miami Beach continues to thrive, reaping the benefits of its proximity to the Art Deco District's plentiful entertainment and dining offerings. Hotels that put Miami Beach on the map during the swinging 60s, including the Eden Roc and Fontainebleau are still going strong, while neighborhoods like funky Surfside and a revitalized North Beach draw many with unpretentious charms, great local restaurants and easy beach access. North Beach's Ocean Terrace, a five-block stretch just south of expansive North Shore Park, is fast becoming a smaller version of South Beach with its inviting oceanfront cafés.
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Bal Barbour and the Bay Harbour Islands are quiet upscale residential communities notable for the Bal Harbour Shops, continually ranked one of the top shopping destinations in the world for its concentration of designer boutiques, including Gucci, Fendi, Tiffany's, Roberto Cavalli and countless others, as well as having the ultra-luxury oceanfront Regent hotel, which features the 1st Guerlain Spa in the United States.
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Sunny days on a white sand beach or sizzling nights on the town. This is a special Florida destination, where the choice is yours. The City of Sunny Isles Beach lies between the flowing Intracoastal Waterway and the Atlantic Ocean. Its resort community is the destination of travelers who seek the ultimate South Florida experience. In the center of it all, yet a world apart, this tropical barrier island surrounds you with the best of everything.
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Downtown Miami is a hub for international business and finance, with soaring office towers and ultra-modern condominiums lining Brickell Avenue. The new Adriene Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami Dade County, American Airlines Arena (home to the Miami Heat), Bayside Marketplace (a waterfront shopping and dining destination) and Bayfront Park (an outdoor concert amphitheater) draw residents and visitors alike. Nearby on Brickell Key, the Mandarin Oriental, an AAA Five Diamond resort, has received rave reviews for its beautiful design, world-class service and award-winning restaurants.
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Just north of downtown, one of Miami's oldest African-American neighborhoods, Overtown, is on the upswing. In its heyday in the 1920s through 1940s, Overtown was Florida's version of Harlem - a thriving black community where businesses and community life prospered, including an entertainment district anchored by the historic Lyric Theater. Today, revitalization is underway to restore the neighborhood's historical legacy with renovations of the Lyric, the Greater Bethel AME Church and the D.A. Dorsey House (home of Miami's first black millionaire.)
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Also near downtown, Miami's Design District is fast becoming the center of the home furnishings and interior design industry in South
Florida, with a dense concentration of design and furniture showrooms all within walking distance of one another. Unlike most other design centers, these are open to the public as well as to the trade. Add excellent art galleries and trendy restaurants to the mix, and the area has made it to the top of to-do lists for design-savvy visitors to Miami. Meanwhile, upscale restaurants, funky boutiques and even a gourmet hot dog shack are sprouting along Miami's Biscayne Boulevard, also referred to as the Biscayne Corridor, serving the increasingly gentrified surrounding neighborhoods of Buena Vista, Morningside, Belle Meade and Bayside.
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It is rumored that one could spend a whole day in Little Havana without hearing a word of English spoken. Saturated with Cuban culture, Little Havana's main thoroughfare, Calle Ocho (Eighth Street) is lined with restaurants featuring Latin specialties and cafes where men sip “cafecitos” and play dominos all day. Here, artisans still hand-roll cigars, and tailors create custom Guayaberas (traditional linen shirts), while the sounds of Salsa and Merengue fill the air. Although Little Havana remains Cuban to the core, the area reflects the existence of many other Spanish-speaking immigrant groups in Miami. Restaurants on Calle Ocho showcase the cuisines of Nicaragua, El Salvador, Mexico, Colombia and other Latin countries.
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South of downtown where the foliage becomes lush and tropical, Coconut Grove was legendary in its heyday as an arts colony. Today, the culturally diverse locality draws throngs of tourists and residents to its restaurants and cafés, art galleries, boutiques, movie theaters, farmers markets, and bookstores. Home to popular attractions like Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, (an Italian Renaissance mansion), and the Barnacle, historic home of Miami pioneer Ralph Monroe, the Grove honors its artistic roots each February with the Coconut Grove Arts Festival, the nation's largest annual outdoor celebration of visual arts and crafts.
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Designed and planned in the 1920 by early Miami developer George Merrick, Coral Gables features beautiful Mediterranean-style homes and winding waterways. Renowned for world-class dining and its flock of top galleries that present the crème de la crème of Latin American and Spanish art, Coral Gables is also home to the Village of Merrick Park, one of Miami's most upscale shopping Mecca's, it is also the closest shopping destination in regards to Miami International Airport. Merrick Park features more than 100 haute couture fashion and home décor shops and boutiques, as well as several gourmet restaurants in a lushly landscaped setting.
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This secluded area is just a few miles from downtown yet worlds apart, with miles of hiking and biking trails, boating and water sports, beaches that continually rank in the top ten, top-notch tennis and golf facilities and upscale resort properties. It is to Miami Seaquarium, which features the new Dolphin Harbour which includes the Dolphin Odyssey and Dolphin Encounter programs, the Seaquarium is also where the popular television show Flipper was filmed in the 1960s.
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The agricultural bounty of Miami's mild climate becomes apparent as visitors head south of Miami to Redland and Homestead, with vast fields of strawberries, tomatoes and other fresh produce, en route to Everglades National Park and Biscayne National Park. Robert Is Here is a popular stop on the way to the Parks. The roadside stand has garnered international acclaim for fresh fruit shakes and unusual produce. Many of the area's tourist attractions are also located here, including Miami Dade Metrozoo, Monkey Jungle, Schnebly's Winery, Everglades Alligator Farm and the Fruit and Spice Park.
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In addition to North Miami, North Miami Beach and other primarily residential areas, the northern part of the city is home to Aventura, known for towering luxury condos, Turnberry Isle Resort and Club and great shopping, including the mammoth Aventura Mall. Just 20 minutes from downtown, Dolphin Stadium, host to the Miami Dolphins football and Florida Marlins baseball team, straddles the county line.
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Visit our Special Offers page to learn about “Miami Spice” going on through the end of September.
Top Miami restaurants offer three-course meals featuring great creations by world-renowned chefs. You don't want to miss these wonderful epicurean offers.
Some photo images and city information courtesy of the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau. |
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