News

Welcome to Miami!  (¡Bienvenidos a Miami!)

Miami’s unique attributes form a colorful backdrop filled with white sandy beaches, pastel-colored Art Deco buildings, year-round events and festivals, world-renown cuisine, and designer fashions. Miami is a place where our diverse neighborhoods preserve a touch of history, and where arts and culture thrive.

Nightlife

Nightlife, entertainment, the beach and weather are all in one island.. It includes trendy nightclubs catering to A-list clientele, cocktail bars at some of the nicest hotels, and laid-back bars where you will find cheap pitchers of beer and the occasional game of beer pong. The Lincoln Road Mall, a pedestrian outdoor esplanade in South Beach, should not be missed. Its full of shops, sidewalk cafes, bars, and restaurants and, depending on the weather, is the perfect place to start your evening.  Some of the trendiest clubs and bars are contained within South Beach Hotels.  Our favorite hotels to visit are: The Gansevoort South (Plunge, Louis), The Delano (Florida Room), The Shore Club, The Fountainbleau (LIV).  If you’re in the mood to visit a club, SET, Rokbar, Mokai, Mynt

Arts & Culture

Miami is filled with cultural riches representing the world of dance, theater, music, film, fine arts, and beyond.  Among its artistic treasures are the world-famous Miami City Ballet, the Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, and the Art Deco District of South Beach.  Popular Miami area venues include the Fillmore at the Jackie Gleason Theater, the New World Symphony, the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, and the American Airlines Arena, which hosts some of today’s top entertainers in concert.  Other important players in the Miami arts scene include the art galleries of Miami’s Design District, the Miami Art Museum, and the Bass Museum of Art.  Miami also hosts the Miami International Film Festival and Art Basel Miami Beach, an art show of international importance. If you are interested in Jewish history, the Holocaust Memorial and Jewish Museum of Florida are great places to visit.

Beaches

More than a dozen beaches promise year-round fun to Miami visitors, young and old alike.  Several beaches feature lifeguards, shelters, and concession stands.  Key Biscayne’s Crandon Beach Park offers BBQ areas and picnic tables, as well as a playground for young children, while Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park is home to a 19th century lighthouse.  Miami Beach’s Haulover Beach Park is a welcome destination on a windy day thanks to its kite-flying area. The gem of all the Miami beaches is South Beach, which is one of the top beaches in the world featuring an art deco feel and non-stop action.  At the southern tip of South Beach is South Pointe Park. It offers breathtaking views and is a great place to watch the cruise ships depart from the Port of Miami.

Dining

Miami’s dining scene is truly exciting, one of varying tastes that can satisfy the most complete palate or craving.  With so many different cultures migrating to Miami, local flavors tend to be much more exotic.  The influence of flavors and culture here is almost overwhelming and has many positive effects on menu and recipe design.  During Miami Spice Restaurant Month (August-September), dozens of Miami’s top restaurants offer three-course gourmet meals at special prices.  Miami is also home to the South Beach Food & Wine Festival, a national, star-studded, four-day destination event showcasing the talents of the world’s most renowned winemakers, spirits producers, chefs and culinary personalities.

Special Events

In addition to Miami Spice Restaurant Month and the South Beach Food & Wine Festival, Miami is also host to the Miami International Wine Fair (September).  Miami also is the home to several fine arts events such as the Coconut Grove Arts Festival (February), an outdoor art festival, and Art Basel Miami Beach (December), an art show of international importance.  Among other special events celebrating the arts are the International Ballet Festival of Miami (August-September) and a number of Miami film festivals, such as the Miami International Film Festival (March).  Other notable events include the Miami International Boat Show (February), Little Havana’s Calle Ocho Festival (March), and Urban Beach Week (Memorial Day).

Sports

Spectator sports are a year-round event in the Miami area.  Miami’s professional sports teams include the NBA’s Miami Heat, the NFL’s Miami Dolphins, and the MLB’s Florida Marlins.  Collegiate athletics also play an important role in the Miami sports scene.  Miami is home to the Orange Bowl and the University of Miami Hurricanes.  In addition to professional and college sports, the World Golf Championships – CA Championship at Doral and the Sony Ericsson Open, which brings many of the world’s top tennis players are hosted here.  For golf enthusiasts, Miami Beach offers a newly renovated public golf course that has reasonable greens fees for Miami Beach residents.

Shopping

Miami is a shopper’s paradise.  High-end retailers and designer fashions are common at the upscale Bal Harbour Shops, located on the northern end of Miami Beach, and the Village of Merrick Park, a Coral Gables shopping center with exqusite landscaping.  Downtown Coral Gables is known for the designer boutiques and specialty stores stretching along Miracle Mile.  South Beach is home to the Collins Avenue fashion districts as well as the boutiques of Lincoln Road, a pedestrian mall that also hosts a seasonal antiques and collectibles market.  Another well-known name in the Miami shopping arena, Coconut Grove, features boutiques and an organic farmer’s market.  The most well known Miami mall is Aventura Mall, a regional Mall so big that it has six department stores to anchor it.  If you are in the mood for outlet shopping, head over to Sawgrass Mills Mall, among the nation’s largest.