Top Reasons to Go to Miami

Top Reasons to Go to Miami

Deco-licious Delights

You can't miss them: the curvy zigzag forms, square towers, vibrant colors, stunning wall murals, glass block, sunburst and sea motifs and flora flourishes of Miami Beach's art-deco gems. Miami has the largest concentration of 1920s and 1930s resort architecture in the world. Today, the Art Deco District -- the country's first 20th century district on the National Register of Historic Places, has more than 800 buildings of significance. Upkeep is not uniform; the exteriors of some of these buildings have only been primed and painted and some of the interiors haven't been touched since Sinatra and the boys visited in the '30s. Still, there are some real gems and it'd be a shame if you didn't dust off some of that sugar-white beach sand, put on your walking sandals, and take a stroll down Deco lane.

Glitz, Glitter & Glam

By day, supermodels preen in the surf and sand, the fashionistas and glitterati cruise the boulevard in shiny Harleys and top-down convertibles, while the common folk stroll and gawk. By night, the SoBe crowd, believing that too much of a good thing is wonderful, has raised hedonistic, celeb-studded clubbing to an art form.

Who can resist Cuban salsa, Jamaican reggae, and Dominican merengue, with some disco and hip hop thrown in for good measure? When this place throws a party, hips shake, fingers snap, bodies touch. It's no wonder many clubs are still rocking at 5 AM

Cultural Pursuits

The Miami art, design, and culture scene is nearly as hot as its summer days. The spanking new Carnival Center for the Performing Arts, home to the Florida Grand Opera, Miami City Ballet, and the Concert Association of Florida, hopes to become the place for the performing arts in southern Florida. Already, the Center has lured a slew of talented musicians and world-music artists, acclaimed Broadway actors, superstar conductors, and a few Tony-award winners to its stages. If you like to gallery hop and shop, don't miss the MDD, aka Miami Design District. Also, contemporary art lovers are flocking to the up-and-coming Wynwood Art District to browse the cluster of galleries -- some owned and visited by serious international art collectors-and new artist studios. The art world descends on Miami each December for the long-touted Art Basel show. Patterned after the world-renowned Art Basel event in Switzerland, the Miami version draws more than 200 leading art dealers, exhibiting the 20th and 21st century works of some 1,500 artists.

Ethnic Enclaves

Wander into some Miami neighborhoods and you'll think you've left the country. Huge influxes of Cuban, Haitian, Bahamian, African-American, South American, Dominican, and Puerto Rican immigrants makes Miami one of the most ethnically-diverse cities in America. Two neighborhoods not to miss: Little Havana and Little Haiti. Stroll the streets of Little Havana, just west of Downtown, where Spanish and salsa tunes blare and the smell of spicy chorizo fills the air. Little Haiti near the Design District on NE 2nd Avenue between 38th and 42nd Streets is home to more than 30,000 Haitians. Shop for traditional Haitian arts and crafts and browse the colorful fruit and flower markets for a little slice of Caribbean in the U.S.

Sprawling on the Beach

Whether you're in the mood to build sandcastles with small fry or sun yourself in tiny trunks or a string bikini (or less), Greater Miami has the perfect strip of sand for you. A free-to-all, 300-foot-wide beach with several distinct sections extends for 10 mi from the foot of Miami Beach north to Haulover Beach Park. Almost every side street in Miami Beach dead-ends at the ocean. Sandy shores also stretch along the southern side of the Rickenbacker Causeway to Key Biscayne, where you'll find more popular beaches. Whether the priority is showing off a toned body, jumping on a jet ski, or relaxing in a tranquil natural environment, there's a beach tailor-made to please.