Miami: The Paradise for ultra-rich
March 2017, USA
Miami is the 4th largest urban area in the United States, after New York, Los Angeles and Chicago. Just above the Tropic of Cancer, Miami’s tropical climate welcomes tourists throughout the year. There are plenty of beaches, parks, superyacht marinas and system of canals, that make Miami a popular destination among ultra-rich. It is also the capital of Affluent Latin America so here you could get the best of Latin experience.
Downtown Miami
Most of the tourists go straight to Miami Beach, only passing through the downtown. However, It’s worth to spend a night here or just to visit and feel the urban life. The Downtown area is quite big itself – it could include the whole Greater Downtown Miami or just the Central Business District (CBD). The first skyscrapers were built here in the early 20s and the construction of high-rise bayfront buildings create the Miami’s famous skyline. However, in the past 15 years taller buildings emerged in the Brickell District. Between those high skyscrapers, there are still many well preserved historical buildings like Freedom Tower and Olympia Theatre. Next to the CBD is the Arts and Entertainment District (A&E), home of many museums, park and a lovely seaside promenade. It started raining when I arrived there, so it was a great opportunity to explore the nearby museums - Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science and Pérez Art Museum. The first one was not yet opened at the time of my visit, so I spent my time in Pérez Museum with thousands of contemporary works. These museums, located right on the Biscayne Bay, made Museum Park one of the popular social places in Miami Downtown. The park, formerly known as Bicentennial, was renamed after renovations took place at the whole area. Inside the park there is a notable 12-meter sculpture by the Spanish artist Jaume Plensa. Right next to Museum Park is the Bayfront Park, which is another popular spot not only for locals, but worldwide – every year more than hundred thousand people visit the Ultra Music Festival here. If you prefer sports events – between the two parks is located American Airlines Arena, the home of NBA’s Miami Heat. Along the bayfront Biscayne Boulevard are located many bars next to the sea, so the whole area is much more than boring business district. However, the best live music in Miami Downtown is probably in the Little Havana district, just west to the CBD. Along the main 8th street (Calle Ocho), crossing this neighborhood of Cuban exiles, there are plenty of Latin music bars with totally different experience, reminding to Havana. In fact, one third of the Miami’s population are Latinos so the Spanish is like a second-official-language here. The best way to explore Downtown is by City of Miami’s trolley, which runs for free in many areas, including Little Havana, Brickell, Overtown and along Biscayne Blvd.
Venetian Causeway
Five bridges separates Downtown to Miami Beach. The first one, Collins Bridge, was built in 1913 and renamed afterwards as Venetian Causeway. Originally it was a wooden bridge, the longest in the world at that time, critically needed during the Florida’s real estate boom in the 20s. Together with the development of Miami Beach, several artificial islands emerged around the Venetian Causeway, known as Venetian Islands. Most of them hold Italian names, like San Marco, Di Lido, Belle Isle or San Marino, however Italy stands more than 8000 km from here. I crossed the Venetian Causeway by walk, as it is the only bridge between Miami Beach and Downtown with bicycle and pedestrian lines. In fact, riding bicycle could be dangerous in Miami as the city is famous for its higher number of cyclist fatalities, so Venetian Causeway is among the few bike-friendly areas (South Beach is another one). These area is also a real estate bestseller as it offers suburb feel just few minutes from Miami Beach or Downtown. The panoramic views around Biscayne Bay is the reason many people come here for jogging, bike ride or dog walk. If you have time, do not hesitate to enjoy a relaxing one-hour walk or a scenic bike ride between Miami Beach and Downtown through Venetian Causeway.
Biscayne Bay
The intra-coastal waterways in Miami is the reason to make comparisons with Venice. Anyway, the boat transportation here is something usual and not only for the rich. Around the Biscayne Bay, you could find several boat rentals, from simple ones to super luxury. Even the organized boat tours to Everglades start here, so if you need a different perspective on the city – Biscayne Bay is the place to stick around. The lagoon is also a popular spot for scuba diving, especially around Key Biscayne and Virginia Key islands, famous for its marine life. In Virginia Key is located one of the first oceanariums in USA – the Miami Seaquarium. More than half-a-million visitors come here every year to see the famous dolphin or killer whale shows. The tickets for the show cost $45 per person, thus making Seaquarium one of the largest contributor to Miami’s revenues. On the other side of the oceanarium is Key Biscayne, the crème de la crème in the Miami’s real estate – here are some of the most expensive properties in Florida at all. Luxury mansions with infinity pools and private piers for owners’ superyachts – you will see how the ultra-rich live in the heart of Miami. Frank Lopez's Mansion, filmed in Scarface, is just one of the examples. There is also a golf course on the island, national parks and of course – sandy tropical beaches. Key Biscayne and Virginia Key are connected to Miami via Rickenbacker Causeway.
Miami Beach
Sooner or later, you will end up in Miami Beach – the most popular area. Actually, Miami Beach is a separate city initially developed as a private initiative by Carl Fisher for his fellas in automobile industry. He funded the dredging of Biscayne Bay, construction of Collins Bridge and meanwhile built several luxury hotels, so that’s how this mangrove swamp became a vacation paradise. Miami Beach is the best place for accommodation with many hotels and condominiums, just next to the beach. Three beach neighborhoods shares the area – North Beach, Mid Beach and South Beach. The tourists coming from Miami usually go to South Beach, while North Beach is better linked to Fort Lauderdale. I went straight to South Beach, the most popular area here with many things to do next to the beach. Stick around Miami Beach Boardwalk and you could cycle to explore the endless beach - there are many CitiBike stations to rent a bicycle for less than 5$. It is the best way to move around South Beach, as the distances are not so short for walking. There are also shipping channels like Government Cut, so the boat owners living around the waterways could reach their homes in a more convenient way. Just like the Downtown, there are many parks next to the beach. The biggest one is Lummus Park, which is along the broadwalk in South Beach. Located between the beach and Ocean Drive, it is the most popular park here. Another beautiful park is South Pointe Park, which is also the southernmost point in Miami Beach. The park offers panoramic views of Downtown Miami’s skyline, as well as Biscayne Bay and South Beach views. I came here early in the morning to catch the sunrise, while many people were already here jogging or just out for a morning walk. There is also a pier, which offer better views to the water and also a cruise spot, as most of the ships pass by here. This park was once a federal property, before donated to Miami-Dade Country and converted from horse stables to lovely park.
Ocean Drive
Without doubt, Ocean Drive is the most famous part in Miami Beach. Its art deco hotels are filmed in many movies and music videos and often used as a postcards of Miami. After the Great Miami hurricane in 1926, an Art Deco renaissance revived Miami Beach so here you can enjoy this architecture of the 30s. The most famous boutique hotels include Casa Casuarina and Colony Hotel, which are probably the most photographer buildings in Miami Beach. In addition, a parked in front Oldsmobile from the 50s, increases the retro feeling. Ocean Drive is the place where you will eventually spend most of your time while in Miami. Along the sidewalks are located countless bars and restaurants with live performances and top cuisine. Dining in a Caribbean restaurant and a glass of rum cocktail in a night bar with dancers – Ocean Drive will give you the best Latin experience! The high-end experience continues on the beach, where at 1 Ocean Drive is located the first Nikki Beach, built here in 1997 and becoming the most luxury beach brand worldwide.
This article was originally published in The Economist's magazine Bulgarian issue No. 23 of June 2017.
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