GREATER MIAMI AND THE BEACHES • overview

While a "fun-in-the-sun" atmosphere generally comes to mind when daydreaming about the world's premier playground, Miami is more than year-round beach weather and Art Deco styles. The city is a Mecca of ethnic diversity, gourmet restaurants and sophisticated art and cultural venues that enthrall an eclectic mix of sizzling celebrities and frolicking families.
Glorious weather has always been a main attraction here due to Miami's sun-kissed days that feature bluer-than-blue skies and an average temperature of 76 F.

Offbeat and Undiscovered Neighborhoods
A meandering collection of more than 30 municipalities are spread throughout 2,000 square miles in Greater Miami and the Beaches. More than two million residents call the area home, with half of the residents claiming that Spanish is their native language. Heritages that include Portuguese, French, Creole, Italian, Yiddish and Hebrew are evident throughout the city and in the homes and gathering spots of the dozens of Miami's distinctly different neighborhoods. Some areas, like South Beach's Art Deco District, are internationally renowned while visitors can journey through hidden treasure communities like South Miami and Hialeah.
A resort destination, Miami Beach caters to a large number of families. From the funky town of Surfside to the revitalized North Beach, an abundance of unpretentious charm and easy beach access can be found. In fact, North Beach's Ocean Terrace, a five-block stretch south of North Shore Park, is fast becoming a smaller version of South Beach with its inviting oceanfront cafes, chic hotels and a concentration on being Miami Modern (MiMo).
Bal Harbour and the Bay Harbour Islands are quiet upscale residential communities notable for the Bal Harbour Shops and are continually ranked as one of the top shopping destinations in the world.

MIAMI OFFERS ITS VISITORS AN ECLECTIC ARRAY OF ATTRACTIONS

COURTESY OF THE GREATER MIAMI CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU

As you head south of downtown, the foliage becomes thicker, especially in Coconut Grove. Legendary as an arts colony in its heyday, the area is increasingly popular with tourists looking for art galleries, boutiques and bookstores. Mayfair in the Grove is the area's hottest place to see and be seen. Visitors are given the opportunity to stroll through the Art Nouveau buildings housing a unique collection of boutiques, dining and entertainment, including the Oxygen Lounge and Sushi Bar and Grove House Artists Gallery. The Grove honors its artistic roots each year with the Coconut Grove Arts Festival, the nation's largest annual celebration of visual arts and crafts.
Coral Gables, world renowned for upscale dining and the créme-de-la-créme of American and Spanish Art, recently welcomed the Village of Merrick Park as Miami's newest upscale shopping Mecca. Featuring 115 haute couture fashion and home décor shops, Merrick is the embodiment of "The City Beautiful".
Key Biscayne is becoming increasingly popular with newcomers to Miami for its miles of hiking trails, boating and watersports.

Explore...and Discover
There's much more than shimmer and glitz in this sultry city! For travelers who would much rather see a wading bird or sea turtle than a movie star, a myriad of opportunity awaits.
Nowhere else in the United States does such a wealth of natural resources present itself as in the Everglades and Biscayne national parks. Mangrove forests, wood hammocks, pinelands and wetlands are home to an unrivaled and diverse array of flora and fauna in Miami-Dade County.
Those who long to go bush, backcountry camping in Everglades National Park will not be disappointed! Visitors traveling along the 99-mile Wilderness Waterway can paddle all day without seeing another soul, and spend the night camping out on remote chickees, which are raised campsites accessible only by water. Permits and reservations are required, but advance notice of only 24 hours is necessary.

The primarily aquatic Biscayne National Park features 173,000 acres, of which 95 percent is under water. The park encompasses the turquoise waters of Biscayne Bay, living coral reefs and 40 of the northernmost Florida Keys. The fishing is excellent with snapper, snook and barracuda among the most common catch.
For a unique way to see the natural side of Florida, located 11 miles west of the Florida turnpike off Hwy. 41 is Coopertown Airboat Tours. Visitors are given the opportunity to journey through Hardwood Hammocks, stopping at alligator holes along the way for an up-close glimpse of these Everglade residents. After your airboat tour, visitors to this small community are invited to belly up to the Coopertown restaurant (there's only one), or meet the locals and hear their Everglade tales over a drink served up at the friendly neighborhood bar.
Landlubbers to Greater Miami and the Beaches never need to look far to organize their day. Golf courses created by the world's top designers are available. Currently the hottest place to tee off is the Miami Beach Golf Club, following a recent 14-month, $6.5-million renovation. The course, designed by Arthur Hills, features a papsalum turf which has become the perfect ecological answer to Florida's sand- and salt-heavy topsoil.
Golfers who wish to luxuriate on the green can play the 300-acre Turnberry Isle Resort and Spa course, the 18-hole, par 71 course at the Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables or the exclusive par 35, nine-hole Links Course at The Fisher Island Resort.
If you would rather swing a racquet than a nine iron, the state-of-the-art Crandon Tennis Center hosts the NASDAQ-100 Tennis Championships each March, when it plays host to Venus and Serena Williams, Andre Agassi and the world's top players. The rest of the year, Crandon opens its immaculate courts to the public.

Designer Boutiques to Vintage Collectibles
Every fashionista worth her Jimmy Choo stilettos knows that Miami is a red-hot shopping destination! With an attractive mix of traditional malls and outlet centers, lushly landscaped open-air fashion centers and year-round collectibles, Miami's appeal is universal.
As celebrities and fashion savvy editors fall in love with South Beach, a shopping renaissance is underway - The Lincoln Road and Collins Avenue shopping district, featuring an eclectic mix of funky boutiques and hot brands such as Steve Madden, L'Occitane and Preview. Hipster retailers have also flocked to Collins Avenue, which now boasts Von Dutch and Barney's Co-op.
Savings are the lure at the Dolphin Mall, located just five miles west of Miami International Airport. A melange of reasonably priced specialty stores and bargain outlets, including Bebe Outlet and Quicksilver Outlet, help visitors achieve those fabulous designer styles without paying the lavish prices that accompany them elsewhere in town.
The Coconut Grove Farmers Market, which opens Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., qualifies as the oldest and most traditional of Miami's outdoor markets with a mouthwatering array of local produce and ready-to-eat delicacies.
For "treasure" hunters, visit Homestead's Main Street Antique District, which is home to an abundance of quality shops and quaint cafes in a small-town setting.

Dining
More than 6,000 dining spots cater to an increasingly sophisticated resident population, as well as the more than 10 million annual visitors. From casual alfresco cafes to palaces of cuisine, Miami is a full-fledged culinary hot spot with a flavor-packed menu filled with spicy and delicious options.
Visitors and residents alike are currently abuzz about Willis Louhhead's cuisine at the Ritz-Carlton Coconut Grove's Biscaya Grill, while The Blue Door at the Delano is a regular haunt for visiting celebrities including Robert DeNiro and Jennifer Lopez.
Almost every taste under the sun can be found here. Cuban, Haitian, Colombian, you name it - Miami serves it. In the mood for meat? Top-rated steakhouses like Christy's Restaurant, Smith and Wollensky and Morton's - The Steakhouse dot the dining landscape.
Meanwhile, in October 2004 Joe's Stone Crabs, a Miami institution, opened for its 92nd season with restaurant-goers waiting upwards of two hours for a table on most nights. From New World specialties like Norman Van Akens's (owner of Norman's in Coral Gables) popcorn crusted crispy shrimp with warm citrus mojo to Jonathon Eismann's lobster pancakes at Pacific Time, Miami offers an ever-expanding cornucopia of delectable choices.
If you can't decide on one taste, the Miami Spice Restaurant Month, scheduled for July 2005, features more than 60 of the city's finest dining establishments, enticing visitors with incredible savings on three-course lunch or dinner meals.

When the Moon is Over Miami
Just beyond the elusive velvet rope is where visitors are given the best opportunities for rubbing elbows with the rich and famous. From the live music venues featuring great Latin jazz, to the dance floors of hipper-than-thou clubs to tablehopping in the lounges of chic restaurants that magically transform themselves into nightclubs as the evening progresses, the nightlife in Miami sizzles.
Staying current is a challenge as even more fabulous concepts open every week. Nowhere is this more apparent than in clubs of the moment like Prive, Mansion and Club Deep, where partygoers can dance overtop a 2,000-gallon aquarium buried under a glass dance floor.
If you prefer your Miami evenings to be a little more refined, the Concert Association of Florida, a cultural force in South Florida, welcomes the world's major orchestras, classical stars and dance companies.
Scheduled to open in the 2005/2006 season is Greater Miami's Performing Arts Center. This 570,000-square-foot epicenter will be one of only four major centers in the United States featuring three separate performance facilities. Four nationally esteemed companies will be in residence in the complex, including the Concert Association of Florida, Florida Grand Opera, Miami City Ballet and the New World Symphony.