Welcome to Miami!

When you think of Greater Miami and the Beaches, the eclectic community of Miami Beach is a place where beautiful people sun by day and revel by night in a party scene as legendary as the celebrities who grace the neon lighted clubs, bars and restaurants. Once you explore the Beach, however,, you'll discover so much more, from fine shopping and dining to the pastel-colored Art Deco District, all in a funky atmosphere unlike any other place in the nation.

Miami Beach became America's premier winter playground in the '40s and '50s and its leading retirement community in the '60s. Today, Miami Beach has emerged as an international hot spot, providing opportunities for the fashion and film industries as well as developers from around the world. The median age of Miami Beach's resident population dropped from 65.3 in 1980 to 44.5 in 1990. And, of course, the Beach continues to attract thousands of visitors to its sunny shores each year

Sightseeing

Miami Beach holds a myriad of fun and interesting places to visit, each an example of the rich cultural diversity found here. Check out the Wofsonian Museum, one of the newest additions to the local art scene, and view a singular collection of over 70,000 works of art. For art of a more poignant sort, visit the Holocaust Memorial commemorating the Jewish victims and survivors of World War II.

For a closer look at Miami Beach's distinctive neighborhoods, you might want to take a tour. The Miami Preservation League offers walking, biking and in-line skating tours of the Art Deco District, led by informative guides who provide a unique perspective on this charming city.

Palm, Star and Hibiscus islands are just a few of the many private islands that line the Venetian and MacArthur causeways, as well as much of the western edge of Miami Beach. Here, some of Greater Miami and the Beaches' wealthiest residents live in both luxury and privacy, including celebrities such as Gloria Estefan. Al Capone, perhaps Miami's most infamous resident, had an estate on Palm Island in the 1920s.

Shopping

The shops and boutiques of Miami Beach give new meaning to the word "beachcombing"; you can find everything from world-famous designer swimsuits to souvenir seashells in settings that range from quirky to elegant. Stroll along Espanola Way, with its lovely Mediterranean-style architecture, for an atmosphere reminiscent of a street in Madrid. Both Collins and Washington avenues offer a variety of goods in shops that run the gamut from simply sedate to outrageously fantastic. Once known as the Fifth Avenue of the South, Lincoln Road Shopping District is re-emerging as a mecca for shoppers with discerning tastes.

Dining and Nightlife

Miami Beach has a style and mix of people who have made it, in recent years, one of the premier places to see and be seen, particularly when the sun goes down. Whether you prefer the comfort of good, wholesome food in a neighborhood cafeteria or the flair of New World cuisine at a bustling sidewalk cafe on Ocean Drive, you're sure to find an eatery that suits your taste. The evening sky brings out the stars--the stars, that is, who participate in Miami Beach's fabulous nightlife. Whether they're performing to sold-out crowds in the numerous theaters and playhouses in the area or reveling among the crowds in the fashionable clubs throughout South Beach, they are part of Miami Beach's long tradition of being the playground for the world's rich and famous.

Neighborhoods

Greater Miami's first few hundred settlers came armed only with determination, a railroad, and a dream of greatness. One century later, the dream has been realized: this city's two million residents live, work, and play in what has become one of the fastest-moving and influential metropolitan areas in the world. Much of the area's success is due to its diverse neighborhoods, whose residents, from Aventura to Homestead, contribute in their own singular way to making Greater Miami and the Beaches one of the greatest and most fascinating places to live in the world.

South Beach

The pastel colors delight you, the fantastic architecture amazes you, the glittering nightlife bedazzles you, and the spectacular shoreline soothes your senses--and it's all located in less than two square miles on the tip of Miami Beach. In recent years, South Beach has become one of the fastest-growing and most photographed neighborhoods in Greater, Miami, rising in popularity not only with tourists, but with the fashion, film and music industries as well.

This tremendous growth has resulted in a renaissance for the area, as visitors breath new life and color into once faded hotels, restaurants, theaters and museums, helping to restore South Beach's prominence as the American Riviera.

To soak up South Beach's unique surroundings around the clock, the district offers many small- to medium-sized European-style boutique hotels, an attractive option for those who prefer more intimate-sized accommodations in the midst of all the action.

Sightseeing

The Art Deco District in South Beach contains more than 800 buildings - signed in this distinctive architectural style, as wall as numerous other points of interest, all within a single square mile. A large number of these structures have been restored to their original glory and are a must-see for anyone who appreciates the marriage of art and function in building design. Among South Beach's many attractions is the Bass Museum, which shows a variety of famous artworks from around the world. The Jackie Gleason Theater, where the stars shine brightly in productions fresh from Broadway, and the Miami Beach Convention Center, where there are exciting events and expositions year-round.