People who know me know that I absolutely dread cold winter weather. Mix in some rain, snow or even worse a slushy mixture of both and my mood is going down. I can start to feel a little (or a lot) depressed – desperately yearning for some sun rays to brighten my day and mood. Raise your hand if you belong to the sunny-and-warm-weather-all-year-round-to-hell-with-seasons fraction as well.
It seems like New York was taking its time this year from escaping winter weather. In fact, I feel like winter started later this year and consequently, spring had not sprung by March 20th which was the first official day of spring. Thus, I took the opportunity and escaped for a few days to Florida at the end of last month.
I joined my husband for an extended weekend in Miami. I had spent time down there on several occasions in previous years but never really ventured out beyond the bustling South Beach. It is what most people know and think of typical Miami with beautiful beaches, the Ocean Drive for people watching, colorful Art Deco buildings, lively clubs and much more. One can spend an amazing time there – no doubt about it – especially if you’ve never been to Miami. However, I was ready to explore a little bit more of Miami. Truth be told, I had grown a bit tired of the 24/7-partying South Beach neighborhood and was ready to see something new. And that’s exactly what we did.
We booked an AirBnb in Brickell which is a largely residential area on mainland Miami. It was a great location to stay at and completely quiet at night. As some of you might know, I value my sleep and have my earplugs with me at all times, but prefer to sleep without them if possible. The apartment was in a building with a great rooftop with two (!) pools, but sadly we didn’t make much use of it since we only had a few days in Miami and chose to spend the day exploring the different neighborhoods.
On Getting Around
We had a rental car during our stay but I would say you don’t necessarily need one. First of all, Miami mainland is pretty walkable. Second, you can actually use two completely free ways of transportation to explore a good amount of what Miami has to offer:
- Metromover: This is an electrically-powered, automated people mover system above ground that serves the downtown area from Brickell in the South to Overtown in the North. There are a few different lines and trains arrive every few minutes. It’s a good way to quickly get from South to North or the other way around.
- Miami Trolley: The trolleys serve a broader area than the Metromover and are best used to explore Miami’s different neighborhoods. There are a few different trolley routes and most trolleys operate on a 15-20 minutes schedule. I would suggest to download their app and you can live track when the next trolley arrives at your station which is pretty neat.
If you like to be more spontaneous and/or want to venture out to South Beach or farther locations beyond Miami, a rental car or Uber is probably your best option.
What To See And Do
Here’s a list of the neighborhoods we explored and the places we visited or I think would be worth checking out.
Wynwood
- Wynwood Walls is an outdoor museum with some great street art and graffitis.
- Love Life Wellness Center: Besides devouring the delicious fare at their vegan café you can also go to a yoga class, book a group acupuncture treatment (I didn’t know that was a thing?), an iridology (Yeah, I had to look that up as well) or a reiki session.
- Just wander around and marvel at the murals this former warehouse district has to offer. There’s also plenty of galleries, cute cafés and shops inviting you to stop, shop, take pictures and just have a good time. NW 2nd Avenue is the main street in this area where I’d suggest you start and branch out.
Design District
- Palm Court: Marvel at the great architecture, art pieces and installations.
- The Market: If you happen to be in the Design District on a Wednesday, visit this farmer’s market at Jungle Plaza. The space looks very cool and they also have live performances.
- Here’s a good overview of the various galleries as well as public art that is worth checking out.
- If you’re into luxury shopping, Design District is the place to go. While you’re doing that, marvel at the great architecture of the buildings that house luxury brands like Fendi or Hérmes.
Brickell
- Brickell City Centre is a place to shop, drink, eat, watch a movie or just hang out. It’s a cool, brand new space that just opened at the end of last year.
- If you happen to stay in Brickell and want to go for a walk or a short run, walk or jog around Brickell Key – a man-made island off the mainland.
Little Havana
- Stroll along SW 8th Street (also known as Calle Ocho) and take in the flair of this Cuban neighborhood. The most lively stretch is between SW 12th and 16th Avenues.
- Have a Cafecito or a Cortadito at one of the little eateries or restaurants. Check this out to find out what’s the difference or if you’re into coffee culture.
- Walk along the Calle Ocho Walk of Fame that celebrates Latin stars with stars along Calle Ocho.
Eat/Drink
- Green Life is an all organic bistro in Brickell. It’s good for a quick snack, lunch or coffee to go.
- SuViche offers Peruvian-Japanese fusion cuisine. They claim to prepare everything from scratch and source their food locally and sustainably. The ceviches are great and a must try if you eat there.
- OTL in the Design District is a very cute café and is pretty instagram-friendly with it’s color scheme and design. They offer healthy, light meals and the space invites to just chill and watch the restaurant’s stylish customers.
- Balans in Brickell is good for a late night meal or snack since their kitchen stays open late until 1pm. It’s nothing fancy but I found their kale salad quite good. Opt for the avocado add-on. They also have a good late evening happy hour.
- Burrito San: We didn’t eat here but I would definitely like to try it on another occasion. Sushi burrito? Sign me up.
- Café at Love Life Wellness Center: Get yourself some green (from added chlorophyll!) arepas and try one of their smoothies.
- Sugar: I haven’t been but I heard it’s a nice rooftop bar to have a cocktail or two and enjoy some tapas.
General Tips
- Make sure there’s no event taking place because that can have a huge effect on hotel/rental availability and prices. We went on the last weekend of spring break AND when there was the Ultra Music Festival going on. So do your research beforehand and check accommodation prices before you book a flight.
- Wear sunscreen at all times – the clouds and wind can be very deceiving.
- Carry a little cash with you. Some cafés and shops in areas like Little Havana only accept cash.
- If you like to eat healthy while staying in a bigger city, I recommend staying at an AirBnb with a kitchen. That way you have more control over what you eat (even if it’s just for one or two meals per day) and you also tend to spend less money on food.
Have you been to Miami or do you live there? What did I miss and is worth checking out?
