Miami Neighborhood Primer

Miami, famous for its fly-by-night party atmosphere and see-and-be-seen celebrity status, harbors a surprisingly strong sense of community. Exploring the area’s vibrant neighborhoods may just give you an entirely different view of one of Florida’s favorite cities. A few of our favorite areas:

Little Havana is the epicenter of Miami’s Latin community. Grab a cup of steaming café con leche and stroll down Calle Ocho (8th Street, between 12th and 27th Avenues). You’ll pass by Maximo Gomez Park, where Cuban elders play dominos; El Credito Cigar Manufacturers, a family-run company specializing in hand-rolled cigars; and Cuban Memorial Plaza, site of numerous Cuban political demonstrations and a memorial to men killed during the Bay of Pigs invasion. During the last Friday of each month, Calle Ocho turns into a Latin-style street party called Viernes Culturales, complete with traditional foods, crafts and street performers. For authentic Cuban fare, try Versailles Restaurant or the upscale Casa Juancho for Spanish cuisine.

More culinary delights sizzle in the restaurants of Coconut Grove, where places such as Greenstreet Outdoor Lounge & Restaurant and Café Tu Tu Tango are often frequented more by locals than tourists. Shopping is a professional sport here in “The Grove,” with myriad eclectic boutiques and charming shopping centers such as CocoWalk and, across the street, the open-air Streets of Mayfair. Coconut Grove, however, is most often associated with the grand Vizcaya Museum & Gardens, a 34-room, European-inspired estate built by agricultural industrialist James Deering. Nestled on 10 lushly landscaped acres overlooking Biscayne Bay, the estate’s antique furnishings and decorative arts span two millennia.

In the mood for architecture? Quiet Coral Gables is home to rare flowering plants at the 83-acre Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden (be sure to sign up for a guided walking tour) and the historic Venetian Pool, built in 1923 out of a coral rock quarry and open to the public for swimming.

A stroll through any one of these eclectic neighborhoods shows that there’s plenty more to Miami than South Beach.

Arabian Nights: The city of Opa-locka, a mere 4.2 square miles in size, was created around an Arabian Nights theme, with street names like Ali Baba Avenue and Sultan Lane. The city certainly looks the part of Sir Richard Burton’s translation of the famous texts, with the largest collection of Moorish architecture in the Western hemisphere.

Shanty-style:Jimbo’s Place is a ramshackle shantytown hidden down a lane on Virginia Key. This gathering spot for local fishermen and in-the-know Miamians isn’t as pretty as its Key Biscayne neighbor (though it’s been the site of countless fashion shoots and feature films). It is, however, the place to come for smoked fish and a cold beer.

Designer digs:Miami’s art scene is always expanding, as evidenced by the influx of contemporary artists into the city each year. The edgy Wynwood Arts District is starting to attract some major collectors (in addition to the established Rubell Family Collection, one of the nation’s most important collections of contemporary art), while artists, designers, restaurateurs and entrepreneurs have flocked to the equally compelling Miami Design District. This center for style is a great place for the public to shop for furniture and accessories, or just catch up on the latest design trends.

Paging Dr. Paul:Local historian and college professor Dr. Paul George regularly leads walking, coach and boat tours that cover almost every facet of Miami history, past and present. One such place is Stiltsville, a remnant community of six houses perched on stilts in the middle of Biscayne National Park. Other ethnic neighborhoods you may see on a tour include Little Haiti, Overtown and Allapattah.

For more information on the Miami area, visit the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau’s web site at www.MiamiandBeaches.com.