Boating in Miami, FL: Marinalife Magazine

Feature: Miami, FL Published: January 2010 in Marinalife Magazine, Winter Issue.

Colorful Miami
Culture, history, restaurants galore and an exciting nightlife await boaters in the livey city of Miami Welcome to Miami, a city teeming with energy, glamour, a diverse mix of cultures and a dash of bravado. It's like no other city in the United States, and each of its neighborhoods has a distinct personality. Miami Beach and Downtown Miami are particularly easy for boaters to access, and offer endless opportunities for exploring. Enjoy! Boating in Miami, FL

Miami Beach
Just one mile wide but seven-and-a-half miles long, Miami Beach is packed with oceanfront restaurants, bars, nightclubs and shops, and boasts a string of fine beaches. The area first rose to prominence in the 1920s when it was a popular hangout for the globetrotting rich and stunning Art Deco buildings went up all along the strip. During the 1950s it was known as a Rat Pack and Mafia hangout. By 1979, however, the quarter was shabby and neglected, and many of the once- swanky hotels had become down-market retirement homes. An assortment of architects, businessmen, politicians, and residents became concerned that the historic buildings would deteriorate so much they'd need to be razed, so the group banded together to form the Miami Beach Architectural District. Today, hundreds of structures built between 1923 and 1943-the largest such collection in the world-comprise an official Art Deco District. Some of the most impressive examples of the style are on Ocean Avenue, and include The Leslie, Carlyle, Winter Haven, and Cardoza hotels. Nearby, don't miss the spectacular 1950s-era Fontainebleau (4441 Collins Ave.), fresh from a $1 billion renovation.

Miami Beach Favorites
Casa Tua
Intimate Italian restaurant with great ser vice, knock-out food, and a charming Mediterranean-villa atmosphere. (1700 James Ave., 305-673-1010)

Florida Room
Piano lounge for the 21st century, in the ever-hip Delano Hotel. (1685 Collins Ave., 305-672-2000)

Nemo
Stylish restaurant with a raw bar and locally caught fish in the happening SoFi district; excellent spot for Sunday brunch. (100 Collins Ave., 305-532-4550)

Nikki Beach
One of the best beach parties in Miami Beachâ€”catch the weekly, all-day "Amazing Sundays" event if you can. (1 Ocean Dr., 305.538.1111)

Ola
Nuevo Latin cuisine and tasty mojitos; located in the Sanctuary Hotel. (1745 James Ave., 305-695-9125)

Phillippe's
High-end Chinese food from Philippe Chow, celebrated New York City restaurateur, inside the Gansevoort South Hotel. (2305 Collins Ave., 305-674-0250)

South Beach
Miami Beach proper stretches from 1st Street to 86th Street. South Beach is the enclave that runs from 1st to 25th, and is deservedly known for being the epicenter of the action. Within South Beach there are several mini districts, including SoFi, the area south of 5th Street; Lincoln Road, a pedestrian-only concourse with fantastic shopping; Collins Avenue, one of the main drags, dotted with hotels, restaurants, and nightlife spots, and referred to locally as "the strip;' Ocean Drive, great for people watching and whiling away a few hours in a trendy cafe; and Washington Avenue, notorious for its massive, raucous nightclubs, such as the Mansion (1235 Washington Avenue, 305-531-5535). One must-do is a visit to South Beach's most infamous residence, Casa Casuarina, where Italian fashion designer Gianni Versace lived and partied. Tours are now available to the public (116 Ocean Dr., 305-672-6604, tour price $65 per person) Miami Beach is easily accessible by boat via Government Cut.

Where to Dock
Miami Beach Marina
In the heart of South Beach, adjacent to Government Cut; within easy reach of South Beach dining, entertainment, and beaches. (300 Alton Rd., 305-673-6000, www.miamibeachmarina.com)

Sunset Harbour Yacht Club
On Biscayne Bay, just a few miles from Government Cut, in an area considered the quiet side of South Miami Beach; transient and long-term dockage as well as slips or sale. (1928 Sunset Harbour Ave., 305-398-6800, www.sunsetharbour yc.com)

Boating in Miami, FL Epic Marina
New facility adjacent to the Epic Hotel, on the Miami River where it meets Biscayne Bay; deepwater slips with concrete docks and finger piers, plus access to the hotel's luxury ameni ties-a spa, restaurants, and fitness center. (270 Biscayne Blvd., 305-400-7489, www.epichotel.com/miami-marina.html)

Sea Isle Marina & Yachting Center
Full-ser vice marina directly in front of the centrally located Marriott Hotel. (1635 North Bayshore Dr., 305-377-3625, www.seaislemarina.com)

Downtown Favorites
M-Bar and Azul
The Mandarin Oriental's bar has a menu of 250 different
martinis. Azul, the hotel â€™s signature restaurant, is a draw
in and of itself. (500 Brickell Key Dr., 305-913 8383)

Area 31
Dine inside or out on the Epic Hotel's 16th floor and enjoy
stunning Miami views. (270 Biscayne Blvd., 305-424-5234)

Perricone' s Marketplace and Cafe
Classic Italian cuisine in a cozy New England barn
atmosphere, surrounded by downtown Miami skyscrapers
(15 SE 10th St., 305-374-9449)

Media and Enter tainment District
In the northern part of downtown, the Media and Entertainment District has really taken off since the 2006 opening of the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts (1300 Biscayne Blvd, 305-949-6722, www.arshtcenter.org), the largest arts complex in Florida. The facility's three main venues include the Ziff Ballet Opera House, the Knight Concert Hall, and the Carnival Studio Theater, and at any given time you might find jazz, Broadway shows, operas, ballet, pop music, or symphony concerts on the schedule. Barton G. Weiss, one of the city's most acclaimed restaurateurs, just opened the prix-fixe Prelude (305-357-7900) on the second floor of the opera house. The Miami Heat NBA basketball team play at the American Airlines Arena (601 Biscayne Blvd., www.nba.com/heat) just down the road. in downtown Miami. Boating in Miami, FL

Downtown Miami
The commercial, financial, and cultural hub of the city, downtown Miami has undergone a major revitalization in the past 10 years. Since 2001, more than 50 skyscrapers have been erected in the area, luring new residents and offering around-the-clock opportunities to dine and shop.

There are multiple marinas smack in the middle of downtown, making it easy to take advantage of ever ything either on foot or via the Metromover, a funky monorail-type public transportation system that scuttles around downtown.

Brickell Avenue
Full of banks and businesses and, recently, luxur y hotels, the Brickell Avenue corridor has become an appealing, sophisticated alternative to the sometimes frenetic South Beach scene. There are several top-notch restaurants and bars here, along with respectable chain restaurants such as Mortonâ€™s Steakhouse, Capital Grille, and Oceanaire.

Miami's Little Havana
Little Havana is one of Miami's most interesting nooks. The neighborhood runs along 8th Street between 12th and 27th Avenues, and was founded by Cuban immigrants feeling the Castro regime. The sectionâ€™s immigrant culture is vivid and authentic, and at times a trip to Little Havana can almost feel like visiting Cuba. The streets are filled with hand-rolled-cigar shops, fruterias, meat markets, herbal stores, and cafes with take-away windows where you can buy 25-cent cafecitos. Old men set up card tables on the sidewalks or at Maximo Gomez Park (known as Domino Park) to play checkers and dominos and colorful murals cover the sides of buildings. In addition to the family-owned shops and mom-and-pop restaurants there's a burgeoning art-gallery scene. Stop at the landmark, white-and-green restaurant Versailles (3555 SW 8th St., 305-444-0240), which has been pulling in people for ropaviejasince 1971. Another popular spot is El Cristo (1543 SW 8th St., 305-261-2947), for shrimp tortillas and fish croquetas. El Pub (1548 SW 8th St., 305-642-9942) is covered in memorabilia and serves some of the best Cuban sandwiches in town.

To truly immerse yourself in Little Havana, plan to visit on the last Friday of the month when Viernes Culturales (Cultural Friday), a huge Latin street party, takes over the area. Live music, dancing, and performances erupt throughout the neighborhood. Artisans sell jewelry and food carts peddle traditional snacks. Each March (in 2010, it's March 14) the Calle Ocho Festival does the event one better: 30 stages and hundreds of vendors cover the entire district. More than one million people attend each year, and the fiesta is trumpeted as the biggest street party in the country. In 1998 the Calle Ocho festival even found its way into the Guinness Book of World Records: longest conga line, at 119, 986 people. Whether you're looking for guayabera shirts, delicious rice pudding, or a killer mojito, Little Havana is definitely worth a visit.