Miami
Beach is a finger of land separating Biscayne Bay and the Atlantic Ocean,
connected by five causeways to the mainland. At its southern tip is South
Beach, known as the Art Deco District, or SoBe. This 10-block stretch
of Ocean Drive, which fronts South Beach, is one of the most celebrated
ocean fronts in America.
The
Art Deco District Welcome Center is located there, along with an eclectic
mix of chic restaurants, boutiques, delicatessens, produce markets, outdoor
cafes and nightclubs. The palm shaded beach side of Ocean Drive in Miami
Beach attracts families to its wide, sandy beach and children’s play area.
Volleyball, in-line skating on the winding sidewalk, swimming, sunning and
water sports are favorite pastimes. Surfside, Bal Harbour and Sunny Isles
make up the northern part of “The Beach.”
The
heart of Miami Beach and the Art Deco District, Lincoln Road, is an open-air
mall of 175 galleries, shops and restaurants along an eight-block pedestrian
promenade with shade trees down the middle. At one time, Lincoln Road was a
posh shopping strip equal to Rodeo Drive in Los Angeles. The street was
closed to traffic, and in the 1960s, it began to decline.
In
step with the South Beach renaissance, Lincoln Road has been transformed
into a row of successful art galleries, lively performing-arts showcases and
trendy cafes. Visitors can stroll through numerous galleries or admire the
Lincoln Theater, home of the New World Symphony. There is also a delightful
Sunday flea market and farmers market.
Some
of the more popular attractions in the greater Miami area are Viscaya Museum
and Gardens, Little Havana, Museum of Science and Space Transit Planetarium,
and the Miami Metro Zoo. Biscayne Boulevard is a prime spot for shopping. It
features the Bayside Marketplace- a shopping experience in the Tropical
style. Shopping is also excellent at the Cocowalk shopping and entertainment
complex.
The
Greater Miami area has over thirty golf courses. Other recreational
opportunities include wind surfing, scuba diving, snorkeling and deep-sea
fishing. Perfect weather and flat terrain make Miami Beach popular with
bicyclists.
The
best time to visit is winter, but in the off-season (after Easter and before
October) there is still plenty to do and rates are more reasonable. For sun,
sand and tropical beauty, Miami Beach is the place to be.
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