Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Miami and South Beach





    Roll sunshine, white sand, and endless activities into one thriving beachside city and you've got Miami.
    Miami attracts visitors looking for warm weather, inviting water, soft sand beaches, and sizzling nightlife. But beyond just the beach, Miami manages to be just the ticket for an impressive variety of travelers. Between kid-friendly waters and attractions featuring monkeys, alligators, and other exotic animals, there's no shortage of family activities in and around Miami. Jetsetters with money to burn can rub shoulders with celebrities at the many upscale hotels, swank restaurants, and exclusive nightclubs. Miami is known as the Gay Riviera, and South Beach in particular is popular among travelers looking for a welcoming atmosphere, famous nightlife, and year-round events.
    Outdoor enthusiasts can golf, snorkel, and boat their way through Miami; and for the adventurous, there's always nearby Everglades National Park and Biscayne National Park. Architecture buffs surround themselves with outstanding examples of the Art Deco style, and for consummate shoppers, there's no shortage of boutiques, outdoor shopping promenades, and outlet malls.


    Miami has a true tropical climate, specifically the Tropical monsoon climate (Köppen climate classification Am)[24] with hot & humid summers and warm winters, with a marked dry season in the winter. The city does experience cold fronts from late October through March. However, the average monthly temperature for any month has never been recorded as being under 64.4 °F (January averages 67 °F).[25] Most of the year is warm and humid, and the summers are almost identical to the climate of the Caribbean tropics. The wet season lasts from May to October, when it gives way to the dry season, which features mild temperatures with some invasions of cool air, which is when the little winter rainfall occurs — with the passing of a front.

South Beach


    South Beach is a neighborhood of the city of Miami Beach, Florida, United States. It is the area south of Indian Creek and encompasses roughly the southernmost 23 blocks of the main barrier island that separates the Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay.
    In both daytime and at nightfall, the South Beach section of Miami Beach is a major entertainment destination with hundreds of nightclubs, restaurants, boutiques and hotels. The area is popular with both American and international tourists (mainly from Europe, Latin America, Canada, Israel, the Caribbean and within the United States), with some having permanent or second homes. The large number of European and Brazilian tourists also explains their influence on South Beach's lax and overall tolerance of topless sunbathing, despite it being a public beach.
     The reflection of South Beach's residents is evident in the various European languages, as well as Semitic languages and many other languages spoken. As of 2000, many Miami Beach residents, including those of South Beach, spoke Spanish as a first language, which accounted for 55% of residents, while English was the first language for 33% of the population.
    One of most famous streets in South Beach are Lincoln Road, Ocean Drive, Collins Avenue and Washington Avenue.


    Lincoln Road is an open-air pedestrian mall, considered South Beach's premiere shopping area. It is home to many restaurants and several night clubs, such as Score and Funktion, as well as many retail outlets. While Lincoln Road was one time rather downtrodden, it began a renaissance in the 1980s as an arts and cultural center. With its unique boutique shops and restaurants, it has had "an esoteric chic that maintains its trendy appeal." (ref. Ocean Drive Magazine) It is located in between 16th Street and 17th Street and spans the beach in an east-west direction. Among the late 1990s restaurants on Lincoln Road was one owned by actor Michael Caine, and managed by one of his daughters. The restaurant has since closed. Lincoln Road commerce is greatly facilitated by the 17th street parking garage. The Miami Beach Preservation Board recently approved the closure of automobile traffic on the westward part of Lincoln Road, in favor of the renovation of the SunTrust building. The extension of the pedestrian mall is complemented by the opening of STAY at Lincoln in March 2008.

    Ocean Drive, Española Way and Drexel Avenue - Plaza de España (view towards the north). Ocean Drive is the easternmost street in South Beach, and stems from south of First to 15th Street, running in a north-south direction. Ocean Drive is responsible for the South Beach aesthetic that most out-of-town visitors expect. It is a popular Spring Break and tourist area, including the famous, yet predominantly local, Pearl and Nikki Beach night spots. It is also home to several prominent restaurants (including "News Cafe," "Mango's," and the MTV-popularized "Clevelander") and is the site of Gianni Versace's former ocean front mansion.
    The Carlyle Hotel on Ocean Drive near 13th Street is an iconic Art Deco landmark. Built in 1939, it is one of the most sought after settings for photo shoots, televised programming, Hollywood and independent film-making. It was the outside setting for the 1996 MGM film The Birdcage.







    Collins Avenue runs parallel to the Atlantic Ocean in Miami Beach, Florida, one block west. It is also State Road A1A. Collins Avenue was named for John S. Collins a developer who completed the first bridge connecting Miami beach to the mainland across Biscayne Bay. Collins is home to many historic Art Deco hotels, and several nightclubs to the north, including Mynt and Rokbar. North of 41st St. this boulevard lies between the Atlantic Ocean and the Indian Creek, lined by palm trees, and famous hotels from the 50s and 60s such as the Eden Roc and the Morris Lapidus-designed Fontainebleau Hotel, built in the curvy, flamboyant Neo-baroque fashion that defined the 1950s 'Miami Beach' resort hotel style. Coined as "Millionaires Row," Collins Avenue is lined by historic hotels such as The Wyndham Miami Beach Resort, formerly known as Westin Resort, formerly known as the Doral Hotel. The annual Miami International Boat Show occurs on Collins Avenue.




    Washington Avenue is one of the best-known streets in South Beach. Running parallel with Ocean and Collins, Washington is notorious for having some of the world's largest and most popular nightclubs, such as Cameo and Mansion. During "season" (October 15 to May 15) the street is jammed with traffic until early in the morning (as late as 6 am) every night of the week. In the 1990s explosion of South Beach as a nightclub venue, its nightclub moguls included Ingrid Casares, whose investors included the singer Madonna.
   




Night Life in Miami Beach

    South Beach has an active club and bar scene. It is host to more than 150 clubs and other venues, most of which close at 5 am. South Beach can be expensive, and access to nightclubs is often difficult for non-locals who do not have connections, or do not plan their evenings. Access to more popular nightspots can cost $20–60 depending on event and venue and sometimes comes with a wait of several hours, in addition to evaluation by door staff.



    Nightlife in South Beach is dynamic and ever-changing, although The Clevelander and Mac's Club Deuce have remained steadfast tourist destinations on Ocean Drive for well over a decade. The average club is only open for about a season or less. Recently, the local government has been taking steps to prevent these short-lived venues from establishing themselves at all.
    The television program, "UberGuide", produced by Peace Arch Entertainment, recently profiled South Beach, naming B.E.D. nightclub as one of the top ten legendary bars in the world.






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