Miami Recommendations

lawtig02 said:
Miami is best for really specific experiences. A few quick suggestions, and yes, I realize a lot of these are "touristy," but they're still great.

1. Dinner on the outside patio at Versailles in Little Havana.
2. Cocktails by the pool at the Delano.
3. Breakfast at News Cafe.
4. Walk the boardwalk between 15th Street and 21st Street just after the sun sets.
5. Walk the River Walk on the south side of the Brickell Ave bridge, then over to S. Miami Ave and dinner at Novecento.
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That's a pretty good list. Some classics on there.
 
Ddseddse said:
Thanks for all the advice so far.

Sorry, I said "kid" because that's what she still is in my mind, but she's 13 and mature for her years. I guess I should have been more specific in my OP. We're not looking to be actively entertained (like a theme park, ect.). Honestly any cool neighborhoods to explore, any authentic food experiences, that sort of thing. We're a pretty low maintenance crew. I'm gonna be happy with a cup of Cuban coffee, maybe an empanada, and a place to read my book. But also didn't' want to miss out on anything truly must see.

I'm definitely down with the Everglades. And the Keys idea is great too, honestly wish I thought of that from the start. But I'm excited about Miami anyway, I just want to get to know the city better. It's a great American city I haven't spent a lot of time in and I'd like to get a better feel for it. That's the main reason we picked it. So I'm especially interested in any "uniquely Miami" experience that you can't get in any other city. That kind of thing.
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Wynwood Walls
South Beach
Design District
Coral Gables
Brickell City Center if she likes shopping
Seaquarium was cool but closed
We did an Everglades Air Boat tour…bus picked us up at hotel. Saw some gators. Did you know the Everglades is actually a river?
 
You’ve received excellent advice and here’s my practical addendum: if you’re planning to visit an area away from your base, wait to drive after morning and afternoon rush hours and spend the entire day and into the evening at your destination. Traffic and parking are really problematic. Wynnwood (artsy), Little Havana (the heart of the dominant Cuban culture) and the Gables (upscale including Vizcaya) are each worth a full day and that plus exploring the beach areas is enough to keep you busy for a full week. Again, try to avoid driving any more than necessary.
 
lawtig02 said:
Miami is best for really specific experiences. A few quick suggestions, and yes, I realize a lot of these are "touristy," but they're still great.

1. Dinner on the outside patio at Versailles in Little Havana.
2. Cocktails by the pool at the Delano.
3. Breakfast at News Cafe.
4. Walk the boardwalk between 15th Street and 21st Street just after the sun sets.
5. Walk the River Walk on the south side of the Brickell Ave bridge, then over to S. Miami Ave and dinner at Novecento.
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100% on breakfast at the News Cafe.

Also someone mentioned Coconut Grove, great neighborhood for exploring/hanging.
 
Ddseddse said:
Thanks for all the advice so far.

Sorry, I said "kid" because that's what she still is in my mind, but she's 13 and mature for her years. I guess I should have been more specific in my OP. We're not looking to be actively entertained (like a theme park, ect.). Honestly any cool neighborhoods to explore, any authentic food experiences, that sort of thing. We're a pretty low maintenance crew. I'm gonna be happy with a cup of Cuban coffee, maybe an empanada, and a place to read my book. But also didn't' want to miss out on anything truly must see.

I'm definitely down with the Everglades. And the Keys idea is great too, honestly wish I thought of that from the start. But I'm excited about Miami anyway, I just want to get to know the city better. It's a great American city I haven't spent a lot of time in and I'd like to get a better feel for it. That's the main reason we picked it. So I'm especially interested in any "uniquely Miami" experience that you can't get in any other city. That kind of thing.
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Go to Little Havana and the Domino Park in addition to eating down there.
 
CRHeel94 said:
Your Miami expert is here. Lived there at some point, spent my summer growing up and have had family there for 30 years so I go quite often. We just spent 10 days there in January with our family group. There are different spots in Miami that can seriously alter your perspective.
Some loose thoughts:
-I rarely ever go to Miami Beach. It's a weird combination of people looking to party (bachelor/bahelorette parties, europeans, people fleeing the cold, and some latinos). That translates into quite a few tourist traps and overpriced spots. Having said all that, Miami Beach is one of the few walkable areas of Miami, and during the day it can be fun to check out Lincoln Road. Also, the beach is actually pretty good, particularly if you stay at a hotel with beachside access (the Loews is very well located). Joe's Stone Crab is great and worth the visit...go off hours to avoid the wait (the fried chicken is cheap and a great way to balance the table).
-others have made some good recommendations. My kids always loved the zoo, but they were a little younger. Its a pretty long drive from Miami Beach. Also be warned if its a sunny day you might get roasted so plan accordingly. My kids loved the Everglades visit. we did one of those Airboat rides that they still remember. Afterwards they will have some alligator show. Still a drive, but not as far as the Zoo. Jungle Island is located near Miami Bech but I always thought it was expensive for what it was. I seem to remember my kids enjoying the Science museum (think they were a bit younger than 13 at the time tbh).
-Key Biscayne is one of my favorite places on earth. Its a village sitting on an island off the coast of Miami connected by three bridges. There are two good parks on the main island (Crandon Park and Bill Baggs) that can be a nice day at the beach. Also has a nice public golf course.
-Coconut Grove is more my speed these days. Plenty of restaurants and cafes. Another walkable area. Has a couple of parks on the water with a view of the bay. They have a fun Farmer's Market on Saturday's.
-Brickell: is one of those boom or bust areas just south of downtown that is currently booming. Plenty of restaurants in this area as well as the Brickell Center, a high end shopping mall. I only mention the mall because it has a great Escape Room operation. I've done it twice with my teen nieces and they had a lot of fun.
-Downtown itself is kind of blah, though the area near the Casey Center (home your Miami Heat) is getting a massive facelift. Just to the north of this area is Wynnwood which is a trendy neighborhood at the moment (as well as the Miami Design District). That Wynnwood area has plenty of restaurants (more on that below) and little stores that could. The neighbourhood is littered with murals of all sorts (it use to be the up and coming artist area).
-for my family, Miami is the number 1 shopping destination with a variety of good malls: Dadeland (large meat and potatoes mall), Merrick Park (upscale), Dolphin (large outlet mall), Aventura (standard mall, slightly upscale just north) and Sawgrass Mills (large outlet mall way north).
Food: the restaurant scene in Miami is hot currently so there are plenty of restaurants available. The two big Miami ties that you should try are the Cuban coffee and the Cuban sandwich (medianoche). From there it really varies on your interests, Miami has some of the best diversity of Latin food with Peruvian, Argentinian, Nicaraguan and some Colombian the most prevalent. Plenty of asian, Italian and seafood places. These are some places I would recommend:
-Joe's Stone Crab (Miami Beach, can be pricey, can be a long wait, see above advice)
-Osteria da Fortunata (Miami Beach) overpriced, but the pasta is damn good. near Lincoln Road.
-Yardbird (Miami Beach) quasi southern food, believe this was the original, they now have some in other cities
-CVI.CHE 105 (Miami Beach, Coral Gables) nice Peruvian spot
-Miami Slice (some of the best pizza in Miami, location is blah)
-Chug's Diner (Coconut Grove) diner food with a creative twist.
-Narbona (Coconut Grove and Key Biscayne) Uruguayan spot with pizza, pasta, and steak
-Mister o1 Pizza (several locations) creative, good tasting pizza
-Wynnwood Burgers: couple of decent spots include La Birra Bar, Cowy Burger and Skinny Louis. they're near to one another, I'd pick the one that has the least amount of wait
Best Cuban spots: La carreta and Versailles are the two staples (not sure I would make the trek all the way there). I seem to remember a good place on MB (Havana Vieja), but there should be other options as well.
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Can just grab La Carreta at the airport on the way out.

Charlotte is getting Mister.01 and I am very excited.
 
sunnyheel said:
You’ve received excellent advice and here’s my practical addendum: if you’re planning to visit an area away from your base, wait to drive after morning and afternoon rush hours and spend the entire day and into the evening at your destination. Traffic and parking are really problematic. Wynnwood (artsy), Little Havana (the heart of the dominant Cuban culture) and the Gables (upscale including Vizcaya) are each worth a full day and that plus exploring the beach areas is enough to keep you busy for a full week. Again, try to avoid driving any more than necessary.
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Yes, traffic on any of the major roads/highways can be atrocious. I regularly experienced 2 hour drives from Miami to Ft. Lauderdale (which should take about 20 mins without traffic). Avoid peak driving times like the plague.

Downtown Miami to Key West is all of 3.5 hours and that's if you don't have any major traffic issues. You can get to John Pennecamp or Key Largo in less than half that time though. I always enjoyed the quiet of the Keys as a counter to the hustle and bustle of Miami.

In terms of cuisine, do Cuban anything. Rice/Beans/Pork etc. Cuban Coffee....drink some scotch and smoke a cigar. Get the full experience.
 
As others noted, traffic is next level clusterfuck there, so plan your trips out and hit grocery/booze store on way back to hotel.

You can easily do both Coconut Grove and Coral Gables in one excursion. Gables has U of Miami, the Grove more of a college age type area (used to be the hippy enclave, but long ago).

Def do little Havana. Ball and Chain has live Cuban music during the day and pretty sure kids ok daytime.

But for the most part just enjoy the beach and I would do an indepth Google search on all the dining/drinking/shopping options that are a 10 to 15 min walk from you.

Worst idea is to plan to cruise all around Miami to "see the sights"... you will waste way too much time and really not worth the hassle. Pick a few options from the above really great posts with lists and otherwise just enjoy the sun and warmth!

My grandparents lived for decades in key Biscayne and members at La Gorce, but have both passed over a decade ago. I last lived down there (in the Grove) late 90s, but family across the FtL portion. I still go see a Heat game or two per year, but my days of hitting South Beach long long behind me! (Other than Joe's Stone Crab, which still hits the spot every so often)
 
sunnyheel said:
I didn’t want to rain on the OP’s parade, but this post echoes my thoughts. Miami (and Miami Beach in particular) is truly one of a kind, as much frenetic energy as you’ll find anywhere with a cast of exuberant characters as varied as anyplace.

You and especially your kid will definitely have a “take me to the zoo “ experience culminating in a boisterous mob along the noisy Ocean Drive - dazzled tourists, the hustlers, party girls, yo-yo boys, all moving to a roaring Latin beat.

It’s certainly a scene worth exploring, but we’ve never taken the kids.

If I were you, I’d head to the keys, culminating in a few days in Key West. You can explore the quirky upper keys with their natural attractions and then find a cornucopia of one-of-kind options in Old Town where the energy is high but with a chill vibe - all within walking distance.

If that’s too much, Ft Lauderdale works too.
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People watching in Miami Beach is damn near without equal.
 
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