Miami known as the “Magic City,” is the southernmost of Florida's major cities. Part of the South Florida region, it is 20 miles from Fort Lauderdale, 106 miles from Naples (Florida) and 156 miles from Key West.
The Miami Metropolitan Area has an estimated population (2007) of over 5.4 million, making it the 7th most populous metropolitan area in the United States. A 2007 estimate by the United Nations, labeled the Miami metropolitan area as the forth largest urban area in the United States after New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago. Due to the proximity of the Everglades wetland area to the west and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, the Miami metropolitan area is 110 mi(180 km) north to south but never more than 20 mi (32 km) east to west.
Because of its proximity to the equator, as opposed to other parts of the United States, Miami's weather is often, but not always, warm. Although winter weather averages around 60 to 70º Fahrenheit, temperatures can fall to around 50º during the day and 40º at night. Summer weather can go over 90º Fahrenheit (36.6º Celsius), but very rarely. It usually averages around 80ºF. During June to November, rain and thunderstorms can also be expected to occur.
PLACE TO VISIT
Ancient Spanish Monastery M-Sa 9AM-5PM, Su 1PM-5PM (unless there is a wedding scheduled; call ahead or check the website for wedding dates). Originally built in Segovia, Spain in 1141, this monastery was originally to be a part of William Randolph Hearst’s property in California. Partly because he ran out of money and partly because the United States would not allow the monastery to be built in California, the monastery remained in New York Harbor until 1954, when a couple of businessmen bought the property and assembled it in Miami. Parts of the monastery have not been assembled because the government removed the pieces from numbered boxes and then placed the wrong pieces in the wrong boxes. Today the monastery is a church as well as a popular marriage location. As seen on the History Channel show Weird U.S. Adult admission $5, senior and student admission (with valid ID) $2.50, child admission $2.
Holocaust Memorial, Daily 9AM-9PM. This memorial was created with the help of Miami Beach Holocaust survivors and sculptor Kenneth Treister in 1984. It was finally opened to the public in 1990. The most noticeable features of this memorial are its large arm with Holocaust victims trying to climb up the arm (it even has an Auschwitz tattoo similar to the ones issued at Auschwitz), its pool with a dedication to the “Jewish victims of the Holocaust” just outside the pool and sculptures of a mother and her children perishing to death surrounded by Anne Frank quotes. Behind the massive arm is the Garden of Meditation, dedicated to life, and a history of the Holocaust etched (with some covered-up errors) in granite. Surrounding the arm is a tunnel highlighted by an eternal flame. The tunnel has the names of the concentration camps sculpted inside of it and leads you to more sculptures surrounding the arm as well as names of victims of the Holocaust etched in granite and items such as Jewish candles placed by visitors honoring the memory of the dead. Free.
Coral Castle, An odd complex of stone structures, built with enormously heavy stones, and allegedly by one man, without the help of modern equipment.
Jewish Museum of Florida, Tu-Su 10AM-5PM. Closed on Monday and civil and Jewish holidays. This museum, located in a 1936 synagogue that hosted Miami’s first Jewish congregation, has a permanent exhibit detailing how Florida’s Jews arrived in Florida as well as their history in Florida and their customs. The museum also has videos to view while you’re inside the museum, temporary exhibits in the center of the synagogue and a gift shop. A small and fairly uninteresting museum. Adult admission $6, senior and student admission $5, family admission $12, children under six and members of the Jewish Museum of Florida free. Admission is also free on Sat.
Frost Art Museum, Open M-Tu,Th-F 10AM-5PM, W 10AM-9PM, Sa-Su 12PM-4PM. Located at Florida International University, the Frost Art Museum has a large variety of 1960's and 1970's American photography, pre-Columbian artifacts dating back from 200 to 500 AD, ancient African and Asian bronzes, and a growing number of Caribbean and Latin American paintings and artwork.
Bass Museum of Art, Open Tu-W and F-Sa 10AM-5PM, Th 10AM-9PM, Su 11AM-5PM. This art museum, expanded by Japanese architect Arata Isozaki, houses several European artworks from the 15th to the 20th centuries. Baroque and Northern European artworks are the highlights of the Bass Museum’s collection. The Bass Museum also hosts touring exhibitions and the New Information Workshop, a computer laboratory that allows visitors to create their own artwork. $12 adults, $10 students and seniors, children under 6 years of age free. Free admission the second Thu of each month from 6PM-9PM.
Wolfsonian-Florida International University, M-Tu and F-Sa 11AM-6PM, Th 11AM-9PM, Su 12PM-5PM. Back in the 1930s and 1940s, this building was the headquarters of the Washington Storage Company, a facility where the rich could stash their valuables whenever they were out of town. Movie theater heir and Miami native Mitchell Wolfson, Jr. stored so much artwork here that he decided to buy the storage company and later give the building to Florida International University, hence the museum’s odd name. The Wolfsonian hosts a large Modernist art collection on its upper three floors (the only floors, excluding the first floor, that are open to the public) that includes propaganda posters and postcards and Art Deco household items as well as touring exhibits. There is also a café, bookstore, fountain and a modernist-inspired artwork on the first floor. After paying admission, patrons enter the Wolfsonian with a sticker that has a picture of an artifact from the museum’s permanent collection. Adults $5, seniors, students with ID and children 6-12 $3.50.
Lowe Art Museum With many antique art, ceramics, pottery and sculptures ranging from Greco-Roman times, Renaissance, Baroque, Art of Asia, Art of Latin America, and ancient potteries, the Lowe Art Museum offers a great range of art through the centuries.
Venetian Pool, In the 1920s Denman Dink transformed this limestone quarry into a pool with a waterfall, an area for kids and an area for adults. The water in this pool comes from a spring and is drained daily. In addition to the swimming facilities there is a snack bar (you cannot bring outside food into the Venetian Pool) and lockers. Swimming lessons are also offered here. The Venetian Pool is best known for having Esther Williams and Johnny Weissmuller (the silver screen’s first Tarzan) swim here. $6 people 13 years and older, $3 children under 13 $ (between November and March); $9 people 13 years and older, $5 under 13 (between April and October).
Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, European-inspired estate. Includes a main house filled with art and furnishings and ten acres of gardens on Biscayne Bay. $12 adults, $9 Miami-Dade residents with ID, patrons using wheelchairs, seniors 62 years of age or older with ID and students with ID, $5 children 6-12. Admission is free for children 5 years of age or younger.
Bayfront Park, This park has two amphitheaters (one large and a one smaller) and hosts live performances. This park also has memorials for the astronauts who perished in the Challenger spaceship accident, former president John F. Kennedy (the JFK Torch of Friendship), and a fountain dedicated to Claude Pepper, a distinguished US congressman.
Oleta River State Recreation Park, Daily 8AM-sunset. The largest urban park in Florida has trails for biking, a beach for swimming, picnic areas and a playground for kids. Get a canoe or kayak to row to a mangrove island within the park. Several animals such as eagles and fiddler crabs also make their home here. Fourteen cabins with air conditioning are also on the premises, but bathrooms, showers and grills are located outside the cabins and guests should bring their own linens. $5 for a vehicle carrying up to eight passengers, $1 bicyclists, pedestrians and extra passengers ($50.85 a night in a cabin).
Miami MetroZoo, Open daily 9:30AM-5:30PM. Largest and oldest zoological garden in Florida. It houses over 1,200 wild animals and is a free range zoo. Its climate allows it to keep a wide variety of animals from Asia, Australia and Africa like no other zoo in the country.
Jungle Island, Lush tropical garden that features animal shows and exhibits. Great outing for the family to enjoy.
Miami Seaquarium, 35-acre oceanarium that features a wide variety of sea animals and exhibits. Expect to stay around two to three hours touring the large aquarium.
WHAT TO DO
GoCar GPS Tours, See Miami Beach in the world's first Storytelling Car. The GoCar will guide you to see what most visitors never see, while telling stories and history along the way that bring the city to life. It's like having your own private tour guide with you. Tours take place at your own pace in a fun to drive, open-air, two-person scooter car. ates begin at $29 per hour. Discounted daily rates are also available.
Lummus Park Beach is a beach where you’ll most likely see photo shoots and camera crews on certain days. Located between 6th and 14th streets along Ocean Drive, it is open 5AM to 12AM daily. Topless bathing is allowed here. A mostly homosexual crowd sunbathes around 12th Street. Also nearby is the wavy concrete path known as the Promenade, also a popular shooting locale as well as a favorite volleyball hangout for the locals. The bathrooms, located at around 11th Street, are in a stunning boat-shaped building but have rusty fixtures and are dirty.
Haulover Beach Park, Sunny Isles, north of Bal Harbour is any one of a handful of areas in Miami to surf and windsurf. Nude sunbathing is allowed here.
Dolphin Stadium, This football stadium has been renamed several times in its history. Some of its previous names include Dolphins Stadium and Pro Player Stadium. It is primarily known as the home of the NFL’s Miami Dolphins. Ironically, FedEx Orange Bowl games are held here instead of the Orange Bowl on 11th Street. In another strange twist of fate, the Miami Hurricanes will begin playing home football games here 2008, instead of the Orange Bowl. MLB’s Florida Marlins also play baseball here. For tours of Dolphin Stadium, contact rheard@dolphinstadium.com or call +1 305 623-6286. Tour prices are $3 for children under 14, $5 for those 14 and older and $4 for senior citizens. Check website for individual phone numbers for tickets to Miami Dolphins and Florida Marlins games and the Orange Bowl.
American Airlines Arena, In addition to Miami Heat (an NBA team) games being played here, this arena has hosted several awards shows in its past such as the MTV Video Music Awards (twice). Several concerts are also held here. Call box office for ticket information.
HOW TO REACH
By plane - Miami International Airport is located just west of the city in an unincorporated suburban area. It is an important hub for traffic between North America and Latin America, and one of the largest airports in the world. As a result, Spanish is just as likely to be understood as English. The international traffic makes MIA a large and congested place. Be sure to allow extra time when departing MIA, particularly if flying internationally, as you may face an hour-long line just to check your bags. Curbside check-in is an excellent idea.
By train - Amtrak's Silver Service operates two trains daily to Miami from New York (city), Washington, D.C. and other cities along the Eastern Seaboard. The ride from New York is about 24 hours but is often subject to delays, as Amtrak uses poorer-quality freight lines south of Washington and must cope with slow freight trains along the way. There are frequent (at least 1 per hour) Tri-Rail trains every day to Miami from West Palm Beach, Boca Raton and Fort Lauderdale.
By car - There are three main highways coming into Miami. I-95 runs along the Atlantic coast of the United States and terminates in Miami. I-75 comes in from the midwestern United States and runs through Atlanta and Tampa before terminating in Miami. Florida's Turnpike is a toll road mainly useful for those driving in from Orlando. The only southbound route from Miami is US Highway 1, which runs through the Florida Keys all the way to Key West.
