Chic. Tropical. Subway. Excesses, joie de vivre, crystal clear waters and a mild climate make Miami unique and desirable, so much so that the dizzying prices of super-luxury condominiums are growing further. Among the most original is the Porsche Design Tower, between Bal Harbor and Aventura, with a special lift, called Dezervator, to also lift the car into the house and park it in a sky garage next to the living room. And the 2000 square meters of Unique (in shape and size) the three-storey penthouse of the Aston Martin Residences in the shape of the bow of a ship, in downtown Miami.
«Among the many waves of new residents we have had, the latest is the most surprising: it is the Americans themselves who choose Miami to live there» says Karin Kepplinger of Icc Events (Incentive travel & Corporate events). There are many possible lifestyles, and everyone finds their own, from the health style of the health enthusiasts who run along the seafront at 6 in the morning, train, lift weights on the beach and are mostly vegan, to the night life of the essentials of the nights brave and clubbingeverything from trash to ultrafashion applies here.
Thanks to the recovery of once degraded neighborhoods and the artistic and architectural rebirth, the trendiest city in Florida has carved out a record in the international field of modern and contemporary art, with Art Basel, the most significant event in the sector (8-11 December, artbasel.com) a must for those who want the best of the best. In Miami, exaggeration is the norm. To understand this, all it takes is a glance at the kilometre-long South Beach, to see transgressive or kitsch looks and sculptural, muscular, tanned bodies, and swimsuits reduced to a minimum. The most upscale areas of SoBe (South Beach) are between 1st and 5th streets and after 20th streets. The atmosphere by the sea, as in the whole city, is very liberal and everyone appears at ease.
To each their own beach
The long coastline is divided into zones: from the best spots for kite enthusiasts (in the southern part of Haulover Park) to long walks along the seashore without getting your feet muddy by walking on a wooden walkway (from 21st to 46th). Nudists meet at Haulover Beach (108 st and Collins) north of Bal Harbour, the secret corner to avoid being found is Virginia Key, in Key Biscayne. The seductive Ocean Drive, a strip of asphalt that runs along the beach overlooked by trendy hotels and clubs, is the emblem of Miami. With dizzying stiletto heels or colorful flip-flops, the right place is Nikki Beach (nikkibeach.com), refined and elegant. The Villa Casa Casuarina (vmmiamibeach.com), the former home of Gianni Versace, is now a boutique hotel and restaurant, open to guests only.
Art Deco in tropical sauce
View of Ocean Drive, the famous street of South Beach, the southern part of Miami Beach, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.
It is the historical heart ofArt Déco District, built between the 1920s and 1940s: horizontal and vertical lines, rounded corners, friezes and floral motifs, extravagant decorations enhanced by neon lights, a tropical declination of the style. To visit the neighborhood it is interesting to take part in the guided tour of about two hours, an introduction to the history of the most spectacular and significant buildings and to the Art Deco, Mediterranean Revival and MiMo (Miami Modern) styles, departing every day from the Art Deco Welcome Center 1001 Ocean Drive (cost $35, mdpl.org). At the end of the tour, the Baby Cheeseburger is worth a stop (cheeseburgerbaby.net), for the best Angus burger with fresh meat.
An Art Deco building in Miami.
A thousand cities in one
One of the most creative faces of the city is the Design District (miamidesigndistrict.net), a true mecca of contemporary art. In just a few years, warehouses and old factories have been renovated into design ateliers and showrooms. And stylists from all over the world have opened elegant boutiques here. From design to street art arriving in Wynwood with its colorful murals of all sizes, with vintage shops, such as Walt Grace Vintage (waltgracevintage.com), part Porsche, Cinquecento and vintage Ferrari car showroom, part acoustic and electric guitar shop and some nice t-shirts for sale.
“Rhinoceros and Koala“ by Marcantonio: one of the pairs of LOVE animals created for Giorgio Armani for Miami Art Basel 2022.
Miami is many cities in one. Just move to Calle Ocho (SW 8th Street), not far from the glass and concrete skyscrapers of Brickell Avenue, and you enter Little Havana, one of the ethnic neighborhoods, home to many Latinos. Here the language, habits and customs are those of Cuba. There are no monuments or museums to visit but lots of colour. Walking near the Maximo Gomez Park you can see crowds of elderly people playing dominoes discussing the problems of their mother island speaking Spanglish, a cross between Spanish and English, while young people let loose in the bars and clubs where, especially on Friday evenings, they play the rhythms trendiest Caribbean. For a good mojito and lots of salsa the right address is Ball & Chain (ballandchainmiami.com). Among the many art galleries on Calle Ocho, that of Agustin Gainza Arts stands out (agustingainza.com). Around three thousand works of contemporary art are exhibited at the new Pérez Art Museum (pamm.org), the building designed by the Herzog & De Meuron studio, opposite the Miami Heat arena, the valiant local basketball team. For a leap into the colorful world of Haitian exiles there is Sweat Records (sweatrecordsmiami.com), independent shop where you can find rare records or listen to live performances and the Chef Creole restaurant (chefcreole.com) for traditional cuisine.
The Pérez Art Museum Miami.
Appointment at sunset
To get around there is the metromover, the elevated subway that runs in the city center, or the bike that is easy to rent with a credit card (citibikemiami.com), And to enjoy the sunset as a local it is worth going to South Pointe Pier park, among fishermen, surfers and yoga practitioners, in front of the exclusive Fisher Island. Among the many faces of Miami there is the syncretic one of Coral Gables, a neighborhood that brings together the best restaurants in the county among colonial-Renaissance monuments, golf courses and historic buildings and the tropical one of Coconut Grove, an ideal destination for a walk or quiet bike rides in the greenery, and the romantic one of Vizcaya Garden & Museum (vizcaya.org). Don’t miss the Wolfsonian Museum (wolfsonian.org) which houses the prestigious collection of 200 thousand objects from the modern age, many of which are Italian. The eccentric joy of Miami is found in the Wilzig Erotic Art Museum (weammuseum.com), with works of art and objects dedicated to the world of eros. To finish the trip in style, and be sure to exaggerate, you can reach the Everglades swamps to spot alligators, turtles, tropical birds, or you get to Key West, the island loved by Ernest Hemingway, the extreme tip of Florida, which is three hours from Miami.
The Villa Casa Casuarina hotel, former home of Gianni Versace.
Where to sleep in Miami
Pelican Miami Beach
Miami Beach, 826 Ocean Drive. Each of the 32 rooms, including 6 suites and an oceanfront penthouse, takes its name from a film with original and vintage furnishings. Excellent breakfasts, try the avocado toast, also open to lunch and dinner or to enjoy an aperitif at sunset overlooking the beach. Double room from €210 without breakfast. pelicanhotel.com
Where to eat
Pez Loco
Miami, 50 NW 24th St. The chef of the “Pesce Crazy” restaurant, in the former Arcade, now Wynwood Jungle, is inspired by the dishes of the Mexican coast and creates original combos. Try the crispy chicken sandwiches in brioche bread, the camarrones a la diabla, mariscos and cevice, as well as a wide choice of tequila and mezcal. There is always a DJ and the music is loud, even at lunch. cpezlocomiami.com
Baoli Miami
Miami Beach, 1906 Collins Avenue. Three souls in one: lounge bar, restaurant and Indonesian-style disco, for an evening with soft lights, candles and lounge music. The flavors are oriental, from sushi to edamame hummus, from satay
of chicken with miso. baolimiami.com
The terrace of The Betsy South Beach.
The Betsy South Beach
Miami Beach, 1440 Ocean Drive. With a multi-million dollar renovation it is now the right place in the heart of the Art Deco District for a brunch with smoked salmon bagel, for a quick lunch with tuna tartare with soy or dinner, even vegetarian, in a cool atmosphere. The dishes are signed by chef Laurent Tourondel. It is also a charming hotel. thebetsyhotel.com
Info
With Gattinoni Travel (kittennitravel.it) from December: 6 days/4 nights, in a deluxe queen double room (overnight stay only) at the Pelican Hotel, the direct ITA Airways flight from Rome Fiumicino and accompanying flights from the main Italian airports, prices starting from €2,100 per person.With excursions to Key West and Everglades Airboat, from €2,590 per person.
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