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A Miami Overview
by: ????
May 17, 2006
Flamboyantly cosmopolitan, Miami is not just the heartbeat of Dade County. It’s umbrella includes adjacent cities Coconut Grove, full of yachts, Miami Beach and South Beach (also known as SoBe) with their Art Deco hotels, the Port of Miami, affluent Key Biscayne, ritzy Bal Harbour, and sublime Aventura. If images of racy “Miami Vice” come to mind, they’re not far from reality. A high profile city of finance, culture and industry, it’s a refuge for Cuban immigrants and a large Latin community. Spanish is spoken as much as English. The well planned Metrorail and constant People Movers make it easy to get around town for meetings, shopping and dining. The Miami International Airport is 35 minutes west by expressway.
Catering to both business travelers and vacationers from around the globe, accommodations in downtown Miami include the Hyatt Regency, Four Ambassadors, Intercontinental Hotel, Mandarin Oriental and the Four Seasons. For families, there’s Sonesta Beach Hotel & Tennis in Key Biscayne, Turnberry Isle Resort & Country Club in Aventura, or Miami Beach’s landmark, the Fontainbleau Hilton Resort.
Whether it’s spectator or participant, recreational options include deep-sea fishing, tennis, or testing championship golf courses at Doral Country Club or the Biltmore Hotel, to cheering the Miami Heat basketball, Miami Marlins baseball, Miami Dolphins football or Florida Panther Hockey.
Entertainment venues include James L. Knight Center, Manuel Artime Theatre, Gusman Center, American Airlines Arena, Bayfront Park, and Coconut Grove Playhouse.
When it comes to dining, the world is at your feet, whether it’s unpretentious fare like the 11th Street Diner, Havana Harry’s or Big Pink, or contemporary fusion such as Blue Door at the Delano, Café Tu Tu Tango, Joe’s Stone Crab, or Shula’s Steakhouse.
Fascinating museums include historic, natural and cultural experiences: the Miami Seaquarium, Vizcaya, Parrott Jungle, the Metro-Dade Cultural Center, Miami Children’s Museum, Metrozoo, Miccosukee Indian Village, the Miami Museum of Science and Planetarium, or the Historical Museum of Southern Florida.
A ride across the causeway to Miami’s fabled beach and azure blue waters offer a step back in time--even the lifeguard houses are unique with distinctive designs in shades of pastels.
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