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Miami is a major city in the south-eastern United States and the second most populous city in Florida. The Miami metropolitan area is the largest in the state. Due to being sandwiched in by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and the Everglades to the west, the Miami metropolitan area is a lengthy 110 mi(180 km) north to south, but never more than 20 mi (32 km) east to west. Miami is 20 miles from Fort Lauderdale, 106 miles from Naples (Florida) and 156 miles from Key West.
Tourists generally consider Miami Beach to be part of Miami, it is in actuality its own municipality. Located on a barrier island east of Miami and Biscayne Bay, it is home to a... Read more
Miami is a major city in the south-eastern United States and the second most populous city in Florida. The Miami metropolitan area is the largest in the state. Due to being sandwiched in by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and the Everglades to the west, the Miami metropolitan area is a lengthy 110 mi(180 km) north to south, but never more than 20 mi (32 km) east to west. Miami is 20 miles from Fort Lauderdale, 106 miles from Naples (Florida) and 156 miles from Key West.
Tourists generally consider Miami Beach to be part of Miami, it is in actuality its own municipality. Located on a barrier island east of Miami and Biscayne Bay, it is home to a large number of beach resorts and is one of the most popular spring break party destinations in the world.
Miami's public transit system is the most diverse and extensive of any locality in Florida. If travel time is not a priority, it is possible to travel to all commercial areas and major attractions within Miami without a car.
Miami's bus system covers the entire county and connects to bus lines serving Broward County and the Greater Fort Lauderdale area. Despite recent improvements, sometimes buses still have a hard time remaining on the schedule. Most routes run about once every 20 minutes, while the most popular routes may run every 5-10 minutes, sometimes with service all night long. One useful route is the S, which connects downtown Miami to all of Miami Beach, terminating at Aventura Mall in north Miami-Dade.
The Metrorail is an elevated rail system serving Miami and surrounding cities, running 22.4 mi with 23 stations on two lines (green and orange). It connects many areas of tourist interest, including downtown Miami, Miami International Airport (Orange line only), Dadeland Mall, Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, Lowe Art Museum, Miami Museum of Science, Village at Merrick Park and many other nearby shopping areas.
Tri-Rail is a commuter rail system linking Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and West Palm Beach. There are a total of 18 stations in and between those cities. Tri-Rail offers frequent trains (at least one per hour) on weekdays and less frequent trains on weekends.
Taxis are generally expensive. Almost all local cab companies have fixed rates for travel to Miami Beach and other beach and nightclub communities popular with tourists. For example, South Beach may be the most expensive, while a residential neighborhood in Miami Beach may be the cheapest. The charge is the same regardless of pick-up location on the mainland. All taxis are fitted with maps of the barrier islands which state the cost per location. The same applies to passengers leaving the islands onto the mainland, though normal rates apply for travel within the islands or within the mainland.
Service is available throughout Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, and Monroe counties regardless of pick-up location. The normal service charges apply for these four counties, but it is wise to ask for a pre-determined price beforehand if leaving the county, as this will usually be cheaper and most drivers are willing to negotiate when leaving the county. If you wish to be taken to a location outside of those four counties, you must negotiate a price and advise the cab company first. Drivers may refuse to drive outside of the metropolitan area if they are not advised to do so beforehand.
Usually, you will have to call a cab company and request a pick-up. For safety and legal reasons, taxis operated by the major companies are not normally allowed to pick up passengers at random locations except at MIA, the Port of Miami, and train stations. Some individual taxi drivers will not follow this rule, however, so you can try hailing a taxi in the street. A significant and notable exception to this rule is the South Beach section of Miami Beach. For all intents and purposes, taxis can be flagged from the street on the island like one would in New York City. This trend has begun spreading into downtown Miami due to the increased redevelopment and foot traffic downtown, but should not be relied upon if you have a schedule to keep.
All taxi drivers must have a valid license to operate. It is uncommon to hear of crimes involving unlicensed taxis anywhere in the metropolitan area since Dade County keeps track of all taxi activity in and around Miami and cooperates with other counties in getting this information. If you enter a cab and do not see a valid license placed in front of the passenger's seat, you should not enter the taxi and instead call another cab company regardless of what the driver says. If you willingly enter a taxi without a license or with an expired license and there is an incident or accident, it is possible that you may not be able to hold the driver accountable by law. When entering a cab you should make note of the driver's name, license number, and cab number if any problems arise during the trip. This information should be easily found inside the taxi. It may be able to help you identify the cab driver to the police or the cab company.
Unless you plan to stay downtown or in a single location elsewhere, you will find that a car is very convenient in Miami, and car rentals are cheap in comparison to other major US cities.
Surface roads in Miami are usually easy to navigate. The area's roads are designed around a grid system, where most roads are numbered based on their distance from the city center. The two main axis roads are Miami Avenue (running north to south) and Flagler Street (running east to west). These two roads intersect in downtown Miami, the county's symbolic center. All avenues run north to south, while all streets run east to west. For example, the address, "9500 NW 30th Street" would be at the intersection of NW 30th Street (to the west of Miami Avenue, and 30 blocks north of Flagler Street) and NW 95th Avenue (north of Flagler Street, and 95 blocks west of Miami Avenue). Most roads in Miami conform to this nomenclature, but due to the more than 30 municipalities within Miami-Dade County, there are a few exceptions to be aware of. Examples include Coral Gables, the Coconut Grove section of Miami (city proper), Miami Lakes, and Hialeah. Hialeah is particularly notorious since it uses its own grid system, in addition to the overall county system. For example, NW 103rd Street is also marked as E 49th Street, or W 49th Street in Hialeah.
Note that if you cross into Broward County, the roads will be numbered based on their distance from the Fort Lauderdale city center, which is generally the same going east-west but will be very different going north-south. Most of the municipalities in Broward County use their own limited grid systems as well. Some street names also change at the county line. The coastline highway, A1A, is known as "Collins Avenue" in Miami but becomes "Ocean Drive" in Broward. Likewise, "Red Road" in Miami becomes "Flamingo Road" in Broward.
Miami has four primary expressways. In addition to I-95 and Florida’s Turnpike, there is state highway 836 (also known as the Dolphin Expressway) and state highway 826 (also known as the Palmetto Expressway). The Dolphin Expressway runs west from downtown Miami along the edge of Miami International Airport. The Palmetto Expressway and Florida's Turnpike form "F"-shaped loops around the city. The Turnpike continues north, roughly parallel to I-95, and will take you to Orlando if you keep driving. I-95, the Palmetto, and the Turnpike intersect at a junction in North Miami called the Golden Glades. You may find driving in the Glades challenging, especially if you have little experience driving in it.
New visitors to Miami should be aware that the area's drivers are particularly aggressive. AutoVantage.com's Road Rage Survey has rated Miami drivers the rudest in the country for the third year in a row. This shouldn't discourage anyone from using the roadways, but a passive approach to Miami driving can save you from an unwanted exchange with another driver, or even worse an accident. Posted speed limits are ignored by most drivers, especially on larger roads with lower speed limits. Two examples are I-95 and state road 826 (The Palmetto Expressway). The eastern portion of state road 836 (The Dolphin Expressway) between Miami International Airport and downtown Miami handles traffic that exceeds its capacity and contains several left-hand exits, including the eastbound off-ramp to Lejuene Road (NW 42nd Avenue), which is the posted route, and the quickest route to Miami International Airport.
Miami Super Shuttle. +1 305 871-8210 or email sales@miamisupershuttle.com. There is a shuttle that will take you where ever you need to go from MIA airport. Approach any of the blue vans located on the outer island. They also have guest services representatives in the airport wearing a blue Super Shuttle shirt.
Of course, if you're in Miami, you'll want to spend some time on the beach. The only beach inside Miami city limits is Virginia Beach. However, there are many other beaches nearby in South Florida, from Tequesta all the way to Key West. As Miami has pretty temperate weather, the beaches will be active all year round, but the water will usually be too cold for locals to swim in during winter. The city of Miami Beach is closest to Miami, located on a barrier island across Biscayne Bay, and is most famous for its South Beach party scene. Topless sunbathing is allowed in Miami Beach, and if you want to take it all off, go to Haulover Beach in North Beach.
Foodies and chefs alike herald Miami for its unique New World cuisine. Created in the 1990s, the cuisine alternatively known as New World, Nuevo Latino or Florribean cuisine blends local produce, Latin American and Caribbean culinary tradition and the technical skills required in European cooking. Nuevo Latino is said to be the brainchild of four chefs: Allen Susser, Norman Van Aken, Mark Militello, and Douglas Rodriguez. All of them still work in Miami and most of them work at the restaurants they created in the 1990s. New World is not restricted to these chefs’ menus. This cuisine influences several restaurants around the city to this day.
Miami may be known for its Latin cuisine (especially its Cuban cuisine but also cuisines from South American countries such as Colombia), but there are other different kinds of restaurants to be found around the city. In addition to stand-alone Chinese, Japanese, Middle Eastern, and Italian (among others) restaurants, there are cafés, steakhouses, and restaurants operating from boutique hotels, as well as chain restaurants such as TGI Fridays and Ben & Jerry’s.
Miami is known for having nightclubs double as restaurants throughout the city. Most of these restaurants, such as Tantra (which had one of their chefs recently appear on Top Chef: Miami), BED and the Pearl Restaurant and Champagne Lounge (attached to Nikki Beach), are located throughout South Beach. However, some of these restaurants/nightclubs like Grass Lounge can be found in the Design District (north of downtown but south of North Miami).
If many of Miami’s premiere restaurants don’t fit into your daily budget, consider eating during Miami Restaurant Month (better known as Miami Spice) in August and September.
Miami’s dining scene reflects burgeoning diversity, mixing exotic newcomer restaurants with long-standing institutions, often seasoned by Latin influence and hot winds of the Caribbean. New World cuisine, a culinary counterpart to accompany Miami’s New World Symphony, provides a loose fusion of Latin, Asian, and Caribbean flavors utilizing fresh area-grown ingredients. Innovative restaurateurs and chefs similarly reel in patrons with Floribbean-flavored seafood fare, while keeping true to down-home Florida favorites.
Don't be fooled by the plethora of super lean model types you're likely to see posing throughout Miami. Contrary to popular belief, dining in this city is as much a sport as the in-line skating on Ocean Drive. With over 6,000 restaurants to choose from, dining out in Miami has become a passionate pastime for locals and visitors alike. Its star chefs have fused Californian-Asian with the Caribbean and Latin elements to create a world-class flavor all its own: Floribbean. Think mango chutney splashed over fresh swordfish or a spicy sushi sauce served alongside Peruvian ceviche.
Whatever you're craving, Miami's got it—with the exception of decent Chinese food and a New York-style slice of pizza. If you're craving a scene with your steak, then South Beach is the place to be. Like many cities in Europe and Latin America, it is fashionable to dine late in South Beach, preferably after 9 PM, sometimes as late as midnight. Service on South Beach is notoriously slow and arrogant, but it comes with the turf (of course, it is possible to find restaurants that defy the notoriety and actually pride themselves on friendly service). On the mainland - especially in Coral Gables, and, more recently, downtown and on Brickell Avenue - you can also experience fine, creative dining without the pretense.
There are several Peruvian restaurants at SW 88th Street and SW 137th Avenue in Kendale Lakes. Take the 88 or 288 buses from Dadeland North train station. This is kind of out of the way, but it is worth it.
Nightlife in Miami consists of upscale hotel clubs, independent bars frequented by locals (including sports bars) and nightclubs. Most hotel bars and independent bars turn the other cheek at your physical appearance, but you have to dress to impress (which does not mean dress like a stripper) to get into a nightclub. Also remember to never, under any circumstances, insult the doormen and/or nightclub employees that will grant you entry or touch the velvet ropes or you may as well be sitting on the opposite side of the clamoring masses trying to get in. Attempting to tip the doormen and claiming that you know employees that work in the nightclubs (unless you actually called and reserved a table or a spot on the VIP list) is also considered an affront. Getting to the club unfashionably early and pushing through the crowd (and not the doormen) also can help make you stand out in the crowd. Finally, most nightclubs won’t admit groups of men unless those men are waiting in front of a gay bar. Bring some women or leave the pack if you’re desperate to get in.
Popular drinks in Miami include the Cuba Libre and the mojito.
There are a number of shopping malls in Miami. Beyond that, there are prestigious shopping districts in South Beach.
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It’s hard to imagine America without Miami. It’s hard to imagine Miami without the sun, beaches, entertainment, and without living life to the fullest. An impressive number of attractions in Miami , exciting amusements and one of the busiest and the most popular cruise ports in the world turn... |
I had a business trip to
Miami
.
Unfortunately, I didn't have time to swim in the ocean. Although, I took a walk through the city.
I love America, but this city reminded me of a holiday village. Meanwhile, the heart of
Miami
and South Florida has the largest concentration of... |
One day, we drove along Highway 41 West, through
Everglades National Park
. This road is also called "the road of crocodiles".
This is Highway 41, leading to the West Florida peninsula.
Our first stop was Gator Park, where we pre-purchased tickets for the AirBoat tour:
Meanwhile, I... |
One day, we went to
Miami Zoo
.
I bought the tickets in advance online, on the official website. Before buying, I Googled promo codes on the internet and found a code that gave us a $5 discount (as of 2014) on each ticket - it was a pleasant bonus.
The zoo was getting ready for Christmas... |
One of my daughters and I decided to take a walk through
Miami Beach
in search of a children's playground. The weather was great: it was sunny, about +75F (+24C).
The water was very warm. It seemed to me that it was warmer than the air temperature.
Finally, we had found... |
One day, we went to the
Everglades National Park
, which occupies all of the southern Florida peninsula.
"Robert Is Here" restaurant was our first stop.
The history of this place goes back to 1959, when little Robert was only 6 years old and his father placed him at the crossroads to sell... |
We spent 4 days in Florida. For that period, we decided to rent a car. The first day, we went to
Miami Beach
for a walk.
We booked a room in a motel in the southernmost part of the state for the next three days. There was the
Everglades National Park
nearby. We decided to go... |