Sights in Miami
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Lincoln Road Mall
Calling Lincoln Rd a mall is like calling Big Ben a clock; it’s technically accurate but misses the point. Yes, you can shop, and shop very well here. But this outdoor pedestrian thoroughfare is really about seeing and being seen, and there are few better places in Greater Miami for both. Morris Lapidus, one of the founders of the loopy, neo-baroque Miami Beach style, designed several buildings on the Mall, including the Lincoln Theatre, Sterling Building and Colony Theater, which looks like the sort of place where gangsters go to watch Hamlet. There’s an excellent farmers market (open 9am-7pm Sun) and an Antiques & Collectibles Market (open 9am-5pm every other Sunday f…
reviewed
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House of Elián Gonzalez
The surreal House of Elián Gonzalez, subject of one of the most bitter international custody battles of the 1990s, is a shrine, a time capsule and an exercise in the creation of public iconography. Since 2001 the house has become a temple to the symbology of the most anti-Castro Cuban exile politics. The little property is scattered with homages to Jesus, American flags and images of Elian himself, who is all but explicitly labeled a little saint of his people. Elián’s great-uncle Delfin bought the house in late 2000 and then froze time inside: Elian’s clothes hang in the closet, the inner tube that saved his life at sea hangs on the wall and his Spiderman pajamas are lai…
reviewed
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Fisher Island
One day Carl Fisher purchased this little island and planned on dying here. But as is wont to happen, the millionaire got bored. When William K Vanderbilt II fell in love with the place, Fisher traded the island for Vanderbilt's 250ft yacht and its crew. Things were like that in those days. Vanderbilt proceeded to build a splendiferous Spanish-Mediterranean-style mansion, with guest houses, studios, tennis courts and a golf course.
Today, this exclusive resort is accessible only by air and private ferry. The condominiums that line the mile-long private beach range from $1-million hovels to a $7-million-plus pad President Bill Clinton once borrowed. It's said the sun shine…
reviewed
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Casa Elián
The surreal house of Elián Gonzales, subject of one of the most bitter international custody battles of the 1990s, is a shrine, a time capsule and an exercise in the creation of public iconography. Since 2001, the house has become a temple to the symbology of the most anti-Castro Cuban exile politics. The little property is scattered with homages to Jesus, American flags and images of Elian himself, who is all but explicitly labeled a little saint of his people.
Elián's great-uncle Delfin bought the house in late 2000 and then froze time inside: Elian's clothes hang in the closet, the inner tube that saved his life at sea hangs on the wall and his Spiderman pajamas are l…
reviewed
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Miami Seaquarium
This 38-acre marine-life park excels in preserving, protecting and educating about aquatic creatures, and was one of the country’s first places dedicated to sea life. There are dozens of shows and exhibits, including a tropical reef; the Shark Channel, with feeding presentations; and Discovery Bay, a natural mangrove habitat that serves as a refuge for rehabilitating rescued sea turtles. Check out the Pacific white-sided dolphins or West Indian manatees being nursed back to health; some are released. Frequent shows put gorgeous animals on display for the audience’s amusement; shows include a massive killer whale, and some precious dolphins and sea lions. The Seaquarium’s …
reviewed
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Botanicas
The storefronts promise to help in matters of love, work and sometimes 'immigration services,' but trust us, there are no marriage counselors or INS guys in these shops. Welcome to the wide world of vodou. As you enter you'll probably get a funny look, but be courteous, curious and respectful and you should be welcomed.
Before you browse, forget your stereotypes about pins and dolls, because vodou is no scarier than wine turning into blood on Communion. Like many traditional religions, vodou recognizes supernatural forces in everyday objects, powers that are both distinct and part of a single overarching deity. Ergo, you'll see shrines to Jesus next to altars to tradition…
reviewed
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Jimbo’s
It’s the simple things that make life worth living, and sometimes their simplicity is even more elegant in the face of life’s complexity. To wit: come to Jimbo’s in Virginia Key. In a city of unfettered development, this bar…no, shrimp shack…no, smoked fish house…no, 24-hour trailer park bonfire…well, whatever. A series of dilapidated river shacks (and a bocce court) has been, for decades, its own version of everything that once was right in Florida. Of course, even here the vibe is a little artificial; all those rotting fish houses were set pieces for the 1980 horror movie Island Claws. Other flicks filmed here include Ace Ventura, True Lies and the cinemat…
reviewed
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Casa Elián
The surreal house of Elián Gonzales, the subject of one of the most bitter international custody battles of the 1990s, is a shrine, time capsule and exercise in public iconography. Since 2001, the house has been a temple of anti-Castro, Cuban-exile symbology. The little property is scattered with homages to Jesus, US flags and images of Elián himself, who is all but explicitly labeled a little saint of his people. Elián’s great-uncle Delfin bought the house in late 2000, then froze time inside: Elian’s clothes hang in the closet, the inner tube that saved his life at sea hangs on the wall, and his Spiderman pajamas are laid out on the bed. And then there’s the life-sized…
reviewed
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Liberty City
Liberty City, northwest of Downtown, is a misnomer. Made infamous by the Liberty City Riots in 1980, the area is poor and crime is higher than in other parts of the city. And, while plans exist to renovate the area by creating a village of cultural and tourist attractions, the prospects of that happening in the near future look doubtful.
Whites, fearing 'black encroachment' on their neighborhoods, actually went so far as to build a wall at the then-border of Liberty City - NW 12th Ave from NW 62nd to NW 67th Sts - to separate their neighborhoods. Part of the wall still stands, at NW 12th Ave between NW 63rd and 64th Sts.
For information on Liberty City, Overtown and other …
reviewed
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Cuban Memorial Boulevard
The two blocks of SW 13th Ave south of Calle Ocho contain a series of monuments to Cuban patriots and freedom fighters, which here includes the dead of the Cuban Independence struggle and anti-Castro fighters.
The memorials include the Eternal Torch in Honor of the 2506th Brigade (the exiles who died during the botched Bay of Pigs invasion); a huge brass map of Cuba, dedicated to the 'ideals of people who will never forget the pledge of making their Fatherland free'; a bust of José Martí; and a Madonna Statue, which is supposedly illuminated by a shaft of holy light every afternoon.
Bursting out of the island in the center of the boulevard is a massive ceiba tree, rever…
reviewed
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Jewish Museum of Florida
Housed in a 1936 Orthodox synagogue that served Miami’s first congregation, this small museum chronicles the rather big contribution Jews have made to the state of Florida, especially this corner. After all, while Cubans made Miami, Jews made Miami Beach, both physically (in a developer’s sense) and culturally (in an ‘anyone is welcome’ attitude). Yet there were times when Jews were barred from the American Riviera they carved out of the sand, and this museum tells that story, along with some amusing anecdotes (such as seashell purim dresses). The mainstay is Mosaic: Jewish Life in Florida, a mosaic (imagine that) of photographs and historical bric-a-brac. Also no…
reviewed
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Jewish Museum of Florida
Housed in a 1936 Orthodox synagogue that served Miami’s first congregation, this small museum chronicles the rather big contribution Jews have made to the state of Florida, especially this corner. After all, while Cubans made Miami, Jews made Miami Beach, both physically (in a developer’s sense) and culturally (in an ‘anyone is welcome’ attitude). Yet there were times when Jews were barred from the American Riviera they carved out of the sand, and this museum tells that story, along with some amusing anecdotes (like seashell Purim dresses). The mainstay is Mosaic: Jewish Life in Florida, a mosaic (imagine that) of photographs and historical bric-a-brac. Also notab…
reviewed
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Holocaust Memorial
Holocaust memorials tend to be somber, but this one, dedicated to the six million Jews killed during the shoah, is particularly grim, and doesn’t seem to offer any sort of hopeful end note; the theme is one of relentless sadness, betrayal and loss. The light from a Star of David is blotted by the racist meme of ‘Jude’; a family surrounded by a hopeful Anne Frank quote is later shown murdered, framed by another Frank quote on the death of ideals and dreams. The memorial was created in 1984 through the efforts of Miami Beach Holocaust survivors and sculptor Kenneth Treister. There are several key pieces, with the Sculpture of Love and Anguish the most visible to passe…
reviewed
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Bayfront Park
This park, around the waterfront, is one of the attractions located downtown . Few parks can claim to front such a lovely stretch of turquoise (Biscayne Bay), but Miamians are lucky like that. Lots of office workers catch quick naps under the palms at a little beach that does you the favor of setting out ‘sit and chill’ chairs. Some of the notable park features (besides vagrants) are two performance venues: the Bayfront Park Amphitheater is a good spot for July 4 and New Year’s Eve, while the smaller 200-seat South End Amphitheater hosts free springtime performances. In the southwest corner is the Challenger Memorial, a monument designed by Isamu Noguchi for the astronaut…
reviewed
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Hialeah Park
Hialeah is more Havanan than Little Havana (more than 90% of the population speak Spanish as a first language), and the symbol and center of this working-class Cuban community is this grand but endangered former race track. Although Seabiscuit and Seattle Slew once raced here, the last race was held in 2001, and since then a fight has been raging to keep this gem from being paved over. The track was even the subject of a pop-culture protest in the form of the song ‘Save Hialeah Park’ by Los Primeros, a Hialeah-based Latin boy band in 2008. A walk through the grounds is recommended, if just to gaze at the grand staircases and pastel-painted concourse, and imaging the thund…
reviewed
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Stiltsville
This collection of seven houses that stand on pilings out in Biscayne Bay has been around since the early ‘30s, when ‘Crawfish’ Eddie Walker sold chowder from his shack, out on the mudflats, and soon gained neighbors who liked the idea of off-shore living. By the end of the ‘50s there were 27 houses on stilts. Most were wiped away by hurricanes, but the rest are visible, way off in the distance, from the southern shore of Bill Baggs park. In 2003 the nonprofit Stiltsville Trust was set up by the National Parks Service to rehabilitate the buildings into as-yet-unknown facilities; proposals include an NPS Visitor Center, artist-in-residence colony or community center. For u…
reviewed
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Casa Casuarina
Perhaps more widely known as the Versace Mansion, Casa Casuarina was the residence of late fashion designer Gianni Versace. Long before Versace, however, the 1930 building was known as the Amsterdam Palace. A Mediterranean Revival house constructed partially of coral and featuring exposed timbers, the three-story palace was modeled after the Governor’s House in Santo Domingo (where Christopher Columbus’ son laid his head). When Versace purchased the property in the early 1980s, he locked horns with local preservationists after announcing plans to tear down a neighboring hotel so he could build a pool. After a battle, the moneyed designer won – but also struck a deal that …
reviewed
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Bass Museum of Art
The best art museum in Miami Beach has a playfully futurist facade, a crisp interplay of lines and bright, white wall space – like an Orthodox church on a space-age Greek isle. All designed, by the way, in 1930 by Russell Pancoast (grandson of John A Collins, who lent his name to Collins Ave). The collection isn’t shabby either: permanent highlights range from 16th-century European religious works to northern European and Renaissance paintings. The Bass forms one point of the Collins Park Cultural Center triangle, which also includes the three-story Miami City Ballet and the lovingly inviting Miami Beach Regional Library, which is a great place to pick up free wi-fi.
reviewed
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Bass Museum of Art
The best art museum in Miami Beach has a playfully futurist facade, a crisp interplay of lines and bright white wall-space, like an Orthodox Church on a space-age Greek Isle. All designed, by the way, in 1930 by Russell Pancoast (grandson of John A Collins, who lent his name to Collins Ave). The collection isn’t shabby either: permanent highlights range from 16th-century European religious works to Northern European and Renaissance paintings. The Bass forms one point of the Collins Park Cultural Center triangle, which also includes the three-story Miami City Ballet and the lovingly inviting Miami Beach Regional Library (which is a great place to pick up free wi-fi).
reviewed
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Miami City Cemetery
Fast fact: the first person buried in Miami was black. Depressing addendum: the first recorded burial in Miami was of a white guy. The long narrative of this troubled, diverse city is in its bones, and dem bones are concentrated in this eerie, quiet graveyard. The dichotomy of history and modernity gets a nice visual representation in the form of looming condos shadowing the last abode of the Magic City’s late, great ones. More than 9000 graves are divided into separate white, black and Jewish sections. Buried here are mayors, veterans (including about 90 Confederate soldiers) and the godmother of South Florida, Julia Tuttle herself.
reviewed
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Brickell Ave Bridge
Miami Vice wasn’t all exaggeration; drug-runners zipped under this bridge in power boats during a high speed chase with DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration) agents on the day it reopened. The bridge crosses the Miami River, and cars pass under a 17ft bronze statue of a Tequesta warrior and his family, which sits perched atop the Pillar of History, a column that details the pre-European history of South Florida. Note that due to the aggressive traffic you’ll inevitably be driving in, it can be tough to appreciate the bridge from your car; you may want to walk here to get a sense of the sculptures.
reviewed
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Lowe Art Museum
Your love of the Lowe depends on your taste in art. If you’re into modern and contemporary works, it’s good. If you’re into the art and archaeology of cultures from Asia, Africa and the South Pacific, it’s great. And if you’re into pre-Columbian and Mesoamerican art, it’s simply fantastic; the artifacts are stunning and thoughtfully strung out along an easy-to-follow narrative thread. That isn’t to discount the lovely permanent collection of Renaissance and Baroque art, Western sculpture from the 18th to 20th centuries and paintings by Gauguin, Picasso and Monet; they’re also gorgeous.
reviewed
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Normandy Isle
A few years ago Normandy Isle was dubbed Little Argentina, and it’s still one of the best places outside Mendoza to people-watch with a cortada (Argentine espresso) before digging into the sort of pasta and steak dishes the gauchos love so much. But today the Argentines compete with their neighbors, the Uruguayans, their rivals, the Brazilians, and even a big crop of Colombians, for first place in the Normandy Isle ethnic-enclave stakes. Not that there’s tension; this is as prosperous and pleasant as Miami gets. On Saturday mornings the small village green hosts a lovely farmers market.
reviewed
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Stiltsville
This collection of seven houses that stand on pilings out in Biscayne Bay has been around since the early ’30s. You can view them, way out in the distance, from the southern shore of the Bill Baggs park, or take a boat tour out there with the illustrious historian Dr Paul George. In 2003, the nonprofit Stiltsville Trust was set up by the National Parks Service to rehabilitate the buildings into as-yet-unknown facilities; proposals include a National Parks Service visitor center, artist-in-residence colony or community center. For updates, call the Stiltsville Trust on [tel] 305-443-2266.
reviewed
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Lowe Art Museum
Your love of the Lowe depends on your taste in art. If you’re into modern and contemporary works, it’s good. If you’re into the art and archaeology of cultures from Asia, Africa and the South Pacific, it’s great. And if you’re into pre-Columbian and Mesoamerican art, it’s simply fantastic; the artifacts are stunning and thoughtfully strung out along an easy-to-follow narrative thread. That isn’t to discount the lovely permanent collection of Renaissance and Baroque art, Western sculpture from the 18th to 20th centuries, and paintings by Gauguin, Picasso and Monet; they’re also gorgeous.
reviewed
