A major hot spot for a tropical escape, South Beach is a hub for fashion and fun, sun and surf, food and drink, art and music, parties and all-nighters. It’s a place where everything is done with a big splash of glitter and glitz. From a morning jog along Ocean Drive to afternoon shopping on Lincoln Road to cocktails at hotel bars life is good here. But once the sun sets, the mood changes as the neon lights go on and diners fills up outdoor cafes, followed by hipsters on the prowl for some wild after-dark fun.
1 See and Be Seen
Since its rebirth in the 1980s South Beach has been a magnet for the glitterati. Stars, from Madonna to Cameron Diaz, strutted their stuff on Ocean Drive and in the clubs—back then. Today you’re more likely to spot the next reality TV star and the hyped-up celeb sports figure making the scene. But one thing for sure, SoBe is a hot place to get noticed—day and night— and there’s no shortage of folks in search of the limelight.
2 City that Never Sleeps
This town rocks 24/7. From the sunrise-watching all-night party crowd, who never slept, to the early morning athletes pumping up their muscles on beach workout bars, action is round the clock. You can play all day, dine at night, hit the clubs, party at the after-hour spots and start all over again the next day, with a jolt of super-strong Cuban coffee to get you going.
3 Beach Bunnies
The best action is on the sands at Lummus Park skirting Ocean Drive. Claim your spot and take in a volleyball game as buff guys and gals spike the ball. Walk the stretch and check out the funky art-deco lifeguard stands or just soak up the warm rays. When thirst sets in, cross the street to any of the open-air bars and cafes for an ice-cold beer or better yet, a mojito.
4 Lincoln Road
This pedestrian mall is where locals and visitors mingle. Umbrellas shade the outdoor tables on the promenade, which are prime spots for people watching. Another favorite pastime is dog walking and the parade of pooches never stops. Restaurants serve everything from seafood to ropa vieja, microbrews to lattes. Shopping on the west end is a tad more upscale with Brazilian designer boutiques and art galleries scattered about.
5 Party Time
Things start late in South Beach, so don’t even think of arriving before 10 p.m., in fact, midnight is more the hour when the party starts heating up. No matter what your budget, there are bars and clubs for everyone, from the red-velvet-rope nightclubs with neon lights and pumping house music to the old dive bars, where a game of pool and a cold beer are all you need.
6 Killer Fashion
The fashion show never ends on South Beach so get ready for your catwalk debut. Dressing is part of the scene. Whether it’s the latest bikini, hippest shorts with a trendy T-shirt or the flashiest hip-hugging dress with stilettos, this is the place to strut your best stuff. And if you don’t have SoBe-style attire, there are plenty of stores with outrageously cool clothing on just about every block.
7 Events Galore
South Beach plays host to top events, starting with Art Deco Weekend in January, a celebration in the art-deco historic district with wild parades and art displays. In February the South Beach Wine and Food Festival brings Food Network chefs and their entourages for 10 days of feasting and partying. In April international polo players and their ponies arrive for the Miami Beach Polo World Cup, played right on the sands. May’s Fashion Week packs SoBe hotels with long- legged models and dazzling fashion shows. In December Art Basel spills into South Beach, filling the Miami Beach Convention Center with the world’s best contemporary artwork.
8 Foodie Scene
There are more restaurants packed into this 23-block-long stretch than you’d think—and new ones are opening constantly. The popular sidewalk dining along Ocean Drive draws huge crowds, but on the side streets you’ll find gems with starred culinary ratings, and if you head to the South of Fifth neighborhood, you’ll encounter a quieter more sophisticated dining scene.
9 Perfect Pitch
The New World Center, an architectural masterpiece designed by Frank Gehry, is where the New World Symphony and its artistic director, Michael Tilson Thomas, make music. A cultural stop for any visitor who appreciates the arts, the center even has an outdoor element: SoundScape, a park where the public can watch free concerts from within the performance hall that are projected onto the building’s vast 7,000-square-foot exterior wall.
10 Art-Deco Hotels
Despite all the fanfare going on, it’s the art-deco thread running throughout South Beach that gives the area its distinct look. Take a walking tour with the Art Deco Preservation League or tour on your own schedule with a walk down Collins Avenue to pop in and out of the National, the Raleigh, the Delano and the recently refurbished SLS hotels. The smaller art-deco boutique properties are just as stunning with portholes, eyebrows and pastel colors from the early 1900s architectural movement.
