I may be visiting Miami for a few days in April. It will be my first visit. In addition to South Beach, what are the tourist “must-sees,” what are the overrated tourist traps and in general how do I make the most of my time? Is it best to stay in Miami itself or in Miami Beach? Is public transportation good, or would it be better to rent a car? Are there shuttles between the Miami and Fort Lauderdale airports, or from either of them into downtown? (The airport web sites seem a little vague.) Is safety any more of a problem now in Miami than in other U.S. cities? (I don’t recall reading recently about the carjackings and shoot-outs that were in the news a few years ago.) I am not heavily into the nightlife scene, and I would be more likely to go to a concert or a play than a bar or a dance club. What do I need to know?
Hi! I went to college in Miami, and the first thing I gotta tell you is that public transportation bites. You need a car, seriously. I’m not kidding.
As for places to visit, there’s the Monkey Jungle, which really isn’t in Miami, but a ways south of the city. As a matter of fact, there’s a lot of stuff that really isn’t in Miami, but around the city. There’s a whole slew of malls, including Dadeland and Cutler Ridge, and it’s only about an hour’s drive, if that, to Sawgrass Mills in Ft, Lauderdale. There’s a great flea market on 79th street if you’re into walking off the beaten path into the jungle of cheap merchandise. Also, if you can deal with the drive, you can check out the swamp. There’s only about a million different airboat tours and alligator shows for tourists. Kinda cheesy, but still fun. Just remeber to bring the sunscreen.
Speaking of sunscreen, the beaches (duh) are pretty nice at that time of year. Oh, and Coconut Grove is a nice night spot with malls, a theater, and plenty of bars and clubs. Not as extensive or varied as South Beach, and just as hectic and almost as skanky.
Beaches, beaches, beaches
But not all the beaches are created equal. I reccomend Key Biscayne. Take I-95 downtown and look for the Rickenbacker Causeway, which is itself a beautiful drive. There’s two beaches on the island: Crandon Park and Cape Florida. Even though it’s only a few miles from the glass skyscrapers of Miami, you’d think you were on a deserted island (well, except for all the people). If you walk north down the beach at Crandon at low tide, this coral formation sticks out of the water and it’s like walking on a moonscape. Be sure to wear shoes. Cape Florida has a view of Stiltsville, a “neighborhood” of houses built on stilts out in the ocean.
South Beach is also interesting. If you’re not into clubbing, it’s still nice to go there and look at the art-deco buildings, or sit at an outdoor cafe and look at the weird people walking by.
And if you want to check out the Everglades, head to Shark Valley. I don’t know why it’s called this, since there are no sharks to speak of. However, there are hundreds of Alligators. It has a walkway that goes in a 14 -mile loop, and the gators just lie there. It freaked me out until I saw little kids stepping over them. Very surreal. It’s way out in the middle of nowhere. Take Tamiami Trail, which is also U.S. 41, which is also S.E. 8th Street, or Calle Ocho.
You can also go to Vizcaya Palace and Gardens, located along US1 right before it branches off into I-95 on its way into downtown Miami. It’s a beautiful old mansion surrounded by luxurious gardens, including a giant hedge maze. It’s been so long since I’ve been there, I’m not sure if you have to pay admission or not.
While you’re in town, you must enjoy some Cuban food! La Carreta is a local restaurant chain with huge portions, good variety, and very reasonably-priced. There are much fancier and more expensive places, but at Carreta you can truly eat like the locals. If you drink, you MUST order mojitos somewhere! A free weekly newspaper called New Times will have reviews of local restaurants, movies, theatre, nightclubs, and other things to do around town, so it can be an invaluable resource.
I would not rely on public transportation in Miami (it’s horrible!), and cabs will be expensive and unreliable. Renting a car would truly be your best bet. If I were you, I’d make a tentative itinerary before you leave, use Mapquest to look up all the driving directions to and from your hotel, and print and carry those with you. Flying into Ft. Lauderdale rather than Miami will probably save you some money, but if you intend to stay in Miami, you may find it to be more trouble than it’s worth.
As for safety, I must be honest that I never feel totally safe and at ease in Miami, and I grew up and lived most of my life there! As long as you LOOK like you belong there and know where you’re going, that will help. Don’t look like fresh-off-the-turnip-truck rubes, and don’t flash cash or wallets or too much jewelry, and you should be fine.
As I recall, the Aventura Mall was very nice…and the Bayside area had quite a few things to do.
Also, if you’re into the “odd”, the Coral Castle isn’t too far of a drive.
www.coralcastle.com
We checked it out once…both bf and I found it very interesting.
I thought Monkey Jungle moved? No that was Parrot Jungle.
Coral Castle may not be too far of a drive but there is MASSIVE construciton going on.
Yes, you can take the “Tri Rail” to Miami from the Fort Lauderdale airport (shuttle to train), then take the Metrorail to the rest of Miami (downtown, US1, older neighborhoods). I’d do it in daylight.
Things to see near public transportation: Vizacaya, their Planet Arium, Miami Museum of science.
Things to see near public transportaion in Fort Lauderdale: IMax, Kids museum, a couple of art galleries.
Stay the hell away from the Seaquarium unless you get free passes and a free ride there. ANd lunch. And then don’t stay long.
Miami the city proper is pretty tiny. Out side of the city proper is the Metro Zoo (way down halfway to Coral Castle), and some other stuff I don’t remember. If it’s not right off of the train, I’d say get a rental car.
I loved Vizcaya when we were there 20 years ago, and hope to go back when we visit Miami again next month.
We spent quite awhile walking around the grounds of Vizcaya.
Also enjoyed walking around South Beach; we were there in March of a couple years ago and yeah Miami can be kind of funky but nothing bad happened to us.
We visited the Holocaust Museum Holocaust Museum on Meridian Avenue.
Is it a hijack to ask how the weather will be in mid to late February?
I second Shark Valley (which has no sharks and is not a valley, since there are no mountains). You can take a tram (with a tour guide) or you can walk/bike the 15-mile trail yourself, if you’re hardcore. If you are in any way nature-inclined, the Everglades is a must-see. It provides a nice contrast with the bustling city.
There are airboat tour places up and down Tamiami Trail. I haven’t taken a tour, but I work in the Everglades so I know what you’d be seeing. It’s worth whatever the price.
There’s also Fairchild Botanical Gardens. Fabulous place to see tropical plants.
I recommend renting a car because public transportation sucks. However, make sure that you plan your travel so as to avoid traffic-ridden streets, like Kendall Drive. It. Will. Ruin. Your. Day. (says the person who has lived in both northern NJ and Atlanta and knows a thing or two about traffic). Try to find a hotel that’s not too far away from the Florida Turnpike. Do not get a hotel anywhere near Kendall.
Dolphin Mall is a “nice” mall. Never been to it except for lunch, but from the outside it’s big and pretty.
Coral Gables is something you should drive through, at least. Especially the residential areas. There’s also a nice shopping district there.
La Carreta is a good Cuban restaurant for the uninitiated, like myself. The Latin America restaurant chain is also good if you’re hankering for a dozen kinds of Cuban sandwiches. If you’re into fast food with a Miami flare, try out Chick-n-Grill or Pollo Tropicale. All of these restaurants are everywhere.
Do not feel intimidated by Miamians. They seem gruff but deep down they are nice. And most of them speak English just as well as they speak Spanish (although they may assume you speak Spanish and will launch into rapid-fire dialogue with you).
I’ve only had safety issues in downtown, when someone busted my car window. Just like any big city, don’t go flashing money around and advertising your outsiderness. If someone invites you to Hialeah, you may want to think twice.
One cool thing about Miami is that it’s pretty easy to navigate the streets. Let’s say your hotel’s address is 11700 104th St. Because almost all the streets are numbered, you then know that your hotel is on the corner of 117th Ave and 104th St. Just don’t assume that there’s a grid system here. Turning off a major street is a sure fire way to get lost or frustrated with dead ends.
Oh yes…bring hair spray. Lots of hair spray.
Have fun!
monstro, you sound like you’re from my old neighborhood, or you at least know the area well! I was born and raised in Kendall, and lived there for most of my life except for seven years away in Gainesville. I only left again about a month ago (hopefully for good), but my parents and many friends are still down there.