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It’s been called the American
Riviera: a perpetually sun-splashed landscape of beautiful
people, pristine beaches, and pastel-colored, streamlined
hotels. In the 1930s, when its signature art deco hotels
were new, South Beach was one of the country’s premier vacation
destinations. Following World War II, though, the tourists
flocked north, to the “new” Miami Beach and large, lavish
hotels like the Fontainebleau and Eden Roc. South Beach
slipped into decline. Still, the charm of the little moderne
hotels by the water endured, and, when Miami Vice came to town in
the mid-1980s, it found the perfect backdrop for its sexy
plot lines and quick-cutting visuals. Preservationists’
efforts to save the art deco buildings began to receive
support from civic leaders and entrepreneurs looking to
cash in on South Beach’s distinct appeal. Within a few short
years, fashion photographers, artists, and celebrities were
flocking to the area, turning South Beach into an all-day,
all-night party. No one’s gone home yet.
While it may possess glamour akin to
that of the Riviera and other exotic locales, South Beach also
possesses the intimate feel of an honest-to-goodness neighborhood, a
vital, pedestrian-friendly area of cafés, shops, and parks. Some say
it’s the best of both worlds.
DAY ONE / Wake up at  The Tides, the 10-story deco
palace on famed Ocean Drive, directly across from the beach. Open
your eyes in one of the hotel’s 45 spacious rooms, surrounded by
sleek, white furnishings and large windows overlooking the Atlantic.
Take a good look through your telescope (which, along with the water
view, is standard issue with every room) at the picture-perfect
scene that awaits you.
Slip into a T-shirt, shorts, and
comfortable shoes and head out, hanging a right as you walk out onto
Ocean Drive. Four blocks down, pull up a couple of chairs at
 News Cafe. This sprawling sidewalk
eatery and newsstand, a pioneer of the South Beach revival, is still
the ideal place to grab a morning paper and a bite, people-watch,
and generally while away the time.
After a leisurely breakfast, it’s on
to the  Miami Design Preservation League’s Art
Deco Welcome Center for a formal introduction to the neighborhood
and its architecture. Depending on the day of the week, you can
choose either a self-guided audio tour or sign up for a guided tour
by a local historian (on Saturdays). Either approach is a perfect
way to get acquainted with the area as a whole, including Española
Way—the blocklong Spanish village built in the 1920s—and the less
familiar, tree-lined residential streets that lie beyond the bustle
of Ocean Drive.
Now that you’ve got your bearings,
it’s time to go to the  Collins Avenue
shopping district for some South Beach–style duds. When the sun sets
and you hit the clubs, you’ll want to look like an A-lister. Three
places near the intersection of 8th Street and Collins will help you
look fabulous without making it seem like you really tried—Versace
Jeans Couture, Armani Exchange, and Kenneth Cole.
If you weren’t hungry after your
walk, you surely are now; squeezing into and out of club gear is
hard work. Luckily, you’re close to  Puerto Sagua, a local institution
that’s served up the tastiest Cuban food in Miami for 40 years.
Order ropa vieja (“old clothes” to go with your new ones); the dish is
shredded flank steak cooked in a spicy-sweet tomato, garlic, and
onion sauce. For dessert-to-go, try one of the creamy, tropical
fruit milkshakes. It’ll keep you cool on your jaunt back to The
Tides, where you’ll drop your shopping bags and put on your bathing
suits so you can head across the street to the beach. As Tides
guests, you’ll have access to the big lounge chairs that line the
shore, so lean back and take in the late afternoon sun.
Happy hour is the time to show off
your newfound glow and your new clothes. After a quick change at The
Tides, sidle up to  Rose Bar at the Delano. The Philippe
Starck–designed hotel lobby features the most famous interior in
South Beach, a minimalist arrangement of white walls, impossibly
high ceilings, and flowing white curtains. The lobby’s Rose Bar
features—what else?—a rose-colored margarita.
From the Delano, it’s just a short
hop to  Lincoln Road Mall. Once known as the
Fifth Avenue of the South for its ultra high-end stores, Lincoln
Road is now an eclectic mix of cafés, specialty shops, and fine
restaurants, including  Pacific Time, where chef Jonathan
Eismann’s Asian fusion cuisine has been packing them in for a
decade. Create your own surf and turf by sharing the Nova Scotia sea
scallops in green curry and the dry aged Colorado beef with
Indonesian flavors.
Dinner’s over, but your night is just
getting started. Head across the street to the  Van Dyke Café. On the second floor,
you’ll find a dimly lighted den featuring the best players of
American, Latin, and Brazilian jazz in town. Have an after-dinner
drink and catch a set or two before moving on to  crobar, an industrial-chic dance
factory housed in a converted art deco movie theater—appropriate,
since film stars like George Clooney, Jennifer Lopez, and Matt Damon
are regularly spotted shaking their bon-bons on the dance
floor.
A few hours of dancing and you’ll be
ready for bed. Since your hotel’s only three blocks away, you won’t
need a cab, but you may want to grab a late-night snack to fuel your
trip. Score a fish taco around the corner at  San Loco, a storefront cantina where
the classic rock and the hot sauce are kept at maximum volume.
DAY TWO / Start your morning at the  11th Street Diner, a sleek,
1948 vintage eating car transplanted from Wilkes-Barre,
Pennsylvania. Omelets and waffles are the way to go at this popular
local hangout, where early risers mix with club hoppers who never
quite made it home the previous night.
Pay your check and walk down the street to
 The Wolfsonian-Florida International
University Museum. Housed in a landmark 1920s Mediterranean-revival
building, this museum features an impressive array of late 19th– and
early 20th–century art and design, everything from travel posters
and New Deal murals to appliances, furniture, and world’s fair
paraphernalia.
After taking in the
Wolfsonian’s cultural offerings, it’s time to hit the street. Make
your way to Lincoln Road and  Fritz’s Skate, Bike & Surf, the
leading supplier of what passes for transportation in this
walk-everywhere community: in-line skates. C’mon; strap ’em on. If
you’re a little shaky on your skates, don’t worry—you can get a
helmet and pads with your rental. (If you’d prefer a bike to skates,
the store rents those, as well.) Once you’re suited up, go to Lummus
Park, a stretch of green with a wide, winding path fronting the
beach. Skate the length of the park, from 15th to 5th streets,
switching over to the asphalt when you get to 5th. (The area south
of 5th is mostly residential, with relatively little traffic
compared to the rest of South Beach.)
A block before Ocean Drive
ends, take a right and skate over to Washington Avenue to collect
your reward for going the extra mile: Joe’s Stone Crab. Nobody
anywhere does stone crabs better than this 90-year-old institution.
Nobody. Which is why, in season (Joe’s is open mid-October through
mid-May), pilgrims to this most sacred of seafood sites may wait as
long as two hours for a table. But not you. You’re going next door
to  Joe’s Stone Crab Take-away to
get a stone crab picnic for two. Transport your catch across the
street to South Pointe Park and grab a waterfront boulder for a view
of the big cruise ships chugging in and out of the Port of
Miami.
Get back to Lincoln Road in time to drop
off your skates and keep your appointment at  Brownes & Co., a one-stop spa for all that ails
the body. (Because Brownes’ professional pamperers are perpetually
booked, you made the appointment a few days before arriving.)
Indulge in a “his and hers” afternoon. For him: a deluxe shave that
includes a pre-shave massage, a rose hydrating mask, and an
after-shave balm. For her: a Costa Rican river mud treatment. Each
takes about 40 minutes. When you’re done, reunite for a full-body
Shiatsu massage. Re-energized, walk over to  Tropical Cigars, a classic cigar bar
specializing in savory smokes and mojito cocktails. Sit under an
umbrella at one of the outdoor tables.
Then it’s back to the hotel to get ready
for another night on the town. For the first time since you arrived,
you’re going to need a cab. Take it to  Joe Allen, a gem of a bistro and bar
on the western edge of South Beach. A favorite meeting place of
movers and shakers more interested in being fed than being seen, Joe
Allen serves up equal proportions of top-notch American cuisine and
understated charm. Choose whatever strikes your fancy, but remember
to leave room for the warm date pudding.
Afterward, cab it to  Opium, a Holly- wood movie set
disguised as a nightclub (think Chinatown meets The
Last Emperor). This Asian-themed temple to nocturnal
pleasures is as addictive as its namesake. When you’re done rubbing
shoulders downstairs on the dance floor, make your way upstairs to
 Privé, the club’s appropriately named
VIP room that’s harder to get into than Harvard Medical. Of course,
your concierge at The Tides has gotten your name on the guest list.
Before you call it a night, stop off at  Pizza Rustica for a slice of early
morning life on always-hopping Washington Avenue.
DAY THREE / After a couple of late nights, go ahead and sleep in.
Brunch is waiting for you at  Big Pink. This cafeteria-style diner
on Collins Avenue is popular with everyone from families to club
kids for its casual atmosphere and huge portions. Order the
breakfast burrito, or split the “TV dinner,” served in the same type
of tray as its frozen brethren (albeit three times larger) with such
prime-time fare as pot roast, steak quesadillas, and eggplant
parmigiana.
Following brunch, walk one block east to
relax at the beach. Later, sample some Caribbean delights at  Tap Tap, a Haitian restaurant known
for its folk art murals and delectable dishes. Go light; the conch
salad and grilled goat appetizers should hold you until dinner.
Head back to The Tides to get ready for one
last big night. You’ll be dressed with plenty of time to spare for
cocktails at  Café Cardozo, the
just-off-the-lobby bar of the Cardozo Hotel. Owned by Latin music
power couple Emilio and Gloria Estefan, the art deco jewel has been
lovingly restored to its prewar glamour. The hotel has long been
famous for its affiliation with another musical icon. In A Hole in the Head (1959), Frank Sinatra
played the owner of a small hotel in then down-and-out South Beach.
The hotel was the Cardozo, renamed The Garden of Eden for the film.
That would explain why the café now tempts patrons with two-for-one
apple martinis.
After drinks, it’s only a short walk to  Escopazzo, Pino Bodoni’s cozy 70-seat
trattoria. For a taste of Northern Italy in South Beach, order one
of the hand-rolled pasta specialties. Porcini flour taglioni with
sambuca braised fennel, dried orange, sea scallops, and shrimp is as
decadent as it sounds.
Your final foray into the local nightlife
will take you to the ever-advancing northern boundary of South
Beach.  SkyBar is the super-exclusive Shore
Club’s super-exclusive poolside bar, where DJs spin everything from
hip-hop to the Rolling Stones while patrons move to the beat or
lounge on mattress-size cushions and chaises. SkyBar is not the
limit tonight, though.  Mynt Lounge is. Since opening in 2001,
this club has been the hottest velvet rope to jump in town, with
crowds typically lining up around the block to gain access to the
everlasting cool of Mynt’s dreamy interiors, plush couches, and
thumping music. The party will go on all night and into the morning,
but, whatever you do, don’t look at your watch. That’s one thing
that isn’t in vogue in South Beach.
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