Miami

n 1979, Miami Beach’s Art Deco Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Art Deco District is the largest collection of Art Deco architecture in the world and comprises hundreds of hotels, apartments and other structures erected between 1923 and 1943. Mediterranean, Streamline Modern and Art Deco are all represented in the District. The Historic District is bounded by the Atlantic Ocean on the East, Lenox Court on the West, 6th Street on the South and Dade Boulevard along the Collins Canal to the North. The movement to preserve the Art Deco District’s architectural heritage was led by former interior designer Barbara Capitman, who now has a street in the District named in her honor.

Developed by George Edgar Merrick during the Florida land boom of the 1920s, and home to many large and beautiful mansions, Coral Gables was one of the first planned communities, and prefigured the development of the gated community and the home- owners association. The city’s architecture is almost entirely Mediterranean Revival Style. Some of the homes, or portions of their structures, have been created from coral rock and shells. The Biltmore Hotel is also filled with history.

In both daytime and at nightfall, the South Beach section of Miami Beach is immensely popular with both American and international tourists, with some having permanent or second homes. The large number of European tourists also explains their influence on a lax and overall tolerance of the female monokini (topless sunbathing) in spite of being a public beach. This is Miami’s uncontested nightlife hub, with restaurants, bars and clubs featuring fashionably late hours of operation, an electrifying atmosphere and a flourishing gay and lesbian community.

Little Havana is home to many Cuban immigrant residents, as well as many residents from Central and South America, and named after the capital and largest city in Cuba. Noted as a center of social, cultural, and political activity, it is also known for its land- marks, including Calle Ocho and its Walk of Fame (for famous artists and Latin per- sonalities, including Celia Cruz, Willy Chirino, and Gloria Estefan). It is undoubtedly the best known neighborhood for Cuban exiles in the world.

mong the hustle and bustle of Miami’s ever-growing metropolis sits a laid-back, waterfront community unlike any other. Nestled between Biscayne Bay and Highway U.S. 1, Coconut Grove is a village-within-a-city, and the oldest modern continuous- ly-inhabited neighborhood of Miami, offering visitors a unique alternative experience to the standard South Florida visit. With everything from gallery walks and outdoor dining, to sailing regattas and wacky festivals, there are endless activities. Shopping is centered at CocoWalk, a lovely outdoor Mediterranean-style mall with the usual fare of Americana: Gap, Victoria’s Secret, and so on.

Founded in 1955, The Miami Seaquarium is the oldest oceanarium in the United States, located on the island of Virginia Key in Biscayne Bay. In addition to marine mammals, the Miami Seaquarium houses fish, sharks, sea turtles, birds, reptiles, and manatees. The park offers daily presentations and hosts overnight camps, events for boy scouts, and group programs. Over 500,000 people visit the facility annually.

Villa Vizcaya is the former villa and estate of businessman James Deering, of the Deering McCormick-International Harvester fortune, on Biscayne Bay in the Coconut Grove neighborhood. The early 20th century Vizcaya estate also includes: extensive Italian Renaissance gardens; native woodland landscape; and a historic village out- buildings compound. The landscape and architecture were influenced by Veneto and Tuscan Italian Renaissance models and designed in the Mediterranean Revival architecture style, with Baroque elements.

A trip to the Miami area isn’t complete without a stop in Key Biscayne, an exclusive island town considered to be one of the most exclusive communities in South Florida, just a short – and gorgeous – drive over the Rickenbacker Causeway from the big city. From sunny beaches to the Ritz-Carlton resort, Key Biscayne offers all the allure of South Florida on a tiny sliver of land. Key Biscayne has terrific beaches and the added appeal of being sandwiched between two major parks – Crandon Park to the north and Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park to the south. Key Biscayne also offers a nearby coastal barrier reef and the only federally recognized underwater archaeologi- cal trail in the United States.