Miami Beach/South Beach

South Beach is a district in Miami Beach from South Pointe Park to around 23rd Street. It is a resort area that is known for its beautiful beach, lively nightlife, and for having the world's largest collection of modern Art Deco architecture.

History
In 1870, South Beach was predominantly unsettled farmland. In that year, the Lum brothers decided to purchase the 160 acres of land to grow coconuts. A daughter of one of the Lum brothers named the land "South Beach", though the name did not stick until later on.

In 1912, two Miami businessmen bought 400 acres of land in the area, with the goal of building “modest” single family homes. Around 1914, a bridge from Miami to the island was finished. Miami's South Beach was incorporated in 1915, and a land boom in the location began around 1920. With car-accessible roads including the famous streets like Collins avenue, 5th street, Washington Avenue and Ocean Drive, these areas were built for the rich and possibly the famous.

During World War II, South Beach became the location for many soldiers as a training location. After the war, many soldiers stayed permanently in Miami Beach, doubling its population. Miami Beach became an area filled with new buildings and had a new reputation as the “Art Deco District” and took on the famous name “South Beach” or nickname “SoBe”. Starting in 1964, the TV comedy show "The Jackie Gleason Show" was filmed from South Beach.

Gleason's endorsement of Miami Beach as a sunny, warm, and relaxing location led to a rise in popularity. Many people from northern states planned on retiring in South Beach. Unfortunately, some of them did not take into consideration the upkeep that would have to be put into a property near the ocean. After a decline in the senior citizen population in the area, South Beach took a downturn and was considered rundown for some time.

However, this reputation in turn lead to the famous gangster movie “Scarface” (1983) being filmed in the town, putting South Beach back on the map. Interest began to rise again due to its beautiful location and status as a playground for the rich and famous. Throughout the rest of the 1980s and 1990s, South Beach infused many more investment opportunities that has helped it transform once again into a destination for business, tourists and others. South Beach is advertised more through television and has adapted to the city for nightlife with many dance clubs, bars, restaurants and shopping. With the help from these investments, South Beach today has a new fun and relaxing reputation.

What to do
Give yourself an opportunity to enjoy South Beach while lodging in a condo rental or your own rental villa. Visit sites like Lincoln Road pedestrian mall, considered South Beach's premier shopping area. It is home to many restaurants and several nightclubs, such as Score and Function, as well as many retail outlets. Ocean Drive is the easternmost street in South Beach, and stems from south of First to 15th Street, running in a north-south direction. Ocean Drive is responsible for the South Beach aesthetic that most out-of-town visitors expect. It is a popular Spring Break and tourist area, including the famous, yet predominantly local, Pearl and Nikki Beach night spots. It is also home to several prominent restaurants (including "News Cafe," "Mango's," and the MTV-popularized "Clevelander") and is the site of Gianni Versace's former ocean front mansion. South Beach has a very active club and bar scene. It is host to over 150 clubs and other destinations, most of which close at 5AM.

Dining opens up a great variety for all taste and culinary preferences. With the most known restaurants of South Florida, South Beach has the best reputation in international cuisine. Classic dinners, cafeterias and fast food restaurants give more option to a day by day casual meal. South Beach is also home to all kind of variety of cultural, art and exhibition events. Miami Beach Convention Center hosts most of the events, and conventions that you could find in Miami.

Get in
See Miami Beach

Culture
The city contains an opera company, two dance companies, several arts galleries and theaters. When it comes to musical culture in South Beach there are the popular New World Symphony Orchestra, Bass Art Museum, Miami Convention Center plus many more art galleries.



Museums and exhibits




Buy
In the Miami area, most clothing shops located away from shopping malls are located in South Beach.
 * Ocean Drive (Along the entire street of Ocean Drive): You will find a collection of funky, youthful boutiques and unique accessories.
 * Ocean Drive (Along the entire street of Ocean Drive): You will find a collection of funky, youthful boutiques and unique accessories.
 * Ocean Drive (Along the entire street of Ocean Drive): You will find a collection of funky, youthful boutiques and unique accessories.
 * Ocean Drive (Along the entire street of Ocean Drive): You will find a collection of funky, youthful boutiques and unique accessories.
 * Ocean Drive (Along the entire street of Ocean Drive): You will find a collection of funky, youthful boutiques and unique accessories.
 * Ocean Drive (Along the entire street of Ocean Drive): You will find a collection of funky, youthful boutiques and unique accessories.
 * Ocean Drive (Along the entire street of Ocean Drive): You will find a collection of funky, youthful boutiques and unique accessories.
 * Ocean Drive (Along the entire street of Ocean Drive): You will find a collection of funky, youthful boutiques and unique accessories.
 * Ocean Drive (Along the entire street of Ocean Drive): You will find a collection of funky, youthful boutiques and unique accessories.

Eat
If you're craving a scene with your steak, then South Beach is the place to be. Like many cities in Europe and Latin America, it is fashionable to dine late in South Beach, preferably after 9PM, sometimes as late as midnight. Service on South Beach is notoriously slow and arrogant, but it comes with the turf (of course, it is possible to find restaurants that defy the notoriety and actually pride themselves on friendly service).

South Beach has plenty of places to eat. Restaurants and cafes along Ocean Drive are convenient for beach-goers and popular amongst tourists, but they can be prohibitively expensive. On the other hand, Lincoln Road offers a wide range of quality food at good prices and cater to locals and tourists alike. For a more European flavor, check out Espanola Way which looks and feels just like an Italian street.

If you plan on eating on Ocean Drive, look for specials: some places offer half off of certain items for lunch, for example, or have promoters out on the sidewalks with flyers advertising deals for the evening.

Drink
Nightlife in South Beach starts late and ends early in the morning. Getting to a club well after midnight is common. If you're not famous, wealthy, or not with someone famous or wealthy, expect to be charged full price for cover (that includes the ladies!) at some of the swankier clubs. If there's a cover, make sure you find out what the crowd is and what kind of music or DJ is playing on any particular night before you buy in to anything you might not enjoy. No matter how exclusive the location is, drinks anywhere will be plenty expensive, which is why anyone without money to throw around will have had a few drinks already before they show up anywhere else.



Sleep
While some of the most famous and well-known hotels and resorts are located in South Beach, the area can be noisy, crowded and expensive. Hotels and resorts are located along the entire length of Miami Beach, so travelers should also consider places further north of 23rd St.

Adjacent to the beach (on Collins and Ocean streets, south of 23rd street), pretty much every building is a hotel, so there are many not listed here.