Ocean Drive in Miami, Florida (Greater Miami CVB)

Skyline and harbor at dusk, Miami, Florida (Corbis)

Ocean Drive at night, art deco district of Miami, Florida (Rene Frederick/Digital Vision/Getty)

Ocean Drive, South Beach, Miami, Florida (Medioimages/Photodisc)

What to do in Miami

by Matt Link

Whatever your views on thong bikinis, bronzed hardbodies, and rap-star entourages, it’s hard to deny Miami’s allure. South Beach is a gloriously shameless scene with an Art Deco heritage full of white-on-white hotels where celebrities hide behind big sunglasses. But Miami has a lot to offer tourists beyond overpriced sidewalk cafés and tropical bars on Ocean Drive. Contemporary glass towers and concert venues line downtown, and the newly renovated Design District gives off an artsy vibe. Fans of spicy food and Cubano culture can’t miss Little Havana. Still, few will want to leave the bathtub-warm Atlantic waters surrounding Miami. The sparkling network of bays, islands, and canals—home to incredible fishing, watersports, and tropical wildlife—is the city’s true identity, even if that identity is sometimes hidden behind big sunglasses.

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Kate rates Miami
I went to Miami years ago, so I'm not sure what might have changed since then, but it was a blast. It is definitely a "scene," but there are also some subtle aspects of the city if you look closely. We stayed in the Coral Gables neighborhood, and it was lovely. We spent one of our days there on a boat and visited Key Biscayne. It was pure Florida!
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Erica rates Miami
Beautiful people and beautiful beaches, glamorous hotels, superb dinning experiences, hot cars and motorcycles eveywhere, miami just drips with class and excitment, non stop party, epitomizes the florida dream!
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jerlich rates Miami
Miami is pretty sleazy but I give it props for having great food, although not cheap. If you end up here for a conference or whatever, crush the Cuban sandwiches and drink lots of El Presidente beer. Also, rent a car and explore the overseas highway or the everglades. As a base for short road trips, Miami makes a lot of sense. Oh, do not stay on or near South Beach; Downtown Miami has much better values on hotels.
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Lacy rates Miami
I'm sure many people will disagree with me about this review but I wouldn't advise anyone to go to Miami. If you're looking to party, go to Vegas or New York. If you want the beach, head a little further south to the Caribbean. Miami is crowded and dirty. The traffic is terrible. The entire town has a cheap plastic-y feeling, meaning: everything seems like it's a fake knock-off. South Beach is dirty and crowded, you have to fight for a spot in the filthy sand. The bars are over-priced and give the feel of a meat market. Skip this Florida city.
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Pieter rates Miami
The Art Deco hotels and architecture are the coolest part about Miami, well that and the amazing Cuban food you can find in just about any part of town. It's really pricey, though, and I didn't find the people all that friendly. We were down at the beach outside of our hotel and a guy wanted to charge us $20 each to sit on beach chairs, but its was 4:30 and he told us we'd need to leave by 5pm. Not exactly hospitality at its best, but overall the beaches were great and the food even better.
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I went to Miami years ago, so I'm not sure what might have changed since then, but it was a blast. It is definitely a "scene," but there are also some subtle aspects of the city if you look closely. We stayed in the Coral Gables neighborhood, and it was lovely. We spent one of our days there on a boat and visited Key Biscayne. It was pure Florida!
3.2 Item Reviewed: Miami
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