Miami Beach’s Lincoln Road popular with visitors for shopping and dining

Posted November 12, 2013

By KARLA DURANGO

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. — Lincoln Road is more than just a street, it is the cultural centerpiece of one of the world’s top playgrounds: Miami Beach.

Running east to west between 16th and 17th streets in Miami Beach, this pedestrian-only road has long played host to a trendy collection of stores and boutiques, restaurants, art galleries and other local businesses that people from all over the world explore.

Ranked fifth among the top nine things to do in Miami by http://travel.usnews.com, Lincoln Road has always been one of the premier shopping venues in Miami and a yearlong hotspot for locals and tourists alike.

“It’s one of the best locales in town to get a bite to eat or enjoy drinks with friends while watching the endless exhibit of people,” said Stephanie Silva, a Miami native and longtime Miami Beach resident. “It has something for everyone and each time you go it’s a unique experience.”

In fact, on a typical Saturday afternoon, anyone can witness as Lincoln Road transforms into a never-ending runway for locals to parade around with their elegant pooches and as the alfresco restaurants become the front row seats for shopped-out foreigners to sit down and enjoy the Miami glamour.

“Every little shop from Books and Books Café to The Dog Bar has a different story to tell,” assured Silva. “Even the Starbucks at the intersection of Pennsylvania Avenue and Lincoln Road is different from your typical coffee shop.”

According to Silva, on most afternoons around 4 p.m., chess aficionados from all walks of life come together to take part in chess tournaments that help convert the resident Starbucks into a cultural attraction in and of itself.

Today however, after a recent string of new developments, Lincoln Road Mall holds an even more transcendent reputation. “It is synonymous with must-have merchandise,” said Terri Kravits, senior convention sales manager of the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau as she directly quoted their 2012 “It’s So Miami” branding campaign.

Nowadays, “The Road” as it is also known, draws in a diverse crowd to complement the eclectic mix of venues present on the scene, she assured.

As a matter of fact, visitors can now find anything from giant retail chains like Forever 21, Gap and Victoria’s Secret, to unconventional boutiques from the Brazilian luxury label Osklen and the Spanish jewelry brand Uno de 50, which showcase both local and international designers.

Among an array of different shops, locals and in-the-know travelers also flock to the area to buy one-of-a-kind items from the latest brands like All Saints Spitafeilds, Scotch & Soda, Diesel, Lucky Brand Jeans and Steve Madden.

“Lincoln does have the same relaxed Miami vibe it always did,” said Frangina Castillo, a Miami Beach resident and sales associate at Original Penguin on Lincoln Road. “You can still find the classic venues that have always been around like Van Dyke Café that has forever played live music, but now there are new stores and restaurants that have been like a breath of fresh air to the area.”

Recently renovated and opened in 2010 is the Mall’s westernmost block, which has proven to be among the most successful and attractive areas on Lincoln Road, Kravitz said, who often recommends this area to clients.

Keeping in tune with the post-modernist designs of Lincoln Road’s original architect Moris Lapidus, the newest pedestrian plaza features eye-catching imagery that sets the stage for an elite combination of shops that include Mac Cosmetics, Adidas Y-3, SLVR and the “glossy and upscale coffee table” bookstore, Taschen Books.

Along with the new additions on the mall’s western frontier, have also come a string of New York premier establishments that are again allowing Lincoln to live up to its moniker as “the Fifth Avenue of the South.”

Among the most notable places to have surfaced on the promenade are Rosa Mexicano, a popular New York-based Mexican restaurant, Shake Shack, a “go-to” spot for sun-drained pedestrians to cool off with a frozen custard shake and a classic “roadside” Manhattan burger, and Serendipity 3, the place that satisfies every homesick New Yorker’s sweet tooth.

In addition to all of the new eateries offering a wide variety of salty and sweet snacking options, Lincoln Road is also a popular place for moviegoers, as it houses a state-of-the-art multiplex cinema.

“Lincoln is always the place to go when you have no idea what you want to do,” said Manuela Sinisterra, a Miami Beach Senior High School student. “You can always rely on Lincoln to have a plan for you,” she added.

Although “The Road” attracts millions of people from around the world, with a high number of those being among European and South American tourists during the winter high season according to Kravitz, it certainly does feel the pressure to keep up with its status as an iconic destination.

With that said, in the mean time, Lincoln Road will undoubtedly remain one of the coolest places to shop in town and in the world, having recently struck gold with the debut of the five-story European retail store H&M.

“The weekend it opened, I remember there was a line of people that stretched about three blocks down” said Castillo. “I can’t even imagine how the opening of Zara will be,” she said smilingly.

Zara, which is indeed the latest store to join the “let’s open a store on Lincoln” bandwagon, is one of the hottest international brands set to arrive on the world-renowned street this winter, confirmed Kravits.

“Lincoln Road is the place in Miami to see the world, from its people to their fashion,” she voiced. “On Lincoln, it’s clear we keep on trend.”

If You Go

Lincoln Road Mall

  • Directions: Lincoln Road is located between 16th and 17th Street in Miami Beach. The listed address for the mall is 1610 Lenox Ave., Miami Beach, Fla. 33139.
  • Phone: 305-535-1111.
  • Hours of Operation: The shops on Lincoln Road are open seven days a week typically from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., but for individual store and restaurant hours and information please visit their website at http://lincolnroadmall.com.
  • For additional information visit: http://www.lincolnroadmall.info/shopping/.

Restaurants

  • 100 Montaditos
offers Spanish style “bocadillos” that are perfect for a mid afternoon snack. It is located at 541 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach, Fla.
33139.
  • Quattro Gastronomia Italiana
is an authentic Italian restaurant located at
1014 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach, Fla. 33139.
  • Serendipity 3
is the perfect American dessert and comfort food restaurant
situated on 1102 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach, Fla. 33139.
  • Juvia
offers an Asian, French and Latin American fusion on the iconic Herzog & De Meuron Building at 1111 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach,
Fla. 33139.
  • Rosa Mexicano
is at 1111 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach, Fla.
33139.
  • Shake Shack
Burgers is located at 1111 Lincoln Road./Lenox Ave., Miami Beach, Fla.
33139.
  • The Cafe at Books & Books
is on 
933 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach, Fla. 33139.
  • Van Dyke Cafe
is situated on
846 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach, Fla. 33139.

Shops

  • Zara, which is set to open this winter, is on 420 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach, Fla. 33139.
  • Forever 21 is at 01 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach,
Fla. 33139.
  • Dylan’s Candy Bar
is located on 801 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach,
Fla. 33139.
  • Adidas SLVR
is on 1656 Lenox Ave./1111 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach, Fla. 33139.
  • H&M is the Swedish retail-clothing company. It is located on
541 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach, Fla. 33139.
  • All Saints Spitalfields offers vintage work wear and is on
910 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach, Fla. 33139.
  • Osklen is at
1111 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach, Fla. 33139.
  • Scotch & Soda
is the Amsterdam couture
label now located on 442 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach, Fla. 33139.

Movie Theater

  • South Beach Regal Stadium 18, 1120 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach, Fla., 305-674-6766.

Parking

  • Although parking on Lincoln Road is abundant, it often presents a challenge due to the amount of people that visit each day. Friday nights, Saturday and Sunday tend to be the busiest days of the week. I recommend parking at one of the many parking garages in the area that are within walking distance of the shops and restaurants and provide better quality parking spaces.
  • Below is a list of parking options:
    • 5th St. & Alton Road garage
    • 7th St. & Collins Avenue garage
    • 12th St. & Drexel Avenue garage
    • 13th St. & Collins Avenue garage
    • 17th St. & Pennsylvania Avenue garage
    • City Hall Garage on 18th Street with Meridian Avenue
  • For more parking information visit: http://lincolnroadmall.com/where-to-park/.

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