{"id":1824,"date":"2013-09-25T06:44:33","date_gmt":"2013-09-25T10:44:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/students.com.miami.edu\/~travelwriting\/?page_id=1824"},"modified":"2013-09-25T06:44:33","modified_gmt":"2013-09-25T10:44:33","slug":"miamis-vibrant-renewal-offers-visitors-residents-diverse-vacation-experiences","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/students.com.miami.edu\/travelwriting\/?page_id=1824","title":{"rendered":"Miami\u2019s vibrant renewal offers visitors, residents diverse vacation experiences"},"content":{"rendered":"

Posted September 24, 2013<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

By KARLA DURANGO<\/p>\n

MIAMI, Fla. \u2013 While it was once an area frequently known for its white-sand, blue-wave beaches, bikini-wearing rollerbladers on Lincoln Road and trendy nightclubs, Miami today, holds a more complex and esteemed reputation; It is a booming conurbation with an unquenchable thirst for growth.<\/p>\n

\"Visitors<\/a>

Visitors enjoy a pleasant afternoon by the water at the tip of South Beach (Photo by Karla Durango).<\/p><\/div>\n

During the last two decades, residents and vacationers alike have witnessed the city\u2019s transformation into one of the world\u2019s most popular luxury travel destinations with a lot more to offer beyond its beautiful beaches.<\/p>\n

\u201cMiami has undergone a vibrant renewal and is now able to provide a vacation experience that can satisfy many types of interests,\u201d said Maria Saavedra, a sales and marketing executive for the Loews Miami Beach Hotel. \u201cFor one, Miami has become a popular destination for culinary tourism,\u201d she pointed out, a fundamental component of the tourism experience.<\/p>\n

She said that Lure Fishbar in New York City, which garnered a spot on Forbes\u2019 2010 list of \u201cAll-Star Eateries\u201d along with restaurants like Gotham Bar and Grill and Scarpetta (now at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach), is coming to the Loews Hotel this fall.<\/p>\n

\u201cToday the best chefs from around the world are opening their restaurants locally,\u201d she added, citing the leading London Chinese restaurant Hakkasan, and internationally acclaimed chef Jos\u00e9 Andr\u00e9s\u2019 The Baazar, as some of her top picks.<\/p>\n

Andr\u00e9s, who was credited in\u00a0Cond\u00e9 Nast Traveler<\/i>\u00a0in 2011 for introducing American audiences to both \u201cavant-garde\u201d and \u201ctraditional\u201d Spanish cooking, brought his latest culinary venture to the SLS Hotel South Beach in 2012.<\/p>\n

Now teeming with chic-eateries and premier renovated deco-era hotels such as the Fontainebleau, which once again opened its doors to the public in November 2008, the city has also witnessed a cultural renaissance of sorts and become internationally recognized for a leading-edge art scene.<\/p>\n

With the introduction of Art-Basel in 2002, an annual contemporary art fair that was inaugurated in Switzerland, art lovers and connoisseurs from all over the world now travel to Miami to witness the high profile affair.<\/p>\n

\u201cArt Basel gave Miami a push in the right direction,\u201d said Patricia Chaparro, a local artist and longtime Miami resident.<\/p>\n

Since the art-festival was launched locally, she mentioned that the city began to experience an \u201carts revival.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gradually, the city saw a rise in the popularity of the Design District, now renowned for its design showcases, observed an upturn in the local theater scene with the opening of The Carnival Center, Florida\u2019s largest performing arts center, and experienced the rebirth of Wynwood, an industrial neighborhood now dubbed Miami\u2019s art district.<\/p>\n

Wynwood has quickly established its persona as a living and breathing art village containing more than 60 different galleries, art collections and museums, said Chaparro, who was also the former owner of Once Art Gallery in Wynwood. The young and vibrant neighborhood has also become a local hotspot as it is home to some of the best restaurants, known for their live music and eclectic menus, and the some of trendiest shops in the city.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is the perfect destination for visitors to experience Miami as the locals do,\u201d she noted, \u201cit is the chance to see another layer, the Miami more \u2026 underground.\u201d<\/p>\n

Navigating to another popular vicinity, South Beach is no stranger to labels, one of which being that it is the spot for \u201csun, sand and vice.\u201d However, another factor has helped raise the caliber of Miami Beach\u2019s most southern point: South Pointe Park.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis park was part of a $22 million project that started in efforts to improve the area,\u201d said Juan Carlos Bueno, a Miami-based real estate broker that has also been a local for 25 years.<\/p>\n

The park was completed and opened in 2009. Approximately 17 acres, it helps to give the area south of Fifth Street or SoFi, as it been nicknamed, \u201ca relaxed yet chic vibe,\u201d he added, quite the contrary to the \u201csummer madness\u201d people experience in the middle of Lincoln Road or Ocean Drive.<\/p>\n

During the day, you can catch young families going for a stroll or yogis meditating in the shade, as well as bikers, skaters and dog walkers among many others, visiting the park.<\/p>\n

\u201cI love coming here in the mornings to do a little exercise and walk around,\u201d said Liliana Davidson, a SoFi resident.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is not a bad view in sight,\u201d she pointed out, \u201cwe are a little spoiled here in Miami.\u201d<\/p>\n

The surrounding views are indeed, sure to catch your eye from any perspective; if it is not the multimillion-dollar apartments to the left of the park, true testaments of architectural greatness, it is the sight of the majestic cruise ships entering or leaving the world-famous port just a few feet away from you.<\/p>\n

Though the park closes 10 p.m., 18 neon lit towers illuminate the walkway adjacent to the water\u2019s edge. This area is open to visitors until 2 a.m. but typically tends to draw in the more romantic adventurers.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a very different scene from frenzy that goes on in the heart of South Beach on late nights,\u201d said Nate Jaxon, a regular visitor of the park, \u201cit is a safe and quite place to hang out with friends and take a stroll along the beach.\u201d<\/p>\n

With that said, one of Miami Beach\u2019s most high-end and exclusive of restaurants also resides within the park\u2019s grounds.<\/p>\n

Smith & Wollensky, invites a more sophisticated clientele to a five-star meal along with \u201cperhaps one of the best views of the Miami Skyline,\u201d says Bueno, who often dines there with his wife.<\/p>\n

If it hasn\u2019t become evident by now, Miami has definitely stepped up the game. Whether you\u2019re a sun and sand hog, a gastronome or a romantic voyageur, a club hopper or an art aficionado, you\u2019ll agree that Miami has something to show you.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou have many different communities within Miami with something especial to share,\u201d Saavedra said, \u201cthis city has something for everyone and is gradually becoming a top-notch travel destination if it isn\u2019t one already.\u201d<\/p>\n

If You Go<\/strong>
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South Point Park<\/strong><\/p>\n