Local's Guide to Miami Neighborhoods, Miami, Florida

Miami is commonly thought of as being just a beach. But in reality, Miami is a huge sprawling city with many neighborhoods, some which are very touristy and some of which are local areas that you probably want to avoid.

The Miami you see in movies with people rollerblading in bikinis in front of all the art deco buildings is actually South Beach, which is just one of the many neighborhoods that are part of the beautiful city of Miami. South Beach is made up of the southernmost ten miles of beach which are always full of people day and night. You will find many clubs, bars, beachfront hotels, and restaurants and cafes as far as the eye can see. However many of these restaurants lure tourists in with their location and then end up grossly overcharging you for mediocre food and drink. As a general rule, if someone is trying to hard to get you to eat at their restaurant, it’s probably not very good. That being said, the convenience can’t be beat if you’re enjoying the sun and sand of the beach. Sometimes you’re just in the mood for a trashy South Beach bar like Wet Willie’s with giant drinks and a loud DJ music by the pool.

But there’s more to South Beach than that. There are plenty of popular commercial avenues where you can find shopping, dining, art, and more. Lincoln Road, a large open-air mall, is lined with restaurants where you can sit outside and enjoy people watching and 85 degree heat. Major annual events are celebrated here by locals and tourists alike, like Halloween and St. Patrick’s Day. These kinds of events on Lincoln Road are part of the reason why traffic on South Beach is so heinous. If you’re looking for something a little more relaxed, you can stroll down some of other major streets of the beach like Espanola Way, which is a little more quaint and European-looking than the rest of South Beach. On Washington Ave., home of the Miami Ink tattoo studio, you can also find plenty of places to eat and go out. Depending on your intentions, you can keep it casual with a quick slice of pizza, or you can get dressed to the nines and stand in line to get into clubs like Mansion. Emphasis on dressed to the nines; these are the kind of clubs that won’t let you in if you’re wearing flats instead of heels. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).