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 The
heart of a booming, multi-cultural metropolis, Downtown Miami evokes
the City's status as the Gateway to Latin America. Modern skyscrapers
race for the clouds, and form a stunning backdrop to the azure
waters of Biscayne Bay. The futuristic Metromover is an elevated
monorail
that quietly glides between key points of interest. The City's
Latin flavor is everywhere, from the street vendors selling arepas
to
countless Cuban coffees stands to shops that advertise their wares
in Spanish.
Perhaps Downtown Miami's most notable landmark, the Bank of America
building is lit at night so as to
change colors to mark notable occasions (i.e. green and orange
for Miami Hurricanes game days, red, white and blue
to mark July 4). On West Flagler Street the original 1920s Olympia
Theater has become the Gusman Center for the Performing Arts, a
world-class venue for concerts and performances. A broad Mediterranean
piazza is heart of the Miami-Dade Cultural Center, cornered by
the main public library, Miami Art Museum, and Historic Museum
of South
Florida. The Freedom Tower, built in 1924 as Miami's first skyscraper,
is a City landmark along busy Biscayne Boulevard. Across the Boulevard,
the white sculpted curves of the AmericanAirlines Arena mark the
home of the NBA's Miami Heat. Football is celebrated in the Orange
Bowl, home of the University of Miami Hurricanes team.
Downtown Miami offers big city shopping with a cosmopolitan flair.
Department stores and emporiums selling clothes, electronics, sporting
goods and more fill the Historic Downtown Miami Shopping District
from SE 1st Street to NE 3rd Street. Downtown is also the place
for jewelry, as its stores and workshops make up one of the largest
jewelry districts in the U.S.
 Bayside
Marketplace, next to Bayfront Park borrows from the past as it looks
to the future. The open-air shopping and entertainment complex built
on the site of Pier 5 fishing pier, one of Miami's most popular
tourist spots in the 1950s, is now a waterfront destination for
gift shopping, dining and enjoying outdoor performance.
Located south of downtown, across the Miami River, the booming
Brickell area is the City's financial district and a major employment
center. It is also the location of many of Greater Miami's premier
condominium and apartment communities, with upscale residential
buildings lining Brickell Avenue. Included among these is the Atlantis
building, which boasts a palm tree bedecked cutout façade
made famous in the opening credits of Miami Vice.
Miami's diversity inspires dining delights in a variety of culinary
styles from sophisticated to casual. Fine restaurants, grills, bistros,
and bayside cafes feature flavorful food served in attractive surroundings
making Downtown Miami an area of good taste. The James L. Knight
International Center is a venue for concerts and sporting events.
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