Northeast Miami Area
Mellow residential suburbs and newer, fast-growing communities make up the vibrant northeast area of Greater Miami and the Beaches.

Bay Harbor Islands and North Bay Village
Island living has its charms, and nowhere better than in Bay Harbor Islands and North Bay Village. These quiet communities offer a small-town atmosphere away from the mainland bustle across the causeways. Fashionable shops, art galleries and restaurants define Bay Harbor's main street while North Bay Village offers the delights of waterfront dining with a variety of cuisines.

Bal Harbour
Bal Harbour may be one of the smallest municipalities in Miami-Dade County, but it is also one of the best known. Covering a third of a square mile, the village has long been a favored hideaway of the rich and famous, making celebrity spotting an easy task.

Stately palm trees and greenery grace the town's streets; facing the Atlantic Ocean you find the village's two luxury resorts and gleaming condominium towers set among flowers and fountains. Boats glide out to sea through the deepwater channel below the bridge. Viewed from the breakwater, Bal Harbour curves in a mile-long arc of golden sand and greenery bordered by a jogging/walking path. The beach has more than doubled in size since its $1.8 million dollar renourishment; swimming, sunbathing, and windsurfing are activities of choice.

Bal Harbour Shops is the village's crown jewel. The upscale mall is open to the sky, but designed to protect shoppers from the elements of a tropical setting. Here you may browse amongst a unique collection of internationally renowned boutiques and stores evoking style centers in New York, Paris, Milan, and London. The latest fashions and fine decorative objects can be found in Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue and shops such as Christian Dior, Giorgio Armani, Hermes, Georg Jensen, Chanel, Christofle, Tiffany & Co., Bulgari, Prada and Pratesi.

When it comes to dining, choose from an array of elegant cuisines offered by the restaurants of Bal Harbour Shops and the village's two resorts. No matter what you do in Bal Harbour, you'll surely savor the town's ambience.

Aventura
After becoming a city in 1995, Aventura has established itself as an enclave of tropical landscaping and water surrounding sleek high-rises and luxurious single-family homes. Founders Park located in the center of Aventura, features a bayside path, a children's playground, tennis courts and a multi-purpose athletic field. Nearby, the Don Soffer Aventura Fitness Trail sweeps around the golf course inviting the energetic to jog, walk, bike or skate around the 4.3 miles. The Aventura Festival of the Arts attracts 60,000 visitors each February.

Aventura Mall offers world-class shopping; it is the largest in the area with six department store anchors — Bloomingdales, JCPenney, Lord & Taylor, Macy's and Sears — and more than 250 shops set among fountains and palms. A multiplex movie theater and an array of interesting restaurants complete the attractions. There is another multiplex movie theater at Loehmann's Fashion Island, a center for designer clothing for men and women as well as furniture and toys. Other smaller shopping centers in the area add to the offerings.

The Waterways replicates a village around the marina. Wander around the shopping area with its boutiques and galleries, meander down to the lighthouse and then enjoy a snack or meal in one of its distinctive restaurants. Eating in Aventura entices with a choice of styles ranging from casual to sophisticated.

North Miami Beach
Planned as a "perfect city" in 1917, North Miami Beach still has the same street layout. Now it is a large residential, business and shopping area that includes The Mall at 163rd Street. Nearby historic Greynolds Park boasts a 9-hole par-36 golf course while the Oleta River State Recreation Area offers kayaking, picnic grounds and more. N. Miami Beach is also home to the oldest building in the Western Hemisphere, the Ancient Spanish Monastery dating back to 1141. The North Miami Beach Performing Arts Theater presents a full program of shows during the winter season.

North Miami
The 100-year old community of North Miami stretching inland from Biscayne Bay has grown to include homes, businesses, Florida International University and Johnson and Wales University and 11 parks. Arch Creek Park is the site of Arch Creek Natural Bridge, a natural rock formation used as a roadway bridge until it collapsed and was then painstakingly recreated in the park in 1988. The Museum of Contemporary Art (MoCa) is a recent arrival on the cultural scene. North Miami is also a center for the television and film industry.

Sunny Isles Beach
The scene is changing in this lively resort area. The atmosphere is still casual but 50s motels and small beachfront hotels are giving way to luxury apartment towers and hotels. At the Newport Fishing Pier, you can drop a line and fish from shore. For real deep-sea fishing, head to the charter boats docked on the Intracoastal Waterway at Haulover Beach Park. Enjoy a game of golf at the nine-hole Par 3 golf course and tennis courts. A 1-mile stretch of white sand and open ocean surf invites sunbathing and swimming. Shaded picnic facilities and landscaped sand dunes complete the scene. Haulover Park is also home to the County's largest and most popular nude beach, and is popular with gay and lesbian who take their tans au natural.

Surfside
One of the attractions of this quiet town is the wide, secluded beach bordered by a path through the dunes. Harding Avenue retains the feel of an old-style main street with small shops and a 50s corner drugstore. Small bistros welcome strollers for a casual meal. Shows and events take place at the oceanfront pink Community Center. Just south of Surfside, the North Shore State Recreation Area offers an unspoiled beachfront nature preserve and picnic area.