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Diversity is what links Miami's urban lifestyle in areas rich in
culture and tradition.
The name of the artery that keeps the heart of Little Havana beating
is Southwest Eight Street, but everyone knows it as Calle Ocho.
Cubans who fled Cuba in 1960 recreated their community west of Brickell
Avenue. The vibrant neighborhood, home also to many residents from
Nicaragua and Honduras, has a distinct Latin flavor with signs and
billboards in Spanish and music to match.
Visit the area's quaint shops to find everything from hand-rolled
cigars to Latin music tapes; explore botánicas for crystals,
incense and colored candles. Cultural activities are blossoming
along with art galleries, studios and theatres. The historic Tower
Theater is alive with performances, cultural and educational programs
and multicultural films while the Teatro Ocho is home to Spanish-language
theater.
In Little Havana, dining is infused with the influence of many
cuisines. There is a variety of restaurants serving authentic Cuban
dishes and delicacies and others serving traditional Spanish, Mexican,
Peruvian, Colombian and Argentinean food.
Every March, thousands of revelers flock to the grand Hispanic street
festival called Calle Ocho to celebrate the finale of Carnival Miami.
Little Havana is one of the best places to experience Cuban culture
and Latin cuisine.
Little Haiti spans the old Miami neighborhoods of Lemon City, Edison
Center, Little River and Buena Vista East with its heart at N.E.
54th Street between Biscayne Boulevard and North Miami Avenue. This
bustling Creole-speaking community continues a traditional lifestyle
amid stores selling familiar foods, spice and music and botánicas
displaying potions and powders.
There is more to Overtown than the Miami Arena. Hidden between Downtown
Miami and the civic center, Overtown is welcoming the restoration
of buildings in the two block area designated as Overtown Historic
Village. The Lyric Theater, once a venue for a star-studded performances;
the home of D.A. Dorsey, Greater Miami's first African-American
millionaire; and the Greater Bethel AME Church celebrate Overtown's
past as it looks to the future.
Liberty City's roots go back to the 1930s when people moved from
Overtown. Nowadays, Liberty City's active African-American community
spans the area from NW 12th to 19th Avenues and 62nd to 73rd Streets.
Local artists display their talent and civic pride with colorful
murals of African-American heroes, notably slain civil rights leader
martin Luther King Jr., decorating the exterior walls of buildings.
Miami International Airport is the hub of a fast-growing area with
new hotels and offices marking the corporate and commercial focus
around Blue Lagoon Drive to the west. You'll find new homes in suburban
Doral, to the north, pueblo-style mansions in Miami Springs.
If you want to watch the world's fastest game, head over to the
Miami Jai-alai Frontón just east of the airport. Or if
you prefer, visit the cutting-edge exhibits at the Art Museum at
Florida
International University, just off the Tamiami Trail (SW 8th Street)
on NW 107th Avenue. Tamiami Park next door is the site of shows
and events and the annual springtime Miami-Dade County Fair.
Shopping and entertainment will become even more enticing when
the new Dolphin Mall opens in addition to the area's two major
malls
— the Mall of the Americas and Miami International Mall.
A distinct Hispanic flavor characterizes Hialeah where Spanish
is the main language spoken. It is also distinguished by picturesque
Hialeah Park, a race track and historic landmark dating back to
1925. The 220-acre wildlife sanctuary is open all year and plays
host
to festivals and events.
Westland Mall, with three department stores and 100 specialty stores,
is Hialeah's own shopping mecca.
Find the largest collection of Moorish architecture in the Western
hemisphere in this city originally called Opatishawockalocka by
the Tequesta Indians. In the 1920s developer Glen Curtiss built
an Arabian Nights-style fantasy city of buildings with an array
of domes and elaborate minarets in brightly painted colors (20
are listed on the National Register of Historic Places). City
Hall and
the Logan Building (formerly the Opa-locka Hotel) have been renovated.
Opa-locka has its own airport.
This meticulously planned city is more hometown than metropolis.
A traditional Main Street anchors curvy residential streets, tasteful
corporate parks and lots of lakes and green spaces. You can enjoy
fine dining and shopping in the city's quaint ambience. Live entertainment
is featured weekly and art and music festivals take place throughout
the year. Miami Lakes' golf courses are among the best in Greater
Miami and the Beaches.
The highways northeast of Miami Lakes lead to two major sporting
facilities: Dolphins Stadium, home of the Miami Dolphins and the
Florida Marlins; and Calder Race Course, where thoroughbreds race.
Located between the airport and Hialeah, the communities of
Miami Springs and Virginia Gardens are heavily populated by
employees of the airline industries. Miami Springs features
a charming downtown centered around a circular plaza, and
dramatic Pueblo revival architecture. This pleasant, verdant
city of approximately 10,000 residents offers a quiet respite
in the bustling airport area.
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