From Wikitravel

For other places with the same name, see Miami (disambiguation).

Miami [1] is the commercial center of Florida, USA and is located in the southern part of the state on the Atlantic ocean. The city has over 380,000 and is the anchor of the South Florida Metropolitan area (Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach) with over 5.5 million people. Popular travel destination Miami Beach is near Miami.

Contents 1 Understand 2 Talk 3 Get in 3.1 By plane 3.2 By car 4 Get around 4.1 By bus 4.2 By train 4.3 By taxi 4.4 By car 5 See 6 Do 7 Events 8 Learn 9 Work 10 Buy 11 Eat 11.1 Budget 11.2 Mid-range 11.3 Splurge 12 Drink 13 Sleep 13.1 Budget 13.2 Mid-range 13.3 Splurge 14 Contact 15 Stay safe 15.1 Personal security 16 Cope 17 Get out

Understand

The local Latin population is mostly Cuban exiles (which have now become second and third generation locals) with South Americans from various countries gaining ground. There is also a large Haitian community as well, and many signs and public announcements are in English, Spanish and Creole. There are many other Caribbean groups in the community; most of them are originally from the Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, or the Virgin Islands.

Talk

Miami has the largest Latin American population outside of Latin America itself, with nearly 65% of its populace either Latin American or of Latin American ancestry. Spanish is a language often used for day-to-day discourse in many places, although English is the language of preference, especially when dealing with businesses and government and one will find that almost all locals speak English to a comfortable if not fluent level. Despite this, it is not uncommon to encounter a local who does not speak English at all, though this is usually centered amongst shops and restaurants in residential communities and not generally the case in large tourist areas or the downtown district. Even when encountering a local who does not speak English, one could easily find another local to help with translation if needed without much effort, since most of the population is fluently bilingual. In certain neighborhoods, such as Little Havana and Hialeah, most locals will address a person first in Spanish, then in English, rather than the other way around, though many have learned to spot when a person cannot speak Spanish, and one may find him or herself being spoken to in English by most persons regardless of fluency level. The simplest way to get treated in English is to use the "approach rule", where most locals will only respond in the language they were summoned in, unless they are not able to speak it, this rule can be used on anyone whether or not they were originally speaking Spanish, English, or any other language. "Spanglish", a mixture of English and Spanish, is a somewhat common occurrence (but less so than in the American southwest), with bilingual locals switching between English and Spanish mid-sentence, and occasionally replacing a common English word for its Spanish equivalent.

Haitian Creole is another language where the above applies, and it is not uncommon for a person to hear a conversation in Creole when riding public transportation or sitting at a restaurant. Unlike Spanish, Haitian Creole is generally centered amongst the Haitian neighborhoods in the North of the city and most Haitians are more adapted to English than their Hispanic neighbors. Portuguese and French are other languages that many be encountered, though they tend to be spoken mainly around tourist areas and most speakers of these languages have adapted to English as well.

Get in

By plane

• Miami International Airport (MIA) [2] Miami's primary airport is located just west of the city in an unincorporated, suburban area. This is a very high passenger airport making customs, immigration, and security facilities highly congested though its large airfield operations make aircraft traffic and taxi times less of a hassle. Domestic flights offer an alternative to passenger congestion.

• Fort Lauderdale International Airport (FLL) [3] Depending on flights, it may be easier and/or cheaper to fly into nearby Fort Lauderdale and drive 25-40 minutes south into Miami proper, though the size of the airport compared to the number of flights often make waiting times for the runway lenghty during high traffic periods. This airport has a lower passenger count than MIA, and thus is less problematic in terms of customs, immigration and security options compared to MIA.

By car

Miami has two primary expressways, SR826 (known as the Palmetto Expressway to the locals), which encircles the city and runs north/south and northward becomes east/west and joins to I-95. The other major one is SR836 (also known as the Dolphin), which runs east/west along Miami International Airport and joins the Florida Turnpike Expressway. Interstate 95 (I-95) runs north/south along the east side of the city through downtown after which it becomes State Road US1 on its way to South Miami, Homestead and the Florida Keys. The Florida Turnpike runs north/south along the west side of the city, connecting Miami to Orlando and points north as well as leading to US1, through Homestead and into the Florida Keys.

For many, taking I-75 is convenient if traveling from cities along the west coast even central Florida, such as Tampa and Orlando. After making it to South Florida it is easy to merge onto I-95 and/or the two State roads.

Get around

By bus

• Miami has a large and elaborate public bus system which covers the entire county and connects, at northern points, to the bus system in Greater Fort Lauderdale. The bus system was, for a long time, notorious for being unreliable, though recent developments have changed this. Despite these changes, and due to high local traffic, buses tend to have a harder time remaining on schedule, though buses run often enough through each route so as not to be a nuisance. Schedules and routes are available from the Miami-Dade Transit website or by calling (305) 770-3131.

By train

• Metrorail is single-line elevated rail system serving Miami and surrounding areas. Due to low funding, Metrorail has not been greatly expanded since its opening in 1984. The Metrorail only serves two areas of tourist interest directly, downtown Miami and the area around Dadeland Mall. Coconut Grove and downtown Coral Gables can be reached via short shuttle bus from various stations. Service to Miami Beach and other barrier islands can only be reached by bus. Metrorail operates roughly 5AM-midnight with a bus serving all Metrorail stations operating in the overnight hours effectively providing 24-hour service. Downtown Miami is served by an elevated people mover system known as Metromover, which connects to Metrorail at two stations. Metromover is free of charge and is the most efficient way to move around Downtown Miami. Currently, a funding boost has set forth an expansion for the Metrorail system, including a connection to Miami International Airport to be operating by 2010. Further expansion to the north toward Dolphins Stadium is expected to be operating by 2012.

By taxi

• Taxis are generally expensive, but available at any location, though a specific pick-up address must be given when calling a cab company and requesting one. Taxis are not normally allowed to pick up passengers at random locations for safety and legal reasons except at the airport, cruise port, and train stations. All taxi drivers must report the address of pick-up given by the caller, thus, do not be surprised if taxi drivers do not stop when hailed in the street. This does not apply to individual taxi drivers as the rule is generally adopted only by taxis affiliated with a cab company, and not required by local law.

• Taxis have a general surcharge of $2.50 for the pick-up and an aditional $0.40 for each sixth of a mile travelled. Almost all cab companies in the area have pre-determined rates for travel into the barrier islands of Miami Beach and other beach and nightclub communities popular with tourists which can range from $30-$60 (depending on arrival location, for example South Beach may be the most expensive, while a residential neighborhood in Miami Beach the cheapest); the charge is the same regardless of pick-up location on the mainland. All taxis are fitted with maps of the barrier islands which state the cost per location, the same applies for passengers leaving the islands onto the mainland, though normal rates apply for person travelling by taxi within the islands or within the mainland.

• All taxis must be approved by the county government and are normally affiliated with a major cab company in the city. Service is available throughout Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, and Monroe counties regardless of pick-up location, the normal service charges apply for these four counties, but it is wise to ask for a pre-determined price beforehand if leaving the county as this will in most cases turn out to be cheaper and most drivers are willing to negotiate when leaving the county. If you wish to be taxied to a location outside of those four counties, you must negotiate a price and advise the cab company first, some companies might not allow out of state taxiing and drivers may refuse to driver outside of the metropolitan area if they are not advised to do so beforehand.

• All taxi drivers must have a valid license to operate, if you enter a cab and do not see a valid license place in front of the passenger's seat, you should not enter the taxi and instead call another cab company, regardless of what the driver says. If you willingly enter a taxi with an expired license, or an unlicensed cab, and there is an incident or accident, it is possible that you may not be able to hold the driver accountable by law; it may also be dangerous to enter an unlincesed taxi, though it is uncommon to hear of crimes involving unlicensed taxis anywhere in the metropolitan area since the county government keeps track of all taxis in the area, and cooperates with other counties. When entering a cab, you should make note of the driver's name, license number, and cab number which should be easily available through the cab, if any problems arise during the trip. This information may be able to help you identify the cab driver to the police or cab company.

By car

• Car rentals are the most convenient for of transportation for visitors, with local companies offering better prices but national chains offering more convenience vis-a-vis return policies and times.

Car Rental Companies include:

• Alamo Rent A Car, +1 800-462-5266, [4].
• Avis Rent A Car, +1 800-331-1212, [5].
• Budget Rent A Car, +1 800-527-0700, [6].
• Dollar Rent A Car, +1 800-800-3665, [7].
• E-Z Rent-A-Car, +1 800-277-5171, [8].
• Enterprise Rent-A-Car, +1 800-261-7331, [9].
• Hertz Car Rental, +1 800-654-3131, [10]].
• Thrifty, +1 800-847-4389, [11].

See

• Vizcaya Museum and Gardens [12] European-inspired estate. Includes a main house filled with art and furnishings and ten acres of gardens on Biscayne Bay.

Do

There are many things to do in Miami, if not in Miami itself the travel to Fort Lauderdale and the Keys is not far off. The Miami area is home to many beautiful beaches, such as world-famous South Beach in nearby Miami Beach, and a fun and lively night life. There are numerous dining places and night clubs as well as a drive in theatre for those who want privacy when watching a newly released film. There are lively, outgoing, smiling faces at every corner. For the daytime there are malls, flea markets, and museums to visit. There is also the Sea Aquarium for those who enjoy seeing and learning more about sea life.

• County Fair & Exposition [13]
• Tropical Park Equestrian Center [14]
• Eco-Adventure Tours [15]
• Canoe Trips
• Kayaking and Snorkeling
• Bike Tours

Events

If you are in town the weekend after New Years, do check out the King Mango Strut, a parade/parody of the events of the year, held every year in Coconut Grove.

Learn

• Miami-Dade Community College [16]
• Barry University [17]
• Florida International University [18]
• University of Miami [19]

Work

Buy

Some visitors, particularly from South America, come to Miami exclusively to shop. Sometimes it is said that the main two things to do in Miami are to go shopping and going to the beach.

Some popular malls include:

• Dadeland Mall in South Miami, accessible via MetroRail
• Merrick Park in Coral Gables (exclusive and trendy stores), accessible via Metrorail and also by trolley (free in Coral Gables).
• Lincoln Road Mall
• Bal Harbor Shops has more exclusive and trendy stores, but is much smaller than Merrick Park
• Aventura Mall in Aventura.
• Dolphin Mall - Largest Mall in Miami [20].
• Sawgrass Mills Mall - more outlets located in Broward County, north of Miami.

Eat

Many international cuisines are to be found, with a heavy leaning towards Latin foods, particularly Cuban cuisine. Cuban cuisine to try: a sandwich cubano (Cuban sandwich), and a cafecito (literally: little coffee, but compares to a strong, sweet expresso.)

Coral Gables is the fancy business district from Monday to Friday (Downtown being the Banking district) where many people use to work. It is loaded with places to eat, from cafes to great restaurants. It has much more life during the week, but the restaurants are also open on weekends.

Along the beach there are many places to eat. Ocean Drive (South Beach) has a street full of restaurants and nightclubs. Lincoln Road Mall (near 17th Street) has several stores and restaurants and is very typical of South Beach with its gay bars, restaurants and stores ones next to the others. Between 67th and 75th street and Collins Avenue there are different restaurants such as Argentinians, Chileans, Mexicans, Japanese, Italian, Peruvian, Venezuelan, French, Colombian, Greek (highly recommended), and so on. Around 96th Street (near Bal Harbour Shops) and Collins Avenue there are also a few international restaurants.

Budget

For budget Cuban cuisine there are various La Carreta restaurants throughout the city, with low prices, a lot of food, and pleasant staff - be careful, though, as most people only speak Spanish.

Mid-range

Splurge

• Joe's Stone Crab, on South Beach. Famous for - not surprisingly - its stone crabs, but the restaurant is seasonal. China Grill on South Beach is also trendy. The food is good but the portions are small, and the price is mainly for the atmosphere. A full dinner for three-four people will run $250-$300.

• Nobu & Ago Restaurant, 1901 Collins Avenue, +1 800 697 1791, [21] Serving cutting-edge Japanese cuisine, Nobu Matsuhisa and Robert DeNiro's renowned NOBU comes to Miami Beach.

• Blue Sea Restaurant, 1685 Collins Avenue (located in an alcove off the main lobby of the Delano Hotel), +1 800 697 1791 [22]. The obvious choice for a casual meal served in a cozy setting.

• Blue Door Restaurant, 1685 Collins Avenue (located in the Delano Hotel), +1 800 697 1791 [23]. Refined modern French cuisine with Brazilian and global influences.

Drink

Most of the drinking nightlife is centered around South Beach or Coconut Grove. "Cuba Libre" is a popular drink, known to the rest of the world as plain old "rum and Coke".

• Rose Bar, 1685 Collins Avenue [24]

• Sky Bar, 1901 Collins Avenue [25]. Part of the hip and trendy Nobu & Ago restaurant.

Sleep

Miami is a tourist town and has many hotels, located mostly around the airport area and along Miami Beach. High season (fewer rooms, higher prices) is during the winter months of November through February, with Summer being the low season. There are a few hostels, all located in South Beach.

Budget

• South Beach Hostel in Miami, 235 Washington Avenue [26]

• Days Inn Civic Center, 1050 NW 14th Street[27].

Mid-range

• Crowne Plaza Miami - Airport, 950 NW LeJeune Road [28].
• Embassy Suites Miami - Airport, 3974 NW South River Drive [29].
• Summerfield Suites by Wyndham - Airport, 5710 Blue Lagoon Drive [30].
• Wyndham Grand Bay Coconut Grove Hotel, 2669 South Bayshore Drive [31].
• Kent Hotel - South Beach, 1131 Collins Avenue [32].
• InterContinental Miami Airport West [33]. Conveniently close to Miami's business district and the various attractions, which include Coconut Grove and Miami Beach.
• Don Shula - Hotel & Golf Club, 6842 Main Street, Miami Lakes, [34].
• Miami El Palacio Sports Hotel 21485 NW 27th Avenue, +1 305 621-5801, [35]. A sports hotel and conference center close to the International Airport, Pro Player Stadium, and Calder Race Course.
• Newport Beachside Hotel and Resort[36], 16701 Collins Avenue. An oceanfront resort located midway between Fort Lauderdale and Miami International Airports. Pool, restaurants, and spa all on site.

Splurge

• Marriott South Beach, 161 Ocean Drive, [37]. Steeped in art deco splendor and a high energy atmosphere, Marriott is a stylish South Beach luxury hotel in the trendiest corner of America's Riviera.
• Four Seasons, 1435 Brickell Avenue, [38]. Located in a 66-story gray glass tower in the Brickell business district. Has a large pool deck at the seventh-floor lobby level with a view of Biscayne Bay.
• The Shore Club Hotel, 1901 Collins Avenue, [39]. Hotel features the Beach House, two pools, a spa, the Skybar, Nobu & Ago restaurant, penthouse suites, and meeting facilities.
• Delano Luxury Hotel, 1685 Collins Avenue., [40] Hotel features the poolside Bungalows, the Blue Door restaurant, the Blue Sea restaurant, the Rose Bar, the Agua Bathhouse, the Water Salon, penthouse suites, and meeting facilities.
• The Setai, 2001 Collins Avenue, [41]. Contemporary Asian style hotel in a reconstructed Deco building. Managed by GHM hotels, operator of the high-end Chedi chain.

Contact

Stay safe

The emergency telephone number for fire, police and rescue emergencies is 911. If one requires non-emergency assistance, do not call 911 as that number is reserved for emergencies only. To contact police in a non-emergency situation one may call +1 305 4POLICE. This number will only contact police services, for fire and medical one should dial 911, though if a non-emergency medical or fire situation were to arise, the number for police will be able to contact these services.

Personal security

Miami, despite being heralded in the news as a center of crime and drug smuggling, is relatively safe for the passing tourist. One should use the same precautions as when traveling anywhere - try not to travel alone, avoid deserted areas at night, etc.

Traveling by day is almost completely innocuous, though the infrequent purse-snatching does occur in downtown. It is important to note that downtown Miami is quickly becoming increasingly gentrified with the construction of trendy, expensive high-rises and an influx in high-class European and South American buyers.

Some parts of Little Havana, Central Hialeah, and portions of Northern Dade-County, especially around Liberty City and Allpattah can be especially dangerous due to high crime rates, though it is unlikely that tourists would visit these areas since they are mostly residential suburbs and not part of the general attraction of the metropolis.

Public transport, which operates 24 hours in most tourist destinations is generally safe at all hours. Waiting for a bus in an isolated area however, should best be avoided. It is also probably wise to avoid the using the Metrorail north of Downtown Miami after 10PM. Traveling alone anywhere late at night, except for the strip on South Beach, Coconut Grove, Key Biscayne, and most western and southern suburbs, is not prudent. Though it is unlikely that much will actually occur, it is better to be safe, especially for a tourist unfamiliar with the geography of Miami.

Most of South Beach (Ocean Drive, Collins, etc.) are frequented by tourists at all hours, even until dawn, and are safe to peruse, as are the 'hot spot' areas of Coconut Grove. However, much of the rest of the Beach is not recommended to traverse after hours, and the beach itself is closed from midnight-5AM. It is not reccomended to walk down empty areas of the beach at night, as purse snatching and muggings are known to occur on the beach itself by persons who hide in a nearby area, or walk down the beach behind tourists seemigly acting like another innocent person, slowly approaching the person or couple before attacking randomly. This occurs to locals and tourists, and usually occurs right as tourists decide to talk a nighttime walk down the beach.

Brickell Avenue in downtown is mainly safe to frequent at most hours of the night, but downtown is host to a large homeless population and mugging is a possibility especially for a woman.

Also a threat is Grand Avenue, directly adjacent to Coconut Grove. The late Coconut Grove party-goer should never travel Grand Avenue at night by foot, or risk being mugged.

Cope

Get out

The Port of Miami is a major cruise ship embarkation port.

This is a usable article. It has information for getting in as well as some complete entries for restaurants and hotels. An adventurous person could use this article, but please plunge forward and help it grow!