A Day in South Beach

 

That block was dead, yo, so we continued on to A1A BEACHFRONT AVENUE

If you’ve got time for only one neighborhood to visit in Miami before you get on a cruise ship, make it Miami Beach! The beautiful architecture, great restaurants, beaches, parks, people-watching, and car-watching are all unforgettable!

What is significant about South Beach?

The South Beach Art Deco district is home to a mile-long street party that never ends. Many hotels and apartment buildings along this stretch of Ocean and Collins Avenues maintain their 1930s architecture through the Miami Beach Preservation Society.

Versace Mansion

Our journey along South Beach began with lunch at the Versace Mansion, centrally located at 11th and Ocean Avenue. We made a YouTube video detailing our lunch at the Versace Mansion, so check that out after reading this!

Palace Hotel Drag Show

Half a block south of the Versace Mansion is the Palace Hotel. We were attracted to loud music and walked into a large crowd spilling out into the street. The drag performers were incredibly acrobatic while lip-synching—the vibe was incredibly infectious!

A1A is NOT “Beachfront Avenue,” No Matter What Vanilla Ice Told You

After we watched the drag show, we sought out an A1A sign to photograph.

Tim can recite Ice Ice Baby—it’s his go-to at karaoke since he’s tone-deaf. He had always dreamed of visiting “Beachfront Avenue” to see girls so hot in less than bikinis and rockman lovers driving Lamborghinis.

But let’s set the record straight:

• A1A is over a quarter mile from the beachfront.

• It’s actually named Collins Avenue.

• The closest street to the beachfront is Ocean Avenue.

• Ocean Avenue is not A1A.

This gut punch is like discovering that Beverly Hills’ zip code is not actually 90210 (it is, don’t get at us in the comments).

However, there are girls in less than bikinis. And Lamborghinis. And Ferraris. We even saw a Rolls-Royce Cullinan. It’s crazy that a Mercedes or BMW is considered a “normal” car here. If you see a Camry or Explorer, it’s likely an Uber driver making a living.

The only Five-Oh we rode in was our Lyft driver’s Infiniti QX50.

Carlyle

This hotel served as exterior shots for The Golden Palace, the unofficial final season of The Golden Girls, where Blanche opens a hotel. It was also used in The Birdcage (1992), starring Robin Williams, Nathan Lane, and Gene Hackman.

The street-level bar and restaurant is now known as The Birdcage. We enjoyed some Espresso Martinis here.

CVS (Yes, Really)

Formerly known as the Sunburst Apartments, this CVS features an outdoor staircase made famous in the 1983 film Scarface. This is where the infamous “Chainsaw” scene took place.

Savoy Beach Club

We stayed at the Grayson Miami hotel in downtown. The Savoy Hotel is a sister property to The Grayson. We made a video about our experience at the Grayson, so be sure to check that out!

The employees at the Grayson surprised us with a ticket for two beach chairs at the Savoy Beach Club as part of our stay. We arrived a little later in the afternoon, so we didn’t have much time on the beach, but we got to watch cruise ships leave the port and disappear over the horizon.

Our “chair neighbors” left a mess of partially eaten food, which was quickly picked apart by a large flock of birds—felt like something out of The Birds by Alfred Hitchcock.

People and Car Watching in the Park

After our time at the beach, we walked back to the central part of South Beach. We found a bench to chill out and people-watch, with a great view of the cars cruising down Ocean Avenue.

The bike path was filled with teenagers on bicycles and electric bikes. The atmosphere was a blend of tourists and locals simply enjoying their day and the perfect weather. The contrast between “tourist” and “local” fades at South Beach—everyone is welcome here.

Havana 1957

As the sun started to set, people were leaving the park, so we decided to grab dinner before leaving South Beach. We opted for Havana 1957, choosing a variety of appetizers to sample different Cuban flavors. It was the perfect way to end our day in South Beach.

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If you liked this post, be sure to check out our videos about our experiences with lunch at the Versace Mansion and our stay at the Grayson Hotel!