Happy New Year Miami Lovers!
We hope you had a fun and relaxing holiday season. This year on the blog we are launching a new series called “Visiting Miami” where we will tell you all about the most magical city in the world! Each month we will highlight one of the amazing neighborhoods or icons that make this city such sought after destination for people from around the world.
The team members at RPM Miami have lived in Miami for decades and even generations and we know all the ins and outs of the city’s famed hot spots. And of course we all know that when people fall in love with a city’s destinations and culture they are also going to want to invest there so we will always include important points about the value of the real estate market and how you can make money as an investor.
To kick off this series there is really no question about where we should start: South Beach! 
South Beach has become a global brand of fun in the sun and in the dark with some of the hottest beaches and clubs on the planet. To the uninitiated it may seem like an overwhelming force of velvet ropes and caviar dreams but to those of us who have grown up with it there are a few important things you must know…
South Beach Tip #1: Know Your Streets
South Beach is actually the southernmost part of the city of Miami Beach which is actually on island just east of the mainland City of Miami. There are 5 main streets in South Beach that you will find yourself on most of the time: Oceab Dr., 5th St., Alton Rd., Lincoln Rd. and Collins Ave/Washington Ave.
- – Ocean Dr. is the main beach street, it runs right along the beach on the east side of the island and it is where you have most of the iconic shots of the art deco buildings lit up at night
- 5th St. is the main thoroughfare in and out of South Beach as it connects to I-395 which takes you across the water and onto the mainland
- Alton Rd. is kind of like the back alley access road, there is not much to see but it can get you wherever you’re going a lot faster than Ocean or Collins
- Lincoln Rd. is the famous outdoor mall where you will find the best shopping and people watching in the country (in our humble opinion)
- Collins Ave and Washington Ave run parallel to each other and are where you will find many of the world famous nightclubs
South Beach Tip #2: Know When to Walk and When to Ride
The only place you will really want to walk is on Ocean Dr. and Lincoln Rd. and you will definitely want to walk both because you will see more strange and amazing sights on foot than you could ever notice in a car. Of course you cannot drive down Lincoln Rd. as it is closed to motor traffic so that is a must but you can drive down Ocean. And that being said there is also fun to be had taking a cruise down Ocean but if it is a weekend prepare to sit in traffic. The only other place to walk might be Collins and Washington for a bar/club hop but be very careful because this ain’t your mama’s bar hop. Don’t expect to get into the good clubs by just walking up as you will see in our next (and possibly most important) tip…
South Beach Tip #3: When Clubbing Go VIP or Go Home
The hottest clubs will have a line that stretches 30 people deep and if you do have a connection to get in your are not going to have a great time waiting for an hour or two to get in. Make some contacts and drop some cash to get into the VIP section of no more than 2 of the best clubs in a night. Your experience will be amazing and it will literally be a night you will never forget IF you drop some extra cash and get into the VIP section with some friends. How much cash are we talking? If you want to have a night of your life plan to drop a couple grand but if you just want to have an amazing time you can drop a few hundred bucks on a bottle and get into a decent VIP section.
South Beach Tip #4: Get to the Beach Early, Get to the Club Late
The beach will start to get really crowded in the afternoon so if you want to have some peace and get a really good spot that is close to the water and yet close to one of the entry points back to Ocean Dr. you should get there before noon. And of course the opposite is true for the club, because the party doesn’t get started in South Beach until well after dinner you probably should head out until around 11pm or you will run out of energy when the real part gets popping!
South Beach Tip #5: Drop the Extra Cash for a Really Nice Hotel
There are still plenty of old art deco buildings that are great for a historical trip and you should definitely plan to pass by them when you are in town but most of them are very dated and very small. To really enjoy your stay you should go for one of the updated classics like the Loews or the Delano that will have the amenities and service that you would expect from a first class hotel. But if you want to be a part of history and get the updated amenities the Fontainebleau Hotel is just up Collins about 30 blocks.
So those are our insider tips for making the most out of your visit to South Beach, keep an eye out while you are there we love to hang out there on the weekends!
Check back soon for the next installment of Visiting Miami, and check out our other posts on the Main Blog Page.
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