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    Check out our recommendations for the Floridan hotspot and send us your ideas and suggestions below. SEE: South Beach is a living postcard that will be immediately familiar even to the first-time visitor. With its sugarcoated Art Deco hotels, restaurants and bars and the iconic palm trees and beachfront of Ocean Drive, it's the heart and soul of Miami, one of the few areas of the city accessible on foot, and almost impossible to imagine now as the derelict district that once came close to being demolished. The neighboring Design District is another revitalized neighborhood, populated by hip galleries and designer stores including Craig Robins' Moore Space which specializes in contemporary art. Art lovers can also visit the Museum of Contemporary Art and Miami Art Museum, although for sheer eccentricity it's hard to beat the mock-Renaissance folly of the Vizcaya Museum. Art and nature combine at the Fairchild Tropical Gardens, 83 acres of spectacular fauna and foliage that currently shares top billing with Dale Chihuly's glass sculptures. If you fancy taking a peek into the lives, or at least the gardens, of the rich and famous, take a boat tour around Star Island, where even the most exclusive celebrity pads back straight onto the water. Finally, to see another side of Miami, pay a visit to Little Havana around Calle Ocho where Cuban exiles set up home following the 1959 revolution. These days there are as many Nicaraguans and Salvadorans as Cubans, but with its bodegas, dominoes and Cuban cafes it remains a defiantly Hispanic enclave. BE SEEN: Head to South Beach for the main nightlife action, including the most exclusive bars and clubs. The Skybar at the Shore Club Hotel and the Setai Hotel's atrium bar reflect Miami at its most exclusive and expensive -- just getting past the style police on the door is likely to prove a challenge unless you're loaded and well connected. For a more laidback vibe, check out Lost Weekend on Espanola Way or the Purdy Lounge in Miami Beach, reputed to mix the finest Margaritas in Miami. These days the discerning socialite is as likely to head for one of the Design District's cluster of bars such as the Grass Lounge. Another up and coming district worth checking out is Aventura (North Beach), especially the popular Ivy bar. Clubbing-wise, Opium Gardens and Prive are two of the most popular nightspots in South Beach, though Rokbar and the Mynt Ultra Lounge also have their advocates, and Snatch at least has South Beach's only mechanical bull. Also check out Club Space in the Design District. For the classic and coolest Miami beach party, head for the Raleigh Hotel in Miami Beach on a Sunday night -- burgers, truffle popcorn along with access to what Conde Naste Traveler describes as "one of the sexiest hotel pools in America." EAT: From Caribbean street food to five-star gourmet cuisine, Miami caters for every taste -- though it's seafood that has made the city's name as a culinary hotspot. Joe's Stone Crab is a South Beach institution though Ocean Drive gets overrun by tourists. Big Fish on Miami Avenue offers spectacular seafood with sea views to match. The Cuban-themed Garcia's is also recommended. A little more off the beaten track, check out the Bayside Seafood Hut off Rickenbacker Causeway or Taverna Opa in South Beach for cheap Greek. There's plenty of choice on Lincoln Road, particularly once the tourists have departed for the day, including the popular Sushi Samba, which mixes Japanese, Brazilian and Peruvian influences, and Smith and Wollensky at the southern tip of South Beach is a steakhouse with a view. If your budget is more upmarket, China Grill, one of the original South Beach pioneers, hasn't let its standards slip, while Afterglo gives health food a 21st century makeover. If you prefer substance over style, blow out on a steak at Prime 112. One of the best restaurants in town is the Delano Hotel's Blue Door -- although you're likely to find yourself distracted from the food by the celebrity clientele. _______________________________________________ _______________________________________________ _______________________________________________ |
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