South Beach

By Day:

The neighborhood that needs no introduction. Chances are you’ve been there or heard about it. Annual events attract millions of people to the area. From Miami Fashion Week to the Miami International Film Festival to the annual Miami Marathon, you’d be hard pressed here in South Beach not to find something interesting going on around you. Whether or not you take part, the buzz of activity creates an addicting atmosphere for anyone who chooses to make SoBe their home. Life in Florida is meant to be lived outdoors, so there is always a water-related activity to enjoy, a golf course to visit or a beach to sun on. South Beach is one of the few communities where bicycles, roller skates and scooters are common modes of transportation. South Pointe Park is a great place to spend an afternoon. And, of course, some people never leave the beach itself. That’s beauty of it: If you live here, you don’t really have to.

By Night:

The Miami Beach Convention Center is the largest in Miami. Each year the Art Basel event lasts three or four days and draws thousands from all over. There’s a big LGBT community here in South Beach that has become part of the area’s fabric with a popular gay pride week each year. You could spend a lifetime sampling all the restaurants, and you can go broke shopping on Lincoln Road. The South of Fifth neighborhood is a lively upscale spot for low-key nights. The Room is a great watering hole, while a little farther north you’ll find the nightclubs South Beach is famous for. Sleep optional.

Where To Live:

SoBe has perhaps the most diverse type of housing available in greater Miami. You can find your dream mansion on a sizeable plot of land, but it won’t have the same type of privacy as those on, say, Sunset Islands. Then again, this area also allows for less expensive living options in some of the beach’s mid-rise condos. Units there offer the full experience of living on the beach with tons of amenities in exchange for dealing with lots of neighbors. The Art Deco District is probably the trademark area in this neighborhood and one to consider if you’re a fan of unique architecture. It also has plenty of higher price points, with super-luxury condos in the millions or tens of millions.

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South Beach is easily accessible from anywhere in Miami and Miami Beach. So you don’t necessarily have to live in the neighborhood to enjoy it. For art deco buildings, North Beach has some options, and for luxury condominiums, you can find them anywhere from Brickell to Edgewater to Bal Harbour.