Why a Miami Beach Staycation Should Be Your Next Local Getaway

This content is sponsored by the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Your next staycation belongs in Miami Beach.

As summer rolls in, Miami locals are usually planning getaways to far-flung destinations. But playing the role of out-of-town tourists in their own backyard is an inexpensive option that will give them a greater sense of history and preservation while playing in the ocean and enjoying culinary delights. Considering a staycation in Miami Beach can provide equal parts discovery, nostalgia, and pure fun.

As the city celebrates 100 years of Art Deco style, now is a perfect time to take advantage of reasonably priced hotel rooms, less foot and automobile traffic, ample parking and fixed menu pricing at popular dining spots during Miami Beach’s off-season.

Rediscovering Art Deco Glamour

Summer months offer the perfect time to get reacquainted with South Beach and its storied Art Deco architecture. Start the morning at the Art Deco Welcome Center at 1001 Ocean Drive where guides for the Miami Design Preservation League take folks on an educational tour of the Art Deco hotels prominently featured in postcards, advertisements and television shows.

“People take for granted what’s right in their backyard,” George Neary, the league’s interim executive director said. “The tour gives them an opportunity to really place themselves into how this Art Deco district came about, what this architecture means and what it stands for.”

With the 100th anniversary of Art Deco, Miami locals will gain insight into the origins of the architectural style during a big 1925 exposition in Paris and how it made its way to the sunny shores of Miami Beach when developers created the city as one of the first vacation destinations in the U.S. Take a stroll through “Galería: 100 Years of Art Deco,” an outdoor pop-up exhibit on Ocean Drive’s Lummus Park featuring a plethora of images from around the world tracing one of the 20th century’s most influential design styles.

“Some of the Art Deco devotees who were architects were hired to design buildings in Miami Beach,” Neary said. “Developers wanted something modern and new. At the time, it was Art Deco.”

From Española Way to Mid Beach

After soaking up Ocean Drive’s pastel-hued history, Neary suggests wandering over to Española Way. “It’s like walking through a Mediterranean village where you think you’re in Italy, France or Spain,” he says. “From there, Lincoln Road is just a five-minute walk where you can shop and dine in one place.”

Lincoln Road is also near some of the city’s cultural fare. Just a block away, locals can catch a performance at the home of the New World Symphony, a 756-seat concert hall designed by legendary architect Frank Gehry. Next to the concert hall is Miami Beach SoundScape Park, a lush green space with an outdoor cinema screen that offers family programming on a regular basis.
“You have an amazing musical opportunity with America’s Orchestral Academy, which performs periodically throughout the year, and the city will also show movies regularly at SoundScape Park,” Neary said.

A few blocks away, Miami locals can cool off by visiting the Japanese garden at the Miami Beach Botanical Garden, which offers plenty of shaded spots, and take a moment of reflection at the Holocaust Memorial across the street from the Miami Beach Convention Center, as well as The Bass, a contemporary art museum at Collins Park.

“Then there is the Wolfsonian Museum and the Jewish Museum of Florida on Washington Avenue,” Neary said. “Both are pretty amazing and offer some really unique exhibits and objects that they’ve collected over the years.”

For those who want a taste of mid-century resort glamour, Neary recommends hopping on the free city trolley to Mid Beach where Miami locals can marvel at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach and the Eden Roc hotel.

“Built in 1954, the Fontainebleau was the biggest hotel in the world at the time,” Neary said. “Both buildings are over-the-top and walking into the original lobbies feels like you’re entering the 1950s.”

Both hotels were part of a golden age of Miami Beach where tourists would go to mingle with the Rat Pack, Elizabeth Taylor, Montgomery Clift, Neary recalls. “All these celebrities were hanging out at the nearby Saxony Hotel, which has been transformed into part of the Faena Hotel Miami Beach, which is a spectacular destination unto itself,” Neary said.

North Beach’s laid-back vibes

While South Beach is the glamorously high-energy spot, North Beach is the cool, laid-back destination in the city. “North Beach is a fantastic place to spend a three-day weekend,” Adam Ganuza, executive director of Rhythm Foundation, said. “The neighborhood has these really great amenities, restaurants, arts and culture, but it’s like a local vibe.”

At the heart of North Beach is the Miami Beach Bandshell, a national historic landmark and a living piece of MiMo (Miami Modernist) architectural heritage. The Rhythm Foundation manages the partially covered beachfront amphitheater at 7275 Collins Avenue on behalf of the city.

“The Bandshell is a prime example of this MiMo architecture,” Ganuza said. “It’s a ballroom under the stars.”

For more than 60 years, it’s been a community anchor, hosting everything from dance parties to roller skating. Today, the Bandshell is buzzing with energy with an average of 140 shows per year. The programming offers a broad range of genres from orchestra and opera to dance performances to kids programming to shows with popular, international touring music artists.

The shows are as eclectic as Miami Beach itself. Recently, the Bandshell hosted a performance by CA7RIEL and Paco Amoroso, an Argentinian band that went viral after playing at an NPR Tiny Desk Concert. The following night, the Bandshell had a show headlined by Rhiannon Giddens, a classic American musician. “We went from Argentinian funk pop one night to a good old fashioned fiddle and banjo hoedown the next day,” Ganuza said.

North Beach’s expanding green space

Later this summer, North Beach is getting a new public amenity when Ocean Terrace Park adjacent to the Bandshell officially opens. “It’s about two or three blocks long with landscaping designed by Raymond Jungles and some really beautiful public art,” Ganuza said. “Once that park is complete, you’ll essentially have a mile and a half long, unobstructed oceanfront, urban green space.”

Via a beachwalk, Ocean Terrace Park will connect with Northside Oceanside Park, creating a continuous, shaded public area from 72nd Street until the city limits on 87th Street. “That’s something really special,” Ganuza said. “I don’t really [know] many other places in the U.S. that offer that kind of amenity.”

For families, North Beach is a playground where parents like Ganuza, who has two children, can take their kids on bicycle rides on the beachwalk, stop for snacks at various dining spots and end the day by catching a show at the Bandshell. “It’s all within a very easy, walkable neighborhood,” Ganuza said.

Dining options galore

Ganuza encourages visitors to explore North Beach’s culinary treasures like Sazon, a Cuban restaurant across the street from the Bandshell. “This place is legit delicious,” Ganuza said. “It’s as good as the food my Cuban abuela cooked for me.”

Other small dining spots line Collins Avenue near the Bandshell. “There’s Peruvian food, Argentinian food, Brazilian food, a Lebanese street wrap place and sushi,” Ganuza said. “You can find literally any type of cuisine.”

Even heading inland to Normandy Island and the Normandy Fountain area, locals will find great options. “There’s Katana, the sushi restaurant that serves dishes on the little boats,” Ganuza said. “Another great spot is the Silverlake Bistro, which serves classic dishes like mussels and burgers. Next to that you have La Poubelle, a piano bar cabaret where you get to watch a show while having dinner or drinks.”

With these recommendations, Miami locals can see Miami Beach with fresh eyes, indulging in its world-class culture and cuisine, and embracing the neighborhoods that make the city unique. Whether you’re marveling at Art Deco masterpieces, catching a multi-sensory performance at the Bandshell, or simply grabbing a sandwich and strolling the beach, Miami Beach can offer new surprises and new delights — even if you’ve lived here your whole life.

Find your wave: Indulge your imagination and explore the best Miami Beach has to offer.