Miami Beach
305-673-7760 Kendall and Pinecrest; Hialeah and Overtown; West, North, and South Miami. Wonderful basketball courts can be found all over, but for sweaty street hustle in a well-appointed setting, Flamingo Park is hard to beat. This Miami Beach gem attracts a dazzling variety of players: awkward teenagers, trash-talking gangstas, and out-of-shape regular Joes with memories of high school glory dancing in their heads all mingle freely on the asphalt surface. If you want to play, it isn't difficult to find yourself a fast, friendly game out here. There are occasions when it can be a challenge to get in one. Sometimes -- when the park's lighted up at night, all of the benches are taken, and a crowd is cheering around the perimeter -- the only option is to cheer on the players already out there. Simply watching can make for a good time, like when the OG steps onto the court with his Michael Jordan kicks and his baggy shorts and meets up with an enigmatic, energetic gentleman. The older guy might look to be approaching 70, but he has no problem taking some time to school the young baller on the finer points of the game.
