Pull up an episode of Miami Vice and look past the white-linen-heavy fashion and the criminally absurd plots to appreciate, for a moment, the Magic City's skyline in the mid-'80s — or rather, the lack thereof. As Det. Sonny Crockett sits on a bench overlooking what is now the magnificent downtown and Brickell strip, behind him stand just a few squat buildings and a lot of sand. Heck, forget the '80s — just load up DJ Khaled's 2007 video hit "I'm on One." Even ten years ago, the skyline was nascent. It's easy to forget just how explosive the Magic City's upward growth has been over the past ten years. The fact is, Miami today has one of America's most striking skylines — neon and glass, spiking perfectly upward on the edge of a glittering bay. And the perfect way to appreciate it is on a drive west on the MacArthur Causeway. As you ride toward the crest of the purple-light-bathed bridge just before downtown, the condo towers along Biscayne Boulevard rise like glowing beacons of energy and self-aggrandizement. Pérez Art Museum Miami —arguably the city's modern architectural gem — sits just to the south of the causeway, framing a view that stretches down to the American Airlines Arena and Zaha Hadid's under-construction final project. Perhaps all of this will sink into the bay in 30 years, but right now, it makes any Miamian's breast swell with inspiration. Plus, the whole view is flanked by the bluest water you've ever seen.