Bibliographical information of the Deutsche Nationalbibliothek
The Deutsche Nationalbibliothek lists this publication in the Deutsche Nationalbibliografie; detailed bibliographical data are available on the internet at http://dnb.d-nb.de.
Printing and binding: Grafisches Centrum Cuno, Calbe
Printed in Germany 2025
ISBN 978-3-7408-2403-7
Revised new edition, August 2025
Guidebooks for Locals & Experienced Travellers
Join us in uncovering new places around the world at www.111places.com
Foreword
When I wrote the first edition of this book, it was a solo journey, a personal map of places that shaped my Miami. I was born here, part of a family that’s been in the city for three generations. I thought I knew it all: the tucked-away gems, the fleeting favorites, the icons that endure. But then I met my wife, and everything looked different.
Alex came from New Jersey with fresh eyes and a curiosity that turned even familiar streets into something new. On one of our first dates, I gave her that first edition, scribbled with a promise: Here’s to finding 111 more places. And so we have.
We spot Atomik’s oranges like it’s our own version of punchbuggy, unwind after work with friends at River Oyster Bar, and opt for the Brightline commute.We’re there to cheer on the Marlins, not so much for the wins, but for the $3 hot dogs and peanuts. We feed monkeys at Monkey Jungle with my mom, drift past Stiltsville with my dad, and overdo the stone crabs when our families get together.
The Keys are part of our rhythm now. We watch stars from the dock, track tilefish season like it’s a holiday, and drive the long stretch of highway with both purpose and spontaneity. On the way back, we stop at Robert Is Here for fruit, milkshakes, and sunflowers to keep the trip blooming a little longer.
Some of the places where we first fell in love don’t exist anymore. That’s the nature of Miami. It moves, it shifts, it reinvents itself. So in this new edition, we chose the places that feel like part of our story, part of the city’s soul.The ones that feel forever, or at least deserve to be remembered that way.
We hope these 111 places spark your own stories.That you fall in love with a view, a bite, a sound, a street. Maybe even with someone. Miami’s good at that.
Gordon and Alex
12th Street Lifeguard Tower
Where pride meets the tide
Walking down Ocean Drive feels like stepping into a living postcard. The air is warm and salty, carrying the scent of sunscreen and coconut oil, while cinematic Art Deco buildings line the street. The Carlyle, forever linked to The Birdcage, stands across from The Cardozo, a backdrop from There’s Something About Mary. Gianni Versace’s mansion looms, its gate open for brunch-goers who casually step over the spot where he was shot, while just down the street, crowds gather at The Palace, where the drag show spills from the stage into the street. A palpable sense of joy and freedom seems to draw everything toward the dunes ahead.
As the street buzz fades, the sound of the ocean takes over, and the narrow sidewalk opens up to the sand.The lifeguard towers come into view, standing bright and bold against the endless tide, scattered along the shoreline like colorful sculptures. What began as simple wooden posts in the 1960s evolved after Hurricane Andrew’s devastation in 1992, when the city rebuilt them with a new vision. Architect William Lane infused the towers with vibrant colors and playful designs, transforming them into symbols of Miami Beach’s resilience and creativity. Now, they’re an inseparable part of the city’s identity.
Each canvas tells a story, but none more vividly than the 12th Street Lifeguard Tower. It stands as a vibrant declaration that visitors have arrived at the “unofficial official”gay beach, reflecting decades of Miami’s LGBTQ+ history. From the activism of the 1980s to the celebrations that now fill this beach each year, the bold rainbow stripes transform the tower into a beacon of inclusivity and pride, in a way only Miami Beach can – drenched in sunlight. The glistening waves roll in behind it, but all eyes are drawn to this one spot, where art, life, and culture come together in a way no other place could replicate.
Address 12th Street Lifeguard Tower, Miami Beach, FL 33139 | Hours Accessible 24 hours | Tip Lincoln Road has an iconic lifeguard stand off of 17th Street and South Pointe Pier has the infamous Jetty Tower, each with an afternoon of shops and restaurants on the mainland.
Bodhi Wishing Tree
The
magic of Upper Buena Vista
A written law in Miami dictates that for every tree taken down, another must be planted. But the legend of Upper Buena Vista is of one saved for its magical powers.
The boho shopping center nestles quietly on a residential street, blossoming around the Bodhi Wish Tree, an extraordinary banyan that has witnessed over a century of change. Its sprawling canopy is supported by thick, intertwining roots that coil upward, creating a natural sculpture unlike any other in the city. But what truly makes the tree magical is the tapestry of ribbons adorning its branches.
Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of colorful ribbons flutter in the breeze, each one tied by a hopeful heart. They come in every shade imaginable, from the softest pastels to bold, striking hues. Some ribbons, faded and frayed, tell stories of wishes made long ago, while others shine bright, hinting at freshly dreamed possibilities. Beneath the tree’s leafy embrace, it’s easy to feel a sense of whimsy, as if you’ve stepped into a sacred, timeless space. At night, tiny fairy lights cast an enchanting glow that make the tree seem alive with whispered hopes.
Palapa, a grand tiki event space, was built by the Seminole Tribe using ancient techniques that echo through the architecture of the shops and restaurants surrounding the tree. Each flows with organic textures, wooden beams, and open-air designs all with a view of the Wish Tree. Vista Restaurant has an Italian-inspired menu and lush rooftop garden, and Michelin-praised El Turco is a must, serving up exquisite Turkish dishes like manti and lamb casserole that transport diners to the Mediterranean.
Hand-crafted treasures are found in each shop, and The House of Findings has vintage pieces from every era. Hidden among the shops sits Pinnocchio, where you can make a donation to plant more trees in Miami, in exchange for a ribbon to tie your wish perfectly at home under the tree’s mystical spell.
Address 5040 NE 2nd Avenue, Miami, FL 33137, +1 (305) 539-9555, www.upperbuenavista.com | Hours Daily 9am – 11pm, may vary per business | Tip For more rare shopping finds, follow Market for Makers (www.marketsformakers.com/miami) with regular pop-ups in the Miami Design District just down the street.
Creos Aetas
The Clock of Faces
Driving eastbound on the Miami Beach Expressway, the chaos of traffic can make everything around you blur into the background. But as you near the Design District, something pulls your attention. A striking display of 12 ceramic faces encircles massive steel clock hands ticking on the Borinquen Medical Center. This is Creos Aetas, Kourtney Eugene Brown’s monumental sculpture.
At first glance, it looks like a functional timepiece, but a closer look reveals a profound meditation on life itself.The 12 faces represent the arc of human existence, progressing from birth to death and beyond. Their expressions and tones evolve, capturing the emotional depth and complexity of each stage of life.
The cycle begins with smaller, lighter-toned faces, whose calm and neutral expressions evoke the simplicity and innocence of youth. As the faces progress clockwise, they grow larger and darker, their features and emotions intensifying. These middle figures reflect the struggles, frustrations, and self-discovery of adulthood. Toward the end of the cycle, the faces shrink again, weathered and wise, symbolizing the physical decline yet intellectual expansion that accompanies aging.
Latin for “Creation of Time,”Creos Aetas ties this visual journey to the inescapable march of time. Each face serves as a mirror, connecting us to moments in our own lives such as childhood curiosity, adult challenges, and the contemplative calm of later years. The deliberate grayscale palette reinforces this transition, blending light, shadow, and tone into a seamless cycle of existence.
In a city defined by its relentless pace, Creos Aetas forces even the busiest of commuters to pause for a moment. Whether it is a fleeting glance in traffic or a longer pensive gaze, Brown’s work leaves its mark. It is not just a clock but a landmark that captures the beauty, struggle, and wisdom of the human experience.
Address 3601 Federal Highway, Miami, FL 33137 | Hours Accessible 24 hours | Tip Reflect on this sculpture down the street at Lagniappe (3425 NE Second Avenue), a popular wine garden with build-your-own charcuterie boards and live music every night.
Florida Keys Wild Bird Rehabilitation Center
Wings on the mend
In the heart of Tavernier, on the west side of Overseas Highway, an ornithological oasis sits shrouded among thickets of dense Florida hollies. A wide variety of wild birds seek refuge here; from parrots and pelicans to songbirds and snow owls. Free of an admission charge, Laura Quinn’s Wild Bird Sanctuary flaps and chirps its way into visitors’ generous hearts and curious minds.
After visitors rumble down a dusty, rocky driveway, Fredricka, the director’s pet green Amazon parrot, greets them from her cage with a pleasant “Hello.” A winding boardwalk within the mangroves guides birdwatchers through the numerous aviaries scattered about the grounds. Barred and great horned owls are the first species you’ll pass. The great horned’s piercing yellow eyes are gaunt with distress; the birds at the sanctuary are all either injured or displaced. The proud broad-winged hawks survey their surroundings perched atop tall branches. A red-shouldered hawk is nearby in its cage, boasting a rust-colored breast and striped brown-and-white wings. Turkey vultures lurch and leer with patchy scarlet faces and black feathers, like the menacing Skeksis from The Dark Crystal. A tiny red eastern screech owl cozies up within its small house, peeking its head out half sleepily, half vigilantly.
A large mesh aviary sits near the west end of the sanctuary, housing huge-billed brown pelicans,orange-faced and eyelashed double-crested cormorants, and sleek-strutting white ibises.The laughing gulls guffaw from the cage next door, cohabitating with their royal tern roommates.
At the end of the sanctuary, a beautiful open beach is the unbridled preserve for the transient bird population. Free to come and go as they please, pelicans and ibises bask in the sun of the Florida Keys, much like the people who live there.
Old Cutler Road
Banyan-covered bliss
Stretching from Coral Gables to Cutler Bay, in the southwest section of town, Old Cutler Road provides lushly shaded relief from Miami’s drab, congested thoroughfares. A blessing in the summer months, banyan and ficus trees canopy the drive, cooling and filtering the sun’s harsh rays. Camouflaged by the dripping foliage are stunning homes in nearly every style: from old ivy-covered Italian villas featuring wrought-iron gates and clay-tile roofs, to sleek white monoliths with thick, aquamarine-colored windows. Maseratis and Ferraris adorn many driveways.
Signs along the side of the road ask that you keep driving instead of pulling over to admire the beauty. Despite this command to keep traffic flowing, you won’t be able to resist stopping for a better look every now and then. Fortunately, there are continuous bike paths and sidewalks, and if you have the time to cycle Old Cutler, you won’t regret it.
The road itself is named after the now-defunct farming town of Cutler, which owes its name to Dr. William Cutler, a Massachusetts doctor who fell in love with the area in the 19th century.The winding road – the first to connect Coconut Grove to the town of Cutler –followed a natural limestone ridge along Biscayne Bay. Over time, the road was continuously widened, first to accommodate wagons and, eventually, cars. Despite the numerous modifications, Old Cutler’s atmosphere has remained virtually the same.
Some of the most picturesque parks and gardens in Miami are situated along this stretch of asphalt. The calm waters of Matheson Hammock gently lap against its shoreline.The majestic Deering Estate towers in the distance.The colorful Fairchild Tropical Gardens lures visitors like their hibiscus flowers lure the bumblebees.The most dramatic views, luxurious homes, and densest awning of branches can be seen from Fairchild to the traffic circle at Cocoplum.
Address Old Cutler runs from Cocoplum Circle in Coral Gables down to SW 216th Street in Cutler Bay | Hours Accessible 24 hours | Tip Just north of where Old Cutler begins, a super-exclusive garden estate is tucked away in the middle of Coral Gables. The Kampong (4013 South Douglas Road, Miami), former home of botanist David Fairchild, is open to the public by appointment only.
