Miami City Guide

Miami City Guide

The word “Miami” generally includes the downtown area and the surrounding beach communities.
Miami Beach is actually a separate city, and includes South Beach, the areas hottest vacation destination. Downtown Miami is a bastion of financial commerce, attracting business moguls from across the globe. Things are more laid back on the edges of Miami, where fine dining, dancing, sunbathing, water recreation, and the hottest nightlife in the world invite visitors to enjoy the party of a lifetime.
Dubbed the sunshine state, Florida’s balmy climate provides a sultry backdrop to the city that knows how to have fun. Here’s a quick reference to everything Miami:

* Location: Southermost tip of Florida, on the Atlantic Ocean;
* Climate: Tropical;
* Food: Combination of American, Cuban, and South American fare;
* Sports:  Professional Football: Miami Dolphins; Professional Baseball: Florida Marlins; Professional Basketball: Miami Heat; Professional Hockey: Florida Panthers; College football: University of Miami Hurricanes;
* Parks: Biscayne National Parks, Everglades National Park;
* Population of Miami-Dade County: 2.4 million +;
* Industry: Imports, Exports, World Finance, Film and TV;
* Agriculture: Squash, tropical fruits, Asian vegetables;
* Recreation: Skiing, boating, fishing, bicycling, watersports, running;

* Weather

Miami has a humid subtropical climate: hot, wet summers, and warm, dry winters. Hurricane season runs from June 1 through November 30. Average temperatures in the summer reach the high 80s and drop to the low 70s in the winter. Click here to view the 7-day Miami forecast.

* Family

Renowned for its nightlife, Miami should not be dismissed as a family-friendly destination. In fact, Miami Beach was chosen by U.S. News and Travel as a Best Family Beach Vacation destination in the United States. Miami boasts kid hotspots, too, like the Miami Children’s Museum, the Dolphin Harbor Seaquarium, clean parks with safe playgrounds, Zoo Miami, the Everglades Safari Park, the Gold Coast Railroad Museum, the Miami Science Museum, and the ridiculously fun Monkey Jungle. Miami’s beaches are a parents dream with playgrounds, water sports options, and an abundance of lifeguards making sure everybody stays safe.

* Beaches

Many of the properties listed on Homes 2 Stay provide access to private beaches on either the Atlantic Ocean of beautiful Biscayne Bay.
However, the friendly crowds, ample opportunities for recreation, and close vicinity to cafes and restaurants draw people out of their villas and resorts and into the Miami’s beautiful parks and beaches. Miami’s beaches offer fishing opportunities, water sports, miles of hiking trails, shade under cool palm trees, barbecue grills, and trained lifeguards. Virginia Key Beach even offers ultra light seaplane rentals. Not only that, but many of Miami’s beaches have been featured in high-profile publications as the most beautiful beaches in the world.

* Business and Convention Center

Miami has a thriving financial and business center located in the heart of downtown Miami, where The James L. Knight Center, a world class meeting and convention complex, is strategically situated.

The center is a “world class multipurpose entertainment, meeting, and convention complex” that has hosted concerts by the world’s most popular artists, global conventions, banquets, exhibits, and conferences. The center’s auditorium seats 4,645, and the main banquet room is an impressive 28,000 square feet.
Within the center is the Hyatt Regency Miami Hotel, with features 615 rooms and suites, restaurants, and an additional 23,000 square feet of meeting space. The center provides adjacent parking and valet parking is available.

* Shopping

Enjoy upscale shopping in specialty shops only found in world-class cities like Miami. Shop for chic fashion accessories and designer clothes on Collins Drive, Washington Ave, and Lincoln Road in Miami Beach. Aventura Mall is a great destination for families, featuring a Bloomingdales, Lord and Taylor’s and the convenient Aventura’s Cove for the kids. And for a glamorous shopping experience like none other, head to the Village of Merrick Park in Coral Gables to pick out the latest fashion trends before your friends.