miami favs

miami fav #117 / deli lane

i kept driving by sunset place on us-1 and could see this little off-street that looked kind of cute. every time i drove by i would strain my neck to see what was down there, never having the time to go and see for myself. although promising myself that the next time i went by i would make the time. one day, i finally gave up and just asked a friend. they said, ‘you must be talking about deli lane.’ with a cute name like that, i was sure i was. so, finally, i made a date out of it, and had some friends meet me there. consensus: i kind of really like sunset place. maybe because it reminds me a bit of home. sure, it has it’s ugly chains (i despise even getting a glimpse of the window of that ‘z gallerie’ place), but it also has cute boutiques, a beautiful whole foods, a great nail place called ‘kimmy’s’ (that lets you watch movies like ‘wedding crashers’ while you’re getting your mani/pedi on), and some good restaurants - like deli lane (!). i love places that serve up a good brunch and deli lane does just that. and you get to sit outside, under huge umbrellas and people watch (always a plus!). everyone that works there is super friendly and it has that neighborhood-type-of-feel. like everyone just got back from church or they’re out having a family day. a little dose of suburbia isn’t so bad every once in awhile; and i’m glad i finally got to experience what that little street has to offer.

http://www.delilane.com/

2 years ago

miami fav #116 / art walk (or, ‘second saturdays’)

the first art walk i went on, i didn’t make it very far (basically, i made it to a bar in the design district) - so i don’t count it. and, because the first art walk was a little ‘lame’ (although the bar was super fun) it took me forever to feel the need to go again. but when i did, i realized what an idiot i had been and how much i was missing (!). as someone who used to work for a museum and was friends with many gallerists, i missed those gallery openings where you would peruse amazing contemporary work with friends and like-minded art lovers while sipping wine. miami definitely does it different than dc, but not in a bad way. where dc can be conservative, miami tips the scales on the other end. i love how the streets are filled with people and energy - and things like the miami poetry collective (i totes bought myself a nice little poem and i love it). there is nothing like the sound of multiple typewriters chugging away mixed with hipster music blaring from galleries and the smell of under-the-radar-pbr and the scene of mustaches and plaid shirts to make you feel like you’ve found miami’s artistic mecca (or at least miami’s hipster haven - we like to call them wypsters). and now with the addition of more rad street art and the infamous food trucks - you cannot go wrong. i feel like it’s the best of both worlds - a party outside, and a place to appreciate fine art inside. i appreciate that balance.

2 years ago 1 note

miami international film festival

the miami international film festival is here march 4-13 (!). i’m going to the screenings below. they are $12 per film (except the gusman is $14). this is only here once a year! hope you can make it out for some of them too. =)

friday, march 4
gusman theater
7:00 p.m.
chico & rita
trailer: http://miami.slated.com/2011/films/chicoritachicoyrita_miami2011

saturday, march 5
gusman theater
6:45 p.m.
potiche
trailer: http://miami.slated.com/2011/films/potiche_miami2011

sunday, march 6
gusman theater
7:00 p.m.
in a better world
trailer: http://miami.slated.com/2011/films/inabetterworldhven_miami2011

tuesday, march 8
regal south beach
7:30 p.m.
page one: a year inside the new york times
synopsis: http://miami.slated.com/2011/films/pageoneayearinsidethenewyorktimes_miami2011

thursday, march 9
gusman theater
7:00 p.m.
young goethe in love
trailer: http://miami.slated.com/2011/films/younggoetheinlovegoethe_miami2011

friday, march 11
regal south beach
9:45 p.m.
the names of love
trailer: http://miami.slated.com/2011/films/namesoflovelenomdesgensthe_miami2011

sunday, march 13
regal south beach
3 p.m.
the first grader
trailer: http://miami.slated.com/2011/films/firstgraderthe_miami2011

2 years ago 2 notes

march

i am a huge dork. but here are some awesome events in march. sharing is caring. hope i get to see your pretty faces. xo, m

wednesday, march 2
6:30 p.m. / live from the met (nixon in china)
at regal sobe. tickets are $18 which you can get here.

FYI: sobe comedy festival begins TODAY until March 6.

saturday, march 5
12 p.m. / miami bike hunt
hosted by beachedmiami.com and emerge miami (FREE)
7:30 p.m. / nws wallcast (FREE)
10 p.m. / big brothers big sisters impact circle after party
at the jw marriott marquis ($50 OPEN BAR)

FYI: miami international film festival begins TODAY until March 14.
see my picks here: http://miamifavs.tumblr.com/post/3244392177/miami-international-film-festival

sunday, march 6
4 p.m. / art in the park
florida grand opera at collins park (collins and 21st) (FREE)

monday, march 7
7:30 p.m. / ra ra riot show
culture room in ftl ($25 total) you can get tickets at live nation.

saturday, march 12
6:00 p.m. / second saturday art walk
wynwood and design districts

monday, march 14
7:00 p.m. four lions
at the miami beach cinematheque ($10)

thursday, march 17
SAINT PATRICKS DAY!

friday, march 18
7:30, 8:30 & 9:30 p.m. / $2.50 mini concerts at the NWS

saturday, march 19
7:00 p.m. / art in the park
orchestra miami ‘mozart under the moonlight’ at collins park (collins and 21st) (FREE)
7:30, 8:30 & 9:30 p.m. / $2.50 mini concerts at the NWS

FYI: sony ericsson open (on virginia key) beings March 21 - April 3.

after that i’m in the keys - thank god.

2 years ago 3 notes

a friend is coming to town…

my out-of-town friends always reach out to me when they, or friends of theirs, are coming to miami for a quick trip - mainly with the question: what should we do while we’re there? i recently put this novel of an answer together for a friend of a friend and thought - why let it go to waste? why not share? so here goes - feel free to copy/paste! =)

the best restaurants are in midtown/wynwood/design district (on the mainland). i suggest gigi, red light, sugarcane, mandolin, buena vista bistro, joey’s and wynwood kitchen and bar.

for south beach, if you’re willing to splurge, go to barton g, devito or prime 112 (i haven’t been to the latter, because i’m a vegetarian, but i heard it’s amazing). if you’re going to the beach and want a quick bite, go to la sandwicherie on 14th between washington and collins. if you want to eat on lincoln road (and want to splurge) go to the meat market. if you want healthier (but good) food, go to books and books cafe (and visit the book store, it’s adorable).

also, you MUST go get cocktails around sunset at the Mondrian on south beach - it’s called the sunset lounge.

and for clubbing on south beach, you’ll want to go to the florida room at the delano and the red room at the shore club. both have GORGEOUS outside bars too.

check out the new world symphony website - you may have heard that they have a new building designed by frank gehry - they do wallcasts of some of their performances. if you’re here for one, you should go. they’re free, and you sit in a park with surround sound and watch and listen. it’s an amazing experience. you can pick up food on lincoln road and eat it there (you can also get a trenta cup at starbucks on the way - which, btw, fits an entire bottle of wine).

collins avenue between 5th and 12th has great shopping. lincoln road has okay shopping. it gets better the closer you get to alton road (the further west you walk).

definitely go to the beach. it’s so beautiful. you can do paddle boarding lessons which are super fun - although if it’s your first time, you may want to do this in the bay where the water is calmer.

also, if you’re here during a second saturday, wynwood and the design district have an art walk that is super fun. food trucks are HUGE here and there is a big gathering. you can also find them on twitter and get food from them whenever - my favorites are la camaronera’s fish box, cheese me and sugar rush.

xoxo, m

2 years ago 5 notes

miami fav #115 / superwheels

it is fitting that this post happens for fall on the same day as president’s day. firstly, because roller skating is my FAVORITE american pastime and secondly, because what better way to celebrate a birthday than at a skating rink with 80’s music, neon lights, pizza, sno cones, air hockey, whac-a-mole and space invaders galactica (or at least spending some time reminiscing about such birthdays)? luckily for us, superwheels has it all. i actually wanted to go here for my birthday (again, i realize i’m a huge dork) - but karaoke won out instead (and now i just realized i missed that post. crap.) . however, when i decided to sign-up for roller derby tryouts, i knew i needed a quick practice run before i threw myself in the rink with girls three-times my size who have been training to be aggressive for years. and to superwheels we went! where instead of big girls we had to fight our way through bieber-loving teens. regardless, it was amazing. that feeling of being on skates - it’s like swinging on a swing for the first time in a decade. that magical, giddy feeling. and i had almost forgotten about the slow skate, and the backwards skate, and the low-skate games. and, i didn’t think that, when the dj announced red light/green light, that i’d participate. but *somehow* i ended up in the game. and oh my god did i bring it. actually, didn’t just bring it. i won. against teenagers. after not skating for like five years. apparently roller skating rinks bring back my other favorite american pastime - the art of competition. even against kids. apparently i have no shame. my prize? a free ticket to go back to superwheels. so, who’s coming with me? (i’ll promise to sit out of red light/green light this time).

http://www.superwheelsmiami.com/

2 years ago 2 notes

miami fav #114 / oleta

oleta park is like narnia. you’re in south florida, sitting in traffic, and then boom. you take a quick turn and end up someplace that cannot actually exist where it is located. therefore, it must be otherworldly. well, until you encounter the mosquitos, and then you realize: no, i’m definitely still in florida. regardless, this place is beautiful. in a city full of beaches (which i love) this is like a hiker/biker’s oasis. oleta has over 15 miles of mountain-bike trails. i don’t have a mountain-bike, but that didn’t stop me. my teal beach-bike and i rocked it. i mean, we mainly stayed on the novice trails, but we killed it. and my seat might be bent a little more to the left than i would like it to be, but i’ll settle for that versus broken bones. which did seem possible at one point. but let’s ignore that for now. i found oleta so refreshing. trails lined with trees you don’t ever normally see in miami - like the exotic melaleuca and brazilian pepper trees (not that i’m saying exotic trees that take over our wetlands are good; but they’re there, and for now, they’re pretty). and the sounds of birds (not seagulls). and the feeling that you’re actually breathing in fresh air (i.e. not being surrounded by car fumes). and doing something active and getting dirty while doing it. who doesn’t love that feeling? and after you’re done, you can still get a little taste of the real miami. they have a little beach where you can lay and swim and even barbecue. i really liked it here. and i really appreciate knowing that such a diverse setting is so close-by. diversity is a real reason why i love miami so much. we’ll never get bored here. and that makes it a true paradise.

http://www.floridastateparks.org/oletariver/

2 years ago 6 notes

miami, be mine?

even after all this time

the sun never says to the earth, ‘you owe me.’

look what happens with a love like that!

- it lights the whole sky.

(hafiz)

happy valentines day miami!

to the city i will never take for granted,

i am sincerely yours,

xoxo, m

2 years ago 1 note

miami fav #113 / coco de ville

give me a reason to dance, and i’ll take it (we’ve actually instituted ‘random acts of dance’ in our office just because we can’t help ourselves). i don’t venture out to ‘the clubs’ on sobe much - even though hitting the dance floor is a favorite pastime - but when there is an art event, i go and support it. and when dancing is involved, even better. so when the miami city ballet upper room held a kick-off party for their 25th anniversary season at coco de ville, it was basically like inviting a fat kid to a party with free, never-ending servings of birthday cake (annnnd ice cream with a cherry on top). now, i don’t know if the same dj is there every night, but the dj for this party rocked it. and we responded. we danced for what seemed like forever. and we loved every hot second of it. not one person was sitting unless it was because they were panting after the latest salsa song or had just rocked their thriller moves. it was amazing. it is always a good party when the dancing don’t stop. and coco de ville, i will always love you for keeping the music rocking, the drinks flowing, and the dancers (me!) smiling.

http://www.gansevoortmiamibeach.com/coco-deville/

2 years ago

miami culture

the opening of the new world symphony center combined with the coming of spring has everyone excited for arts and parks - and a combination of the two! here is a quick post of some of the awesome cultural events that are available in the coming months. and most are FREE! (note: don’t complain about the lack of culture in miami if you never go to any of the cultural events that are available to you - especially when they’re free. it’s annoying.)

miami beach hosts ‘arts in the parks’

these events are FREE!

Ground Up and Rising’s production of
Shakespeare’s ROMEO AND JULIET
Saturday and Sunday, February 12 + 13, 3:00 p.m.
Flamingo Park, Meridian + 12 Street

FLORIDA GRAND OPERA
Sunday, March 6, 4:00 – 6:00 p.m.
Collins Park, Collins Avenue + 21-22 Street

FROZEN MUSIC Sound Installation
Sunday, March 13, noon – 4:00 p.m.,
Collins Park, Collins Avenue + 21-22 Street

ORCHESTRA MIAMI “Mozart Under the Moonlight”
Saturday, March 19, 7:00 p.m.
Collins Park, Collins Avenue + 21- 22 Street

NWS’ wallcasts at the miami beach soundcape

also free!

CONCERTO SHOWCASE
Saturday, March 5, 7:30 p.m.

POETIC PORTRAITS
Saturday, March 26, 7:30 p.m.

PARISIAN GLIMMERS
Saturday, April 9, 7:30 p.m.

THE MAHLER LEGACY
Saturday, April 30, 7:30 p.m.

soundscape cinema series

free!

AVATAR
Wednesday, March 16, 8:00 p.m.

FANTASTIC MR. FOX
Wednesday, March 23, 8:00 p.m.

GREASE
Wednesday, March 30, 8:00 p.m.

STAR WARS
Wednesday, April 6, 8:00 p.m.

MOULIN ROUGE
Wednesday, April 13, 8:00 p.m.

BIG
Wednesday, April 20, 8:00 p.m.

CASABLANCA
Wednesday, April 27, 8:00 p.m.

NORTH BY NORTHWEST
Wednesday, MAY 4, 8:00 p.m.

WALL-E
Wednesday, MAY 11, 8:00 p.m.

2001 A SPACE ODYSSEY
Wednesday, MAY 18, 8:00 p.m.

THE SOUND OF MUSIC
Wednesday, MAY 25, 8:00 p.m.

FANTASIA
Wednesday, June 1, 8:00 p.m.

THE WIZARD OF OZ
Wednesday, June 8, 8:00 p.m.

DIRTY DANCING
Wednesday, June 15, 8:00 p.m.

(note that dates are subject to change without notice)

the met: live in HD

this is one of my favorites. the metropolitan opera in new york city does a series where they feature 12 live transmissions of a performance at movie theaters throughout the nation. so, you get to watch marvelous productions LIVE for less expensive than an opera ticket, and you don’t even have to leave miami to do it. the regal cinema on lincoln road hosts some of the performances. i already have a ticket to one (!). you can purchase tickets here (approx. $20 with fees).

ADAMS’S NIXON IN CHINA - NEW PRODUCTION
Saturday, February 12, 1:00 p.m.
Wednesday, March 2, 6:30 p.m.

GLUCK’S IPHIGENIE EN TAURIDE
Saturday, February 26, 1:00 p.m.
Wednesday, March 16, 6:30 p.m.

DONIZETTI’S LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR
Saturday, March 19, 1:00 p.m.
Wednesday, April 6, 6:30 p.m.

ROSSINI’S Le Comte Ory - NEW PRODUCTION
Saturday, April 9, 1:00 p.m.
Wednesday, April 27, 6:30 p.m.

STRAUSS’S CAPRICCIO
Saturday, April 23, 1:00 p.m.
Wednesday, May 11, 6:30 p.m.

VERDI’S IL TROVATORE
Saturday, April 30, 1:00 p.m.
Wednesday, May 18, 6:30 p.m.

WAGNER’S DIE WALKURE - NEW PRODUCTION
Saturday, May 14, 1:00 p.m.
Wednesday, June 1, 6:30 p.m.

i’ll update this occasionally! if you have any additions, send them to me at miamifavs@gmail.com =) xoxo, m