After changing clothes in our hotel, we hustled to the beach. We were anxious, as South Beach’s beaches are famous for their pristine sands, emerald waters, and strutting model wannabees. One of the first things you’ll notice about many of South Beach’s beaches is the fabulous, dramatic entryways they offer. For example, this curving courtyard takes you from the major, car-filled thoroughfare of Ocean Drive to the quiet beach in about 60 seconds. You can literally hear the sounds of the city fading away, being replaced by the sounds of the waves. It’s like a real-life Corona commercial.
Once on the beach, I skedaddled straight to the water to look and feel it. It was so clear… but a bit cool.
I turned and saw how crowded the beach was. Into the horizon, there were people everywhere.
I referred to this sign-less, nameless stretch of beach as “Lincoln Road Beach.” Just north of flashier and trendier Lummus Park Beach, and just south of smaller, quieter Collins Beach, Lincoln Road Beach is family-friendly and tourist-intensive.
Some people had encouraged us to go to Haulover Beach — several miles north — for some beach time. However, Lincoln Road Beach was close to the hotel, which was very appealing. Moreover, the north part (and only the north part) of Haulover is an officially-recognized naturist beach. In other words, it’s clothing-optional. My previous clothing optional-beach experience had been icky — lots of men cruising past, sizing me up — so we decided to avoid that.
In any event, this beach was nice, and the sun felt good on my face and back. Though there were a number of college-aged girls sunning themselves, there were no topless Saline Machines wandering around, like CSI: Miami would have you believe. As soon as I laid down, I fell asleep; if you want to see more of what the local beaches look like, check out Miami Photo Meetup or Miami Travel Photo.
If you don’t want to head to Lummus park, Lincoln Road, or Collins Park, there are a number of beaches in greater Miami. At the end of the weekend, our favorite turned out to be Key Biscayne’s Crandon Park Beach. But more on that later.
Not certain where we wanted to stay, a friend of my wife had told us we should head to the Lincoln Road area — considered the premiere shopping destination in South Beach — because we would undoubtedly want to spend lots of time there. I did some searching and discovered the Greenview Hotel had rooms available.
To us, the location of this 43-room hotel sounded good: one block from where the pedestrian-only shopping area of Lincoln Road begins; three blocks from the beach; and a 5-minute jaunt to “the rest of South Beach” (we could easily walk to the Art Deco District). We eagerly booked a room.
The lobby of the small, boutique hotel was impressive, I thought. Quiet, clean, and white, it was a soothing environment. Overhead, Marlene Dietrich music played softly. Behind me is reception.
To the right, there’s a casual seating area, and a very small office with Internet access (see the guy using the computer?). The elevator is in the lower right-hand corner of this picture. Be warned: it is the smallest, jolting-est elevator in this hemisphere.
Continental breakfast is provided just to the left of the brown folding half-wall in the left of this shot.
After riding the aluminum-paneled elevator to our floor, I was a bit underwhelmed by the hallway. Uh-oh, I thought. What have I gotten us into?
However, our room, though small, was clean and comfortable. Unfortunately, it didn’t offer central A/C, but the small window unit was adequate… once it got going.
I have to say the sisal rug lining the floor was very uncomfortable on bare feet.
The bathroom was a bit minimalist, though the shower was quite large.
All in all, the room was adequate, and we enjoyed using it as a base of operations:
It was quiet.
It was centrally-located.
It was clean.
It was priced right ($140/night).
Although this price might seem high, we thought it was a good value for the money for accommodation in Miami during the high season. That said, next time, we probably wouldn’t stay there, for two reasons:
After completing our walking tour of South Beach’s Art Deco District, we grabbed some lunch and headed to Florida International University’s Wolfsonian Museum. Established in 1992 by Mitchell Wolfson, Jr., to house his large and eclectic personal art collection, The Wolf’s exhibits currently occupy 4 floors in a beautifully-renovated warehouse.
While the Museum features revolving exhibits, we really wanted to see the permanent collection, which is 100,000 pieces strong. Amusingly — yet appropriately — this part of the Museum is referred to as The Museum of Thinkism.
Originally built in 1927, the former storage facility is located in downtown South Beach, right on Washington Avenue.
I love the intricate detailing around the entryway.
Upon entering the lobby, visitors are greeted with an open space.
The odd juxtaposition of extravagant, decadent art and pop surrealism prepares you for the collection.
There is no photography allowed above the lobby. This is the guard who enforces the rule.
Gargoyle heads watch over visitors riding in the elevator.
The idea behind Thinkism is contained in Wolfson’s phrase, “What man makes, makes man.” In other words, by examining the products, propaganda, and artwork that people have created over the years — and thinking about them — we can begin to understand objects as human ideas, concerns, and aspirations and start to understand why the world looks the way it does.
It’s more than just looking at a beautiful painting; it’s about considering an object, thinking about where and why it was made, and what role it plays in society. In this way, we make connections among everything in the world, and come to realize that everything is inter-connected. Everything. From old book covers to old stoves…
…from wartime posters to old post office boxes…
…from Turkish folding chars to New Deal murals…
…everything shows how people look at and interact with the rest of the world. It was a fascinating and fun exhibit, and for $7 apiece, it was cash well-spent. For more examples of the items inside the Museum, check out Gallagher’s Travels or, of course, the Museum’s website.
After Thinking so much, we were famished, so we headed to the Museum’s store/cafe, The Dynamo Cafe. Designed to feel like an old-timey European bookstore…
…with its modular design, it has a very modern feel.
The Dynamo offers a great assortment of teas, coffees, snacks, and sandwiches — all of which have been getting rave reviews lately. I had some excellent Chai Tea, while my wife enjoyed some Lemongrass Tea. (For the record, mine was better.)
It was an excellent way to relax after thinking so hard. But now…it was time to check into the hotel and get changed for some beach-time!
Right in the heart of Ocean Drive — smack dab in the middle of the Art Deco District — sits this building. With pastel flashes of color surrounding it, this 12-bedroom, 13-bathroom Mediterranean Revival home, in all its cream-colored glory is probably the most famous building on the strip. It’s certainly the most photographed. What is it? It’s Casa Casuarina, of course.
Casa Casurina was built in 1935 and features a gorgeous oolitic limestone entryway and stairs, and a Cuban barrel tile roof (each tile of which is rumored to have been molded on the thighs of beautiful Cuban maidens). A replica of the home in the Dominican Republic in which Christopher Columbus’ eldest son lived (La Casa del Cordon), Casa Casuarina is also where Versace took his last breath. He was gunned down on the front steps of this building by Andrew Cunanan in 1997.
Gianni Versace purchased the building in 1992 for $2.9 million and renovated it substantially. Peter Loftin, a telecommunications billionaire, purchased it in 2000 for approximately $19 million and is converting it into an “invitation only B&B” (for around $2500/night). Alternatively, the entire house is available for private events — at a cost of $10,000 a night.
I’m sad to announce that flashing my Gadling Press Pass did NOT grant me access to the interior. Sorry. But you can take a sneak peak at the home’s elegant appointments here.
My wife and I have have spent plenty of time in Miami over the past two years — but always as a day-trip. Recently, we decided to pack our bags and head to the Magic City for a weekend.
So what exactly is “Art Deco”? It’s a style of architecture that developed during the early 1900s that usually combines straight lines, symmetry, and geometric shapes. In its hey-day, it was viewed as decorative, elegant, and modern. Today, it’s super-fanciful, and almost over-the-top ornate. A prime example of Art Deco is the Clevelander, one of South beach’s most famous landmarks and a fairly hip nightspot — if you don’t mind a bunch of college-aged kids.
When we arrived in South Beach, we headed to the Miami Design Preservation League. Though I don’t usually enjoy organized tours much, I signed up for one of theirs. I was curious to learn something about the history of this whimsical area, generally, and something about Art Deco, specifically. At $20 per person, the price of tour is money well-spent, as the volunteers are both knowledgeable and passionate about the subject.
Come with me, as I give you an abbreviated, virtual tour:
We arrived at the MDPL just in time for the 10:30 tour.
Adjacent to Lummus Park Beach…
…our guide explained that South Beach’s Art Deco District is the oldest 20th Century architectural historic district in the nation. Before we even left the MDPL’s property, we turned and saw the Edison Hotel. Note the clean, symmetrical lines.
From there, we walked by the Beach Patrol.
Still in use today, the Beach patrol Building was built in 1938. Evidently, it was designed to make people who couldn’t afford to go on an ocean liner feel like they were somewhere tropical and faraway. Obviously, you can’t miss the Patrol’s nautical theme. Portholes figure prominently in lots of Art Deco.
Rounding the corner, we headed back to the Clevelander. Built in 1938, the Rattner family sold the building in the 1980s for $800,000. In 2001, it was sold again for $16 million. Of course, the pool had been added and the building upgraded, but still…
Walking north, we passed the Congress Hotel. See the “eyebrows” above the windows? These are important components of Art Deco. At the time, they were incorporated to keep out the rain — and the sun. Of course, there was no A/C in the area at that time. In this picture, you can see how symmetrical the building is. Have you also begun to get the sense of the importance of the “rule of threes” in the architectural style?
Built in 1937, the Victor has no eyebrows, but you can see that symmetry and straight lines are still important in the design. Originally, the Victor was NOT connected to the left-hand building. Interestingly, there’s a pool above the entryway between the two buildings. If you look very, very closely, you can see the topless woman sunning herself, just to left of the largest palm tree. Not that I was looking…
Today, there’s a semi-circle ballroom/lounge attached to the right-hand-side of the Victor.
A little north of the Victor is the Tides. Built in 1936, this is, reportedly J Lo’s favorite place to brunch. She wasn’t there this morning, though. Around the entryway, you can make out the oolitic limestone that designers favored during this period. Of course, oolitic limestone is not used today, as it’s harvested from the ocean and damages the environment. See the portholes?
Very square and symmetrical, the Leslie is next. Note the Zigaruts, which are the vertical “racing stripes” that shoot skyward. These are used to hide unsightly roof lines. Lots of Art Deco buildings incorporate these.
Next up: the Carlyle. Though still Art Deco-y, you can see how by 1941, architects were steering away from straight lines and were incorporating curved lines into their buildings. See the sweeping eyebrows? Note that the “rule of threes” is still adhered to, though.
Recognize the Carlyle? It was featured in The Birdcage.
What about this building? It was featured in There’s Something About Mary. Can you tell how Art Deco is getting softer and curvier? This is the Cordoza Hotel, owned by Gloria Estefan. (BTW, the blond in the lower right corner of the image is our guide.)
Another angle.
And moving on…
…we pass the Cavalier…
… and come to the Winter Haven, at one time owned by Al Capone.
Note the classic elements of Art Deco design in the building: the threes, the straight lines, the Zigaruts (modified, apparently, to look like waves).
We decided to go inside and have a look around.
Completely restored, the Winter Haven looks very much like it did when it was built in 1938.
Back outside, we noticed that even the beach’s bathrooms look Art Deco.
Of course, there were more buildings to see on the tour, and I’ll show them to you, but this — by and large — marks the end of the strip of “classic” Art Deco buildings.
As I mentioned, this tour is highly recommended, as you learn all sorts of interesting tid-bits. For example:
The phrase “Art Deco” was used first in 1966.
Up until the 1980s, Art Deco buildings were not painted bright pastels. When Michael Mann was shooting Miami Vice, he thought the scenery would have more pop if the buildings were brightly colored. Consequently, he told property owners that if they painted their exteriors, the buildings would be on TV. They obliged, and the rest is history. Today, South Beach is the second-most-visited part of Florida — right behind Disney. Who knows what the area would look like if Mann hadn’t spoken up?