A plan for Miami

History

Flagler’s railroad sparked a wave of expansion in areas such as Miami Beach, Homestead and Cutler. Soon after the railroad was built, the Overseas Highway was created. This highway connected the Florida Keys to the mainland. Growth and progress in Miami continued through World War I and into the mid-1920s.

A devastating hurricane in 1926 halted Miami’s growth and temporarily put the city and Miami Beach in a recession. It was the city’s support of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s New Deal that helped the city rebuild. Roosevelt almost lost his life, however, when Giuseppe Zangara attempted to assassinate Roosevelt when he came to Miami to thank the city for its support of the New Deal.

When a German U-boat sank a US tanker off Florida’s coast, the majority of South Florida was converted into military headquarters for the remainder of World War II. The Army’s World War II legacy in Miami is a school designed for anti-U-boat warfare.

Following the Cuban revolution, Miami has become a haven for Cuban immigrants. The city has also been the base for cocaine smuggling, as depicted in the 1983 film Scarface, the Miami Vice TV series and the 2002 video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, and in the upcoming GTA 6.

Beaches

Of course, if you're in Miami, you'll want to spend some time on the beach. The only beach inside Miami city limits is Virginia Beach. However, there are many other beaches nearby in South Florida, from Tequesta all the way to Key West. As Miami has pretty temperate weather, the beaches will be active all year round, but the water will usually be too cold for locals to swim in during winter. The city of Miami Beach is closest to Miami, on a barrier island across Biscayne Bay, and is most famous for its South Beach party scene. Topless sunbathing is allowed in Miami Beach, and if you want to take it all off, go to Haulover Beach in North Beach.

Sports

The Miami Marlins (baseball) play in the Little Havana neighborhood, while the Miami Heat (basketball) play in Downtown Miami. Three other major league teams play in the suburbs of Miami - the Miami Dolphins (American football) in Miami Gardens, and the Florida Panthers (hockey) and Inter Miami CF (soccer) in Broward County. Inter plans to open a new stadium near Miami International Airport in 2026.

The Miami area also has three major college sports programs. The Miami Hurricanes (University of Miami) play most sports at the university's campus in Coral Gables, but the football team plays at the Dolphins' stadium in Miami Gardens. The FIU Panthers (Florida International University) are located in the unincorporated area of University Park just to the west of the Miami city limits, and the Florida Atlantic Owls (also FAU Owls; Florida Atlantic University) are in Boca Raton in Palm Beach County.

Grand Prix: Formula One motor racing is held in May at the Miami International Autodrome, a temporary street circuit set up at the Dolphins' home of Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. It started in 2022 with Max Verstappen winning the first Grand Prix. The extremely long strait near to main strait is the most famous part of the Autodrome. Miami is one of three USA circuits used for Formula 1 annually.

Tennis: Since 2019, Hard Rock Stadium has been the main stadium for the Miami Open, held in late March–early April and one of the biggest events on the ATP (men's) and WTA (women's) tours outside of the four Grand Slam events.

Foodies and chefs alike herald Miami for its unique American cuisine. Created in the 1990s, the cuisine alternatively known as New World, Nuevo Latino or Florribean cuisine blends local produce, Latin American and Caribbean culinary tradition and the technical skills required in European cooking. Nuevo Latino is said to be the brainchild of four chefs: Allen Susser, Norman Van Aken, Mark Militello and Douglas Rodriguez. All of them still work in Miami and most of them work at the restaurants they created in the 1990s. New World is not restricted to these chefs’ menus. This cuisine influences several restaurants around the city to this day.

Miami may be known for its Latin American cuisine (especially its Cuban cuisine but also cuisines from South American countries such as Colombia), but there are other different kinds of restaurants to be found around the city. In addition to stand-alone Chinese, Japanese, Middle Eastern, and Italian (among others) restaurants, there are cafés, steakhouses and restaurants operating from boutique hotels, as well as chain restaurants such as TGI Fridays and Ben & Jerry’s.

Miami is known for having nightclubs double as restaurants throughout the city. Most of these restaurants, such as Tantra, BED and the Pearl Restaurant and Champagne Lounge (attached to Nikki Beach), are found throughout South Beach. However, some of these restaurants/nightclubs like Grass Lounge can be found in the Design District (north of downtown but south of North Miami).

If many of Miami’s premiere restaurants don’t fit into your daily budget, consider eating during Miami Restaurant Month (better known as Miami Spice) in August and September.

Miami’s dining scene reflects burgeoning diversity, mixing exotic newcomer restaurants with long-standing institutions, often seasoned by Latin influence and hot winds of the Caribbean. New World cuisine, a culinary counterpart to accompany Miami’s New World Symphony, provides a loose fusion of Latin, Asian, and Caribbean flavors utilizing fresh, area-grown ingredients. Innovative restaurateurs and chefs similarly reel in patrons with Floribbean-flavored seafood fare, while keeping true to down-home Florida favorites.

Nightlife in Miami consists of upscale hotel clubs, independent bars frequented by locals (including sports bars) and nightclubs. Most hotel bars and independent bars turn the other cheek at your physical appearance, but you have to dress to impress (which does not mean dress like a stripper) to get into a nightclub. Also remember to never, under any circumstances, insult the doormen and/or nightclub employees that will grant you entry or touch the velvet ropes or you may as well be sitting on the opposite side of the clamoring masses trying to get in. Attempting to tip the doormen and claiming that you know employees that work in the nightclubs (unless you actually called and reserved a table or a spot on the VIP list) is also considered an affront. Getting to the club unfashionably early and pushing through the crowd (and not the doormen) also can help make you stand out in the crowd. Finally, most nightclubs won’t admit groups of men unless those men are waiting in front of a gay bar. Bring some women or leave the pack if you’re desperate to get in.

And once you get in, remember that the charge to get in these clubs can cost up to $20—cash only (some clubs, however, mercifully have ATMs—that can charge up to $7 for a withdrawal). Popular drinks in Miami include the Cuba Libre and the mojito.

By public transit

Miami's public transit system is the most diverse and extensive of any locality in Florida. If travel time is not a priority, it is possible to travel to all commercial areas and major attractions within Miami without a car. That being said, this approach will involve a lot of walking, which can be unpleasant at many times of year. A map of transit run by Miami-Dade is available at this website.

Miami's bus system covers the entire county and connects to bus lines serving Broward County and the Greater Fort Lauderdale area. Sometimes buses still have a hard time remaining on schedule. Most routes run about once every 20 minutes, while the most popular routes may run every 5-10 minutes, sometimes with service all night long. One useful route is the S, which connects downtown Miami to all of Miami Beach, terminating at Avenutra Mall in north Miami-Dade.

The Metrorail is an elevated rail system serving Miami and surrounding cities, running 22.4 mi with 23 stations on two lines (green and orange). It connects many areas of tourist interest, including downtown Miami, Miami International Airport (Orange line only), Dadeland Mall, Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, Lowe Art Museum, Miami Museum of Science, Village at Merrick Park and many other nearby shopping areas. Coconut Grove and downtown Coral Gables can be reached via short shuttle bus from various stations. The two Metrorail lines share common tracks through the core, before splitting near the airport. Metrorail operates between roughly 5AM and midnight, with a bus serving all Metrorail stations operating in the overnight hours, effectively providing 24-hour service.

Fare for a single trip on both Metrorail and Metrobus is $2.25 per ride, $1.10 for persons with disabilities or on Medicare (as of Apr 2025). Transfers between bus and rail are free. Express routes cost $2.65/$1.30. Day, weekly, and monthly pass are available. Contactless Payment of fares is also accepted in the Miami-Dade Transit Area, A FAQ page about contactless payment is also available.

Miami's crime rate is a routine topic of news media, but the city is only relatively dangerous for the passing tourist in certain areas. Almost all crime is related to the illegal drug trade, owing to Miami's proximity to the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, which makes it a major transit point for narcotics from South America. Overtown (next to Liberty City) has the highest violent crime rate in the city and is best avoided altogether. Little Haiti is also best avoided at night. If you are in any crime-afflicted neighborhood, take the same precautions as you would in other dangerous neighborhoods in the US: mind your own business, be aware of your surroundings at night and in high-traffic areas, get to your destination quickly, and avoid wearing flashy jewelry and electronics.

Emergency numbers

The emergency telephone number for fire, police and rescue emergencies is 911. If you require non-emergency assistance, do not call 911. To contact police in a non-emergency situation, call +1 305 4POLICE.