Miami Beach

Channel your inner nautical sensibility and a dose of art deco whimsy with a residence in the epicenter of South Florida’s light on white action. The world’s most treasured winter-pilgrimage and iconic film location, Miami Beach is the centerpiece for the golden age of arts and culture, serene wellness resorts and wildly stylish restaurants and bars. The apex of more than 800 plus architecturally protected buildings, this sand and surf landmark is also an historic tunnel of the 1930s and 1940s, with iconic structures that are decorated in bold vertical bands, “eyebrow” windows, visor like sunshades, curvaceous corners and jewel-tone neon hues borrowed from the years when Al Capon, Winston Churchill and Elizabeth Taylor strolled the streets.

However, besides its atrium of glamorous hotels, big on style restaurants and significantly historic buildings, Miami Beach is the perfect neighborhood to settle down and raise a family. Helming its own government and distinct geography from South of Fifth to South Beach, Mid Beach and North Beach, potential buyers have an overhauling sum of properties to choose from varying from single family homes to luxurious mansions and amenitized condominiums with private beach access. Widely recognized as a ribbon of natural and man-made barrier islands and private gated communities, the real estate market in Miami Beach extends west to the exclusive bay islands of Fisher Island, Star Island and Palm Island - Hibiscus Island (spanning 82 acres with twin guard gates) off MacArthur Causeway, the Venetian Causeway islands from Belle to San Marino and a string of Sunset Islands running parallel to North Bay Road. High-profile names such as Alex Rodriguez, Gloria Estefan, Shaquille O’Neil, Rosie O’Donnell, and Kanye West have called this sultry neighborhood home, coining it a residential hotspot just beyond the Atlantic waters and Biscayne Bay.

An uncommon vision of sun beaten estates where vacation becomes permanent and hospitality is a madcap world of newfound entertainment, Miami Beach defines exhilarating luxury. Incorporated on March 26, 1915 and initially founded in 1870 when father and son Henry and Charles Lum purchased the uninhabited land for 25 cents an acre, Miami Beach has since transformed into a reimagined arena of five-star restaurants, high-end storefronts, extravagant hotels, and exciting museums. Ambitious cultural venues punctuated throughout the area comprise of the Miami Beach Convention Center, The Fillmore Miami Beach at The Jackie Gleason Theater, New World Center, Miami Beach Cinematheque, The Wolfsonian, Jewish Museum of Florida, Holocaust Memorial of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation, The Bass and Art Basel Miami Beach, the nation’s top annual art fair.

Steeped in history, residents can wander the streets of Ocean Drive, the epicenter of the Miami Art Deco District which stretches from South Pointe to 15th street and explore the plush Versace mansion or tuck their toes into the adjacent sand. Lincoln Road, entrepreneur Carl Fisher’s forest turn shopping mecca, is the idyllic pedestrian walkway to spend a lazy afternoon. Eight blocks of retail therapy from east to west, Lincoln Road is a display of fashionable shops including 7 For All Mankind, Intermix, Jo Malone London, John Varvatos and Nike. A flight of impressive eateries and outdoor cafes are also dotted throughout Lincolon Road such as Juvia, Meat Market, Shake Shack, Yardbird Southern Table & Bar and London’s own Chotto Matte. Casa Tua, a beautiful Italian restaurant and private members only club, is a South Beach must try for a romantic evening or celebratory dinner.

Outside of South Beach, diners can explore a vast trove of restaurants closer to Mid Beach such as The Forge, Malibu Farm or Scarpetta at the iconic Fontainebleau Miami Beach, where David Grutman’s LIV Nightclub lends pride of place. South of Fifth, Miami Beach’s quaint oceanfront hideaway, offers the upmost in gastronomy with Prime 112, Prime Italian, Joe's Stone Crab, Smith & Wollensky and Estiatorio Milos. Vibrant discotheques that are all about the ethos include Basement, Story, Living Room, Rockwell, and Saxony Bar. Additional hotels which offer elegant dining, lounges and pool decks comprise of W South Beach, The Setai Miami Beach, The Miami Beach edition, 1 Hotel South Beach, Eden Roc Miami Beach, Delano South Beach, Faena Hotel Miami Beach and Loews Miami Beach Hotel.

South of Fifth, an oceanfront enclave that is transformed into a haven for modern condominiums, is Miami Beach’s prized possession. Featuring direct access to the beach and walkability to some of the neighborhood’s most prestigious restaurants, this small pocket of land is incomparable to any other area on the beaches. The most coveted buildings in the area include 321 Ocean, Apogee, Glass, Marea, Ocean House Murano at Portofino, Murano Grande, ICON South Beach and the Continuum dual towers. New additions to the South of Fifth comprise of Louver House, One Ocean, and Three Hundred Collins. Specifically, unique to the neighborhood are the contemporary townhomes that feature the added amenity of private garages.

Blending sophistication with family comfort, Miami Beach now presents residents with the option of Sunset Harbour, a micro neighborhood extending from Alton Road on the east to Biscayne Bay on the west. The newest and most pedestrian friendly area, Sunset Harbour is populated with a fusion of high-powered fitness studios like Flywheel Sports, Sweet 440, Barry’s Bootcamp Miami Beach and Anatomy and under the radar upscale restaurants peppered with gourmet star chefs. Here, residents can experience the optimal chic laidback vibes with a culinary road map of new and old eateries including Pubelly Noodle Bar and Sushi, Delicious Raw, Naiayara, Icebox Café and Lucalis. Picturesque views off the Sunset Harbour Yacht Club, with slips available to large vessels and yachts, make for a pro-yachtsman’s dream come true.

Boasting everything from natural beauty inside the masterfully renovated Miami Beach Botanical Garden to the relaxing South Pointe Park, adventure awaits with unlimited private country clubs, playgrounds, dog parks, tennis courts and Miami Beach Golf Club’s 18-hole course designed by Arthur Hills.

Nationally ranked public schools and private schools are tucked away throughout the beaches. Highly acclaimed options include North Beach Elementary, Nautilus Middle School, Miami Beach Senior High School, Lehrman Community Day School, The Montessori Academy at St. John’s, The Cushman School and Miami Country Day School. Adding value to family living, Miami Beach is an excellent neighborhood to settle down with a strong sense of community and effervescent spirit.