Living In Miami Beach - The Perks

Miami Beach is a city in Southeast Florida, on an island between Biscayne Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. The area was originally a mangrove swamp. Now, almost everyone knows where "America's Playground" is, and 3 out of 5 people would no doubt have Miami Beach in mind.
A lot of folks have different reasons for moving to Miami Beach, and this include experiencing the city's frequently sunny skies and diverse cultures, entertainment venues, food, and its glamorous hotel strip.
Since Miami Beach is a truly diverse city, where people from all walks of life converge and choose to live, there is a wide range of available real estate properties to choose from. A prospective home-buyer's options would include locations from the ocean to the bay, and structures from small apartments to seaside mansions.
Improved Real Estate Market Livens Up Miami Beach
The property market picture in Miami Beach has dramatically improved from the old conventional low-rise Miami Beach units to larger, more opulent and elegant high-rise condos which have prices starting from the $300,000 price range to over the 5 million dollars. Currently, real estate properties on the South Beach district are situated in the extravagant Art Deco District, and encompasses 16 city blocks.
The properties in this area are surrounded by more than 800 unique buildings of distinct style consisting of hotels, restaurants and apartment buildings, which have inspired the rebirth of this historic and glitzy neighborhood. The Art Deco District attracts celebrities and socialites, as well as baby boomers and the trendy single folks who enjoy the lively and diverse night-life, outdoor cafes and restaurants along Ocean Drive. The place is also well-suited for singles and young families who enjoy the urban lifestyle and savor convenient walks to the local beaches, stores, clubs and restaurants.
The Perks Of Living In Miami Beach
The benefits of living and owning real estate in Miami Beach include being close to nine miles of sandy, palm-fringed 300-foot wide beach fronts, as well as plenty of places to swim, sunbathe, fish, jet-ski, and do other water sports. This area is perfect for both sports buffs and sunbathers alike. For avid and casual walkers and joggers, a boardwalk along the northern part of the beach is the perfect way to have an early morning exercise ritual. The city's arts, production and entertainment communities also play a huge part to the appeal of living in Miami Beach.
The city's wide array of recreational facilities further adds to the Miami Beach appeal. The 34,000-seat Convention Hall complex has been host to several national political conventions and the Miami Beach garden center and conservatory has a reservoir of orchids, anthuriums, and ferns. Other notable cultural landmarks include the Bass Art Museum, the amenities of the Cultural Park, and the Wolfsonian, a museum of design. Miami Beach has an affluent history as a trend setting arts center, from the world famous nightclubs of the 50's, to the rich cultural life of today's modern South Beach.

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History of Miami Beach

Miami Beach started out as a plantation tract for coconuts when two entrepreneurs Henry and Charles Lum purchased 160 acres of what is now South Beach. Their little agricultural scheme, however, failed and the land passed on to the hands of John Collins, the New Jersey Quaker who planted the first grooves in Florida. Today, the cypress swamps and alligator infested waters of Florida are restricted to the Everglades national Park, but back in the nineteenth century, much of the land was a marshy waste. First the Army Corp of Engineers then visionaries like Carl Fischer dredged the thick mangroves to create the South's tropical wonder - Miami Beach.
With the city of Miami across the Biscayne Bay already bustling with life, many entrepreneurs recognized the potential of Miami Beach as a residential boomtown. In the year 1912, the Lumnus brothers found the Ocean Beach Realty Company in Miami Beach and the first wave of construction began. The following years saw rapid development on Miami Beach with the "longest wagon bridge in the world" - the Collins Bridge being constructed and the opening of various restaurants on the oceanfront, which included the infamous Joe's Stone Crab. The first hotel in Miami Beach, the W. J. Brown, opened its doors to customers in 1914 and with it Miami Beach has definitively arrived on the traveling scene in the United States.
In the 1996, the city of Miami Beach celebrated one hundred years of existence as an independent, self-sustaining tropical paradise. It its existence, the city has seen two world wars, the elegance and extravagance of the nations golden age - the 1920's, and the tragedy of the Great Economic Depression. Places such as the Art Deco National Historic District, the Cauley Square Village and the St Bernard de Clairvaux Church are just a few reminder of its rich and varied heritage. The real history of Miami Beach is filled in the souls of its people.

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Dinner at Scarpetta, Fontainebleau Resort on Miami Beach

Scarpetta means to drag a piece of bread through the last bit of sauce at the end of your meal in order to clean your plate. What an odd name I thought for a venue that is so not "scarpetta". Quite possibly I could be judging a book by its cover.
Scott Conant, formerly of L'Impero and Alto, is at the helm of Scarpetta, Fontainebleau Miami Beach. This is definitely not your traditional neighborhood Italian restaurant. There are no vinyl red and white checkerboard tablecloths to be found here, no raffia swathed jugs of Chianti plunked down in the middle of the table, no cans of tomato sauce, olive oil and family pictures lining the walls as homey-cometh ambiance. This chic and trendy Italian restaurant features splendid ocean views with a wrap-around veranda delighting the romantic soul. The decor is ultra-stylish and mod. This is where beautiful food is made. This is where beautiful food is presented. This is where the beautiful go to eat. Would the beautiful really "scarpetta"?
The stromboli-type of bread is filled with meats and cheeses exciting and taunting any carb-loving fool into amassing the contents of the bread basket. I thought what an interesting collection of breads, must be for those who "scarpetta". Unlikely though, even the bread is beautiful. Why would you do that to the bread?
Signature Conant gastronomic wonders such as Agnolotti Dal Plin (ravioli) filled with mixed meat and fonduta, mushrooms and parmigiano and Duck and Foie Gras Ravioli grace the menu and the palate, daring you to excite the culinary wanderlust within. The Spaghetti with tomato and basil, very simply put, perfect. Homemade, handmade and the most fabulous carbohydrate provoking item that you will ever put in your mouth. Period. I think I would "scarpetta".
The Creamy Polenta with fricassee of truffled mushrooms will completely and totally bring you to your knees. The smooth and ultra-rich mouthfeel experience of the polenta leaves one breathless; beckoning you for yet another magnificent taste of what could only be heaven. It's right about now that I'm looking to "scarpetta" my fricassee. I think one of my dining companions has taken possession of the bread basket.
The spice roasted chicken served with polenta, porcini mushrooms and liver-almond sauce is definitely not your Mother's roasted chicken. The secret to this insanely luscious and moist fowl dish is that it is slow cooked. Anything worth its salt, if you will, takes time. Slowly roasted, perfectly seasoned and imbibed with just the right amount of marinade/brine offers its captors a truly exquisite culinary experience of succulent tender meat leaving you yearning for just one more taste. The liver-almond sauce is definitely worthy of "scarpetta". Where is that bread basket?
And now dessert, the Coconut Panna Cotta is a refined version of lust in a dish. Sweet, sticky and silky smooth. This caramelized pineapple and guava 'soup' is a velvet cream luxuriating and tantalizing your taste buds; exciting them to want more sweet, more silk and more sticky.

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Miami's Best Luxury Hotels

Miami is famous for two things: beaches and money. If you want to see the beaches and money is no object then there are a vast variety of hotels from you to choose from. But Miami is as much about being seen as being there, so it is best to stay at the hottest hotel if you have the money. The below hotels are the hottest Miami has, offering decadent luxury.

Delano Hotel

When you enter the dimmed lobby with its billowing floor to ceiling curtains and carefully placed mood lighting you know that the Delano is something special. In fact, it's more than that. The Delano is the pinnacle of the Miami hotel scene. It has a private garden and pool which is surrounded by tropical fauna from all over the world which has private cabanas nestled snugly in hidden locations. The real gem of this hotel is the rooftop spa, it offers a plethora of treatments and 360 degree panoramic views of Miami. The Delano is also home to one of the finest restaurants in Miami with the Blue Door situated downstairs. This really is a place to be seen in Miami.

Fontainbleau Hotel

The Fontainbleau has been integral part of Miami's landscape for over fifty years. Set on 20 acres of lush tropical forest this hotel is steeped in fame. Every US president has visited it since it was opened, as well as Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley. It has been the set for a myriad of films including Goldfinger and Scarface. Its grotto style pool with private cabanas which over look that ocean has to be one of its crowning jewels. If money is no object then you should definitely stay on the executive floor which offers luxurious room and a private concierge service.

Ritz Carlton Hotel

Although the Ritz Carlton is a chain hotel and can be construed as an average room for the night, don't be put off, this Ritz Carlton at Miami screams the Miami beach lifestyle. The interior now boasts a $2 million dollar art collection with many originals there on permanent display. It has a world-class spa that has over fifty varieties of treatments including the new practise of personalised massages based on your zodiac sign. The pool scene here is amazing as well, with private VIP cabana service and even a tanning butler to help you reach in-between your shoulder blades.


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Dim Sum Brunch at Hakkasan, Fontainbleau Miami Beach

Dim Sum is the name for southern Chinese cuisine which involves a wide range of light, small portioned dishes including meat, seafood, and vegetables as well as desserts and fruit. Myself and twenty-five foodie friends descended up the glamorous Hakkasan within the Fontainebleau, Miami Beach for Dim Sum Brunch on Sunday it was a deliciously exotic adventure.
The restaurant itself is sexy overlooking the Atlantic Ocean with its nouveau Asian decor and ultra-glam dim lighting, lending itself to the Dim Sum menu of light and small portions; you will not find Pu-Pu Platters of fried shrimp, BBQ spareribs and chicken wings on this menu. Eating here makes you feel sexy and light, a product of the environment if you will, sort of, you are what you eat.
Dishes, bowls and steamed baskets of traditional Chinese fare were passed around the table more times than a great tweet on Twitter. This was my first Dim Sum experience (I know, I know, and the rock I just came out from under is.....) and as tasty as the food was the best part was the sharing. I've said it many times before that it's not always about the food but the company and the experience you share your food with that makes it "the best" meal you ever had.
Our Dim Sum brunch was served family style lending itself to much interaction with our tablemates. The Dim Sum menu we feasted on was Siew Long Bun, Mushroom Cheung Fun, Char Sui Bun and Grilled Dumplings. The essence and textures of each dish was more striking than the next. It was a delicious ride through a Chinese Garden of flavors; spicy, chewy, crunchy, savory, sweet and melt in your mouth soft, these Dim Sum selections made your taste buds dance.
The Stir-Fry selections we had were Braised Tofu and Aubergine claypot, French Bean with preserved olive and dried shrimp and Wild Mushroom hand pulled noodles. When you have the opportunity to sample food out of your "comfort zone menu" you should; you never know....and the Braised Tofu is a perfect example. I'm a texture-girl and tofu just isn't my thing, had it once and decided I can live without it. But the opportunity presented itself in a hot, steamy claypot right in front of me so I figured let's give it another taste. Aubergine is a meaty vegetable that excels in a hot pot because it acts as a sponge, soaking up all the flavors, combined with the braised tofu it was a hearty substantial dish yet deliciously good for you as well, you didn't feel guilty eating this dish. The Wild Mushroom hand pulled noodles, superb! These delicate noodles were perfectly cooked; not sticky, starchy or stuck together, that feat is one most cannot master. This dish alone is worth visiting Hakkasan. The Barbeque dish was King Soya Chicken. Moist and tender, precisely cooked with just the right amount of barbeque flavoring without being overdone or swimming in a sea of barbeque sauce.
And we round out our epicurean Cantonese journey with a Ginger Crème Brûlée. The custard was exquisite. A sweet, creamy rich blend with the contrasting layer of torched caramel thin enough to break the layer with just a tap of your spoon, no using your spoon as a sledge hammer here at Hakkasan. It was a delightful, light ending to a meal that followed suit, everything in balance, everything harmonious, complete Yin and Yang.

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