Our apartment is on floor 8, so we don't need those black bars, thanks.

April 12, 2006 11:29 AM

Help me love Miami.

I'll be moving to Hollywood, FL on June 1. I lived on the FIU's main campus 7 years ago. I didn't know how to drive and I didn't drink, so I didn't get to explore much. I still don't drink much, but I do drive, and I'm willing to explore via public transportation.

I knit, I cook, I want to sew more than a pointy kitty here and there and I will share an apartment near Young Circle. We know that we can walk to Publix and that there are some pretty good places to eat near our apartment. We know that we will be close to his campus. We don't know a whole lot else about the area.

He plays guitar and some other instruments and will be entering grad school. So, where are your favorite places to hang out, read, play music, buy guitar strings, etc without getting shot?

posted by bilabial to Human Relations (6 answers total)

I live in Miami, FL and have so for 25 years. I am 25 actually. By the way, if I am writing a little weird is because I have a fever. anyway, you seem to have similar interests as I. I am very proud of Miami because it has grown so much and has something for everyone. If you want to hear jazz: I go to Jazid, Van Dyke's, the information is on the web. I have also been going to FELT on the beach as well to listen to bands. To read I go to the most beautiful park in SO FLA, Kennedy Park in Coconut Grove. To buy guitar strings, there are plenty of major music stores in the area that you can google. Besides that there are plenty of art museums, a spectacular museum of science with a Titanic exhibit. Fairchild Tropical Gardens also has a great exhibit. A winery was just built down south that makes exotic fruit wines like starfruit and mango. You can look all of this up online. Also I love Matheson Hammocks. All good places, I hope I was some help.
posted by Gabe014 at 12:03 PM on April 12, 2006

Clarify for us, please - you mean Young Circle in Hollywood, right?
posted by phearlez at 12:07 PM on April 12, 2006

Response by poster: Yes, phearlez, I will be moving to Hollywood, and my apartment is near Young Circle, your are correct. I imagine that part of my learning to love Miami will be to learn to not refer to the Places that Miami bleeds into as "Miami." But I expect that we will also be spending time in Miami, so recs for Miami and Hollywood are welcome.

Thanks again.
posted by bilabial at 12:17 PM on April 12, 2006

So where to start? Miami (or at least the interesting places to go to in Miami-Dade (ne Dade) County) is about 40 minutes south of you. Ft. Lauderdale is about 20 minutes north of you. You'll probably have a better time visiting the latter. Traffic sucks, if you can, avoid driving during rush hour at all costs.

Fairchild Gardens is south of Miami (the city) by a bit and the Museum of Science is on the southern edge of the city. Both are worth going to at least once, but do yourself a favor and don't go to Fairchild in the summer. The heat and humidity will kill you if you aren't used to it. If you are into (generally good) hipster music and good (but expensive) art and furniture the Design District just north of downtown Miami is great. Churchill's in Miami proper is great for live music (maybe the best spot in So. Fla.). It's in a run down neighborhood, but it's worth the drive and the (short-lived) anxiety.

Unfortunately I know next to nothing about your interests and specific hobbies.

There are also at least a few Miami threads on Ask.Me with more advice.

Oh, and you will learn to love linen. It is absolutely the best material for clothing in So. Fla's climate.
posted by oddman at 2:39 PM on April 12, 2006

Wasn't trying to pick on you Bil, just didn't want to suggest stuff in Kendall if you're that far away.

As oddman says, there's nice stuff north and south of you. The City of Hollywood has a nice webpage with some resources to look at and you should also make use of the excellent MyFlorida website for general FL information and links.

This site has a little we-love-hollywood-beach page with some stuff in it.

I'm a little more familiar with the kinda bland but more upscale Pembroke Pines area that's to the south and west of you. It's soulless but there's a ton of shopping and restaurants. Straight south on US1 is Aventura, also kinda pland but full of restaurants.

As a fellow FIU graduate I may be somewhat biased but I think FIU's north campus wouldn't be the worst place to hang out and spend some time. I've killed many an hour sitting out watching the bay there and nobody looks twice at someone strumming a guitar on a college campus. If you never made it up there, you should go look at least once. It's an astonishing counterpoint to the crazy amount of paving on south campus.

And I think there's a Guitar Center right off 95 just south of you for those strings.
posted by phearlez at 3:04 PM on April 12, 2006

Oh, and if you're a sushi fan at all you are not too horribly far from Taisho in Sunny Isles. It's not the best sushi you'll find but as an all you can eat place goes it's pretty good and the value is excellent, or was.
posted by phearlez at 3:07 PM on April 12, 2006