What to do with a December Sunday in Miami?
December 2, 2013 1:55 PM Subscribe
Due to random business trip scheduling, I will have a full Sunday to myself in Miami in early December. What can't-miss things should I do, see, eat, and bring home with me? Alternately, is there some great cafe or bar for me to hang out at with my AlphaSmart and write? Special snowflake details inside!
Everything I know about Miami I learned from watching Burn Notice. Alas, I'm not aiming to engineer a heist or blow anything up, so it's not particularly helpful in this matter - although if anyone can tell me where I can grab a beer with Chuck Finlay I'd be much obliged.
I arrive very late the night before, so I will quite literally have the whole day. As I currently live in sunny Southern California, "hey! the weather isn't sucky winter!" experiences are not novel, although I do enjoy the odd beach.
I will not have a car, so all will have to be accomplished on foot, by public transit or by taxi. My hotel, near the airport, is already booked.
Things I like: design, architecture, books, handbags (no, really - I am in need of a new one and finding a new one is a two year process for me, just ask under_petticoat_rule), unique jewelry, toiletries from foreign countries, long walks, open-air markets (the sort of thing where craftspeople sell their stuff, although I'm more into modernist stuff and less into "put a bird on it" twee). Epic gardens a la the Huntington Gardens near Pasadena. Also, locally brewed beer.
Regarding dining: interested in breakfast, lunch and dinner but sadly, difficulty level here is rather high. I'm a vegetarian, and I'm allergic to soy and corn. (Yes, really allergic, not just "I don't like this.") I recognize this knocks out a lot of hip dining experiences and may knock out anyplace interesting in Miami, but hey, never hurts to ask! Japanese food is right out and Asian food in general is difficult. Mediterranean food (excluding French) and Indian food tends to be very easy. South American cuisine is a mystery to me. I will happily use Yelp but was also interested in getting local recommendations if any.
Also: if anyone has a cafe or bar they would recommend as a great place to hang out and write for a few hours, I'd love to hear! Diesel Cafe in Davis Square (Boston area) is my ne plus ultra for this, and Angel City Brewery in LA is its beer-fueled counterpart. It doesn't have to be identical to that, however - but comfortable places to sit and write along with a clientele that provides interesting people-watching would be the vibe I'm aiming for.
Sadly, late-night fun is out as I have early-morning meetings.
Thanks to anyone who chooses to answer!
Everything I know about Miami I learned from watching Burn Notice. Alas, I'm not aiming to engineer a heist or blow anything up, so it's not particularly helpful in this matter - although if anyone can tell me where I can grab a beer with Chuck Finlay I'd be much obliged.
I arrive very late the night before, so I will quite literally have the whole day. As I currently live in sunny Southern California, "hey! the weather isn't sucky winter!" experiences are not novel, although I do enjoy the odd beach.
I will not have a car, so all will have to be accomplished on foot, by public transit or by taxi. My hotel, near the airport, is already booked.
Things I like: design, architecture, books, handbags (no, really - I am in need of a new one and finding a new one is a two year process for me, just ask under_petticoat_rule), unique jewelry, toiletries from foreign countries, long walks, open-air markets (the sort of thing where craftspeople sell their stuff, although I'm more into modernist stuff and less into "put a bird on it" twee). Epic gardens a la the Huntington Gardens near Pasadena. Also, locally brewed beer.
Regarding dining: interested in breakfast, lunch and dinner but sadly, difficulty level here is rather high. I'm a vegetarian, and I'm allergic to soy and corn. (Yes, really allergic, not just "I don't like this.") I recognize this knocks out a lot of hip dining experiences and may knock out anyplace interesting in Miami, but hey, never hurts to ask! Japanese food is right out and Asian food in general is difficult. Mediterranean food (excluding French) and Indian food tends to be very easy. South American cuisine is a mystery to me. I will happily use Yelp but was also interested in getting local recommendations if any.
Also: if anyone has a cafe or bar they would recommend as a great place to hang out and write for a few hours, I'd love to hear! Diesel Cafe in Davis Square (Boston area) is my ne plus ultra for this, and Angel City Brewery in LA is its beer-fueled counterpart. It doesn't have to be identical to that, however - but comfortable places to sit and write along with a clientele that provides interesting people-watching would be the vibe I'm aiming for.
Sadly, late-night fun is out as I have early-morning meetings.
Thanks to anyone who chooses to answer!
If you are staying near the airport with no car, your very best bet is going to be to cab it to Miami Beach/Lincoln Road. It is pretty much the only walkable zone in the area.
If the cab drops you off right at Lincoln Road, you can walk down this pedestrian friendly area and catch galleries, food, shopping and the beach. There's also a farmer's market on Sundays and a really great art deco movie theater in the event you want to catch a flick.
posted by nubianinthedesert at 3:01 PM on December 2, 2013
If the cab drops you off right at Lincoln Road, you can walk down this pedestrian friendly area and catch galleries, food, shopping and the beach. There's also a farmer's market on Sundays and a really great art deco movie theater in the event you want to catch a flick.
posted by nubianinthedesert at 3:01 PM on December 2, 2013
This weekend is art basel !!
posted by LaunchBox at 3:24 PM on December 2, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by LaunchBox at 3:24 PM on December 2, 2013 [1 favorite]
Your hotel will have a shuttle to the airport. I'd go to the airport and take the Airport Flyer to Sourh Beach. I'd go to Lincoln Road. Plenty of good food, sidewalk cafes, bars and people watching. Set up and work on your laptop, meet some dogs, etc. Probably the easiest, cheapest thing to do.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 5:46 PM on December 2, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 5:46 PM on December 2, 2013 [1 favorite]
Best answer: You could take a cab to Icebox cafe for brunch on Purdy (near South beach), then maybe kayak for an hour with a kayak rented from South Beach kayak on Purdy. There's something very cool about kayaking around the ridiculous south beach mansions with a view of the Miami skyline. Either way, you could walk a few blocks south to Lincoln Road and walk up and down Lincoln people watching and shopping for handbags. You could grab lunch and browse at Books & Books, the only bookstore in the greater Miami area. (I kid, Miami. I kid. But really, there aren't good bookstores in Miami.) Make time somewhere for a Cuban coffee somewhere in there. You might as well get it at David's II when you're on Lincoln. Did you say no wheat? If you can have wheat I think you should be able to grab a guava pastelito at David's when you're there. You could walk east and do a self-guided or guided Deco tour along and around Ocean Drive. I'd recommend stopping by Big Pink if you make it that far south just for the fun factor - the menu is huge and presumably there's something you could eat there for dinner.
Or go to art Basel!
posted by semacd at 7:20 PM on December 2, 2013 [2 favorites]
Or go to art Basel!
posted by semacd at 7:20 PM on December 2, 2013 [2 favorites]
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posted by jetlagaddict at 2:02 PM on December 2, 2013