The City of Miami Beach is considered as one of the most glamorous urban destinations in America and worldwide as well. The city has districts which abound with a vibrant array of famous resorts, restaurants, hotels and luxurious condominiums and waterfront homes and estates.

This is in large part due to the fact that Miami Beach has been voted several times as having one of the top 10 beaches in the world, and its designation as “America’s Playground” has made it appealing for celebrities, investors, and tourists as well. Miami Beach exemplifies the sunny, active South Florida lifestyle.

Sun, sand, lovely people, partying, and a complete array of water sports. Located across sparkling Biscayne Bay from Miami, Miami Beach is an independent island city complete with local government, police and fire services, hospitals, shopping, parks, and marinas. Most of the housing stock on Miami Beach consists of expensive single family homes on the west side of the island and condominiums and apartments farther east.

South Beach District

The famous South Beach district is a section of Miami Beach that includes the southernmost 23 blocks of an island separating the Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay. Today, it is a major entertainment destination with hundreds of nightclubs, restaurants and oceanfront hotels. The area is popular with both American and international tourists, with German being the third most spoken language after English and Spanish.

The large number of European tourists explains why topless sunbathing is tolerated here, despite being a public beach. Another unique artistic attribute of South Beach is the presence of several colorful and unique lifeguard stands, which are still used today by South Beach’s lifeguards. It’s usually common for tourists to spot celebrities on E! and Access Hollywood, casually sipping drinks and looking really chic at one South Beach club or another.

Ocean Drive is the easternmost street in South Beach. Ocean Drive is responsible for the South Beach aesthetic that most out-of-town visitors expect. This area is a popular Spring Break and tourist area, which includes the famous, yet predominantly local, Pearl and Nikki Beach night spots. It is also home to several prominent restaurants, among them “News Cafe,” “Mango’s,” and the MTV-popularized “Clevelander”, and is also the site of Gianni Versace’s former ocean front mansion. Because of its value as a great spot for people watching, where beautiful women rollerblade in bikini’s and such, it is heavily cruised and parking is hard to find.

World-Class Property Developments

As of 2005, South Beach, as well as Miami Beach, registered one of the highest property values nationwide. Although generally residential, the area is also home to several large scale development projects and large buildings such as Portofino Tower and sister buildings such as ICON (spearheaded by designer Philippe Starck), Continuum, and Murano at Portofino. This area has several notable nightlife destinations, including Opium Garden, Privé, Nikki Beach Club, and Pearl. It also has several smaller, upscale bars and restaurants, including the world-renowned Joe’s Stone Crabs, Smith & Wollensky’s steak house, and China Grill.