For most who don’t live in the area, Miami immediately brings up associations of the white sand beaches and parties of South Beach. The entire island of Miami Beach sees the main bulk of tourists due to its proximity to the coastline and large concentration of beachfront hotels.
The downtown core of the city, meanwhile, stretches from the Miami River to the south and the MacArthur Causeway to the north and brings in a diverse mix of those coming into the city for everything from business, the arts scene or one of the up to 10 cruises departing from Port of Miami on an average day.
And while the downtown core has battled concrete jungle and “stop on the way to the rest of one’s vacation” stereotypes for decades, downtown Miami is a powerhouse of cultural and dining establishments that make it a great destination from which to start getting acquainted with the city in its own right.
Where to stay, eat and party in downtown Miami
For those needing to stay closer to the financial center or looking to switch up their annual trip to South Beach with a stay in downtown Miami, the 51-story Gale Miami Hotel and Residences opened its doors two years ago with luxury apartment-style rooms in a modern ocean-style décor and expansive balconies with views of both the Bay of Biscayne and the city skyline.
The rooftop pool is the perfect blend of that urban-beach aesthetic with a sprawling pool deck opening up onto the port and the historic Freedom Tower. The bottom level of the hotel is also home to the Casa Gianna upscale Italian restaurant serving dishes like Florentine Steak and Lobster Fra Diavolo alongside a selection of pizzas and pastas.
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Other top restaurants to try in downtown Miami and the Brickell neighborhood also considered part of the urban core but separated by the river include funky Vietnamese eatery Tâm Tâm (try to book a reservation at least two weeks in advance), Niu Kitchen serving innovative tapas dishes like an upscale cold tomato soup and mustard ice cream and the underground cocktail bar Over Under.
Gale Miami Hotel and Residences
So many art installations, Port of Miami and a literary fair in the fall
For aviation fans, Sky Coffee Buenos Aires in the Brickell neighborhood is a coffee shop built in the fuselage of an old Boeing of a former Delta MD-88 plane that owner Rosana Bentos purchased after it was decommissioned. You enter the plane’s cabin and pass through the aisle to place an order of hot drinks and pastries to then carry it out into a lush courtyard full of nooks for enjoying it built around the aircraft as a central piece.
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If you come to the city from a colder place in November for some early sun-seeking, downtown Miami also transforms into an outdoor book market for the Miami Book Fair taking place over the course of eight days every year. Along with blocks and blocks full of stalls run by both major and indie book sellers, the festival brings top literary minds from all over the country for book talks, music performances and author meetings.
But regardless of time of year, the downtown area is the best place to experience the arts in places like the Pérez Art Museum Miami for contemporary 20th and 21st century art and nearby Bayfront Park full of colorful statues. For retro Cuban flair (and food!), Little Havana is also within walking distance while the Bayside Marketplace is the open-air shopping area that is also home to the Skyviews ferris wheel that has become another iconic sight of the downtown Miami skyline.
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