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Art Deco District
Tourists with a taste for art should visit the Art Deco District in Miami.  It lies between 24th Street and First Street in Miami Beach, walled off on the east side by the Atlantic Ocean. After the revival of the artistic atmosphere of South Beach in the 80's the entire area is taking on a quaint carnival atmosphere native to a seaside town. The area is historical of course, and contains some of the most interesting architecture and usage of colors in buildings you'll ever see. They are not exactly 'beautiful' in the traditional sense, on the contrary. You would think that the usage of different peachy shades of beige, turquoise, purple, periwinkle and other like colors will create a rather hideous looking district, and yet it does not, it seems to belong some how. The entire district looks like a huge never ending festival. This area was scheduled to be demolished and new buildings were to go up in its place, but a lady by the name of Barbara Baer Capitman and her friend fought hard to keep the district alive, and more importantly intact. Finally in 1979, Art Deco got its second chance; it was finally granted a listing on the National Register of Historic Places. Once that was taken care of, the rebuilding and refurbishment of the area began, and the district is preserved as you see it today, a blooming center for tourism, night life and the biggest money maker of all, the hotels. The district is considered to be on the cutting age of Miami's cultural and nightlife scene. And yet, there is still a feeling of peaceful elegance in some of its establishments, seen in hotels such as the cozy Lily Guesthouse and the quiet elegance of the Blue Moon Hotel. If you think Las Vegas is the only place with theme hotels, you need to check the Art Deco hotels. Their architecture are great examples of the Deco era, it's like walking into a life-size museum, an entire district full of exhibits.
Some refurbished hotels feature rooms that maintain their exact style, look and feel; it's as if you stepped back in time.  For those who are unfamiliar with the term, Art Deco refers to a type of art and life style that is a blending of ancient Greek, Egyptian, Mayan motifs, cubist painting and sensibilities of the industrial machine age. Born during the Weimar Era in Europe, the style flourished everywhere worldwide throughout the 20s and 30s, influencing everything from commercial to home furnishings and very importantly the architecture. The Miami Design Preservation League organizes a yearly event in January called the annual Art Deco Weekend to celebrate the Deco heritage of this town. During the festival you will be able to shop for deco antiques, vintage clothing, artwork and music from days gone by. Begin your exploration of Art Deco at the Welcome Center. You will find a lot of information including materials such as maps, pamphlets, books, t-shirts, postcards, mugs and other tourist trinkets. The center is open from Mondays to Saturdays, 9am to 6pm. Once you have found as many "must see" flyers as you can carry, take a walk along Ocean Drive. Here you will find the best views of Art Deco's colorful hotels, bars, sidewalk cafes and of course the exotic denizens of the District. Then cross on over to Lincoln Road and window shop at the funky art and antiques stores along that street. There are also cafes and other galleries here as well. The oldest surviving building in Art Deco is the Community Church, on the corner of Lincoln and Drexel Avenue. The church dates back as far as 1921 and was the first church in the neighborhood. Once you are done doing the day time tour of the city, take a break and eat dinner at the fine local restaurants. Now, the nightlife begins, there are numerous bars and clubs to choose from, or you could just go bar hopping!
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Writer: Sunita D.
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Nearby Spots: Vizcaya Musuem and Gardens · Aventura Mall ···
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