A Local's Guide to Miami Neighborhoods

Miami is commonly thought of as being just a beach. But in reality, Miami is a huge sprawled city with many neighborhoods, some which are very touristy and some of which are local areas that you probably want to avoid.

The Miami you see in movies with people rollerblading in bikinis in front of all the art deco buildings is actually South Beach, which is just one of the many neighborhoods that are part of the beautiful city of Miami. This is the southernmost ten miles of beach which are always full of people day and night. You will find many clubs, bars, beachfront hotels, and restaurants and cafes as far as the eye can see. Aside from access to all these spots, you are also just steps away from the beach.

If you travel more north, you will find Miami Beach and North Miami Beach. Here the restaurants and hot spots are less frequent than the beach's southern neighbor but the beach itself is less crowded. There are tons of hotels in this part of the beach and the more north you go, the cheaper hotels become. The actual North Miami Beach neighborhood, is actually more inland and is a residential community but there is still much to see.

On the way to and from the beach you can see the beautiful downtown. Unlike most cities, the Miami downtown area is great to look at from afar but nowhere you really want to go. Apart from the great skyscrapers that form the Miami skyline and light up the city, there is nothing there for tourists. During the day, you will just see businesspeople moving in and out of the area and after 5 pm, the city becomes empty and quite scary. Unless you are catching a basketball game or a show at the American Airlines Arena (commonly referred to as Triple A), then there's nothing to see downtown.

The city is trying to make downtown a more bustling place with the creation of the Design District, which offers new restaurants, art galleries and tons of furniture stores. Locals refer to this area as the new South Beach. With many bars, lounges and clubs, here you will find a lot to do. You should just be careful you don't step outside the boundaries of the neighborhoods into less friendly areas.

Coral Gables is another one of the city's nicest parts. The streets are kept clean and it's where a lot of the more well off citizens live. There are great, though expensive, restaurants and landmark hotels. It's a good place to drive by and admire. Though, if you're looking for an address in the Gables, I wish you luck, since this is the only part of the city that has no street numbers. All the streets have names and they have no particular order, rhyme or reason.

Coconut Grove is another great place to visit. Clubs in Miami Beach are where the tourists go, and locals go to the Grove. Here you will find great outdoor shopping centers, ritzy hotels, great clubs and bars and lots to see. It's always crowded, especially at night, but it's worth visiting.

Of course, Miami has it's share of residential neighborhoods. The places that visitors either don't know exist or completely ignore. This ranges from the sketchy neighborhoods that you want to avoid at all costs to middle class neighborhoods.

Hialeah and Little Havana are these examples of these neighborhoods. If you couldn't figure out from the name, Little Havana is like a tiny version of Cuba. You are likely to see old men playing dominoes and smoking cigars at any of the parks in this part of town. A lot of immigrants live here because it's cheaper and there isn't much else going on. Little Haiti is the same idea, with a lot of Haitian businesses and Creole food.

The suburban communities in South Miami include Kendall, Westchester, Perrine, Cutler Ridge, and Homestead. There are a lot of malls in this area but nothing that attracts tourists. The more south you go, toward Homestead the more farmland you will see. This is even less populated since they are relatively new neighborhoods and you are unlikely to go in this area if you're visiting unless you are on your way to the Keys or the Everglades.

This is just a quick rundown of what you should expect to see in the different Miami neighborhoods. Of course, there are endless things to say about all the individual parts of Miami. It could take a lifetime to explore all the city has to offer.