When you live in a city like Miami, it can feel like there’s a big party at your house and you’re the only one not celebrating. You’re constantly surrounded on the streets by tourists who have the luxury of time and money dedicated purely to enjoying all that the city has to offer. Unfortunately, this is home for you, not a vacation, so your time is obligated to real life responsibilities like house cleaning and laundry.
What if it weren’t? If you had more time, what attractions would you take advantage of? Here are a few city specialties everyone in Miami should make a point to experience.
Wrecktacular Views
Few places in the New World can rival the South Florida coast as an underwater diving destination. Miami sits at the northern reaches of the Florida Strait, home of the third-largest coral barrier reef system on earth. These underwater cities bustle with life as diverse as that in Miami itself, and in some cases are within swimming distance of the shore. The strait is also lined with wrecks that nature has claimed as wildlife havens – some created and maintained by the state, and others the result of maritime mishaps dating back to the times of the Spanish explorers. Topping all of these sites on the “only in Miami” meter is the Neptune Memorial Reef, a marine mausoleum where ocean lovers’ encased ashes are surrounded by a massive layout of statues, columns and roads inspired by the Lost City of Atlantis.
Further reading: divemiamibeach.com
Catch a Tarpon
There’s always something biting in Miami. Perhaps the region’s most iconic game fish is the tarpon, or “silver king,” a survivor of the dinosaur age that can grow as large as 8 feet and well over 200 pounds. They’re tough fighters and one of their go-to escape moves is to leap out of the water – a thrill to witness as an angler. Tarpons don’t taste great and there are regulations protecting smaller fish, so they should be viewed purely as catch and release fun. If you’re a serious fisherman or looking for a trip with a small group of friends, there are lots of excellent options to charter a boat on the ocean or Biscayne Bay; beginners or those looking for a fun day on a budget can hop on one of the city’s party boats.
Further reading: miamiandbeaches.com/things-to-do/water-sports/fishing
Art Deco Architecture
The pastel colors, retro signage and ornate fountains of buildings in the Miami Beach Art Deco Historic District are for many people the image that comes to when they think of Miami. The hotels and offices in this neighborhood exude 1920s and 1930s elegance and inspire visions of black and white era film stars sipping cool drinks in the lobbies. Thankfully, a number of advocacy organizations and concerned citizen groups worked to ensure these structural icons were protected against “progress” and preserved for the enjoyment of future generations. Among them are the Miami Design Preservation League, which offers walking tours that explain the architectural and historical significance of the neighborhood’s buildings.
Further reading: mdpl.org
The Ancient Spanish Monastery
If you’ve ever experienced the difficulty of putting a Lego set back together without instructions, this build truly seems like a religious miracle. In 1925, William Randolph Hearst was so captivated by an 1141 monastery in Spain that he decided to buy and move it to the U.S. Its buildings were painstakingly disassembled and packed away, stone by stone, in over 11,000 crates for shipment to America. But by the time it had arrived, Hearst’s fortune cratered and the project was canceled. The stones sat in a warehouse for four decades, until a wealthy philanthropist took on the challenge and spent the equivalent of $20 million to put its 35,000 pieces back together in North Miami Beach.
Further reading: spanishmonastery.com
Visit Famous Movie, TV and Video Locations
Sonny Crockett. Tony Montana. Dexter. The list of TV shows and movies that are instantly identifiable with Miami is long and distinguished. It would be easy to pass a dozen famous scene locations on your way to work without knowing it, but a pair of interactive maps created by FilMiami can change that. Browse their Movie & TV Map Tour to scope out sites where you can reenact your favorite moments or take a new profile pic. The site also has a Magic City History Tour map marking the locations of music videos and significant places in music history.
Further reading: filmiami.org/GIS-maps.asp
Get Going!
If any of these ideas interest you, make the time and make them happen. Let your trusted Zabode housekeeping team take care of your home’s insides so you can enjoy more of what you love outside.
Contact Zabode today and book your house cleaning service.
Call or text: 305-537-6666.
Live your life. We'll do the rest!
More Info
Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau