Where to Experience Caribbean Culture in Miami

Miami has sun, sand, and sea, but unlike some of Florida's other prime beach destinations, it also has a wave of cultural traditions that spice up the city.

It's with good reason that people in Miami fondly say that the city is an easy way for Americans to visit another country without ever leaving the United States. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, more than half of Miami's population is foreign born and more than 70% speak a language other than English at home (in comparison, only 36.7% of New York City residents were born in another country). The city's Latin/Caribbean immigrants and exiles make up the largest segments of the population.

Locals merrily merge cultural traditions, speaking "Spanglish" (a mix of Spanish and English), sipping Cuban coffee with Sicilian pastries, eating Nuevo Latino fusion food, and dancing to the beat of other countries' music. That said, people here are just as interested in keeping to their own distinct ways—think of the city as a colorful mosaic composed of separate elements rather than a melting pot.

Miami's diverse population creates a city that feels alive in a way that few other American cities do. Nothing is set in stone here, for better or worse, and there's always a new flavor to explore, a new holiday to celebrate, a new accent to puzzle over.

No vacation in Miami would be complete without a visit to at least one of the two neighborhoods famed for their celebrations of cultural traditions—Little Haiti and Little Havana—places that have a wonderful foreign feel even amid cosmopolitan Miami.

La Petite Haïti—Little Haiti

Little Haiti is a study in contrasts. On first glance you see the small buildings painted in bright oranges, pinks, reds, yellows, and turquoises, with signs, some carefully handwritten, touting immigration services, lunch specials on tassot (fried cubed goat) and oxtail soup, and voodoo supplies.

But as you adjust to this dazzle of color, you become aware of the curious juxtapositions of poverty and wealth in this evolving neighborhood. Streets dip with potholes in front of trendy art galleries, and dilapidated houses struggle to survive near multimillion-dollar newly renovated soccer fields and arts centers.

Miami's Little Haiti is the largest Haitian community outside of Haiti itself, and while people of different ethnic backgrounds have begun to move to the neighborhood, people here tend to expect to primarily see other Haitians on these streets. Obvious outsiders may be greeted with a few frozen stares on the streets, but owners of shops and restaurants tend to be welcoming. Creole is commonly spoken; some people—especially younger folks—also speak English.

Getting Oriented

Little Haiti, once a small farming community outside of Miami proper, is slowly becoming one of the city's most vibrant neighborhoods. Its northern and southern boundaries are 85th Street and 36th Street, respectively, with Interstate 95 to the west and Biscayne Boulevard to the east. The best section to visit is along North Miami Avenue from 54th to 59th streets.

Driving is the best way to get here; parking is easy to find on North Miami Avenue. Public transit (305/891-3131) is limited.

Shopping

The cluster of botanicas at NE 54th Street and NE 2nd Avenue offer items intended to sway the fates, from candles to plastic and plaster statues of Catholic saints that, in the voodoo tradition, represent African deities. While exploring, don't miss Sweat Records (5505 NE 2nd Ave. 305/342-0953 sweatrecordsmiami.com), next door to Churchill's Pub. Sweat sells a wide range of music—rock, pop, punk, electronic, hip-hop—plus you'll find unique options from indie and local musicians. Check out the vegan-friendly organic coffee bar inside the store, which is open from noon to 10 pm every day but Sunday. The store also serves as an event space, for everything from live comedy to screenings of music documentaries.

When to Go

The neighborhood is best visited during the daytime, combined with a visit to the nearby Miami Design District, an 18-block section of art galleries, interior design showrooms, and restaurants between NE 41st Street and NE 36th Street, Miami Avenue, and Biscayne Boulevard. Evening art walks in the Wynwood Arts District and Design District are every second Saturday of the month from 7-10 pm.

Mange Kreyol (Haitian Food)

Haitian cooking has similarities to other traditional Caribbean cuisines, which tend to combine European and African culinary techniques. Haitian food tends to be a bit spicier—though never mouth-scorching hot—than many other island cuisines. Rice and beans are the staple food, enlivened with a little of whatever people might have: fish, goat, chicken, pork, usually stewed or deep-fried, along with peppers, plantains, and tomatoes.

Chez Le Bebe offers a short menu of Haitian home cooking—if you want to try stewed goat, this is the place to do it; it's tender and flavorful. Chicken, fish, oxtail and fried pork are also on the menu; each plate comes with rice, beans, plantains, and salad, for less than $12. 114 NE 54th St., Miami, FL, 33137. 305/751-7639. www.chezlebebe.com.

Tap Tap restaurant is outside Little Haiti's borders, but this Miami institution will immerse you in the island's culture with an extensive collection of Haitian folk art displayed everywhere in the restaurant. On the menu is pumpkin soup, spageti kreyol (pasta, shrimp, and a creole tomato sauce), goat stewed in creole sauce (a mildly spicy tomato-based sauce), conch, and "grilled goat dinner." The coconut cream pudding is a smooth and tasty dessert. You can eat well here for $15 or less. 819 5th St., Miami, FL, 33139. 305/672-2898. www.taptaprestaurant.com.

Creole Expressions

Creole is one of Haiti's two languages (the other is French). Based on 18th century French, Haitian Creole is also infused with African, Arabic, Spanish, and Portuguese words. Most, if not all, of the locals here speak Creole, and some speak Creole and French exclusively.

Komon ou ye? How are you?

N'ap boule! Great!

Kisa ou ta vla? What would you like?

Koté? Where?

Mesi. Thanks.

Sac Passé? What's up?

Souple. Please.

Merite. You're welcome.

Little Havana

First settled en masse by Cubans in the early 1960s, after that country's Communist revolution, Little Havana is a predominantly working-class area and the core of Miami's Hispanic community. Spanish is the language that predominates, but don't be surprised if the cadence is less Cuban and more Salvadoran or Nicaraguan: the neighborhood is now home to people from all Latin American countries.

If you come to Little Havana expecting the Latino version of New Orleans's French Quarter, you're apt to be disappointed—it's not yet that picturesque. But if great, inexpensive food (not just Cuban; there's Vietnamese, Mexican, and Argentinean here as well), distinctive, affordable art, cigars, and coffee interest you, you'll enjoy your time in Little Havana. It's not a prefab tourist destination, so don't expect Disneyland with a little Latino flair—this is real life in Miami.

When to Go

The absolute best time to visit Calle Ocho is the last Friday evening of every month, between 6:30 and 11 pm on 8th Street from 14th to 17th avenues. Known as Viernes Culturales (www.viernesculturales.com), it's a big block party that everyone is welcome to attend. Art galleries, restaurants, and stores stay open late, and music, mojitos, and avant-garde street performances bring a young, hip crowd to the neighborhood where they mingle with locals.

If you come in mid-March, your visit may coincide with the annual Calle Ocho festival (www.carnavalmiami.com), which draws more than a million visitors in search of Latin music, food, and shopping.

Getting Oriented

Little Havana's semi-official boundaries are 27th Avenue to 4th Avenue on the west, Miami River to the north, and SW 11th Street to the south. Much of the neighborhood is residential, but its heart and tourist hub is Calle Ocho (8th Street), between 14th and 18th avenues.

The best way to get here is by car. Park on the side streets off Calle Ocho (some spots have meters; most don't). Other options include the free Metromover (305/891-3131) and a cab ride. From Miami Beach the 15-minute ride should cost just under $30 each way.

The Sights

Stroll down Calle Oche from 12th to 17th avenues and look around you: cafés are selling guava pastries and rose petal flan, a botanica brims with candles and herbs to heal whatever ails you. Over there at a tropical fruit stand someone is hacking off the top of a coconut with a machete, while nearby, thimble-size cups of liquid energy (aka café cubano) are passed through the open windows of coffee shops. Small galleries showcasing modern art jostle up next to mom-and-pop food shops and high-end Cuban clothes and crafts. At Domino Park (officially Maximo Gomez Park), guayabera-clad seniors bask in the sun and play dominoes, while at corner bodegas and coffee shops (particularly Versailles) regulars share neighborhood gossip and political opinions. A few steps away is the Paseo de las Estrellas (Walk of Stars). The Latin version of its Hollywood namesake, the strip of sidewalk embedded with stars honors many of the world's top Hispanic celebrities, among them the late salsa queen Celia Cruz, crooner Julio Iglesias, and superstar Gloria Estefan.

Spanish Expressions

Qué deseaba? Can I help you?

Algo más? Anything else?

Muchas gracias! Thank you very much!

No hay de qué. / De nada. You're welcome.

No entiendo. I don't understand.

Oye! All-purpose word used to get attention or express interest, admiration, and appreciation.

The Sounds

Salsa and merengue pour out of storefronts and restaurants, while other businesses cater to the snap and shuffles of flamenco performances and Sevillana tablaos (dances performed on a wood-plank stage, using castanets). If you want to join in the merriment along Calle Ocho, dance with locals on the patio of El Pub Restaurant (Near 15th Ave. 305/642-9942), or snack on tapas at Casa Panza Restaurant (Near 16th Ave. 305/643-5343), where the background music is the restaurant owner's enthusiastic singing. Any time of day, you can hear the constant backbeat of people speaking Spanish and the occasional crowing of a stray, time-confused rooster. To take these sounds home with you, wander over to Lily's Records (1419 SW 8th St., near 14th 305/856-0536), for its huge selection of Latin music.

The Scents

Bottled, the essence of Little Havana would be tobacco, café cubano, and a whiff of tropical fruit. To indulge your senses in two of these things, head to Los Pinareños Fruteria on Calle Ocho just west of 13th Avenue. Here you can sip a sweet, hot cortadito (coffee with milk), a cafecito (no milk), or a cool coco frio (coconut water). For more subsistence, dig into a Cuban-style tamale. There are stools out front of the shop, or take your drink to go and wander over to SW 13th Avenue, which has monuments to Cuban heroes, and sit under the ceiba trees. For cigars, head to Calle Ocho near 11th Avenue and visit any of these three stores: El Credito Cigar Factory (www.elcreditocigars.com) El Rey de los Habanos (www.elreydeloshabanos.com), and El Titan de Bronze. At these family-owned businesses employees deftly hand-roll millions of stogies a year.

Tours

If a quick multicultural experience is your goal, set aside an hour or two to do your own self-guided walking tour of the neighborhood. For real ethnic immersion, allow more time; eating is a must, as well as a peek at the area's residential streets lined with distinctive homes. Especially illuminating are Little Havana tours by Dr. Paul George (101 W. Flagler St. 305/375-1621). A history professor at Miami Dade College and historian for the Historical Museum of Southern Florida, George covers architecture and community history on his tours. Museum educator Pepe Menendez also hosts tours on Cuban culture and culinary traditions. Tours are held four or five times a year, beginning in October through May. Private three-hour tours are available for groups of up to 20 people for $400 ($20 per person above 20 people).

For customized offerings, try Miami Cultural Tours, which specializes in group and private tours with prices ranging from $39-$79. These interactive tours (read: you actually step into each locale) cover everything from Little Havana and Little Haiti to Arts and Antiques and the Everglades. Miami, FL. 305/416-6868. www.miamiculturaltours.com.