Bad sections of Miami + Must sees
 

We'll be in Miami soon and plan to explore the city. Are there any areas we should avoid? What are some of your favorite haunts? Views? Cafes? Outdoor areas? We will have a rental car. Pls and thanks.

Of course, you have to go to South Beach to see the scene.

We liked Vizcaya, the Miami History Museum, having lunch on Calle Ocho--at Versailles, I think.

Go to Little Havana for some great Cuban food. Bayside Marketplace has some fun and neat little shops & restaurants. South Beach for shopping, eating, and beach.

Any feedback regarding Lincoln Road pedestrian area in Miami? Also has anyone gone to Key Biscayne to view Miami at dusk???

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Lincoln Road is nice. Lots of tourists and restaurants with outdoor seating. Great place for people watching.

Key Biscayne at dusk, right off the Causeway, will give you some very nice views of Brickell / Downtown. If you prefer to be in a restaurant there, the Rusty Pelican has an enviable location on Key Biscayne and they have outdoor seating where you can have drinks, although the food isn't the greatest, imo. There's also a beach restaurant serving good seafood at the park at the far end of the island.

If you like gardens, there is a great exhibit at Fairchild Tropical Gardens. The guy is a famous glass artist, and he has installations all over the gardens. Without them, the park is spectacular, with the installations, I think it's a unique experience definitely worth it. Close to Fairchild, is Matheson Hammock, a small beach, with a nice restaurant - Red Fish Grill. It's good.

Coral Gables is nice to walk around, there are many good restaurants there, my favorite is Ortanique. Enough in the area for a drink before dinner, a nice place for dinner, nightcap/dessert afterwards.

An out of the way place that's pretty real Miami is Garcia's on the Miami River. Great fresh fish, in a totally non-touristy working area of Miami. Get directions before going. The view from the Mandarin Oriental is also very nice, and I know that some of the new hotels/buildings on Brickell have bars/restaurants/lounges on higher floors that will have nice views.

Areas to avoid are never an easy answer to give because it's hard to paint any area with such a large brush. But, for Miami, as a general rule of thumb for a tourist, there isn't much in the NW area of Miami and there are areas there that aren't great.

Our daughter goes to college at the University of Miami in Coral Gables. It is 7 miles outside of Miami. Very Upscale shopping and a really cool swimming area called the Venetian Pool. The city of Miami is great too. The Miami beach area, specifically South Beach, has a wonderful art deco district. If you are traveling with small children beware of the topless sunbathers you may see. Bayside Marketplace is fun. Lots of outdoor entertainment and interesting shops. You can take a boat tour on the bay of stars homes (Gloria Estefan, Shaq O'Neill, Rosie O'Donnell, etc). Coconut Grove is a little outside of the city and is a nice family night spot. Movie theater, shopping, restaurants. Monty's Raw Bar is a very inexpensive restaurant on the bay. Have fun! There is so much to do!

Great advice, Jeri. Especially amcc.