Miami for 2 days
 

My family and I (4 adults and a teenager) are planning to extend our Floriday Keys vacation by a couple of days to explore Miami. We will be driving back from Islamorada on Saturday afternoon and our flight leaves in the evening on Monday. Any suggestions as to what to do and where to stay? We are not interested in night life and after a week in the keys we would probably have our fill with beach/water activites

What kind of budget? There are some great hotels downtown, including the Intercontinental, the Epic, and the Hyatt Regency, but they can be expensive and have high parking rates. Miami also has some other great hotels in areas like Sunny Isles (the Acqualina comes to mind).

But I sense from you post that you are saying you don't want to pay a premium for staying on the beach. In that case, you may be interested in some of the mid-range chain hotels in the Coral Gables/Coconut Grove area. There's a Hampton Inn, a Courtyard, a Four Points, but most of these also charge for parking (about $20 a day, but these hotels are typically much cheaper than anything in South Beach or even Downtown). If you have a car, the city is easily reachable, but parking still costs in Miami regardless of where you go.

What activities would you be interested in? Shopping, golfing, spas?
Give us an idea to better guide you.

The hotels in Miami are indeed pricey. We are now looking at the possibility of renting a place from airbnb. We found two possible places so far. They are both quite reasonable - $350 for two nights including parking. One is in Miami Spring and the other is near Viczcaya station. Please let me know what you think abou the areas.

We are interested mostly in experiencing Miami culture and enjoying unique food. We would probably not be interested in spending more than a half a day at the beach since we would be doing lots of that in the keys already. We will not be doing any golfing or spending time at the spa. We will have the use of a rental car.

Found another place in the Upper East Side, near Wynnwood. All the reviews look OK except for one person who said that the area is sketchy and there are gang member walking around at night!!!

Miami springs is a lovely neighborhood, but out of the way with absolutely nothing to do.
Wynwood is sketchy. Very hip and happening, but sketchy nonetheless.You could visit wynwood walls and try one of the many restaurants that have opened up in the area, but I would choose somewhere else to stay.
I would vote for the one near the vizcaya station. This would put you close to several interesting areas. You could start by visiting Vizcaya. Our own little European villa, is quite beautiful and worth a visit. You could also visit Coconut Grove, a once bohemian laid back town that has metamorphised into a sprawling urban jungle, with shops theaters, restaurants, etc. Lots of sidewalk cafes and plenty of opportunities to people watch.
Also within easy reach are Key Biscayne,where you can have lunch with an awesome view of Miami at the Rusty Pelican and later watch all the hobie cats off of hobie island.
Coral Gables is within a 20? Minute drive with the beautiful Biltmore hotel as its centerpiece. I believe there are tours available on the weekends.
Lastly,you are just down the street from the Brickell area. The new Brickell city center offers 2 hours free parking
Plenty of food for thought. Hope it helps. Let me know if you have any questions.

Thank you for your input. What do you think about staying near the airport? We found a place that is cheaper and newer there than the one newar Vizcaya.

What side of the airport? I guess it depends on how much your willing to drive to do things. Do you have a neighborhood or address? I have a feeling you might be talking about the west side of the airport, Doral?

I won't get an address until I book the place. The only thing I know is that it is in the Flagami area. It looks like South of the airport somewhere between NW 42th Ave and NW 57th Ave and NW 7th st and NW 3rd st

I guess it depends what you want. Its definitely not a touristy area. I would say it's a 100% working class, latin, family neighborhood. It's not 'un safe' its centralized in that you're close to both 836 & 826, but you would have very heavy traffic in that area for both morning and evening rush hours. You would be close to Coral Gables and you would definitely get a taste of our Spanish culture.
Hope this helps. If you have more specific questions let me know.

Thank you, Maella, for your input. Per your suggestion, I will go ahead and book the place in Vizcaya area.

Great! Hopefully you are within walking distance of the station which can take you to the brickell/downtown area in a jiff. If you decide to go to Coconut Grove it would be best to take your car as the station is no where near the heart of the action. Hope you enjoy your visit and that the Abnb is awesome!

We are definitely walking distance from the station. Looking forward to experiencing all the places you have suggested.