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Aventura Coconut Grove Coral Gables Florida Life Miami Beach Palmetto Bay Pinecrest Things To Do

10 Things To Do In Miami In October

I love October in South Florida.  Not only does the weather start to tease with occasional cooler, drier temperatures, but it is the official start of our art season.  Although we now have cultural activities year-round with our monthly art walks, museum exhibits, and great musical programming at the Arsht Center and venues throughout South Florida, we really kick into high gear in October.  Here is a list of some venues to try in October:

  1. Soundscape movies every Wednesday starting in October through December 18 at the New World Symphony (free)
  2. Wallcasts October 5 & 25 at the New World Symphony (free)
  3. Sounds At Fairchild October 6, 13, & 20 at Fairchild Tropical Garden
  4. Barnacle Under Moonlight Concert October 11
  5. Diavolo’s Transit Space Dance October 12 & 13 South Miami Dade Cultural Arts Center
  6. Ruthless, the musical October 18, Actor’s Playhouse
  7. Artists At Vizcaya October 19 at Vizcaya Museum and Gardens
  8. Wine on Harvest Moon October 19 at the Deering Estate
  9. Jazz at Pinecrest Gardens October 26
  10. New World School of the Arts Repertory Dance Ensemble October 30 at the Aventura Art and Cultural Center

In case you have a free day in October with this calendar,remember most of our museums have free days every month.

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Pinecrest Things To Do

Tomorrow is WineWednesday at Anacapri Restaurant in Pinecrest

WineWednesdays at Anacapri
WineWednesdays at Anacapri

Tomorrow is the second Wednesday in September, which means it is time for WineWednesday at Anacapri Wine Bar in Pinecrest.  If you have never been, you are in for a treat.  $10 is all it costs to sample dozens of wonderful wines from around the world.  They also have  food to sample while you are sipping wine and socializing with friends.

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Buying Hurricanes

Flood Insurance…Do You Need It?

Many areas in Miami are in flood zones and, if you are purchasing a property with a mortgage, you will be required to carry flood insurance.  However, there are many areas in Miami that are not considered flood zones.  I received a little flyer from FEMA letting me know that although I am not in a flood zone, I am less than a mile away from  a high-risk flood area. According to FEMA, this means that I have at least a 1-in4 chance of flooding during my 30-year mortgage.

Considering how cheap flood insurance is, as low as $129 per year if you are not in a flood zone, I think it is worth getting.  Especially in storm-prone South Florida.

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Florida Life

Happy Labor Day!

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
Kayaking at Chapman

Have a wonderful Labor Day, celebrating the great Florida outdoors!

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Things To Do

Last Week Of Summer Vacation — Things To Do With The Kids

Take time to enjoy the last days of summer by enjoying some of the activities we tend to take for granted as locals.

 

Pinecrest Gardens – Splash and Play, petting zoo

Matheson Hammock – kayak and paddle board rentals

Venetian Pool – swim

Shark Valley – bicycle ride, nature photography

John Pennekamp – snorkeling, glass bottom boat tour

Visit a water park – slides, swim

 

 

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Florida Life Miami Beach Restaurants Things To Do

Eat, Drink and Be Merry! Miami Spice Runs Through September 30

Sorry, I forgot to give you a head’s up that Miami Spice was starting on August 1!  I was so busy planning my eating schedule, that I neglected to post, but you are not too late, it runs through the end of September.

I started my Miami Spice circuit by visiting a restaurant that I love for their great happy hours, The Forge on Miami Beach.  Since I wanted an appetizer, main dish, and dessert, I did go for the Miami Spice Menu, which is a bit limited.  If you want to skip the appetizer or dessert, you can still get a great meal for $39 from the main menu, without the wine of course!

I had the Chilled Shrimp Gazpacho appetizer,  the Oak Grilled Hanger Steak, and the Turron Nougat Cheesecake.  Everything was delicious and the Gazpacho and Cheesecake are not on the regular Forge Menu.  The beautiful interior and amazing chandeliers round out the dining experience.

 

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Florida Life Things To Do

Free Things To Do In Miami In August

Okay, there are a lot of free things to do in Miami that don’t revolve around the beach or window shopping.  In the summer time, free days are offered at a variety of local venues so take advantage and go explore our home town.

August 2 Planetarium Star Show 7 p.m.

August 3 ArtCenter Studio Crawl

August 7 Free Day at Fairchild Garden

August 12 Gables Gallery Night

August 17 Free Day at Deering Estate

August 30 Cultural Friday Gallery Walk

Casimiro Gonzalez- El Color de la Musica
Casimiro Gonzalez- El Color de la Musica

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Brickell/Downtown Miami Commercial Real Estate Florida Life Miami Beach Neighborhood News

New Buildings Mean New Architecture For Many Areas of Miami

With all of the new construction, both currently under way and proposed, comes new architecture.  Here are some new non-residential examples.

Miami Beach Convention Center - proposed by South Beach Ace
Miami Beach Convention Center – proposed by South Beach Ace
Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science
Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science

 

Dadeland Mall - Kendall
Dadeland Mall – Kendall

 

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Palmetto Bay Things To Do

Tomorrow is Fee-Free P.L.A.Y Day At Deering Estate

Looking for something to do with the family this weekend?  Start out tomorrow with a fee-free P.L.A.Y  Saturday at Deering Estate in Palmetto Bay.  P.L.A.Y stands for Preservation, Learning, Adventure, Year-Round and the day incorporates all of these in a beautiful, bay-front setting.

View from the Deering Estate
View from the Deering Estate

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Coconut Grove Coral Gables Florida Life Key Biscayne Palmetto Bay Pinecrest Things To Do

Bike 305 Aims To Form An Interconnected System of Greenways, Bike Lanes and Trails

I recently visited Ecuador and enjoyed running on the Chiquinan Trail, a 20 km bike and running trail converted from an old railway trail.

Chaquinan Trail
Chaquinan Trail

While I was running, I thought it would be great if Miami-Dade had something similar.  I was thrilled to find out it does, though most of it is still in the making.  It is called Bike 305 and so far 130 miles, out of the 5o0 planned, have been completed.  The current routes include Key Biscayne, Coconut Grove, Coral Gables, Pinecrest, Palmetto Bay and Cutler Bay.  I have run along several of the routes, without even knowing it was part of a grander plan to interconnect greenways, bike lanes, and trails.  I look forward to running more portions of the route as they come on line!

Bike 305