Properties that were in communities near public transportation with frequent routes did 42% better in maintaining their value than those that were not near public transportation. As real estate sales in Miami continue to rise, neighborhoods near public transportation are some of the areas with the tightest inventories.
Many communities, such as Brickell and Coral Gables, have added trolleys and many suburban communities, such as Pinecrest and Palmetto Bay, have added People Movers.
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.
With all of the new construction, both currently under way and proposed, comes new architecture. Here are some new non-residential examples.
You know what they say about real estate, location, location, location, and boy does 1542 Drexel Avenue #205 have it. Location: 2 blocks from Lincoln Road. Location: 1 block from Espanola. Location: 3 blocks to the Ocean. In the heart of Miami Beach, yet on a quiet, low traffic street, this fully furnished unit is the perfect Miami Beach Pied-A-Terre. Rarely available one bedroom. The last one bedroom for sale in this boutique building was in 2011!
If you are looking for an investment property instead of a weekend get-a-way, the last fully furnished unit that rented in this building was a studio that rented for $1500 per month! Listed for sale, fully furnished (minus the art work) for $170,000.
Several recent articles have highlighted the issue of preservation vs private property rights. I want to clarify that I am for historic preservation of relevant buildings but I think if it is done retroactively, it infringes on private property rights.
Both the Miami Herald building, sold to Genting Malaysia, and a Robert Browning Parker home in Gables Estates, currently listed for sale by Helen Nicastri of Coldwell Banker, have come before preservation boards with different outcomes.
A home in north Gables on Minorca and another in Miami Beach on Star Island are further examples of preservation boards trying to designate properties as historic when new owners purchased the property and applied for demolition permits.
If a property is designated as historic, it cannot be torn down and there are restrictions on the amount and type of renovations that can be done. You can check with local preservation boards to see if the property you are purchasing is on their list prior to purchasing, but if it is not on the list should a local board be able to designate it when you apply for permits to demolish or refurbish? To protect your investment, if you are planning to purchase a property built in the 1920’s-1960’s (Old Spanish, Art Deco and MiMo architectural styles) and want to renovate or demolish it, contact the local historic preservation board during your due diligence/inspection period.
Whether you are in town for Miami Art Week 2012 or just visiting Miami to enjoy our beautiful city, you will want to visit one of these restaurants. Although Miami is surrounded by water, there aren’t that many waterfront restaurants. In my opinion, these are, in my opinion, the best waterfront restaurants in Miami.
Smith and Wollensky at South Pointe Park, Miami Beach
Il Gabian0 at Met One
Azul at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel on Brickell Key
Crazy About You at the Mark
Gibraltar at the Grove Isle Hotel and Spa
Red Fish Grill in Matheson Hammock Park, Coral Gables
The James Royal Palm Hotel is the perfect place to kick off Miami Art Week 2012 before the opening with Art Miami on December 4. The James Royal Palm not only features “An Ocean Apart,” a carefully-curated art collection curated by Lauren Rottet, it also supports an Artist in Residence program for local emerging artists, and has a rich history.
Art@TheJames includes Alex Prager, Carrie Sieh, Gavin Perry, Gerry Stecca, Portia Munson, Stephanie Jaffe Werner and Troy Stanley.
What do Prime One Twelve, Prime Italian, Nemo, Shoji Sushi, The Big Pink, and Prime Hotel and Lounge have in common? They have great food, are great for spotting celebrities, are some of the trendiest spots on South Beach, and in case the word “Prime” in three of their names didn’t give it away, they are all part of the Myles Restaurant Group which is owned by Myles Chefetz
There are a lot of great breakfast spots in Miami, from Wagon’s West in Pinecrest; Greenstreet and Peacock Garden Cafe in Coconut Grove, and one of my favorites, The Big Pink on South of Fifth. But for Sunday Brunch, I want something a little more extravagant. Here are some of my top brunch spots from Coral Gables to Miami Beach:
The SouthFloridaGourmet.com has a much more extensive list of locales serving brunch in Miami
The moment you drive onto the Venetian Causeway, you know you are somewhere special. Stress melts away as the blue waters of the bay and intracoastal invite you to relax. Belle Isle is just steps away from all of the restaurants, shopping, nightlife, and beaches of Miami Beach. Overlooking Belle Isle park and bay, Island Terrace Condo is a Morris Lapidus building located right on the water.
5 Island Ave., 8B is an updated 1 bedroom, 1.5 bath unit, just listed for $260,000. Come live the south Florida lifestyle!