Whether you've been here for a short time or your entire life, Miami is never a place anyone is happy to leave. Its unique, tropical climate breeds a carefree nature that keeps you captivated while you're here and craving it after you've gone. Few other cities can rival the number of #takemeback throwbacks over Miami, which in all honesty is the true gauge of quality destinations in this day and age.
Driving past the skyline
That drive down 95 South to its end has everyone from tourists to natives feeling some type of way. The neon colors of the buildings flash far too quickly for anyone to enjoy the full euphoria of their beauty, thus allowing each spectator to relish in the discovery of new and arbitrary nuances each time. From South Beach to Brickell or from Key Biscayne to Coconut Grove, it simply never gets old.
Boat days in the Bays
If you don’t have a good friend that owns a boat, you have a good friend who has a good friend who owns a boat. Let’s not forget the plethora of cheap catamarans, booze cruises, and paddleboard rentals at hand almost any time of the day, any day of the week. The water is always in shades of light blues and greens and never gets truly “cold” to standards elsewhere in the world. If the ocean is the garden to the villa of Miami, its boats are the flowers that decorate it.
Monty’s Happy Hour on a Friday evening
Sipping a half-priced frozen margarita or pk3 and eating Mahi-mahi under a Tiki hut is enough to make anyone feel like he or she’s on vacay. Couple this with live music and a watercolor sunset next to a yacht marina, ad one would liken this experience to an ideal honeymoon in St. Thomas. Except this is just a typical end of the workweek for you as you wind down on a budget with good vibes and even better friends. The bar scene may get a little busy near 8:00 as everyone attempts to get the last of the special, but the aura of the locale stays positive and vibrant as Miami shifts into the weekend.
Miami Time
Running late for anything has never been less stressful. The quarter-hour of leeway factored into everything you do has both saved your slightly dysfunctional self, as well as perpetuated your bad habits for procrastination. The New York minute will most definitely be a shock to your 305 internal clock.
The internal love-hate struggle locals have over LeBron
July 11, 2014 was a dark day for Heat fans everywhere, OGs and bandwagoners alike. The city mourned and scorned the loss of its beloved small forward and the end of the “big three” era. It was an awkward transition that summer as murals of LeBron’s face were still plastered on buildings around Miami while he was so lovingly embraced by Cleveland. The feelings of betrayal are real, but the city will always hold dear those four seasons where the Heat was as lit as Drake with the aux cord on the way to the club.
Afternoons in Crandon Park
When the weekend workload is light and the weather is characteristically beautiful, nothing is more fitting than driving across the bridge on Biscayne as you weigh the pros and cons over meeting at North or South and quickly scramble amongst everyone in the car to get enough dough for parking. The swaying palm trees and wandering peacocks give your hometown beach spot an island feel as you walk past a family gathered under a picnic shelter for Maya’s fifth birthday. You lay out your towels on the sand next to the lifeguard hut and walk into the warm water, avoiding the patches of seaweed on your way to the sand bar. Families and friends alike have taken the shaded spaces underneath the palms, leaving you to enjoy your time in the sun before the heat gets the best of you. The thirst becomes too real about an hour in, and you thank God for your responsible friend for bringing a 25 ounce Swell to share. You leave lethargic, slightly burned, and apprehensive of the rush hour traffic, yet at the same time most content with your decision to spend the day on Biscayne.
Being every artist/entertainer’s favorite destination on their tour
From Ultra and Miami Music Week to LIV and STORY, our world-renown venues and diverse audiences aren’t the only attraction for big names to go MIA; Miami has vices beyond the imagination that even the most A-list of celebrities look forward to indulging in. E11EVEN’s beautiful women, the Fountainbleau cabana scene, the docks of Star Island, and the delicacies of the Bazaar by José Andrés are just a few of the most beloved affinities of the world’s most beloved people. It’s never a downside to have your favorite artists frequenting your city multiple times a year, regardless of their ulterior motives.
Wynwood
What a time to be an open-minded millennial. The walls always serve as a prime destination to take family and friends, as well as a go-to place to update your prof pic with a guarantee to get 100-plus likes. In all seriousness, the murals and galleries of the area are just the facade of a new-age culture in Midtown Miami. The bars have become one of your favorite places to hit on Thursdays and weekends outside of your regular Brickell and SoBe hubs, and the restaurants and small businesses are some your favorite gems of the city. Following the arepas at Artwalk and drinks at Gramps on Saturday nights, you also try to get your workout in at Love Life Wellness Center whenever you have a chance to pull yourself together.
The “heat”
You complain when summer hits and the humidity becomes utterly unbearable, but come early winter anywhere else in America, you will want nothing more than the South Florida sun and a pool to cool you off within walking distance. Your skin has color year-round, and every restaurant you eat at in January has a comfortable outdoor seating area. Going out never needs a weather check because your entire closet solely filled with outfits of minimal (and breathable) fabric. You may miss the seasons at times, but if you’re being honest with yourself, summer was always your favorite season anyway.
