The Miami New Times has published the 26th iteration of their annual Best Of Miami issue, stock full of the best, most interesting, most unusual, and most eye-opening of everything Miami has to offer. The New Times' Best of Miamis of years past have always been well researched, surprising, and very educational, so let's see if this year is up to snuff, shall we? Here follows a selection of the New Times's Best pics and, well, Curbed's commentary:
Best Nightlife District: Park West and Downtown Miami
This has long been the 'hood where Curbed Miami parties, when we go to clubs and that sort of thing, which isn't all that often anymore honestly. In fact, the height of our clubbing days was our senior year of high school. And this neighborhood is where we went on prom night. After things wound down at the InterContinental Hotel's ballroom we trucked over here in suits and prom gowns and partied it up at what was then called I/O Lounge. It's good to hear the neighborhood still has its spunk.
Best Art Walk: Second Saturday Early
Go before the mad throngs that turned this into a mainstream big time event that scares away the artsy people get there. Apparently all the galleries open at noon now. Good advice.
Best Art Gallery: Locust Projects
Congratulations to Locust! They, as much as any other gallery, created Wynwood.
Best New Theater: Miami Theater Center
The old, rather stogy but comfortable Shores Theater (your editor appeared on the stage there in the chorus of one song of Oliver Twist for an elementary school assembly once) has come alive as Miami Theater Center with live action theater as well as movies put on by O Cinema.
Best Party Venue: the Alfred I. DuPont Building
Umm, yes! That grand, art deco banking hall that people can rent out for parties and weddings now, in the center of downtown Miami? Most definitely.
Best Blog: Transit Miami
They're very good but, umm, hello! What about Curbed? Plus, they may have already won it once. Either way, okay, congrats to the great Transit Miami.
Best Feud: the Hochsteins versus the Miami Design Preservation League
Most definitely. See Curbed Miami archives for a rundown of the insanity.
Best Place To Get Stoned: The Imperial Parking Garage
Yet another plus for the ever useful 17th Street Parking Garage, where there's always a space. P.S. Since when was it called that?
Best Bookstore: Paperback Book X-Change
Holy shit, a bookstore we haven't heard of. Considering how few bookstores Miami has, that's pretty rare.
Best Public Restroom: Nordstrom At Dadeland Mall
Something worth remembering.
Best View: Standing On The Old Docks Of Watson Island
Soon to be commercialized, possibly, by the construction of Island Gardens, this walk will lose its serenity. But on the plus side, a whole lot more people will get to see the spectacular view.
Best Mile Of Miami: Collins Avenue Between 60th Street and the 41st Street Bridge
Ahhh, a real classic, the northern half of this stretch was the original (and the only area that we indefatigably give the title of) Condo Canyon. The Southern half, where Collins Avenue runs along Indian Creek, is an equally majestic palisade of condos and hotels with a view to the homes of Pine Tree Drive across the water. While a bit of a superhighway, the drive is magical and the walk at night is equally as spectacular.
· Miami New Times' Best Of Miami 2013: The Sunshine Strikes Back [Miami New Times]