Miami!

Been to Miami, FL for a conference! It was a tropical coastal city with unique demographic distribution and crazy urbanization.

Overall

Here’s the map of the city. During the conference, I stayed primarily in the Downtown area. Had some time to venture out into Key Biscayne, Brickell, and South Beach. There are two unique things about Miami compared to other coastal cities: It is connected by bridges to quite a few islands nearby, and it is mostly populated by Spanish-speaking people.

The neighborhoods of Miami

Key Biscayne

The internal view of Key Biscayne

Key Biscayne is the island at the bottom-right of the map. (The islands here seem to all be named as “Key + X”.) I visited it on my first morning there. Originally, I wanted to take the bus to Historic Virginia Key Beach Park. Although the bus was full, no one came down near that place. I was curious where they were heading so I stayed on the bus. It led me to Key Biscayne Beach.

Miami skyline – view from a bus

Surprisingly, the beach is highly private. Walking into the beach feels like I was trespassing into private areas – I might in fact have done it. I walked through a luxurious hotel hall before reaching a beach.

A rare time seeing the ocean in the US!

Seeing the ocean is refreshing. It reminds me of my childhood sitting behind my dad on his scooter, staring at the ocean in Nha Trang and awing at how vast the world is. There I am, at the other side of the world after all those years.

The beach is actually boring, with no people nor interesting activities. Only a few rich-looking people (excluding me) walking around.

Downtown Miami and Brickell

The next few days during the conference, I spent most of the time commuting in the traffic of the downtown.

A unique building right at the heart of Miami

Time to complain about the transportation: We originally hoped to use public transport primarily. But in our first trials, the buses were stuck in the traffic a lot, so we got concerned because we didn’t want to be late for our presentations. The train system is also confusing, with two brands running separately – the Metromover (free, but limited range) and the DADE system (purchased, reaching farther). Asking the guides at the stations didn’t help much because they all pointed to different directions. Even worse, the QR-code scanners at train stations do not work well. The guard had to spend a minute to help each of us scan our codes.

The only highlight of this area is the abundance of food. During the first few days, we explored ourselves and all came to bad restaurants. But the conference’s handbook led us to a good one – Coyo Taco. They serve quality tacos for a good price. There I learned at “Mexican soft drink” is just a synonym for Coca Cola.

Beef and shrimp tacos

Duck tacos! Notice how each dish has a different type of wraps.

Lastly, we should talk about the Bayside Marketplace, which is supposed to be a nice little bay facing area. But it is very noisy and filled with all types of restaurant and shops. There were no place for us to sit down and enjoy the view in silence without cost. That’s when I learned Vietnamese coastal cities have done such a great services to the tourists.

Bayside Marketplace, with a good amount of boats and restaurants. I can hear the noise from this photo.

Little Havana

Being told by an informant that Little Havana is where Camila Cabello grew up (thus the song ‘Havana’), I went there for a dinner at one day. We chose Habana con B and it was pretty good! We ate some “Empanadas”, salad, then “Flan Cubano” and “Copa Lolita”. Cuban food is much more sweet than usual. But the waittrest was extremely nice and helpful.

South Beach

While Key Biscayne is a private beach area, South Beach is a public beach place. It was nicer with more people and activities. But the restrooms are so poorly cleaned, and there are no shade on the beach despite the intense sun.

Buildings in South Beach are very cute. They are short, put together as if they are tall buildings in a populous downtown area. That gives a retro sense to me.

For future trips to Miami

• Only buy the transit pass when you are sure that the free Metromover cannot cover your needs.
• The bus system is densed, but they are usually stuck in the traffic. Taking metromover + walking is the best free option.
• Don’t go to the malls for food. Go to Little Havana for Cuban food. Also, take a look at the restaurant recommended by this handbook (page 470).
• Don’t go to the beach during day time. It is sunny and empty. Aim for 4-5 PM onwards.
• Try the clubs :)