An Elevated Miami Afternoon
Getting There - Miami
SkyView Miami
After a ten-day self-imposed lock down following tropical storm Eta, the first rays of sun showed up on our eighth-floor balcony reminding us that there are plenty of backyards still to be explored. We find that during current times, backyard explorations are our best recipes for de-stressing. This time we left the car at home and used Miami public transportation. Since moving to Midtown Miami, we are finding that using public transportation to get around town, especially downtown and Miami Beach, can be not only a convenient solution, but a fun experience as well.
Recently we downloaded the Miami Trolley application to our phones. The Biscayne line passes right under our building. We can track the trolley on the phone, see where it is at any given moment and when it is estimated to arrive at our station. The Miami Trolley system has 14 different routes with some overlapping stations from as far north as El Portal, as far south as Coconut Grove and as far west as SW 72nd avenue. We hopped on the southbound Biscayne line and boarded the Miami Metromover at Omni Center (see video above and pic 1-2). The Metromover is an elevated train that loops around downtown. There are two additional loops, one that begins and ends on 15th Street and NE Miami Avenue and the other at the Financial Center on Brickell and SW 14th Street. All three are interconnected. There are stops in all the major points of interests such as all the major Museums, Government Center, Brickell Ave, Bay Front Park, and the Arscht Center. The Metromover passes by Biscayne Bay, in between the major Downtown and Brickell Avenue high rises and riding it felt like our first Disney World Monorail some years back.
Our first stop was Government Center a two-minute walk to HistoryMiami Museum. Located in the Miami Dade Cultural Plaza it is the second oldest cultural institution in south Florida and is a Smithsonian affiliate. Currently only the North building is open with three interesting exhibits: A black and white photo exhibition of historical moments in Miami. Many of the photos captured our attention especially the one from the 1920’s of the corner of Flagler street and 12th Avenue flooded by rains. Some things in Miami never change. The Whitman Family Gallery focuses on the contribution of the Whitman family to Miami Beach over a hundred years period, from recreational boat building, commercial real estate (Bal Harbour Shops) and the Oscar winning documentary produced in 1952 “The Sea Around Us”.
The entire second floor is dedicated to “Tropical Dreams, People’s history of south Florida” covering the journey from the first arrivers 10,000 years ago to current times through major historical milestones. We were touched by the model of Buena Vista line street trolley with a sign posted “State Law – White Person Seat from Front”(pictures 3-5). It is recommended to make reservations online as the museum paces visits to comply with social distancing. Worth noting: The museum offers some of the most intriguing historical walking tours conducted by Chief Historian Dr. Paul George, currently offered only virtually online Due to Covid-19. Also, the museum and the Mediterranean style Cultural Center Plaza can be rented for social or corporate event (see contact information below). A nice surprise was the free admission in efforts to promote visits. Thank you HistoryMiami.
*If using a cell phone, hold phone horizontally for better view of photos
From the museum we continued to Bayfront Park and stopped at spots worth mentioning. The Miami Dade Courthouse right across the museum was completed in 1928 and at the time was the tallest building in Florida. Construction had to stop after the 10th floor was completed when the building began sinking. Only when additional concrete was poured to support the original pilings, construction continued (picture 6). Walking through downtown, we observed major restoration projects of early Miami buildings alongside construction sites of major high rise commercial and residential projects.
We stopped at an inner courtyard on the southwestern corner of SE 1st Avenue and SE 1st Street. The Courtyard is home to several restaurants with Greek, Mediterranean, Italian, and Brazilian themes. We frequented Meraki Greek Bistro and Alloy Bistro Gourmet prior to COVID-19 and were never disappointed. For COVID-19 purposes there are plenty of outside seats resembling a scene from a Mediterranean village (picture 7).
Our next visit was Skyview Miami Observation Wheel, Miami’s own version of London Eye. One can get there with a short Metromover ride from Flagler Station across the street from the restaurant courtyard or a 15-minute walk. Miami new Ferris wheel is 200 feet tall with 42 airconditioned gondolas. Located waterfront adjacent to Hard Rock Café, it provides magnificent views of Miami as far as the eyes can see. The ride lasts 15 minutes during which the wheel spins several times. Even though it was a windy day, the ride was smooth and pleasant. The gondolas are thoroughly cleaned between rides and social distancing at the boarding ramps is strictly enforced. We will certainly be back for an after dark ride (pictures 8-9). When the ride was over, we were ready for a bite. Smadar packed our picnic backpack with lunch and coffee and with so much waterfront in the downtown area, we had no problem finding a spot for a picnic. We walked north to Maurice A Ferré park and found the perfect spot in the garden between the Frost Science and Perez Art Museums(Pictures 10-11).
Our Trolley has a stop on Biscayne Blvd right in front of the Museums and ten minutes later we were at home (picture 12). Note that Miami Beach has four different Trolley routes. They all remain in Miami Beach. However, the S bus that looks just like the trolleys, can be taken from Omni Station to South Beach. Additionally, the Metromover connects to the Metro Rail at the Government Center Station for a continuing ride either to Dadeland or Miami International Airport. Other interesting places along our route are the Frost Science Museum, The Arsht Center, Perez Museum and Freedom Tower to be discussed in future articles.
The Trolly and the Metromover are free of charge, the Museum was free, our lunch was brought from home and our only expense was the Skyview Miami Observation Wheel, $14.95 per person Florida Resident discount. Not bad for an exciting Sunday afternoon.
Important Links
Miami Trolley (or download to your phone from the play store)
All the places mentioned above practice social distancing. The trolleys have designated seats to be left empty. The museum schedules interval entries and the Skyview Miami has separate boarding spots at least six feet apart from each other.
We hope you will find downtown Miami as exciting as we did.
Join us next time as we discover Miami one backyard at a time