Author Archives: timallen

Live Music Returns to Miami Beach

Due to circumstances most of us are well aware of, one of the things people have had to go without for a long time now is attending live music concerts. To address this, a well-known Miami Beach hotspot is looking to bring back some tunes to South Florida, albeit with social distancing measures in place.

This past Valentine’s Day weekend, the North Beach Bandshell held a carefully laid out musical performance featuring the musical stylings of Dumpstaphunk from New Orleans, comprised of members of the Neville family. The band even performed a couple of songs from its upcoming album “Where Do We Go from Here?”, set for release in April.

If you missed the performance, there is nothing to worry about. There are more performances planned at the Bandshell in February and through the month of April. The venue is operating a thirty percent, masks and social distancing is enforced, and there is plenty of maneuverability among the seats so that you’re aren’t too close to someone else. Drinks are now ordered via the use of your smartphone and QR codes, ensuring practically touchless contact.

Are you excited to see music return to South Florida? Will you be attending any of the upcoming performances at the North Beach Bandshell?

This update is presented by the Miami Beach real estate team at Blackstone International Realty, specializing in the Murano Grande. If you are interested in Murano Grande for sale, call one of the Murano Grande sales experts at 305-588-2451 for information on buying opportunities and rentals.

Enjoy Super Bowl LIV at These Places

Super Bowl LIV is happening this Sunday and while the safest place to watch the game is at home, you may be thinking about going to a sports bar where you can still watch the event albeit with some social distancing in place. Let’s take a look at a few places you may wish to consider.

We’ll start with none other than the famous Clevelander on Ocean Drive. This Miami Beach staple has several bar areas as well as a massive 20-foot LED screen plus over forty monitors so you can watch the game from multiple spots. Though the pool area is only open to guests of the hotel, there will still plenty of sliders, wings, and more on hand. Plus, if you have a Miami-Dade resident ID, you’ll receive a cool twenty percent discount on food and drink.

Up in North Miami Beach is Duffy’s Sports Grill. Much like the Clevelander, this place has multiple screens on ceilings and walls so you can find the perfect spot to watch the game. Enjoy two-for-one drink specials and have a good time.

In Miami, Grails provides everything necessary for a game day sure to be memorable. There are drink specials each day as well as art, live music, gourmet comfort food, and over fifty screens. A unique feature is a cocktail served inside a mug that looks like a sneaker. Grails can accommodate up to seventy people inside and another 120 on the patio.

Miami Beach Moves Forward With Entertainment District Overhaul

The Cabaret District is where you’ll find iconic Miami Beach and Ocean Drive hotspots like the Clevelander and Mango’s. To crack down on noise issues, Miami Beach Commissioners recently voted that noise must be reduced by 2 am. The blocks nestled within 9th and 11th Streets have been excluded from Miami Beach’s excess and unneeded noise ban to the east for years. To the north, south, and west, compliance with noise restrictions was also required, but they were permitted to blast music into Lummus Park to the east, which is currently free of homes or hotels.

As part of his campaign to redesign the Entertainment District of Miami Beach to do away with an atmosphere he deems “anything goes”, the city mayor suggested withdrawing the noise exemption, a move the businesses claimed would force the many tourists who travel to the famous entertainment venues from all over the world to visit other places.

Commissioners also agreed to raise the fines for breaching Miami Beach’s Sidewalk Café Code of Ethics, which contains bans on activities such as peddling to attract consumers to eat or drink at a restaurant, dishonest business tactics such as ambiguous “menu specials” and noise rule infractions. The law was first voted on last month, but has since been further reinforced, making it a little simpler to renege the repeat infringement permit.

New York Descends on the Beach

Miami Beach, already recognized for its abundant variety of diverse restaurants, is getting an even greater the taste of New York as new names will soon arrive on the barrier island. Leases for a quartet of restaurants set to debut in Miami Beach were newly completed by Major Food Group, the first of these being Carbone, which will eventually welcome guests where the former Upland once stood. The restaurant would share a prime location close to South Beach’s Prime 112 mainstay and Joe’s Stone Crab, a longtime favorite.

An Italian-American menu with a selection of “red sauce” dishes will be launched by Carbone, already a success in Manhattan. It will stand out by empowering guests with portions planned for sharing to take special requests. This includes naming only a few, monster veal Parmesan and spicy rigatoni. The restaurant ambiance strikes something of a balance of that of a mom and pop experience while fusing elements from a nightclub.

In the Miami Design District, Major Food Group is also focusing on the opening of new eateries, taking over the spaces once owned by Ember and Kaido, two promising restaurants by acclaimed Miami chef Brad Kilgore that unfortunately did not make it because of the difficulties caused by the pandemic.

Construction Will Soon Commence on Beachwalk

Early next year, construction will commence on the last section of the Beachwalk, an oceanfront promenade extending more than six miles that will stretch the full length of the barrier island, from the South Beach area to North Beach.

Upon its completion in spring 2022, the Beachwalk will extend from South Beach’s popular South Pointe Park through Lummus Park and will continue in a northern direction before it ends at North Beach Oceanside Park. The segment that has yet to be completed is nestled between 79 and 87 streets.

The Beachwalk scheme of the city is part of the wider Greenway of the East Coast, a walking and biking path that runs from to Key West for well over 2,700 miles. This pedestrian and cycle infrastructure facilitates alternative transit and links parks, cultural facilities and commercial hubs to the city. In the Miami Beach section of the East Coast Greenway, this project is the final connection. A 25-foot-wide paver pathway, lighting for turtles, and salt-tolerant plants are included in the final section.

Over 250 trees will be replaced as part of the expansion, including 183 palms that conflict with development or are in bad health, but the reduction will be more than covered by the installation of 433 fresh, native and Florida-friendly canopy trees chosen for their marine climate hardiness and environmental perks.

This update is presented by the Miami Beach real estate team at Blackstone Interanational Realty, specializing in the Murano Grande. If you are interested in Murano Grande for sale, call one of the Murano Grande sales experts at 305-588-2451 for information on buying opportunities and rentals.

Luxury Italian Brand Is Coming to South Beach

If the name Bulgari (stylized as BVLGARI) sounds familiar, you likely have some degree of knowledge of its products. The Italian luxury brand is known for its jewelry, fragrances, and accessories, to name a few.

Back in 2001, Bulgari teamed up with Marriott International to launch its hotel brand, appropriately dubbed Bulgari Hotels & Resorts. Today, the hotels are found across several resort destinations throughout the world, and Miami Beach will soon become a part of the exclusive list in 2024.

Indeed, the South Beach area will have the honor of being the first location in the United States to boast Bulgari luxury hotel, to be located on 21^st Street. The 100-room hotel is being designed by architect Albert Anis and will feature a “modernist” design that evokes the 1950s. In keeping with Bulgari’s focus on glamour, the firm of Antonio Citterio Patricia Viel will take care of the design.

The majority of the rooms at the Bulgari hotel will be suites and amenities will include a large outdoor swimming pool and spa plus a fitness center. The major highlight, however, may be the robust food and wine options. The hotel will have a restaurant featuring a menu by Italian chef Niko Romito, who has earned three Michelin stars.

Big Changes for Miami Beach Hotels

Some major shakeups are happening in the world of Miami Beach hotels and this time, it includes three of its most well-known places.

The Sagamore, Ritz-Carlton South Beach, and its similarly named counterpart Ritz-Carlton Bal Harbour now belong to the same family and are owned equally by several groups, including Lionstone Group based right here in Miami.

The new ownership is part of a broader plan to eventually combine Ritz-Carlton South Beach and the Sagamore by the time 2024 rolls around. However, there are no definitive plans yet as to whether Sagamore will retain its branding or fall under the Ritz-Carlton umbrella. As for the Bal Harbour location, there are plans to make improvements to the public areas while also boosting events revolving around art.

The Sagamore will also receive extensive renovations, including room updates that will feature marble countertops. The number of rooms will also be reduced to convert existing ones into larger suites. Services are also expected to receive upgrades to better match those offered at the Ritz-Carlton.

You can read more about the changes in store for the Miami Beach hotels by visiting https://www.miamiherald.com/news/business/real-estate-news/article247103367.html. Are you excited to see the changes? How do you feel about the Sagamore possibly becoming a part of the Ritz-Carlton?

Several South Florida Restaurants See Success

In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic was not generous to the restaurant sector, prompting many of them to shutter their doors or make improvements to accommodate guests while keeping social distancing in mind and taking other steps into account. But some restaurants beat the odds and came out on top, according to the website Restaurant Business. Among its 2019 list of the 100 most financially profitable independent restaurants, several restaurants in South Florida earned spots on the list, including a Miami Beach hotspot well-known to locals.

A Miami Beach restaurant not only made the list but also won the top placement. The honor is bestowed on Prime 112, the steakhouse that is known among celebrities for its success. Last year, the Ocean Drive eatery raised almost $24 million and served more than 200,000 meals, with the total bill hovering about $135.

The Asian-themed Komodo in the Brickell section of Miami, which prepared over 250,000 meals and accumulated $22.5M, is a few positions below Prime 112. The sushi restaurant Makoto in Bal Harbour, Key Biscayne’s The Rusty Pelican, and the fashionable Swan in Miami are other noteworthy restaurants that ranked on the list.

To read more about the list of restaurants and their ranking, please visit https://www.miamiherald.com/miami-com/restaurants/article246832446.html.

Miami Beach Tries Slow Streets

Have you driven through Miami Beach’s Flamingo Park neighborhood recently? If so, you may have noticed some roads stating something along the lines of being open solely to local traffic. You may be surprised to learn that it’s not due to yet another construction project. Instead, it’s part of a thirty-day pilot program dubbed Slow Streets, a concept that’s seeing greater adoption as people stay home and do more activities near their homes such as walking or biking.

The idea behind Slow Streets is fairly simple. By taking advantage of streets where traffic usually low, these streets can be turned into pedestrian and biking friendly experiences by converting them into one-way roadways or roads that are only open to residents and delivery vehicles. Residential parking remains unaffected, social distancing rules are in place, and drivers are asked to slow their speed. Some of the roads in Miami Beach that are part of the program include Pennsylvania, Lenox, and Jefferson Avenue.

Although Slow Streets only began recently, it has received a positive response. Miami Beach follows in the footsteps of cities like San Francisco, New York City, and Seattle that are also giving Slow Streets a test run.

Curfew Changes Are Now in Effect

For those of you that like to stay out late, you may be pleased to hear that Miami-Dade County made some changes to its curfew this week. The 11 pm curfew has now been moved an hour to midnight, giving you more time to enjoy experiences in cities like Miami Beach before the curfew goes into effect until 6 am. During the curfew, only healthcare workers, the media, or authorities are allowed to be on the streets.

As Miami Beach follows suit, you may be curious as to how this might affect dining experiences in the barrier island. Despite the curfew extension, city officials are still requiring that restaurants close for indoor dining. However, the option to purchase takeout or have the food delivered remains.

Speaking of dining, in case you were unaware, Miami Beach’s revised restaurant guidelines allow restaurants to operate at 100% capacity provided that the tables are kept at least six feet apart from each other. These tables are limited to no more than ten people.

Are you excited to see curfew extended by an hour? Maybe you’ve gone dining since the restrictions were put in place. What was your experience like as cities make calculated efforts to return to a sense of normalcy?