Author Archives: consultcorey

Downtown Miami May Soon Welcome M-Tower

Last week Miami’s Urban Design Review Board gave the okay to a new 53-story tower set to be built within the city’s downtown area. Unusually, the project which will go by the name of M-Tower will have plenty of additional public parking but none of these are reserved for the tower’s future residents. The M-Tower is being designed by Zyscovich Architects and will encompass 637,000 square feet pending a few Design Review Board requested improvements. The building will be located at 56 Southwest First Street.

Part of the M-Tower development includes the improvement of a 658-space parking garage located at 70 Southwest First Street that’s over forty years old. The improvements will include adding 160 additional spaces. Upon completion of the garage improvements, it will be returned to the Miami Parking Authority. These spaces are not reserved for residents; they will be required to pay a fee every month to be able to park in garages controlled by the Miami Parking Authority. The move may seem unusual, but it is common in the downtown area.

Those interested in M-Tower but concerned about the parking situation should know that the garage next door to the building will be connected.

Are you excited about what M-Tower has in store?

This update is presented by Miami Beach Realtor Tim Allen of Blackstone International Realty, specializing in Continuum South Beach. If you are interested in Miami Beach condos such as the Continuum condos for sale, call Continuum expert Tim at 305-588-2451 for information on sales and rentals.

Miami Beach’s Light Rail System

Numerous solutions have been devised as a means of combating Miami Beach’s ongoing problems with traffic. During last year’s Art Basel events, the city worked closely with neighboring Miami to create a free Art Basel shuttle that ended up doing wonders in terms of alleviating potential traffic tie-ups during the ultra popular event that sees hundreds of thousands of people descend upon the Miami Beach Convention Center.

The Art Basel trolley was only a temporary solution to a yearly event and the city of Miami Beach is looking to move forward with its plans to introduce a light-rail system. The Connect Miami Beach consortium has gone ahead and released several renderings as to what the light rail system might look like.

Miami Beach’s light rail system would consist of modern looking cars with space for seating as well as standing, sort of an updated contemporary fusion of Miami’s Metrorail and Metromover. These cars will provide varying levels of mobility designed for elderly or disabled passengers, parents with baby strollers or passengers with bicycles. In fact, the cars will include bike racks for convenient storage.

Though the light rail would not require the use of underground cables and will remain largely wireless, the logistics still raise the question as to how this would affect Miami Beach’s congested roads.

Miami Beach Seeks to Honor Ali

Muhammad Ali passed away last Friday at the age of 74, leaving behind an illustrious and legendary career as one of the greatest boxers of all time. In fact, one of his nicknames was “The Greatest” along with monikers like “The Louisville Lip” and “The People’s Champion” and his fights are also among the most famous like the “Thrilla in Manila” and “The Rumble in the Jungle” against Joe Frazier and George Foreman, respectively.

One of the first cities where Ali established himself as a force to be reckoned with was right here in Miami Beach on February 25, 1964 when he fought against Sonny Liston despite being considered the underdog. To remember Ali’s legacy, the Miami Beach City Commission will be considering honoring him with a street and a statue to be named after him. Should the discussions go as planned, Convention Center Drive will be renamed Muhammad Ali Drive and a statue of the boxer will also be erected at the new Miami Beach Convention Center.

Besides the historic match, Ali also trained right here in Miami Beach at the 5th Street Gym located at Washington Avenue. Even after he built his training camp in Deer Lake, Pennsylvania he would occasionally return to the barrier island to work out.

Yoga Comes to Miami Beach

Iyengar, vinyasa, ashtanga, do any of these words sound familiar at all? They’re all the names of different forms of yoga. While these are all common styles in yoga, one of the styles that may be lesser known is kundalini. If you’re a fan of yoga and are looking to try kundalini, you may have missed out on this year’s Miami Beach Kundalini Yoga Festival that took place over the Memorial Day weekend on May 28-29.

Kundalini is distinctive in that its emphasis is largely on music and mantras as opposed to props or specific flows. The sounds of kundalini are intended to uplift and it was brought to the United States from India by the late spiritual teacher Harbhajan Singh, perhaps better known as Yogi Bhajan. Kundalini is particularly beneficial for those dealing with depression or ADHD.

The Miami Beach Kundalini Yoga Festival was held at North Beach Miami Bandshell and included musical performances and yoga plus workshops focused on improving your well-being such as overcoming fears and boosting creativity. If you missed out on this year’s inaugural event, there are plans to bring it back in 2017.

Have you ever tried yoga like kundalini and if so, what was your experience like?

Miami Beach Ramps Up Its Memorial Day Efforts

Memorial Day weekend is happening this week and if past weekends have been any indication, Miami Beach will be swarming with activity from beachgoers to those seeking to party until the late night hours during the extended weekend festivities.

City officials and law enforcement will be ramping up their efforts to keep things fun and safe. In fact, there’s been an elaborate plan in the works since the beginning of the year to manage the crowds and the increased traffic. Beginning on Thursday through Monday of next week, staff will be expanded and it will include Goodwill Ambassador/God Squad volunteers available to answer questions visitors may have and direct them to their destination.

For traffic purposes, the city is creating a loop along 5th Street, Washington, and Collins Avenue. There will also be barricades placed in residential areas and those who live on the island will be required to show proof. Ocean Drive will be closed to traffic beginning on Friday until 7 am the following Tuesday.

If you’re planning on visiting Miami Beach this Memorial Day weekend you should also be prepared to have your license plate read. Police will be using the readers to assist with potential cases of stolen vehicles and other law enforcement violations.

More Great Miami Beach Restaurants

With the spring season coming to an end soon, there’s still plenty of time to get out there and explore new places to eat in and around Miami Beach. With new places opening up all the time and old favorites providing great food, let’s explore some spring hotspots the next time you’re looking to dine out.

Brought to you by the same people behind the Broken Shaker and located adjacent from it, the 27 Restaurant on Indian Creek Drive is a full-service eatery featuring an eclectic menu with food from many different parts of the world including South America, the Middle East, and the Caribbean.

Have you ever heard of an Asian-inspired gastropub in Miami Beach? That’s exactly the experience that awaits you at Pubbelly on 20th Street. Just a couple of blocks to the southeast on Lenox Avenue is Yardbird Southern Table & Bar which has offered great comfort food for five years and counting.

For some great tacos, look no further than Taquiza on Collins Avenue. The grab and go eatery in South Beach serves traditional tacos in tortillas that are apparently so delicious, the restaurant has become the go-to supplier for several restaurants in town.

About three blocks south of Taquiza on 14th Street is La Sandwicherie featuring authentic French sandwiches and salads. It’s one of the few places open until 5 am on weekdays and 6 am on weekends in case you’re in the mood for a late night meal.

Miami Beach Honors Prince

News of Prince’s sudden passing last month at the age of 57 sent shockwaves through the music industry and the entertainment world. The highly talented musician was known for his stage presence and musicianship, and would go on to win several awards during his lifetime including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and several Grammy Awards. In 2004 his musical talents were further reinforced after he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Miami Beach is one of the many cities that will doing their part to remember Prince and his legacy. The city will be screening a live performance from his 2004 Musicology tour at the Soundscape Park tonight at 8 pm. The performance was held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles and marked the beginning of the musician’s successful tour. Soundscape Park is located at 500 17th Street.

If you’ve never purchased one of Prince’s albums, chances are you’ve probably heard one of his signature songs like “When Doves Cry” and “Kiss”, both of which are still played on the radio to this day. Throughout his career he released almost forty studio albums, five soundtrack albums, twelve EPs, and a quartet of live albums. He also reportedly had a vast collection of recorded material that has yet to be released.

The New Plans for Ocean Terrace

Are you familiar with Ocean Terrace? Located near the northern shore of Miami Beach, the two block stretch of Art Deco and Miami Modern buildings overlooking the beach has been around for years but is in serious need of a facelift after falling into disrepair. Residents are eager to see Ocean Terrace rejuvenated, but there have been some hurdles.

Last year a developer tried to campaign for an increase in the scale of allowable development in an effort to breathe some new life into Ocean Terrace. The project would have involved tearing down the majority of the buildings to build a 250-foot condo tower, a series of shops on Collins Avenue, and a 150-foot hotel. The ambitious plans were ultimately shot down, but the developer is now looking to try again with a tweaked plan and a fresh approach.

The new Ocean Terrace plan would salvage a portion of the buildings and would include a 235-foot residential tower, somewhat smaller than the original 250-foot tower that was initially proposed. The new plan would maintain buildings like the Ocean Surf Hotel and the Days Inn while the other buildings would only be partially torn down while maintaining their historic facades. These buildings would be incorporated into the new construction plans.

The Miami Beach City Commission will be evaluating the revised plans on the 11th.

Get Ready for the iHeartRadio Summer Pool Party

Do you listen to iHeartRadio at all? The platform has become very popular for listening to customized radio stations or local stations through your smartphone or mobile device. With its growing popularity, iHeartRadio now includes a music awards ceremony and the annual iHeartRadio Summer Pool Party. In the case of the latter, the event is coming to Miami Beach on May 21st and will be taking place at the popular Fontainebleau hotel.

Those interested in attending the iHeartRadio Summer Pool Party can optionally purchase tickets through one of the Fontainebleau’s BleauLive concert series hotel packages. Currently the rates are $499 per night for a three night package that includes Friday admission to the event plus daily breakfast and one dinner for two at Michael Mina 1974. The two night packages are a little pricier and begin at $599.

Hip hop recording artist and Miami native Flo Rida, Miramar born singer-songwriter Jason Derulo, and American pop rock band DNCE are among the many notable names expected to perform at the iHeartRadio Summer Pool Party. DNCE is currently known for their Billboard top ten hit “Cake by the Ocean”.

Even if you can’t make it to the iHeartRadio Summer Pool Party, the festivities will be broadcast on many iHeartRadio stations and you can also watch the one-hour broadcast at 8 pm on June 1st on The CW television network.

Great Places to Shop on Lincoln Road

Lincoln Road is the undisputed leader in providing the best shopping and dining in the barrier island of Miami Beach. Not only is the thoroughfare full of great shopping and dining, it’s considered one of the best spots to get a feel for the eclectic cast of locals and tourists exploring Miami Beach. People watching is one of the common if unofficial activities on Lincoln Road.

Speaking of shopping, if you’ve yet to visit Lincoln Road you may be wondering what some of the best places are to shop. We’ll begin with the 1111 Lincoln Road building designed by Herzog & de Meuron. Inside this building there are several boutiques including Osklen, MAC Cosmetics, Adidas, Babalu, and more. Besides their products the boutiques are visually captivating.

Looking for something quirky, cool, and hip? Check out Base which sells items by lesser known designers like Miansai jewelry, Tsovet watches, and the artistic objects of Area Ware. Base is located at 939 Lincoln Road.

If you’re looking for a younger and more relaxed vibe than that of J. Crew, make sure to visit Madewell’s boutique. The boutique is the first Madewell in the entire state of Florida and sells great clothes for lounging around the beach. Madewell is located at 714 Lincoln Road.