The Guide: Miami

Samantha Brooks

11/01/2005

If you associate miami solely with retirees and tourists, you have not experienced the new Miami. Home to some of the most pioneering residential design and cultural events in the nation, the city hosts a thriving Latin-American art scene and some of the most significant contemporary architecture in the world, with architects competing for both projects and prestige. But despite its wealth of offerings, the city still functions a lot like a small town—where neighbors stop to chat and people are friendly.

The private residence of architect Chad Oppenheim. Photography by Ken Hayden. (Click image to enlarge.)

Lay of the land
Miami is essentially a collection of islands connected by a series of causeways, which means that nearly every property is on or very close to the water. However, while ocean frontage is common, beach frontage is not. The most coveted single-family residences are on the area’s many islands, whose generous coastlines allow enough room to dock a yacht in your backyard. But if it is sand you seek, then head to Miami Beach. The 10 miles of coastline that stretch from South Beach north to Bal Harbour are dotted with a mix of high-end condominium towers and boutique design hotels nestled on white-sand beaches and crystal-clear waters.

A selection of home accessories available at NiBa. Photography by Simon Hare. (Click image to enlarge.)

Real Estate: The High Life
Ocean views may be ample, but land is not, and the finite amount of space has caused buildings to soar upward. To ease the monolithic skyline, the city’s top developers have brought in brand-name architects who have created buildings as artful as they are abundant. In the best buildings, expect to pay $500,000 for a one-bedroom condo to upward of $15 million for a penthouse.


While demand continues to spur supply, even when buildings sell out (and they always do), a vast majority of the units remain unoccupied, fanning concerns that most of the real estate is being bought on spec and that the bubble is about to burst. That has not discouraged such developers as Jorge Perez, whose Related Group boasts a $10 billion real estate portfolio and is one of the most influential and successful developers in Miami. Perez has gained the respect and trust of the city (he is as well known there as any celebrity) for delivering projects on time and on budget. “Miami isn’t a walking city—they say that it’s too hot. But I think it’s because there is nothing to see. The buildings turn their backs on you,” says Perez. “I don’t want to create buildings that stand by themselves. I want them to complement each other and have pedestrian streets in between that create a community.”

Chad Oppenheim’s Ten Museum Park soars 50 stories above the city, overlooking the bay.  Photography by dbox.  (Click image to enlarge.)

Recently, Perez secured the land around Brickell Park to build Icon Brickell, a mixed-use waterfront community with 1,800 residential units and commercial space that will link downtown Miami with Brickell Avenue. As with Icon South Beach, Perez has hired Philippe Starck (of Delano hotel fame) to design the interiors and public spaces. Of Related’s 40 properties totaling nearly 17,000 units in South Florida, the most luxurious is Apogee in the laid-back SoFi (South of Fifth) district of Miami Beach. The 3,100-square-foot units start at $4 million and come with 10-foot ceilings and 1,000-square-foot balconies, an almost unheard-of amenity. Farther north in Sunny Isles, Perez has partnered with Donald Trump and Gil and Michael Dezer on Trump Towers I, II and III, each with 271 units on a total of 900 feet of beach frontage. The units in each of the first two towers sold out within 72 hours.

Units at the Oppenheim-designed Park Lane range from $1.2 million to $6 million. Photography by dbox. (Click image to enlarge.)

Another big player in the city’s redevelopment is Craig Robins, who has been involved in the area since the late 1980s. His company, Dacra, is largely responsible for transforming downtown Miami into one of the hottest up-and-coming areas in the country. His development Aqua on Allison Island has combined three waterfront mid-rise condominiums and 46 modern townhouse residences by architects such as Alison Spear, Alexander Gorlin and Walter Chatham. “It’s the first time anyone has taken principles of the urban design movement and combined them with the best modern architects,” says Robins, who is moving there himself toward the end of 2005, once the project is complete.


Other developers gaining a foothold include Leviev Boymelgreen, an Israeli-backed company from New York, whose leading Miami project is Marquis, a 67-story, 306-unit development in the heart of downtown designed by the local powerhouse firm Arquitectonica. Another is Paradise, whose newest development is Park Lane, a 33-story complex in which each of the 143 condos is a corner unit with loftlike spaces and views of Biscayne Bay. The building is touted as the city’s most amenities-rich development to date, a title it may be able to retain for a while, thanks to the efforts of Chad Oppenheim, one of the city’s most dynamic and compelling architects. Only 34, he has already stamped the city with 20 buildings over the past six years. Oppenheim’s projects range from hip and affordable to high-end and exclusive, but are always on the cutting edge, continually redefining modernism. His designs for buildings such as Ten Museum Park, with its 12 rooftop pools and spalike interiors, and Cube, with its cantilevered boxy units, have dramatically changed the way people view high-rises.

The Beach House is Richard Meier’s first project in Miami Beach.  Photography by dbox. (Click image to enlarge.)

Other upscale developments can be found on “millionaire’s row,” which runs along Collins Avenue in South Beach. Among the top buildings are the residences at the Setai, Canyon Ranch Living, and the Beach House by architect Richard Meier. At the southern tip of South Beach are Continuum I and II, which are set on the last pieces of untouched oceanfront land in the area. Downtown, nothing stands out more than the Four Seasons tower. At 70 stories high, it is the tallest residential building south of New York, and its penthouses offer views of the entire city.

Real Estate: The High Life
 The Related Group, 305.460.9900, www.relatedgroup.com
Icon Brickell, 888.340.9367, www.iconbrickell.com
Philippe Starck, 33.1.48.07.54.54, www.philippe-starck.com
Apogee, 305.538.2468, www.apogeesouthbeach.com
Trump Towers, 305.682.2222, www.miamitrumptowers.com
Dacra, 305.531.8700, www.dacra.com
Aqua, 305.867.5700, www.aqua.net
Leviev Boymelgreen, 305.573.8830
Marquis, 305.374.9933, www.marquismiami.com
Arquitectonica, 305.372.1812, www.arquitectonica.com
Paradise & Park Lane, 305.573.8700
Chad Oppenheim, 305.576.8404, www.oppenheimarchitecture.com
Ten Museum Park, 305.573.2025, www.tenmuseumpark.com
Setai, 305.672.7900, www.setai.com
Canyon Ranch Living, 888.987.9876, www.canyonranchliving.com
The Beach House, 305.695.7823, www.beachhousemiami.com
Continuum, 305.695.1111, www.continuum-so-beach.com
Four Seasons, 305.381.8050, www.iliveat.com


The Four Seasons tower includes a two-acre terrace with four swimming pools. Photography by Troy Campbell. (Click image to enlarge.)

Real Estate: Single Family Homes
Those who prefer traditional single-family homes in the most desirable neighborhoods should expect to pay from $3 million and up for a comfortable estate to $30 million for a trophy property. Driving from downtown Miami to South Beach on the MacArthur Causeway, you pass a series of off-ramps for islands containing some of the city’s most expensive property. If you’re a high-wattage celebrity (Shaq, Stallone) and enjoy the limelight, then you will want to buy on Star Island. Neighboring islands Palm and Hibiscus help catch some of the A-list overflow. Missy Elliot is one of Hibiscus’ 60 residents, as is Joe Morgan (of Captain Morgan rum), who maintains another home on Star Island for entertaining. The ultimate in privacy and security is Fisher Island, which is accessible exclusively by private boat or by a ferry that is only for the use of residents and their guests. The island’s purchase in late 2004 by Euro Fund Properties means that its dated communal facilities are undergoing a major overhaul. Arguably the most desirable island is Indian Creek, where 38 stunning homesites encircle a private golf club (membership is by invitation only). The island has its own mayor and is constantly patrolled by boat.

The private dock at Aqua. Photography by Sid Hoeltzell.  (Click image to enlarge.)

Back on the mainland, on the city’s south end, Coconut Grove and Coral Gables are more family-oriented. The quieter neighborhoods are green and lush, and unlike the owners on islands and in the high-rises, most of the residents live there full time. Homes in Gables Estates, a community on the waterfront edge of Coral Gables, are the most coveted. Nestled on an aquatic preserve in Biscayne Bay is the recently completed five-floor, 10-unit boutique development property of Beacon Harbour, where yacht enthusiasts can store boats up to 68 feet in their backyards (from the harbor, boaters have a straight shot out to the Bahamas).

Real Estate: Single-Family Homes
Fisher Island, 800.537.3708, www.fisherisland.com
Beacon Harbour, 786.337.1317, www.beaconharbour.com


Realtors
Helen Jeanne Nicastri of Coldwell Banker started the Master Brokers Forum (a group of the top 250 sales agents in the area). Among her current listings is a 5,200-square-foot estate in Coral Gables on the market for $2.995 million. Also with Coldwell Banker, The Jills (Jill Eber and Jill Herzberg) have listings for a $28 million mansion on Indian Creek and a $4.9 million condo on Fisher Island.

Apogee’s interiors were designed by Yabu Pushelberg.   Photography by The Related Group of Florida. (Click image to enlarge.)

Esther Percal of Esslinger Wooten Maxwell (a Christie’s affiliate) has a Miami Beach residence with 125 feet of water frontage on the market for $15.5 million. SOL Sotheby’s has two listings on Miami Beach’s prestigious North Bay Road for $17.8 million and $17.9 million through real estate agents Roy Hanson, Carlos Justo and Ralph Arias (the exclusive area has been home to such celebrities as Jennifer Lopez, who just sold, and Matt Damon, who just bought).

Raymond Jungles used travertine stepping stones in the entry way of this Key West home.  Photography by Lanny Provo. (Click image to enlarge.)

 

Realtors
 Helen Jeanne Nicastri, 305.667.4815, www.floridaluxuryhomes.com
The Jills, 305.915.2556, www.thejills.com
Esther Percal, 305.674.4022, www.estherpercal.com
SOL Sotheby’s, 305.573.4700, www.solsothebysrealty.com

A residence on North Bay Road designed by Luis Pons. Photography by Eric Laignel. (Click image to enlarge.)

Design
 Two styles prevail in Miami: sprawling Mediterranean villas and innovative contemporary homes. Since many estates are second homes, greater risks are taken with design. And the boundaries between interior designer and architect are more blurred. The best in modern comes from architects such as Alison Spear, Rene Gonzalez and Luis Pons. Spear, who has offices in Miami’s Design District as well as Manhattan, developed her understanding of urban architecture from her early days at big-league firms Skidmore Owings & Merrill in Chicago and Arquitectonica in New York. Her past clients include Jay McInerney, Francis Ford Coppola and Andre Balazs. Also in the Design District, Pons combines his skills as an interior designer, architect and landscape architect to deliver full-service contemporary designs that draw on mid-century modern. Gonzalez’s designs reflect his understanding of the luxury of light, space and minimal ornamentation, which is appreciated by such commercial clients as the Museum of Contemporary Art and the Miami Art Museum, as well as residential clients who are often art collectors.

Landscape architecture for this Indian Creek home is by Robert Parsley. (Click image to enlarge.)

For more estate-oriented architecture, seek out the assistance of Ramon Pacheco, Jorge Hernandez, Barry Sugerman and William and Phyllis Taylor, who are best known for their Mediterranean masterpieces, but are versatile enough to segue into modern. Pacheco’s commissions have varied from Addison Mizner revivals in Coral Gables to mission-style ranches near the Everglades. Hernandez, a professor at the University of Miami’s School of Architecture, is influenced by both the Jeffersonian classicism he studied in school and the Bauhaus building in Cuba that he grew up in. A native of Miami, Sugerman has earned more than 160 awards and international commissions during his 40-year career. Most of his projects are in South Florida, but he has traveled extensively for clients such as The Silence of the Lambs author Thomas Harris and a former president of Honduras. The Taylors are perhaps the most traditional and adept at creating large-scale estates with historical integrity. The husband-and-wife team has 20 years of experience and a wealth of architectural knowledge that stylistically ranges from British Colonial to Provençal.

A waterfront home designed by Ramon Pacheco.  Photography by George Cott. (Click image to enlarge.)

Focusing more on interiors, Fanny Haim, Cecil Hayes and Matthew MacDonald are some of the best designers in the city. Haim’s signature sleek and sophisticated interiors often incorporate such natural materials as stone and linen. Hayes is especially beloved by such clients as music producer Timbaland for her ability to bring their fantasies to life. She is currently finishing his home with a master bedroom that incorporates a waterfall, and a game room that includes a pool table with a series of inlaid diamonds. MacDonald is often labeled as an up-and-comer, but his work for clients like Jennifer Lopez and the Related Group might prove otherwise. His laid-back interiors for private homes and yachts are eclectic, often incorporating Asian antiques with subtle contemporary accents, but always pay homage to Miami’s light and bright atmosphere.

A Miami high-rise with interiors by Fanny Haim. Photography by Carlos Demenech. (Click image to enlarge.)

People don’t come to Miami to stay indoors, so a good landscape architect is essential. Robert Parsley’s work can be seen at such South Beach hotels as the Delano, the Shore Club and the Sagamore, as well as prestigious homes on the city’s islands. (Gloria Estefan’s home on Star Island was one of his first projects.) His services cover every aspect of outdoor landscaping, from swimming pool and garden design to lighting and maintenance, but always within his signature aesthetic of lush yet controlled environments. Slightly more modern, Raymond Jungles treats landscapes as an artist treats a canvas. His attention to detail and artful inclusion of color, shape and texture has earned 15 awards from the Florida chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects.

Design
Alison Spear, 305.438.1200, www.alisonspearaia.com
Rene Gonzalez, 305.762.5895, www.renegonzalezarchitect.com
Luis Pons, Aponwao Design, 305.576.1787, www.luisponsd-lab.com
Ramon Pacheco, 305.666.2573, www.pachecoarch.com
Jorge Hernandez, 305.774.0022
Barry Sugerman, 305.893.6055, www.barrysugerman.com
William and Phyllis Taylor, 305.534.9862, www.taylorntaylor.com
Fanny Haim, 305.937.0815, www.fannyhaim.com
Cecil Hayes, 954.570.5843, www.cecilsdesigners.com
Robert Parsley, Geomantic Designs, 305.665.9688, www.geomanticdesigns.com Raymond Jungles, 305.858.6777, www.raymondjungles.com

A sample of Jorge Hernandez’s modern architecture. Photography by Carlos Demenech. (Click image to enlarge.)

Shopping
The burgeoning Design District is the city’s epicenter of interior design. Encompassing the area between NE 2nd Avenue and North Miami Avenue, from 38th Street to 43rd Street, the 18 square blocks are home to top designers and home furnishings stores. Our favorites include NiBa, with its collection of hard-to-find modern accessories like vintage lamps, blanco glass and polished resin vases and bowls. The store opened a second location inside the Four Seasons in September and will also debut its own full line of home furnishings during Art Basel this December. Down the street is the first U.S. showroom of Fendi Casa. The Italian fashion house’s foray into furniture has yielded some of the hottest pieces for the home, including the embossed-leather Eros sofa and the Intrigo outdoor bed. Relief from modernism can be found at Jalanjalan, whose showroom includes a global mix of Asian antiques like Chinese chests and Afghan headdresses.

The two-story entrance of Holly Hunt’s Miami store. (Click image to enlarge.)

South Florida is one of the biggest buyers of stone in the country, so head to Forms and Surfaces, which carries nearly every kind of stone for the home. While not unique to Miami, other stores include Bisazza, Holly Hunt and Luminaire. Other prime shopping areas include the third floor of the Merrick Park shopping center in Coral Gables, which houses Baker, Ann Gish and Möbler, as well as the trade-only Design Center of the Americas (DCOTA) in Dania Beach. For fine art, browse the numerous galleries in the Wynwood Art District, where Biscayne Boulevard meets Interstate 195, and check out the Margulies Collection, where collector Martin Z. Margulies has placed his work on display for public viewing.

Shopping
Design District, www.designmiami.com
NiBa, 39 NE 39th St., Miami, 305.573.1939, www.nibahome.com
Fendi Casa, 90 NE 39th St., Miami, 305.438.1660
Jalanjalan, 3921 NE 2nd Ave., Miami, 305.572.9998, www.jalanmiami.com
Forms and Surfaces, 3801 NE 2nd Ave., Miami, 305.576.1880
Bisazza, 3540 NW 72nd Ave., Miami, 305.597.4099, www.bisazza.com
Holly Hunt, 3833 NE 2nd Ave., Miami, 305.571.2012, www.hollyhunt.com
Luminaire, 4040 NE 2nd Ave., Miami, 305.576.5788
Merrick Park, 358 San Lorenzo Ave., Coral Gables, 305.529.0200, www.villageofmerrickpark.com
DCOTA, 1855 Griffin Road, Dania Beach, 954.920.7997, www.dcota.com
Wynwood Art District, www.wynwoodartdistrict.com
Margulies Collection, 591 NW 27th St., Miami, 305.576.1051, www.margulieswarehouse.com

Services
Miami’s abundance of one-way streets and lack of signage makes hiring a driver a must. The city’s top hotels use Aventura Limousine, which can arrange rental of a Maybach. For yacht rentals and charters, Nigel Burgess, Fraser Yachts and the Sacks Group all have offices in nearby Fort Lauderdale if you prefer to tour the city by sea.

A bedroom vignette at Rakova Brecker’s showroom located in Dania Beach’s DCOTA. (Click image to enlarge.)

Miami’s explosive growth has lured many full-time residents, and that in turn has created a hectic year-round social season. Always Flowers’ in-house staff of 20 can help with every detail of event planning, from selecting invitations, flowers and a caterer to hiring a crew of 50 to oversee the event. Past productions include a summer camp–theme bar mitzvah at the Coconut Grove Convention Center, where they built a lake with ducks and 15 cabins with bunk beds. A recent wedding for 400 at the Mandarin Oriental included 25,000 orchids imported from Thailand that were strung into garlands and strewn around lamp shades. Other event planners include Barton G, whose eponymous restaurant is as exclusive as the parties he has thrown for Casa Casuarina and the Miami City Ballet, and Melissa Davis, who specializes in creating one-of-a-kind weddings that emphasize simple elegance with couture accents.

NiBa's 3,600-square-foot retail space has expanded three times since opening in December 2004. Photography by Simon Hare. (Click image to enlarge.)

Services
 Aventura Limousine, 800.944.9886, www.aventuralimo.com
Nigel Burgess, 954.525.1090, www.nigelburgess.com
Fraser Yachts, 954.463.0600, www.fraseryachts.com
Sacks Group, 954.764.7742, www.sacksyachts.com
Always Flowers, 800.572.3545, www.alwaysflowers.net
Barton G, 305.576.8888, www.bartong.com
Melissa Davis, 305.793.3369

Galleries and Events
Miami is not known for its golf, but if you crave the atmosphere of a private club, seek membership at Casa Casuarina. The three-story former Versace mansion nestled in the heart of South Beach has been transformed into a private club and boutique hotel. Nearly all of Gianni Versace’s furnishings were sold at auction, but the elaborate wall decorations remain intact.

Fisher Island’s private marina is the site of its annual yachting rendezvous. (Click image to enlarge.)

The city’s biggest event is Art Basel, which arrives every December. Since coming to Miami in 2002 at the behest of such art collectors as Craig Robins (the fair has been held in Switzerland since 1970), the art festival has been a leading factor in the city’s thriving cultural development. This year, the show runs December 1–4. Also in December, the Luxury Kitchen and Bath Collection for design professionals will be held at the Miami Beach Convention Center December 7–9 (Robb Report Luxury Home will moderate a panel and will host a segment of the private home tour). The annual Fisher Island Rendezvous (hosted by CurtCo’s ShowBoats International) is a four-day-long charity yacht event, held this year from November 10–13, that includes a gala and live auction.

The outdoor pool and garden area of Casa Casuarina has a history of entertaining. Photography by Nicolas Koenig. (Click image to enlarge.)

The Wolfsonian exhibits design artifacts created from 1885 to 1945, from nations such as the United States, Great Britain, Italy and Russia. Beginning November 13, the museum will present an exhibition on American hotels of the early 20th century.

Galleries and Events
Casa Casuarina, 1116 Ocean Drive, Miami Beach, 305.672.6604, www.casacasuarina.com
Art Basel, www.artbaselmiamibeach.com
Luxury Kitchen and Bath Collection, 972.536.6391, www.luxurykbcollection.com
Fisher Island Rendezvous, 954.563.2822, www.yachtrendezvous.com
The Wolfsonian, 1001 Washington Ave., Miami Beach, 305.535.1001, www.wolfsonian.fiu.edu 
Attractions
If you are a James Bond fan, stop into the Fontainebleau Hilton where Bond famously played cards with Goldfinger. The 50-year-old hotel recently underwent a $400 million renovation, but much of the original architecture of Morris Lapidus remains (Lapidus also designed the Eden Roc down the street). Other architectural sites worth touring include: the Ancient Spanish Monastery, the oldest building in the Western Hemisphere, which was built in Spain in 1141 and reconstructed in Miami in the early 1950s; Merrick House, the former residence of the family that developed Coral Gables; and the Deering Estate at Cutler, a 442-acre property that was once home to the mammoths, dog-size horses, tapirs, jaguars, sloths and bisons whose remains were discovered in an on-site fossil pit. For garden tours, check out the Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, an 83-acre garden designed by William Lyman Phillips in the early 1930s, which is one of the few places in the United States that can grow tropical plants year-round. The Venetian Pool, built in the early 1920s to resemble a Venetian lagoon, was used by George Merrick as a sales center for real estate in Coral Gables.

The Ancient Spanish Monastery was purchased in 1925 by William Randolph Hearst and later reconstructed in Miami by Allen Carswell. Photo courtesy Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau. (Click image to enlarge.) 

Attractions
 Fontainebleau Hilton, 4441 Collins Ave., Miami Beach, 305.538.2000, www.fontainebleau.com
Eden Roc, 4525 Collins Ave., Miami Beach, 305. 672.0140, www.edenrocresort.com
Ancient Spanish Monastery, 16711 W. Dixie Hwy., North Miami Beach, 305.945.1461, www.spanishmonastery.com
Merrick House, 907 Coral Way, Coral Gables, 305.460.5361
Deering Estate at Cutler, 16701 SW 72nd Ave., Miami, 305.235.1668, www.deeringestate.org
Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, 10901 Old Cutler Road, Coral Gables, 305.667.1651, www.fairchildgarden.org
Venetian Pool, 2701 De Soto Blvd., Coral Gables, 305.460.5356, www.venetianpool.com