I know it's been said many times, and in many ways, but South Miami Beach is the Number 1 vacation spot.
It's not too big, not too small, close to everything, pricey but worth it. It's a laid-back beach resort town with big-city energy and sophistication. If you want to enjoy a great lasagna dinner on Ocean Drive while sipping mojitos and people-watching, if you want to hit the club scene and/or go shopping, if you want to check out the art deco buildings (like my hotel, the Century, built in 1939), or if you just want to lie on the beach all day, South Beach comes highly recommended.
And consider this:
South Beach is an integrated scene: white, black, spanish, haitian, bahamian, gay, straight, etc.
Everyone is welcome here, if you have money to spend. Unlike Cape Cod, which I love but is basically a white
person's trip, SoBe is multi-everything.
Despite its fame, it really isn't that crowded. My hotel is near the corner of 2nd and Ocean aves, the quiet end of the street. When I want quiet, I have quiet; when I want action, I have action. The people may not be the friendliest in the world, but don't take that personally. Just enjoy the weather, the beach, the scene. Every night, I'd lie in bed at around 2-3 am and listen to South Beach just rumble around me. Every 5 minutes or so, someone would scream out, "MIAMIIIIII!!!!!!!" It's one of the last American playgrounds left, let's preserve it. (Since 1979, the Art Deco District, the official name of the South Beach neighborhood, has been designated a National Historic Landmark, which means that the developers can't tear down those fine old hotels to put up high rises; they have to work with whatever's there.)
If you can, find a place to stay in a quiet neighborhood like I did. That way, you can enjoy Miami without being worn out by it. Last call is tentatively at 4 AM, though some bars stretch it until 5. Go for it!!
