305 Day: What we love, hate about the Magic City
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The Julia Tuttle Causeway and the Miami skyline. Photo: Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
From the gorgeous beaches to the endless Cubanos (sandwiches) and cafecitos and never-ending list of things to do, there's lots to love about living in Miami.
- But it's not perfect, and not a day goes by where we're not complaining about something (looking at you, I-95).
So on this 305 Day, please indulge us as we dive into our love/hate relationship with the Magic City via this non-exhaustive list.
Our uniqueness, when we can get there
Love: It's impossible to compare South Beach (art deco architecture, the beach, nightlife) to Calle 8 (rich Latin heritage) to the more suburban cities of Miami Gardens, Pinecrest or Doral or the financial district that embodies Brickell.
- But that's why we love it. Every area offers something unique.
Hate: It's easier to fly out of state than to take a day trip from North Miami to Kendall when you factor in traffic.
- Did we mention the lack of public transportation?
Worldly cuisines
Love: Miami's restaurant scene is world-renowned — we have awards to prove it!
Hate: With it, though, are the over-the-top clubstaurants (shoutout to The Infatuation for the term), cliche decor, music that's too loud, and way too many tasting menus.
- Plus, dinner at even the most unassuming restaurant can often cost you your firstborn.
Play ball
Love: Miami claims a ton of sports glory for being a relatively young market.
- Each of our Big Four major sports teams — the Heat, the Dolphins, the Marlins and the Panthers — has won a championship.
Hate: Shoutout to bandwagon fans!
- We arrive late and leave early — hello, Heat fans who left before the Game 6 NBA Finals comeback! — and we rally behind a team only when we have a star player.
We live where you vacation
Love: It's March 5. The sun is shining, the humidity is low, and a light breeze is in the air. It's a perfect beach day.
- These are the days that remind us it's worth living through the 101-degree days in August.
Hate: The 101-degree days in August.
We can't have nice things
Love: Places like Versailles, Joe's Stone Crab, and Vizcaya Museum & Gardens are intertwined into Miami's fabric — and are still standing.
Hate: Meanwhile, beloved music venues like Churchill's and Tobacco Road, restaurants like Shucker's, and sports venues like the Orange Bowl have shuttered, often to make room for new, flashy developments.
- Speaking of development, the lack of affordable housing requires more words than allowed in this newsletter, so we'll leave that for another day.
Miami politics
Love: Our whacky politics always keep things interesting.
- Miami may be the only city in America where a congressional candidate said she had been abducted by aliens — and still got a major newspaper endorsement.
Hate: We only laugh to keep from crying.
- Miami has a history of corruption, and several elected leaders have been arrested or investigated in recent years.