Axios Miami

December 09, 2022
๐ Great to see you on this Friday.
Weather: Mostly sunny, with a high near 80. We're on sweater watch tonight with a low of 70!
Today's newsletter is 904 words, a 3.5-minute read.
1 big thing: ๐ The holidays are lit
That's so lit! Photo courtesy of Symphony in Lights
It's the most wonderful time of the year.
- The weather is getting cooler, and Miami's starting to light up for the holiday season.
If you need something to warm your Grinch heart, try basking in the merry spirit at these light displays and holiday celebrations happening across South Florida.
๐ก Enchanted Place North Miami
For decades, the residents of this North Miami neighborhood have joined forces to decorate the homes, trees and front yards of their residential street in thousands of colorful lights. Put on a holiday playlist, turn your headlights off and drive slowly to absorb the merriment.
- When: Through Three King's Day on Jan. 6.
- Where: 1800 block of Northeast 137th Terrace
- Price: Free, but donations are accepted
๐ Holiday Fantasy of Lights
We think this is what the North Pole looks like. Drive through the 3.5-mile holiday attraction featuring shining lights, 65 large-scale displays and 3D experiences. This is the 28th year for the Holiday Fantasy of Lights.
- When: Through Jan. 1
- Where: Tradewinds Park, North Entrance, 3600 W Sample Rd., Coconut Creek
- Price: $24 per car, $2 per pair of special-effect glasses
๐ Symphony in Lights
Gulfstream Park has been transformed into a winter wonderland โ with 250,000 LED lights and lots of holiday music to guide the way for Santa Claus, who will make an appearance, too. There will also be elves, nutcrackers on stilts and live musical performances. A 10-minute light show with artificial snow (!) will begin at the top of the hour between 6pm and 10pm.
- When: Through Dec. 31
- Where: 901 S Federal Hwy, Hallandale Beach
- Price: Free
2. I'll be drone for Christmas
Sky Elements will bring these colorful drones to South Beach this weekend. Photo: Sky Elements/Courtesy of City of Miami Beach
First, it was Fourth of July. Now, it's Christmas.
What's happening: Colorful drone shows have been growing in popularity across South Florida as an alternative to fireworks โ and now Miami Beach is testing its own high-tech festivities for the winter holidays.
Details: Miami Beach โย which boasted both drones and fireworks on July 4 โ plans to light up the South Beach sky with a holiday-themed drone show Saturday at 7pm.
- The 10-minute display at Ocean Drive and 12th Street is free to the public.
The intrigue: The city isn't paying for it, either. The vendor, Sky Elements, is using it as a rehearsal for another holiday drone show it's doing somewhere else, Lissette Arrogante, the city's director of tourism and culture, told Axios in an email.
What they're saying: Arrogante said drone shows offer audiences unique, state-of-the-art entertainment.
- But the city doesn't have plans to replace fireworks with drone shows at other holiday celebrations, Arrogante said.
Pro tip: Get there early if you don't want to miss the show. The city says it starts "promptly" at 7pm.
3. Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner's condo for sale
Photo courtesy of Arte
The 7,000-square-foot Surfside condo where Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner have been living is up for sale, according to a representative for the building.
Driving the news: The duplex in the Arte building is listed for $18.8 million.
Details: The 1,480-square-foot condo boasts six bedrooms and seven and a half bathrooms, two kitchens and two terraces.
- Plus: panoramic ocean views and beach access.
Of note: Kushner and Trump reportedly bought a 6-bedroom waterfront mansion in Indian Creek for $24 million last year.
4. Cafecito: What's brewin' in Miami?
Illustration: Maura Losch/Axios
๐จ Despite the hype around Art Basel, local artists say they're struggling to make a living in Miami. (Prism)
๐ Stephen Ross, owner of the Miami Dolphins, said his real estate firm Related Companies "split recently, very amicably" with Related Group, the firm run by Miami "condo king" Jorge Perez. (The Real Deal)
๐ข A new filing has uncovered renderings of what a new project proposed for the Intracoastal Mall property in North Miami Beach would look like. (The Next Miami)
๐ฎA woman who posed as a psychic in Miami and swindled a victim out of $3 million has been sentenced to 30 months in prison. Her boyfriend, who helped spend the money on casinos and real estate, was sentenced to three years. (DOJ)
New jobs to check out
๐ผ See who's hiring around the city.
- VP, Global Personalization & Guest Affinity at Subway.
- Operations Manager (MIA Airport) at CLEAR.
- Director, Product Management at Mastercard.
Want more opportunities? Check out our Job Board.
Hiring? Post a job.
5. ๐ 1 quest to go: The most Miami gifts
How do I compete with this?! Photo: Deirdra Funcheon/Axios
Hi, it's Deirdra. I have family and friends in Germany, and every year they send my son and me amazing โ and very German โ holiday gifts.
We've received: a cuckoo clock, beer steins, a Fortuna Dusseldorf soccer jersey, a schnitzel cookbook, traditional gingerbread hearts, and really cute egg holders.
- It's totally a thing to soft-boil eggs the German way and serve them in Eierbecher (egg cups)!
The rub: Every year, we're stumped about what to send Tante Burga and Tante Leonie in return.
- When I first met them, I thought, "Germans love beer!" and spent many hours with a glue gun and pompoms, making "Miami Vice"-themed beer koozies.
- Only years later did they have the nerve to pull them out of their cabinet, unused, and ask what the hell they were. (Germans don't drink from cans, and their beer bottles are bigger than ours!)
What else: I already sent them everything I could find from Wings with the word "Miami" on it.
- I also sent the coconut monkey from my cocktail at Shuckers (though I suspect these are mass-produced and carved elsewhere).
The bottom line: For anyone in a similar predicament, I'm rounding up the most "Miami" gifts to buy this holiday season. Top of my list:
- A Moka pot and a package of Pilon for making Cuban coffee.
โจ Weigh in: What are the best Miami-specific gifts? What's your favorite store to shop local for the holidays? Hit reply and share them with us!
๐ซ Deirdra is trying not to eat all the Schokolade.
๐ Martin caved and bought a real (mini) Christmas tree. Iโll share a pic next week.
Today's newsletter was edited by Alexa Mencia and copy edited by Rob Reinalda and Yasmeen Altaji.
Sign up for Axios Miami

Get smarter, faster on what matters in Miami with Sommer Brugal and Martin Vassolo.




