Miami: South Beach

SEE Bayfront Park301 N. Biscayne Blvd., 305/358-7550, bayfrontparkmiami.com A generous waterfront green space, dotted with sculptures and large, leafy trees as well as wide benches where you can rest a while and watch the boats in the harbor. Isamu Noguchi's moody, white, geometric memorial to the 1986 Challenger disaster is at its southern end, and the controversial Torch of Friendship is to the north of the park, on Biscayne Blvd. It's a visual emblem for Cuba's political isolation: There are coats of arms from every Latin American country showcased here alphabetically, with a telling gap where the insignia of Castro's country should sit. SEE Freedom Tower600 Biscayne Blvd., 305/416-4456, terradevelopers.comMiami's answer to Ellis Island, this Mediterranean revival replica of the striped Giralda Tower at the Seville Cathedral in Spain (the same one used as a model for the Biltmore Hotel-see "Coral Gables") served as an immigration processing post and community center for the more than 650,000 Cuban refugees who arrived between 1961 and 1974. There's no public access to the interior now, though, as the building is earmarked for development; even so, it's an irresistible, iconic photo op. SEE Miami Art Museum101 W. Flagler St., 305/375-3000, miamiartmuseum.orgA remarkable collection of postwar art, accessibly and intelligently curated in a building designed by architectural icon Philip Johnson. Look for surrealist works from Marcel Duchamp and conceptual art by the late Cuban-American artist Felix Gonzalez-Torres, including a stack of paper intended to look like sculpture. (Help yourself to one of the sheets.) The museum also hosts temporary exhibits. $5, free every Sunday and the second Saturday of each month. Closed Mon. EAT Garcia's Seafood Grille398 NW N. River Dr., 305/375-0765Join the Customs guys at this riverside fish café. It's bustling and efficient, with a small counter in the front and racks of waterfront picnic tables out back. Look for specials on the blackboard, or try the lemon-grilled grouper. EAT La Paris251 SE 2nd St., 305/371-5181One of downtown's better divey Cuban diners. Try a pressed pork sandwich for $5 and, of course, a thimbleful of toxically sweet café cubano. The counter seating is limited, but the turnover is fast. EAT Mosaico1000 S. Miami Ave., 305/371-3473, mosaicorestaurant.com An upscale Spanish restaurant in a former firehouse. Some nights the huge wooden patio is open for dinner as well as drinks. Opt for the soupy arroz caldoso (lobster risotto). DRINK The Pawn Shop Lounge1222 NE 2nd Ave., 305/373-3511, thepawnshoplounge.comA massive pawnshop converted into a bar (the exterior is unchanged). Inside, it's decked out in a trippy, postmodern style. Somehow there's room for a school bus inside the bar. Cover from $15. DRINK Tobacco Road626 S. Miami Ave., 305/374-1198, tobacco-road.comGritty and fun, and Miami's first bar (it holds the oldest liquor license still in circulation). Two stages host mostly jazz and rock; the menu is burgers and basics. Free weekdays; Fri. and Sat. $5 for cabaret upstairs. PLAY I/O30 NE 14th St., 305/358-8007, iolounge.comClub-cum-music venue known for its vast selection of dance, indie rock, punk, and pop music. There's a large bar with cheap drinks and an outdoor garden; the main space features live bands every night at 11 p.m. Free-$15. PLAY Nocturnal50 NE 11 St., 305/576-6996, nocturnalmiami.comA high-tech nightclub where waiters carry gizmos that not only summon a bottle to your table wirelessly, but can also ask the valet to prepare your car so that it's already waiting by the time you get downstairs. There are several dance floors, as well as a dreamy roof deck with dazzling city views. From $20. PLAY Olympia Theater Gusman Center for the Performing Arts, 174 E. Flagler St., 305/374-2444, gusmancenter.org Beautifully renovated vintage performance space home to an eclectic program: classical music, dance, and touring productions. One of its hits: Sing-a-Long Sound of Music. From $30. TIPEspañola Way Picturesque Hispanic crafts market, lined by shops, restaurants, and galleries. Between Drexel and Washington aves., 305/531-0038. Open Sat., 10 a.m.-midnight, and Sun., 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Also open Fri., 7 p.m.-midnight from Nov. to July. For sangria and live music, Tapas & Tintos (448 Española Way, 305/538-8272).

CORAL GABLES Gables Inn730 S. Dixie Hwy., 305/661-7999, thegablesinn.netA comfortable Mediterranean-style motel with arched, deep-ocher walkways and marble-tile floors. The downside: The highway location can make it noisy, so bring earplugs if you're a light sleeper. Doubles from $68. DOWNTOWN Holiday Inn Port of Miami Downtown340 Biscayne Blvd., 305/371-4400 or 800/526-5655, holiday-inn.com Recently renovated, with a nice view of the Port of Miami. Large, light rooms and easy access to public transportation. Outdoor pool. Kids eat free. Doubles from $109. DOWNTOWN Miami River Inn 118 SW S. River Dr., 305/325-0045 or 800/468-3589, miamiriverinn.comAn offbeat charmer with 40 guest rooms in a cluster of cottages around a courtyard and small pool. Rooms have hardwood floors and antique beds and dressers. "Well-behaved" pets welcome. Doubles from $69 in summer, $89 in winter. SOUTH BEACH Aqua Hotel1530 Collins Ave., 305/538-4361, aquamiami.com Funky motel conversion a block from the beach with spartan-chic rooms (concrete floors, modern furniture) overlooking a courtyard. The private sundeck makes a terrific (and quiet) sunbathing spot. Doubles from $99 in summer, $150 in winter. SOUTH BEACH Hotel Astor956 Washington Ave., 305/531-8081 or 800/270-4981, hotelastor.comThe beige rooms are huge for an old deco hotel, with nice touches like TVs on swivel poles and rain-head showers. The staff is reliably friendly. It's a two-block walk to the beach. Doubles from $125 in summer, $190 in winter. SOUTH BEACH Royal South Beach Condo Hotel758 Washington Ave., 305/673-9009 or 888/394-6835, royalsouthbeach.comA funky bargain with a candy-colored lobby and futuristic accents. White rooms have injection-molded plastic bed frames, curvy chaise lounges, and other Jetsons-style furniture. Every room has a microwave, coffeemaker, and free toothpaste. The beach is two blocks away. Doubles from $89. SOUTH BEACH South Beach Plaza Villas1411 Collins Ave., 305/531-1331, southbeachplazavillas.comA shady group of buildings crowded together and outfitted with dark-wood furniture and handsome, tone-on-tone fabrics. One of the best low-cost options near the water, with a lush tropical courtyard just a half-block off the beach. Doubles from $129. SOUTH BEACH The Standard 40 Island Ave., 305/673-1717, standardhotel.comA scene-y hotel on South Beach's western side, 10 blocks from the beach. There's a sumptuous spa with Turkish baths, waterfall hot tubs, nude mud baths, and an on-site yoga center. Rooms are small and basic. Doubles from $150, opens Oct. 2005. SOUTH BEACH Townhouse150 20th St., 305/534-3800 or 877/534-3800, townhousehotel.comThe best boutique hotel near the beach, with an attentive, laid-back staff; small, beautifully minimalist rooms; and an inviting roof deck with crimson water beds for sunbathing. A two-minute walk to the water. Doubles from $135. Appreciating Art Deco Miami is famous for its art deco architecture, especially the hotels that dominate South Beach's skyline. Deco comes in different styles that are easy to spot.   Art deco boasts bas-relief murals, neon lights, "eyebrows" (3-D concrete shades) above the windows, and details designed to look like ships, right down to their porthole-shaped windows.   Depression moderne is less ornamental, and most of its decorations are on the interior. A prime example is the Miami Beach Post Office building at 1300 Washington Ave.   Streamline moderne is marked by rounded-off corners and curves that make buildings seem to move.   To learn more, take one of the walking tours run by the MDPL (see the Essentials page).

TO / FROM THE AIRPORT SuperShuttle305/871-2000, supershuttle.comA van will deliver you to any address in Miami, though the route can be circuitous and long because of all the passengers it picks up and drops off. Book return trips at least 24 hours in advance. $10-$16 each way. TaxisTaxis are the quickest option from the Miami airport. Some fares are set at a flat rate according to seven zones. A one-way trip downtown costs about $19, while South Beach is $28. Note: The fee is per car, not per passenger. Car rental The only practical option for reaching Miami from the Fort Lauderdale airport, which most of the new budget carriers like JetBlue and Song use as their South Florida hub. The ride into Miami is about 45 minutes. GETTING AROUND Public buses & trains305/770-3131, miamidade.gov/transit/Miami's local bus system is slow but easy to use. Handiest routes include the no. 24 to Coral Gables and the C, K, and S, which all connect to South Beach and run north. $1.50 (exact change only). The Metrorail system makes 22 stops, each a mile apart, along a single north-south line between Palmetto and Dadeland South. Tourists, though, can use it as a quick option to whiz down to Coral Gables. $1.50 (exact change only). Free shuttles South Beach Local 305/535-9160, Metromover 305/770-3131, Coral Gables Trolley 305/460-5070, coralgables.com/cgweb/trolley.aspxConvenient, district-specific public transport includes the South Beach Local (25¢), which runs in a loop from Washing-ton Ave. to Dade Blvd. and then to Alton Rd. Downtown, the Metromover light-rail (free) ribbons around the central business district, making regular stops on the waterfront and in the Brickell and Omni districts. Coral Gables has its own daytime trolley service (free), which whisks you from Douglas Rd. to the Miracle Mile, making regular stops on the way. TaxisYou'll have no problem hailing a cab on the streets of South Beach. (Elsewhere in the city is more difficult.) Fares run $1.70 for the first eleventh of a mile, then 20¢ for each additional eleventh of a mile. Call Central Cab, 305/532-5555. WHAT'S GOING ON AROUND TOWN   Ocean Drive magazine, oceandrive.com   The Miami Herald's weeklong listings supplement, free with the newspaper every Friday   Miami New Times, miaminewtimes.com   Go Anywhere, Do Anything magazine (GADA)   Deco Drive TV show, nightly on WSVN-TV, Channel 7 TOURS The Urban Tour Host305/663-4455, miamiculturaltours.comChoose from an array of thematic tours: Watch workers roll cigars in Little Havana, see the homes of early Bahamian settlers, or join ecoguides in Everglades National Park. Call for schedule and pickup points. From $49 per person, includes lunch. Historical Museum of South Florida tours101 W. Flagler St., 305/375-1621, historical-museum.orgRotating schedule of about 20 historical walking and cycling trips that take in every aspect of the city: guided ghost walks, boat tours of the Miami River, and bike rides to the Bacardi Buildings on Biscayne Blvd. Call or check the website for current schedule. From $15. Miami Design Preservation League1001 Ocean Dr., 305/672-2014, mdpl.orgHighly recommended. Informative tours of the deco highlights run by the South Beach-based preservation society, which cherry-picks the best buildings along Collins and Washington aves., as well as Ocean Dr. $20. Wed.-Sun. NUMBERS TO KNOW   Information 411   Emergencies Police, fire, ambulance 911   Area codes 305, 786   Tourist info 800/933-8448   Sports, theater & concert tickets Ticketmaster 305/358-5885

SEE Musée Carnavalet23 rue de Sévigné, 01/44-59-58-58, paris.fr/musees/musee_carnavaletComposed of two beautiful Renaissance mansions situated amid manicured gardens, the museum charts the history of Paris through the belle epoque (late 1800s to WWI) and the present day. Paintings, sculptures, Neolithic archeological finds, and maps. Free. SEE Place des VosgesTidy early-17th-century row houses surround a grassy square. Their stately, formal elegance epitomizes architecture in the Marais, much of which was built for aristocrats. Businesses under the arcade, which wraps around the square, provide opportunities for splurging on clothes and art. EAT Au Petit Fer à Cheval30 rue Vieille du Temple, 01/42-72-47-47, cafeine.comThe kitchen at the "Little Horseshoe" (named for its U-shaped bar) keeps cooking until 1 a.m. It has a deserved reputation for moderately priced, robust French cuisine (the duck confit in particular). Weathered white tiles, chipped mirrors, and old wooden subway seats provide charm. EAT Brasserie Louis Philippe66 quai de l'Hôtel de Ville, 01/42-72-29-42Unpretentious, unrenovated fin de siècle decor-faded mirrors, tiles, ironwork, and a wood-and-leather spiral staircase. Order a steak in pepper or blue-cheese sauce. EAT Minh Chau10 rue de la Verrerie, 01/42-71-13-30One of the Marais's cheapest, friendliest restaurants, which is why it's usually packed. Refuel with such Vietnamese staples as spring and imperial rolls wrapped in mint leaves, and sautéed beef and onions over rice. EAT Sacha Finkelsztajn 27 rue des Rosiers, 01/42-72-78-91, laboutiquejaune.comA landmark bakery in the Jewish part of the Marais offering Yiddish goodies like fresh bread with poppy seeds and lemon cheesecake. It even has free samples. Unoccupied stools are rare, so consider a picnic on the grass at the nearby Place des Vosges. DRINK Beige13 rue des Archives, 01/42-71-69-69The wall along the sidewalk at this minimalist café slides open in warm weather, providing a breezy view of life in the fashionable Marais. While away the hours in one of the comfortable armchairs. DRINK La Belle Hortense31 rue Vieille du Temple, 01/48-04-71-60, cafeine.comA diminutive bookstore-bar that triples as a gallery and quadruples as a wineshop; it also occasionally holds literary events. DRINK Politburo25 rue du Roi de Sicile, 06/13-25-82-78 The walls are red, and 1920s-style Soviet Constructivist posters hang from the walls, but what really sets this bar apart are the inexpensive cocktails in a neighborhood that isn't. Rotating photograph exhibitions, too. SHOP Blaq Out52 rue Charlot, 01/42-77-88-18, blaqout.comFor DVDs of documentary, indie, and auteur films the chain stores can't be bothered with. The friendly employees enjoy guessing your tastes and suggesting titles (even if they don't carry them). The shop stocks discs in different languages and hosts public get-togethers with directors and actors. SHOP Iglaïne12 rue de la Grande-Truanderie, 01/42-36-19-91Affordable vintage garb from decades past. French Navy pantaloons, Hawaiian flower-print shirts, and leather slacks are easy finds, but rarities-say, a strapless raffia clutch-do crop up. PLAY Forum des ImagesForum des Halles, down the Porte St-Eustache stairs located in place Carrée, 01/44-76-62-00, forumdesimages.net Paris's largest vidéothèque screens more than 6,500 films shot in the capital (Breathless, Last Tango in Paris, etc.). Movie lovers select the film they want from a database, and then enjoy their choice on miniscreens designed for three or four viewers. The collection, dating from 1896, is touted as the "memory of Paris." E5.50 for two hours of viewing. PLAY Les Bains7 rue du Bourg l'Abbé, 01/48-87-01-80Dress über-hip and wipe off the smile for the detached cool look needed to get into this club. (Warning: Lines and wait times can sometimes test one's patience.) The institution suffered somewhat from a botched 2004 renovation, but it's still frequented by such aristocrats as Madonna, Brad Pitt, and Diddy, who once commandeered the turntables to wild cheering. Autograph-hunting deemed gauche.