WHAT TO DO IN MIAMI

[mommao729]

We will be staying in the homewood suites blue lagoon by the airport before our cruise november 29 of 2020.  we will have a car and would like to go downtown. i keep hearing about a market place.  is there parking? any suggestions would be appreciated.

[BlueHerons]

Firstly, this far out, you could probably get a better hotel somewhere like Coral Gables or Coconut Grove with complimentary parking which is what I would do before I stayed out by the airport.  I would book Blue Lagoon last minute for an early or late flight but not when I have time to spend in Miami.

 

I'm guessing you are talking about Bayside Marketplace.  It is a lot of fun for waterfront dining and shopping.

 

With a car, I'd hit up Fairchild Tropical Botanical Gardens, have lunch at The Biltmore, tour Vizcaya, and dinner in either Little Havana or South Beach at a Cuban place.  I like Versailles, Puerto Saga, Havana 1957 and La Caretta.

 

For seafood, Garcias, River Oyster, or Casablanca.  Out on Virginia Key with great views, I love The Rusty Pelican.

[skrufy]

2 hours ago, mommao729 said:

We will be staying in the homewood suites blue lagoon by the airport before our cruise november 29 of 2020.  we will have a car and would like to go downtown. i keep hearing about a market place.  is there parking? any suggestions would be appreciated.

To answer your question, it’s called Bayside Market place. Its located just before you cross the bridge to the port. If you should go there, Do Not leave anything visible in your car. Break ins are common. BlueHerons has good ideas.

[Flymia]

On 12/23/2019 at 5:24 PM, BlueHerons said:

With a car, I'd hit up Fairchild Tropical Botanical Gardens, have lunch at The Biltmore, tour Vizcaya, and dinner in either Little Havana or South Beach at a Cuban place.  I like Versailles, Puerto Saga, Havana 1957 and La Caretta.

 

This is a great itinerary. 

 

To the OP, the above is a great idea since you have a car. As for your orginial question, yes Bayside Marketplace is what you are hearing/reading about. It is a nice place to grab a drink, a boat tour and even dinner. Though your dinning options are many times better outside of the Bayside. It is what it is, a touristy type of marketplace with nice views, boats, touristy shops and some big chains and a few smaller more local, yet still touristy type places. 

 

Since you'll be going on a boat already and getting the great Downtown Miami views when you leave the port what Blueherron suggested is close to perfect. Maybe I would take out lunch a the Biltmore, put in lunch in Little Havana and make South Beach dinner a must with a stroll down Ocean Drive and Lincoln Road. 

[HillBilly Bob]

On 12/23/2019 at 5:24 PM, BlueHerons said:

I'm guessing you are talking about Bayside Marketplace.  It is a lot of fun for waterfront dining and shopping.  With a car, I'd hit up Fairchild Tropical Botanical Gardens, have lunch at The Biltmore, tour Vizcaya, and dinner in either Little Havana or South Beach at a Cuban place.

Great suggestions....we love visiting Fairchild and dining in the Grove.