Miami has a new  “fashionably-trendy” hot spot… offering walkability… a neighborhood feel … nightlife… shopping and dining … entertainment … art … and a vibrant interactive community in the areas of  MIDTOWN  and the MIAMI DESIGN DISTRICT.   Wynwood, Midtown and the Design District are all  pretty much adjacent to one another - each of them located  immediately north of Downtown Miami … and  within blocks of the ”10 billion dollar mile”.  

A host of trendy new restaurants, new condo construction, shops and restaurants  have seemingly sprung up overnight in Midtown and the Design District …  With the Miami Art Festival  (and influx of art galleries, dining options and stores popping up)   Midtown planted itself on the map at the end of 2011 …  and made it the talk of Miami in a matter of a few months.

Condos in Midtown can be bought for around $200.00 a square foot … brand new…   and range in price from around $200,000.00 – upward .

Midtown Miami and the Design District are expected to catapault  Miami onto the radar screen as one of the premier shopping capitals of the world within the next year or so …  making  Miami an even more  fashionable destination.    

 Hermes and Louis Vuitton have apparently announced that they are closing their stores in Bal Harbour and relocating them to Miami’s Design District.    Other newcomers expected to open shops in Miami’s Design District this year include Bulgari,  Celine,  Moet Hennessy, Christian Dior, Fendi, De Beers, Cartier, Pucci, Ermengilio Zegna.   The area will be home to some 400,000 square feet of stores and shopping … not to mention  restaurants.  Among the restaurants already on the map (and highly tauted)  are Sugarcane, Cheese Course, and Salumeria 104.   

Adding to Midtown Miami and The Design District’s appeal are their close proximity to Miami Beach  and easy access to and from Miami International Airport (15 minutes)…. and proximity to major highways, Jackson Memorial Hospital/UM Health,  Key Biscayne and the bay and ocean.

Looking to explore Miami’s Neighborhoods and get a sense as to where you might like to live?   MiamiRealEstateCafe.com is your resource … giving you insights into what Miami’s Neighborhoods are like, and what makes each unique.  Looking to invest in Miami?  We are YOUR  Miami Real Estate Experts:  The Restivo Team at EWM Realtors, International :  Vicki & Alexandra Restivo .  Call anytime on our direct lines: 305 793-1365 or 305 632-0164 or send us a note here.  We look forward to working with you!  restivo.v@ewm.com

There is a  waterfront park in Coral Gables,  accessible from 9610 Old Cutler Road,  and adjacent to Fairchild Gardens, that  transforms at sunset from ”lifeguarded swim cove and seaside playground” into a balmy sunset experience. It’s a sweet Miami secret… and as your Miami Realtors we will have many more to share with you!  Welcome to Matheson Hammock.  The Red Fish Grill, a coral rock waterfront restaurant at the far end of the cove inside the gated park entrance of Matheson Hammock,  offers seaside dining … with a quaint and picturesque outdoor patio… and a  tropical menu … with seafood and fish dishes and crab cakes.. and some Miami ’spice’  thrown in … like churrasco with chimmichurri sauce.

 You enter Matheson Hammock Park by way of Old Cutler Road,  meandering past mangroves, marinas, picnic and recreational areas.   At the very far end of the park  there is a kite surfing area to one side…  and a protected cove or inlet (with lifeguard stations,  shallow water, and sandy beach with picnic tables and palm trees to the other side.  This is where the Red Fish Grill is located… in it’s coral rock historic site.  It’s a unique place to take out-of-town visitors … and it’s a good place to keep in mind if you’e fortunate enough to live in anywhere near Coral Gables or Pinecrest … because this beautiful little beach is literally minutes from home!

 If you are interested in buying or selling a home or condo in Miami, Coral Gables, Coconut Grove, Miami Beach or Pinecrest and are looking for an experienced local Realtor, feel free to contact me at 305 793-1365 or send me a note here . The Restivo Team/ EWM Realtors, Miami.  Look forward to assisting  you with your next real estate transaction!

A GREAT BIKE RIDE  FROM CORAL GABLES TAKES YOU DOWN SOUTH AS FAR AS BLACK POINT MARINA… NEAR BISCAYNE BAY. 

LOCALS GET THERE  BY BOAT -  MOORING VESSELS  UP TO 55 FEET AT THE MARINA. 

BIKING THERE IS ANOTHER OPTION, DOWN OLD CUTLER ROAD or SW 87th AVENUE, VIA BIKE PATHS.   AND ONCE YOU GET THER THERE ARE JOGGING PATHS… BIKEWAYS. 

FISHING IS POPULAR AT BLACK POINT MARINA,  AS YOU CAN CAST LINES FROM THE SHORE  ALL ALONG THE 1.5 MILE JETTY THAT GOES OUT INTO THE BAY.  THERE’S A PICNIC AREA,  A DOCKSIDE RESTAURANT AND BAR.

OCEAN GRILL RESTAURANT AT BLACK POINT MARINA  24775 SW 87 AVENUE, MIAMI FLORIDA (305)258-3918 IS AMONG  A HANDFUL OF  CASUAL WATERFRONT OUTDOOR DINING SPOTS ALONG MIAMI’S COASTLINE.  REMINISCENT OF SCOTTY’S LANDING IN COCONUT GROVE , BLACK POINT GRILL IS A LAID-BACK MIAMI HANGOUT,  A PLACE TO GRAB A DRINK AND OBSERVE SOUTH FLORIDA’S LARGE WADING BIRDS.   NICE SPOT TO  RELAX AND WATCH THE BOATS COME IN FROM BISCAYNE BAY IN THE LATE AFTERNOON  – OR EARY EVENING.  IT’S AN OUT OF THE WAY  ”MIAMI GET-AWAY” . …  A DAY TRIP FOR LOCALS …OUT OF TOWN VISITORS … ANYONE.

THANK YOU FOR FOLLOWING OUR POSTS ON  MiamiRealEstateCafe.Com …   REAL ESTATE WEBSITE FOR MIAMI … WHAT TO DO … WHERE TO GO… WHAT TO BUY … HOW TO SELL….  AND HOW TO BUY OR SELL ‘RIGHT’.  WE LOOK FORWARD TO HELPING YOU WITH YOUR NEXT MOVE.   305 793-1365  THE RESTIVO TEAM.  CALL US  IF YOU OR SOMEONE YOU KNOW IS THINKING ABOUT BUYING OR SELLING PROPERTY IN SOUTH FLORIDA…. AND LOOKING FOR AN EXPERIENCED LOCAL REALTOR.

Captain’s Tavern occupies what used to be the site of a post office:   Kendall’s Post Office.  But as the name  “Kendall”  might imply

that post office eventually moved to Kendall, and in it’s place came Captain’s Tavern,   now a well-established  fish market and restaurant, where locals line up on Tuesday nights for  two for one lobster.  It’s word of mouth advertising …

Just behind the restaurant  (9625 South Dixie Highwayin Pinecrest) is a great fresh seafood market.  Worth the trip if you don’t already live here!

Surrounded by water,   finding a good seafood restaurant in Miami is a priority for many of us.  Have any favorites to suggest?   Please … do share!

And whether you are new to the area,  or a long time resident, if you are looking to buy or sell property in Miami, please call us at 305-793-1365 or contact us here.  We would love to make your next move special.  Vicki and Alexandra Restivo -  Your Local Miami Realtors.

Get out and try some of the area’s finest restaurants at just a fraction of the cost. Who knows…you may find a new favorite!

The place is  always…  brimming … late afternoons, and evenings.  My Yogurt Bliss in Coral Gables… Self-Serve Frozen Yogurt…. Self-Serve Toppings.   

Depending on the hour of the day (or night) you go, you’ll hobnob  those (like me) who prefer frozen yogurt to a ‘real’ lunch any time Miami temperatures classify as summer-ish  (which is often enough).  In the afternoon, it’s  the after-school crowd,  ballet attired,  or the gymnasts and cheerleaders with moms in tow.  In the evening, right around the witching hour… or dinner time as it’s known in most places… the  squeezky clean, self-serve yogurt place is  jam packed with college students, kids, parents,  clusters of friends …  It’s quickly becoming THE popular neighborhood place for local  Gables and South Miami residents,  and a trendy date spot… all rolled into one.  

Bubbly staff… it’s open till 1am … midnight on an ‘early’ night.  There are always  plenty of smiles … lots of laughter.    

The University of Miami is literally just across the road.  

10 flavors. 40 toppings.  Serve it… top it off … weigh it!   Mix and match…  Recipe for success ! (Which is why we published  it as a ”must know” on MiamiRealEstateCafe.com!) …  My Yogurt Bliss is in the Riviera Plaza,  in what I refer to as the SWEET section of the Gables.   Francesca Fernandez opened  the frozen yogurt place six months ago: My Yogurt Bliss –  1554 South Dixie Highway in Coral Gables (Miami)  Florida 33146.   ( Adjacent to it, in the same strip mall is  Misha’s Cupcakes … another Miami sweet spot … that opened and  literally took off in popularity.)     

Realtors know the sweet spots!     Send  us (the Restivo’s ) a note … Share your favorite  local spots in Miami  with  MiamiRealEstateCafe Blog Readers !   Miami would love to hear about your favorite local gems!   It’s a pleasure to see  LOCAL  NEIGHBORHOOD BUSINESSES THRIVING!      Looking for a top local Realtor?   … The Restivo Team.     EWM Realtors, International.  We look forward to hearing from you!

Real estate,  historically, has been a solid financial investment – especially long term.  Investing now, in this current market, if  you have liquidity to put down, stands to put you in good stead. Play with the numbers.

Renting -  That money goes out the window each and every month … benefiting your landlord, who acquires equity at your expense.

Owning – You’ll pay  maintenance and upkeep.  You’ll pay property tax, mortgage, insurance, and various and sundry other things.  Historically real estate increases in value…  given time … potentially doubling in value over a ten year span of time or so…. assuming you buy ‘right’.   Time your purchase so as to be  toward the bottom of the market swing (Notice that I didn’t say “at” the bottom!).  Look to buy in a decent area that holds it’s value… or an up and coming area with growth potential.   Your tax advisor will guide you as to how to take advantages of  tax write-offs.  Rely on an experienced local Realtor   Our expertise will help!    Buy right, and the money you put into your home or condo should in time equate to additional equity.

While Starbucks may be the “end-all” or  ”be-all”  for many of us coffee-enthusiasts,  Miami has a hand-full of  ‘secret’ competitors.  If you have a hankering  for Espresso,  Latte , Cappuccino (or Miami’s  famed  ” Cafe Cubano” – Cuban Coffee!)  here’s a sampling of a number of some of our local coffee hot spots  (alternatives to Starbucks)… for  Cuban Coffee, Italian Cappuccino or Espresso: 

In Coral Gables, Passion del Cielo brews up a frothy, rich cappuccino using rich, dark-roasted coffee …   and if you time your visit right, your server may swirl a heart into the froth.

Chocolate Fashion on Andalusia uses Lavazza brand coffee, and serves up a piping hot, rich cappuccino  …  (or an rather watered down variety if you ask instead  for a latte).

Miami Beach has Caffe Segafredo on Lincoln Road… and there’s a new one about to open in South Miami.   

Scattered about town are a number of  stand-at-the-window sidewalk spots for Miami’s famed Cuban Coffee which comes pre-sugared unless you ask for it otherwise.  There’s “cafe or cafecito” which is along the lines of an individual espresso… a ”colada” which is sweet dark coffee, meant to be shared, and served in  thimble-sized cups for that purpose,  ”cortadito” which comes in a small-ish cup with hot milk… “caffe con leche“ which is mostly hot milk unless you ask for it to be made ‘oscuro’… )   La Carretta, Versailles, and a handful of others stay open until the wee hours of the morning.   The reason their coffee is so good probably has something to do with the fact that their machine is rarely turned off.   I suppose the reason our ’home’ version isn’t nearly as good … is because it’s rarely turned on.

Please feel free to add  to this blog list…. and share your favorite coffee hot spots with the rest of us (…and….your favorite Starbucks locations too please!)

And, if you’re looking for an experienced South Florida Realtor….   I’ve lived and worked in Miami for decades,  and will be delighted to assist you.  Please feel free to contact me here. whenever you’re ready to buy or sell … or call direct at 305-793-1365  Vicki Restivo – EWM Realtors.

Restaurants come and go, in Miami as elsewhere.  Few thrive.   Nino Pernetti’s  Caffe Abbracci has ranked among the top restaurants in Coral Gables for over two decades now… attracting an international jet set crowd,  an entourage of locals,  and the A-List of Miami’s ‘who’s who’.  Nino Pernetti knows them all  (Miami’s A-List and seemingly every guest that enters his doors) …  their names and  their faces…  addressing and welcoming each by name…  cordial and accommodating.   

Nestled between Le Jeune and Ponce de Leon,  at 318 Aragon in Coral Gables,  Caffe Abbracci has an unassuming  facade.  The interior atmosphere is condusive to power lunches… and elegant social interaction…  having  a separate bar,  a rather intimate private dining area,  and a dark, richly elegant main restaurant area.

Cuisine is Northern Italian,  with a well-rounded wine list …  Pictured above, Abbracci is mentioned the Miami Herald “article” … which isn’t a newspaper at all, but rather Caffe Abbracci’s 20th Anniversary cake.  Recipe for a Restaurant?   Pernetti has it.   His recipe may have to do something with location (Location is everything, right?)…being that Caffe Abbracci is right on Restaurant Row in the heart of Coral Gables.  More has to do with the cuisine, the service, and the host himself though I think.  Pernetti… refined, congenial and  attentive… offers new dishes  and  an evolving wine list. Technology hasn’t squelched old-fashioned hospitality…  His handwritten, stamped, mailed notes (a novelty these days) … book signings … and  ’tastings’  for the press…   keep him and Caffe Abbracci in the forefront of the Gables community.  One would be hard-pressed to see any signs of economic downturn inside the walls of 318 Aragon.