Miami Real Estate

Key Biscayne is a world renowned island community just off the coast of Metropolitan Miami. The island is literally surrounded with stretches of white sandy beaches and offers a slew of  activities for everyone to enjoy. Whether it’s a day at the beach or a day on the water, Key Biscayne offers a plethera of outdoor fun.

The island is home to Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park. It’s famous lighthouse, built in 1825, happens to be the oldest structure in South Florida. The white brick tower has been through Seminole Wars and fires that burnt much of it. When the lighthouse was rebuilt in 1855-1856, it ’grew’ from the original 65-feet to the current height of 95-feet. Today, park rangers offer public tours of the lighthouse and adjoining cottage.

Crandon Park serves as a public beach with stretches of sandy shores … and a barbecue pavilion. Open from 8 am until sunset, the park makes up the northern one third of Key Biscayne and is open 365 days a year.

For boating fiends, Stiltsville Sandbar is just 2 miles offshore and features homes built literally on stilts. In the waters of Biscayne National Park, Stiltsville was constructed during the days of prohibition when gambling was allowed a mile offshore, hence the location of this chain of homes … literally a mile offshore. Clients were taken by ferry to enjoy an evening of gambling and fun. During the 1980’s, aka Miami Vice days, the area was used for sea planes to drop off contraband goods which were then passed along to speedboats. Stiltsville has been the site of many film and photo shoots as well as the home to many wild parties. Today, the homes located here are used as shelter from a rainstorm or simply as a place to have a good time.

Key Biscayne is home to the original Lipton Tennis Tournament, currently known as the Sony Ericsson Tournament. Every Spring,  top tennis players from around the world compete for the grand prize in this hard court tournament. The tournament takes place at the Crandon Tennis Center, which during the year is open for public use and  budding superstars.

The Miami Seaquarium has been a Miami landmark since 1955, when it was the largest marine-life attraction in the world. The Seaquarium is home to  famous stars, including Bebe, a bottlenose dolphin born in 1956. She was featured in a two-page photo spread of Life Magazine, and in the Top Deck Show at the aquarium and was featured in many films and photo shoots. We know her as “Flipper.” From 1963-1967, 88 television episodes and 2 movies were filmed at the Seaquarium starring Flipper who still performs today. Other famous stars include Lolita the Killer Whale (7,000 pounds of beauty and intelligence) and Salty the Sea Lion (featured in the 1967 movie by the same name), performing for Seaquarium audiences still today. Visitors can see Manatees ( a local endangered species) as well as sea turtles, crocodiles and sea turtles and may also swim with the dolphins! Miami Seaquarium teaches visitors to participate in the conservation of wildlife, and was the first place to perform cataract surgery on a sea lion. The Seaquarium offers a summer camp and works closely with the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences and the University’s Marine Science department.

A quick drive over the bridge takes you to a world where time stops and you are seemingly “on vacation”.  If you are interested in buying or selling property in Key Biscayne please give me a call at (305) 793-1365, or send me a note here.  Would you like to stay updated on all of the current South Florida real estate information?  Subscribe here to receive my blog posts directly into your inbox. 

The Restivo Team … Buying and Selling Miami… Better, Faster, Smarter!

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Everyone has their own personal  “favorite”  beach get-a-ways  in Miami.    ( I have two!)   One is on Miami Beach.  One is on Key Biscayne.

On Miami Beach,  my top choice is the beach at The Palms Hotel and Spa at 30th and Collins…  where,   for some reason, we  always,  always,  always  run into Italian guests, visiting from overseas…     “vacanza” a Miami…    oppure cercando   “CASA   A  MIAMI!”  How Italy discovered The Palms Hotel,  I have no idea!  We’ve lived in Miami for two decades now, and  we only recently discovered  The Palms.   The beach there looks like it was hand-painted for the cover of a tropical beach resort brochure! It’s charming and romantic … and relatively uncrowded.

On Key Biscayne,  I love the beach by the Ritz Carlton … and I also like the beach that’s literally a stone’s throw south of that  (just in front of the “former”  Sonesta Beach Hotel).

I don’t care if it’s a chaise lounge at the Ritz (as a guest of the hotel) or ’roughing it’ …  schlepping folding chairs and an umbrella and hoofing it down to what I STILL call “Sonesta Beach” … The beaches on the “hotel side ” of Key Biscayne are sprinkled with sea turtle nests …  and sea weed that washes up on shore. Those beaches tend to be more serene and less crowded than the beaches at Crandon Park… and make me  feel as though I’m far from the madding crowds, and very much “on vacation”.

I’ve been getting “summer special”  brochures from The Palms, and thought they were worth sharing. Click here to view.   Looking for delightful beach spots, or weekend retreats?  …  The Palms and The Ritz are two of my favorites…. (and I’m sure the Ritz has summer specials too).  One of the perks of living and working in Miami:   from anywhere you happen to be, the beach is  not much more than a hop, skip and a jump away… and waterfront dining makes eating fun!  (Makes selling real estate fun too!… There’s water everywhere!)  Love to hear which are your favorite beaches, so feel free to share!   If you are wanting to buy or sell propery in Miami, please call me at 305-793-1365 or send me a note here.

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Miami is full of activities year round, and Fourth of July is no exception. There are many places celebrating with fireworks throughout the city. Here are just a few :

Fourth of July at Bayfront Park

This celebration has fireworks, children’s activites, food and drinks. Come out and enjoy the evening !

Time: 4:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Location: Bayfront Park, 301 N. Biscayne Blvd., Downtown Miami

Key Biscayne 4th of July Parade – 50th Anniversary!

Up and down Crandon Boulevar, floats, marching bands and street performers show off their skills in this small town celebration.

Time: 11:00 am – 12 noon
Location: Village Green, Key Biscayne

Old Fashioned July Fourth Picnic

This old fashioned picnic takes place on the grounds of a 19th century pioneer home site. The Barnacle Society hosts it and features kite making and lawn games, plus many other activities. Pack your a blanket and a picnic lunch and enjoy a fun filled day at the Barnacle.

Time: 11:00 am – 3:00 pm
Location: The Barnacle Historic State Park, 3485 Main Hwy., Coconut Grove
Cost: $5 for adults, $2 for kids age 6-12, kids under 6 are free

An American Celebration – July 4th on Miami Beach

Miami Beach presents fireworks and music by DJ Irie. It’s open to the public and free of charge. Bring towels and chairs, but no coolers or bottles, as they are not allowed on the beach.

Time: 7:30 pm

Location: 8th Street and Ocean Drive, Miami Beach

Be sure to take advantage of these great events – Happy Fourth of July!!

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The Sony Ericsson is underway on Key Biscayne…don’t miss out! Monday and Tuesday players took part in the Qualifying rounds and yesterday the tournament kicked off. Seeded players begin to play this weekend which is sure to be exciting.

Buy a day pass and spend the day walking around the various outer courts-you can be up close to your favorite tennis stars and spot up and coming ones.  I remember watching Andy Roddick as a young, virtually unknown kid playing on such a court years ago. This “kid” went on to win the U.S. Open and become a famous superstar.

Walk around the grounds and you may spot Federer practicing on one of the back courts or Nadal signing autographs as he makes his way back to the lounge from warming up, or even come across autograph sessions with Serena Williams. Don’t forget to watch the matches in the stadium, as they tend to be good ones.

There are activities for the kids and lots of fun food choices like Ben & Jerry’s icecream and crepes. Grab your sunscreen, head out to Key biscayne and enjoy the tournament that is sure to be great.

The tournament runs March 25-April 5 2009. Click here for up to the minute news and match schedules.

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