Beaches/South Beach/Art Deco District, Miami

For an entire week in January, Miami's Art deco festival celebrates it's design inspiration.
Includes historic walks, jazz music, plenty of artwork and dining.
Auctions, memorabilia and unique items are on display!

The entire weekend which ends the festival culminates in dancing, international music and parties.
It is put on annually by the Miami Design Preservation Society.

Hotels, specially on the popular ART DECO DISTRICT of Miami Beach may be difficult to come by at this time so early reservations are strongly urged.

You've seen them ... the life-guards in their pastel structures blend 1920s Art Deco with 1960s pop-culture themes stations. They are among the most intriguing pieces of beachfront architecture in Art Deco Miami Beach. Their whimsical station-names sound like "Boomerang Putting Green", "Man-o'-War", and "Purple Fuselage". They are payed by government and some are certified lifeguards. Special to tourists: -> watch these beach guys ... and their local warnings (ripp current, jellyfishes, shark-alarm ...) ... of maybe better, embrace them!

The name art deco itself comes from the Exposition Internationale des Arts Decoratifs Industriels et Modernes held in Paris in 1925, which promoted art deco architecture in Europe.

Although art deco looks ultra-modern, it dates back to the days of Egyptian tombs. Specifically, the discovery of King Tut's tomb in the 1920's opened the door to this enticing style. The stark lines, bold colors and zig-zag architectural features were added to objects placed in the tomb to entertain and enlighten the sleeping kings. This style greatly appealed to Americans, who were going through the "roaring 20's" and loved the eclectic look. They saw it as a symbol of decadence and extravagance, qualities their generation embraced. Art, architecture, jewelry and fashion were all heavily influenced by the bold colors and sharp lines of the movement.

How do you spot art deco architecture? Art Deco buildings usually have very little ornamentation and have a very flat, machine-like look. This is due to the fact that Art Deco was influenced by the modern art movements of Cubism, Futurism, and Constructivism.

It never occurred to me to care until I was trying to plan a weeks worth of outings for my parents and little brother when they came to visit me here in Miami, so I thought I would share a little insight with families visiting the area. Down here, sun bathing on a public beach either topless or completely without swimwear is the norm. I haven't run into it every time I've been on South or North Beach, but it is definately a possibilitiy.

Gentlemen, watch out, even if they are only on vacation here, the ladies require pampering and spoiling. In this place, if you want to impress a woman, you're going to have to put out quite a bit of cash. Hey, that's just the way it goes!

Miami Beach also famous for its Art Deco distric,
perhaps the largest collection of art deco architecture in the world.This mile square distric in the southern portion of Miami Beach is known for its 1920-1940s Art Deco architecture, from the 1930s, when most of the art deco hotels were built, to the renaissance of South Beach in the 1990s,'the beach' has been Miami's social center. Gleaming white sands, glamorous clubs and glossy bare bodies are a big part of the attraction.But Miami Beach serves up culture,too, with Miami City Ballet, the New World Symphony, art museums and the entertainment mecca of the Jackie Gleason Theater.
Many beautiful buildings are bathed in tropical pastel colors and decorated inside and out with various Art Deco styles at Ocean Drive, Miami Beach.

The leagues big bash of the year is the Art Deco Weekend, usually held in mid to late January along Ocean Drive.

The Thursday tour begins at 6:30pm and on Saturdays, at 10:30am. Cost is $10. Both tours start and end at the welcome center.

Another popular tour is the walking tour, guided by local preservationists and history buffs offered on Thursdays and Saturdays.

Average time to complete the tour is 60 to 75 minutes and is offered 10am to 4pm daily. The cost is $15.