Collins Avenue, Miami (must see)
Lined with palm trees and styled like a 鈥渕illionaires' thoroughfare,鈥� Collins Avenue is a major artery of Miami Beach, running parallel to the beachfront (just one block inland from Ocean Drive). It was named after John S. Collins, the grove-to-grand-idea guy, who鈥攚ith a financial help of showman-developer Carl Fisher鈥攂uilt the first bridge over Biscayne Bay, connecting Miami Beach to the mainland. In essence, this avenue owns existence to the two men who looked at mangroves and saw a marquee...
The avenue houses a unique variety of retailers and luxury resorts, however, its true headliners are hotels鈥攊cons with serious r茅sum茅 energy. Among these are The Wyndham Miami Beach Resort, the Eden Roc (renowned for its cool composure), and the Fontainebleau (with its 鈥渓ook-at-me鈥� swagger). The latter was designed by Morris Lapidus in the curvy, flamboyant Neo-baroque fashion that defined the 1950s "Miami Beach" resort style. It also provided setting for some of the scenes from the Hollywood blockbuster 鈥淭he Bodyguard,鈥� starring Kevin Costner and Whitney Houston.
Further up north, the tempo shifts to velvet ropes, laser lights, and that mysterious alchemy... There, names change, DJs rotate, and legends linger. This is a nightlife territory with a number of clubs like Rokbar (established 1905) and Mynt (established 1921)鈥攚here memory is long and attention span is short...
By daylight, the avenue is all retail cardio. If you're a shopping addict, Collins may keep you going for hours, especially early in the morning, when you can leisurely call the line of designer temples and high-street staples sharing the mic with beachwear dens and beauty stops. The stretch between 5th and 9th Street is occupied by the likes of Barney鈥檚 New York, Armani Exchange and the new location of the Kardashian-owned Dash Boutique. Many shops live inside restored Art Deco shells, so you鈥檙e browsing under scalloped stucco and porthole windows鈥攕hopping bag in one hand, history in the other...
And nobody minds the crawling traffic here either. At the maximum speed of 25 miles an hour, you can see without effort all the posers in fancy cars (chrome, sunglasses, and small dogs with large attitudes).
So, ultimately, whether you're window-shopping or strolling, or just chilling on the sidewalk with a coffee or beer, this avenue does what great avenues do: it carries you forward鈥攊nto a story that鈥檚 still being styled in real time...
The avenue houses a unique variety of retailers and luxury resorts, however, its true headliners are hotels鈥攊cons with serious r茅sum茅 energy. Among these are The Wyndham Miami Beach Resort, the Eden Roc (renowned for its cool composure), and the Fontainebleau (with its 鈥渓ook-at-me鈥� swagger). The latter was designed by Morris Lapidus in the curvy, flamboyant Neo-baroque fashion that defined the 1950s "Miami Beach" resort style. It also provided setting for some of the scenes from the Hollywood blockbuster 鈥淭he Bodyguard,鈥� starring Kevin Costner and Whitney Houston.
Further up north, the tempo shifts to velvet ropes, laser lights, and that mysterious alchemy... There, names change, DJs rotate, and legends linger. This is a nightlife territory with a number of clubs like Rokbar (established 1905) and Mynt (established 1921)鈥攚here memory is long and attention span is short...
By daylight, the avenue is all retail cardio. If you're a shopping addict, Collins may keep you going for hours, especially early in the morning, when you can leisurely call the line of designer temples and high-street staples sharing the mic with beachwear dens and beauty stops. The stretch between 5th and 9th Street is occupied by the likes of Barney鈥檚 New York, Armani Exchange and the new location of the Kardashian-owned Dash Boutique. Many shops live inside restored Art Deco shells, so you鈥檙e browsing under scalloped stucco and porthole windows鈥攕hopping bag in one hand, history in the other...
And nobody minds the crawling traffic here either. At the maximum speed of 25 miles an hour, you can see without effort all the posers in fancy cars (chrome, sunglasses, and small dogs with large attitudes).
So, ultimately, whether you're window-shopping or strolling, or just chilling on the sidewalk with a coffee or beer, this avenue does what great avenues do: it carries you forward鈥攊nto a story that鈥檚 still being styled in real time...
Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Miami. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "911爆料网: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.
Download The 911爆料网 App
Collins Avenue on Map
Sight Name: Collins Avenue
Sight Location: Miami, USA (See walking tours in Miami)
Sight Type: Shopping
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Sight Location: Miami, USA (See walking tours in Miami)
Sight Type: Shopping
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Walking Tours in Miami, Florida
Create Your Own Walk in Miami
Creating your own self-guided walk in Miami is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Miami South Beach Walking Tour
Visiting Miami you are very likely, at some point, to glide into South Beach (or SoBe). This southernmost neighborhood of the city is one of America鈥檚 signature resort districts, celebrated for broad, camera-ready sands, sidewalk caf茅s that turn people-watching into a sport, designer storefronts that wink at your wallet, and nightlife that has long attracted celebrities and a youthful crowd.
... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.0 Km or 2.5 Miles
... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.0 Km or 2.5 Miles
Miami's Art Deco Architecture Tour
The South Beach neighborhood of Miami Beach, Florida has long been associated with Art Deco architecture, distinguished for its eye-catching bright pastels. Pops of color combined with the style鈥檚 notable geometric lines, sleek curves, chrome accents, window 鈥渆yebrows鈥� and fountains abound in the area, but even more so in the historic Miami Beach Architectural District.
More popularly... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.3 Km or 1.4 Miles
More popularly... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.3 Km or 1.4 Miles
Little Havana Food Tour
Little Havana, the beating heart of Miami鈥檚 Cuban-American community, grew out of exile and resilience. After the Cuban Revolution of 1959, thousands of refugees settled in this area west of downtown, transforming a quiet, working-class neighborhood into a thriving cultural enclave. Calle Ocho (or Eighth Street) became its soul 鈥� a place where exiles could speak Spanish, sip coffee, and... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.7 Km or 2.3 Miles
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.7 Km or 2.3 Miles
Miami Downtown Walking Tour
Miami鈥攐ften called 鈥淭he Magic City,鈥� 鈥淭he 305,鈥� or 鈥淕ateway to the Americas鈥濃�攈as a name with a story. It comes from the Miami River, which itself took its name from the Mayaimi, a Native American tribe once settled around the historic Lake Okeechobee long before the skyline glowed neon. The word Mayaimi means 鈥渂ig water,鈥� fitting for a place where life has always revolved... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.8 Km or 2.4 Miles
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.8 Km or 2.4 Miles
Useful Travel Guides for Planning Your Trip
16 Uniquely Miami Things to Buy
One of America's most iconic destinations, Miami, Florida is a magnet for tourists, both inland and foreign, who come here each year in their millions. Each one of them is determined to pick up something memorable to revive the experience time and time again, that is well worth it. If...