Midtown Miami is a relatively new section of Uptown Miami located south of the Design District. The development mixes retail, office and residential space in an effort to create an urban, pedestrian friendly utopia. And you don’t have to live there to enjoy it. Being surrounded by major city arteries, it is a very accessible area of town; you will find I-395 to the north, I-195 to the south, I-95 to the west and Biscayne Bay to the east. Coming from Brickell, I am always surprised at how fast I can get there every time.
Most people are probably lured into Midtown by Target, one of the flagship stores of the Midtown mall. I personally go there looking for deals at the new Loehmann’s (best days to go are Monday afternoons or Tuesday mornings since the store gets its new shipments early in the week). Details at Home, my favorite furniture and home accessories store in Miami and now located in South Beach, is opening up there soon. I believe that with its convenient location for residents of Miami Beach, Biscayne Bay, Brickell and Downtown; and with new stores and restaurants opening up every day, Midtown will slowly shed its bad rep and become a great place to shop, dine and walk around. TIP: I have heard some people complain about the parking rates in the garage; my best advise is to always validate your ticket after a Target purchase, which will make your first hour at the garage free, or to park in the courtyard area behind West Elm, where you don’t have to pay for parking, at least for now.