This past Friday, September 26, I was lucky enough to take a hard hat tour of the soon to be completed Met1. Since EWM has been the exclusive sales agent for the building, I have been able to track the building from idea to completion. Hard Hat Tours are not yet available for everybody, so here is a sneak preview.
The Views of Met 1
I have to tell you I was impressed. We took the elevator up to the top floor and the views were stunning. For water views you can see Biscayne Bay and the Miami River.
Moving South and West you can see a great construction update on various Brickell Buildings.
That’s Asia on Brickell Key
More great water views
Moving more to the Southwest now with Icon and Epic in the forefront.
The full on West view – at night this view must be even more stunning.
Moving back to the east and north – a peak at the Port of Miami
Now coming to a lower floor (23 I think), you can see that the view becomes a bit more active. This is Bayfront Park.
Our tour did not take us into every unit – but we did see a good cross section and I was impressed with every view. I have been in a lot of condos with a lot of stunning views. But I have to tell you, I think these views are some of the best. The water is always pleasant to see, but somehow the life in Downtown seems to insert itself into the views… creating an electricity and vibrancy that is unique to city living.
The Condos
The condos at Met 1 are being completed from the lower floors upward. The lower floors now having kitchens and completed baths, the higher floors have just begun on the kitchens. In the condos that were nearing completion, the kitchens and baths were beautiful… appliances were being installed in many of the condos the day we were touring. The flooring is in many of the condos as well… all looking very nicely done. There is a considerable amount of light in each condo. Many of the bathrooms have a good sized window – a nice addition to what could typically be a dark space. The hallways are wide and the elevator lobbies have big glass windows with that west facing view.
The Amenities
Although the amenities are still under construction, you can already sense the spaciousness and grand scale. 
Here is the pool and you can tell I am not a great photographer as this picture does the pool area little justice. The pool area is huge and with that west view that is very urban. The pool deck is spacious and a great place to host that pool cocktail party in the winter.
There are 2 lobby levels – one at street level and one on the second floor for residents only. The second floor is also home to the fitness center and a huge common room with catering kitchen. All of these rooms are surrounded by floor to ceiling glass that brings the life of Downtown Miami into the building. The ceilings are high and the rooms are grand in scale, even before the finishes are in. It is a pleasure to be in a building where the amenities are front and center and set the tone for the building instead of just coming off as after thoughts.
We also did a quick walk through of Manny’s Steakhouse which is well underway – it is looking like the best restaurant in Miami already… circular shaped, lots of glass and we already know the food is great!
Summary
As my personal nest empties out and the maintenance of a house in the suburbs becomes a bit burdensome, I know there is a condo somewhere in my future… the question has always been where? We have so many great choices. After touring the Met, I am thinking Downtown Miami is where I want to be. I have lived here most of my life and there is no condo destination that speaks “Miami” more to me than Downtown. I understand there are inventory and infrastructure issues that time and money will eventually resolve, but there is no denying that living in Downtown Miami will be a reality and a premium real estate destination – especially in quality, well thought out buildings like Metropolitan Miami. Closings should begin late 2007.