Super cute and a nice photo op too. This 120 year old Banyan tree is a central inside the cute and…read morelush Upper Buena Vista, a sanctuary that offers local independent shops, and cute restaurants. This tree is known as is "the Bodhi Wish tree." Adorned in colourful ribbons. This tree is reputed to have special magnetic and spiritual values. An ancestral Asian tradition suggests that writing a wish on a ribbon and tying it to the tree could lead to eternal blessings. If you look closely at the ribbons, you'll find that each one carries a special wish! Upper Buena Vista partners with non-profit One Tree Planted, which plants trees in North America, Latin America, Africa, Asia, Europe and the Pacific to support reforestation and preservation of nature. So, purchase a ribbon, write your wish and there will be a tree planted in your honour.

I love a historic tree so much that I even have a collection on Yelp. I discovered the Bodhi…read moreWishtree on a recent visit to Upper Buena Vista. The Bodhi Wishtree is a 120 year old banyan tree located in Upper Buena Vista retail and dining development which was actually designed around it. The tree is said to have spiritual and magnetic properties. According to Asian tradition you can write a wish on a ribbon, tie it to the tree, and receive eternal blessings. Ribbons used to be sold by the The House of Findings for a $1 donation given to the non profit One Tree Planted foundation that seeks to support reforestation in four continents. The House of Findings is currently closed except for appointments so I'm not sure how they are handling ribbon sales now. The tree is the centerpiece of the Upper Buena Vista complex providing shade, shelter, and positive energy to visitors. Beneath the tree is a giant colorful Pinocchio sculpture. Tons of people were getting their picture taken in front of the tree and it is the perfect backdrop for an Instagram shot of one of the amazing drinks from Amazonica.. Upper Buena Vista is such a cool place and the Bodhi Wishtree is front and center of all of the fun.

More like 4.5 stars. I like Little Havana. I really don't come here very often. In fact, I have…read morebeen more on the west side of 8th Street compared to Little Havana. I find the Little Havana area to be charming. There are some nice restaurants in this area. I got to eat at Ciao Havana and was happy eating there. There is Old's Sandwich near there. That looked really good. I would like.to.eat there at some point. I like this area because of the history. I walked by a barber shop and saw how busy it was and how the barbershop seemed to be taking pride in their work. That is so nice to see. I look forward to coming back to this area. It is a nice break from Broward where I live.

Review #1,000 The…read morefinale to our Miami tour, booked to kill time before heading to the airport. This was the day that we disembarked from our Caribbean cruise. After Cuba's fall to Fidel Castro, Miami received an influx of Cuban migrants, some 150,000 at the time. And this community became their hub. We were tantalized by our tour bus guide's verbal preparations of his Cuban heritage found here, especially the Cuban coffee. Lunch at the popular Cuban restaurant La Esquina de La Fama, our first stop, delivered on the Cuban coffee hype. As did the mojitos for some, which they're probably most famous for. Then other than the guide's walking tour option to the nearby Cuban cigar factory which we passed on; we had toured a similar hand rolled cigar factory in the Dominican Republic. So we were now free to explore on our own. Colorful murals, especially in what is known as Art Park, surround you. Nearby Domino Park is open to the public, but playing dominoes there is reserved only for the local elderly. But feel free to stroll around the various games going on. There is also a very popular ice cream parlor that came highly recommended but we passed on it. And per the guides strong protest to please avoid/tongue-in-cheek, the McDonald's smack dab in the midst of it all, that advice went unheeded by more than a few lol. My wife crossed the street to check out a small strip mall, joining another group of tourists headed that way. While I remained in a cool shaded spot to avoid the encroaching Miami humidity. Oh, and if you feel a need for a bit more positivity in your life, try rubbing one of the large chickens, you can't miss them, for "good luck" they say. Little Havana, a nice way to kill some time when in town.

Mugshot Gummy Bear is really an art piece named The Vandal Gummy Bear by Brooklyn artist WhIsBe,…read moreshort for What Is Beauty. WhisBe first started making the The Vandal Gummy in 2011 as a nostalgia piece. As the artist explains it "At first, it represented the idea of innocence lost. Some represent my take on health and nutrition to my concerns about incarcerated youth, pharmaceuticals and addiction in this country." Some of the bears are translucent and filled with pills to represent addiction while others have a multicolor ombre effect which is popular during Pride Month. WhIsBe created a $60,000 pink one to represent Miami during Art Basel week in 2019. He also accepts commissions. No matter what color, The Vandal Gummy Bear signature look is a candy bear holding a Department of Corrections sign as if it were posing for a mug shot. It is a juxtaposition between the sentimental sugary treat and the alarming mug shot. You can find the red Vandal Gummy Bear at 296 NE 62nd St in Miami. He is parked between two buildings. Perfect for a quick photo shoot or your social media.

When visiting Miami this area is definitely worth adding to your list. It's literally a graffiti…read morefilled street art open air gallery filled with colorful, creative works on every corner and alleyway. They're plenty of eateries and shops to step inside and cool off and recharge along the way. You can easily spend half and day just taking it all in. They also offer guided tours but we chose to experience it at our pace. If staying downtown or just passing through this would defined be a must do to get a glimpse of the Miami culture, food and vibe. Definitely one of the highlights of our trip.

During my previous two visits to Miami, I'm not sure why I never made it here. While researching…read morenew places for this trip, the moment I saw a picture of Wynwood Walls, I knew I had to experience it in person. It is a world-renowned outdoor museum featuring, massive, constantly rotating, and vibrant street art from global artists. Founded in 2009, this walkable, family-friendly destination is surrounded by over 70 art galleries, boutiques, and cafes in the Wynwood Arts District. Wynwood is the street art district of Miami and possibly the most colourful neighbourhood in the world. Every single wall is a new experience. The talent, the detail and the bright, bold colors - amazing! Wynwood is a neighborhood just north of Downtown Miami and in between the two freeway bridges to South Beach. It was an industrial area for years, but developers revamped the place and now the warehouse buildings draw tourists in from all over the world to see the beautiful art. It was previously known as Little San Juan (El Barrio) because many people from Puerto Rico lived there, but since the area has been gentrified, it is less so. Parking: my suggestion, Park at 'Artem Apartments Garage/ Premium Parking - P2515' and walk 10 minutes.

This is a pop up garden inspired by the Baroque gardens of the 17th century with a twist. It was…read morecreated in the Jungle Plaza by the Swiss watch maker OMEGA in the Miami Design District. OMEGA has made medical watches, kick started trends, launched watch technology, and reimagined the classics of the past. Last summer they did a tribute to time keeping in the Olympics pop up. The garden opened on July 31st and it is open until August 14th. The garden was designed as a tribute to women and the brands jewelry watches of the early 20th century. There is subtle history around every corner. For instance when you enter the garden there is a display of vintage posters. Rooms are set up so you can take Instagram pictures. The backdrop of one has walls covered in Toile de Jouy: the same French inspired pattern that is on the straps of OMEGA's De Ville Mini Trésor watches. I love that mirrors set up inside make you look thinner than you actually are. LOL Throughout the garden you will find fountains, rooms, mirrors, benches with pillows, tables and chairs, topiaries, and other props so you can take your best photo. It is worth getting dressed up for. At the exit to the garden you will find a golden gazebo with images and quotes from all seven current OMEGA ambassadors: Nicole Kidman, Zoë Kravitz, Allyson Felix, So-hee Han, Dongyu Zhou, Kaia Gerber and Kiko Mizuhara. Overlooking the garden is a giant mural featuring four of the ladies. I love the interactive feature of this installation which exudes an Alice in Wonderland English garden vibe. Gather your friends and family for a photo shoot at this must see pop up in the Design District.

The Miami Design District is so much fun to explore and there are exciting discoveries around every…read morecorner. Nestled in between high end stores like Christian Louboutin and Louis Vuitton are exciting pieces of public art. It is impossible to miss this large scale art piece holding court in the center of the Palms Court. The unusual name of this art piece comes from its creator Buckminster Fuller who was an architect, systems theorist, author, designer, inventor, and futurist. In 1965 Fuller patented his design called the Fly's Eye Dome which he called "autonomous dwelling machines." The geodesic bubbles were comprised of a series of transparent domed windows across a fiberglass partial sphere. Fuller was a forerunner of the green living movement and he intended the domes to be affordable and portable housing for people in the future. He envisioned the openings to hold solar panels and water collection systems in some of its openings, making for a self-sufficient residence. Unfortunately Fuller passed away in 1983 after only three prototypes had made been handmade. In 2011 Craig Robbins, co-founder and co-owner of the Miami Design District, obtained one of Fuller's prototypes 24 foot prototypes and planned to use it for an element of the Design District. The Buckminter Fuller Design institute was commissioned to produce this 24 foot piece in 2014 and it is now on the ground floor of the Palm Court. They were able to create the dome with materials that were not available when Fuller was making them in 1970's. The inspiration for the shape was from the compound eye's of flies but it looks like a hamster ball to me. I get a futuristic vibe from it. The dome is surrounded by a fountain and you can actually go inside and there are stairs that take you down to parking. The Fly's Eye Dome is a favorite spot for Instagram photos and selfies.

Super cool location with surrounding restaurants and sleek architectural buildings. You have to…read morevisit here when in the design district. In 1965 Buckminster Fuller designed and patented the Fly's Eye Dome, which he called an "autonomous dwelling machine". Prototypes began to be built by hand in 1977, and by 1983 three of the fiberglass spheres in various sizes (12-foot, 24-foot, 50-foot) had been produced. Fuller died before he was able to realize his vision for the structure. However, almost 50 years later, the design, a Monohex variation of the geodesic dome, can clearly be seen as a forerunner of today's green building movement. In 2011, collector Craig Robins acquired the 24-foot prototype to exhibit it and use it as inspiration for a key element of the Miami Design District. The following year, The Buckminster Fuller Institute, in partnership with Goetz Composites, ConformLab, and DRDesign, began the development of a program to complete Fuller's vision, using advanced technologies and materials not available to Fuller in the 1970s. BFI was then commissioned to produce a Fly's Eye Dome utilizing state-of-the-art materials, intelligence, and techniques, to be prominently incorporated in the Miami Design District.

I love discovering all of the public art in the Miami Design District. Sometimes it even brings to…read morelight an important issue like this piece created by artist Paula Crown in 2018. Jokester 2 is a giant 10 foot high crushed red solo cup lying on the ground. You can find the art piece in a courtyard at the Museum Parking Garage. The subject of the art piece is a common red solo cup which is an object we take for granted. You pour a drink in the disposable cup and toss it out when you are finished. The cup often often evokes a fond memory like attending a party. Paula Crown uses this everyday object as a call to the end of single use plastic. She wants the red of the cup to be a stop sign. Garbage is killing our planet and we are throwing far too much away. Crown has said ""Our insatiable appetite for plastic continues to threaten our environment and our existence. We must be engaged both individually and collectively in caring for the planet." Crown partnered with the Surfrider Foundation to support its "Rise Above Plastics" campaign. The foundation worked to clean plastic off of Miami's beaches. In 2022 I am making the pledge to stop using plastic silverware, straws, and water bottles. Although this piece inspires a lot of people to take a selfie or post to Instagram I hope they take a moment to read the sign and learn the real meaning of this cup inspiring others to ditch the plastic too.

Anything arty, I like to check out. Anything to help the environment I like to check out. So what…read moreis this piece of art In the Design District? "On December 4, Cultured Magazine celebrated with artist Paula Crown for the unveiling of JOKESTER 2, a public sculpture installed in the heart of Miami's Design District at 95 NE 40th Street. More than just an artwork, Crown's larger-than-life SOLO Cup has a mission--one much larger than itself. For every photo of JOKESTER 2 shared on Instagram during the week of Art Basel, PAHC / studio*lab will work with @surfridermiami to clean 1 lb. of plastic waste off Miami's beaches as part of their "Rise Above Plastics" campaign. Snap a photo of yourself and JOKESTER 2 or regram a photo of the piece! Remember to tag @paulacrown_art, #JOKESTER and #SOLOTOGETHER on social media, and help us reach the goal of clearing 2,500 lbs. of plastic."

George Merrick is the founder of the City of Coral Gables. His family came to Miami from PA two…read moreyears after Henry Flagler brought the railroad to Florida. It was the dawn of the development of Florida. George Merrick attended Rollins College in Winter Park and in 1922 he meticulously planned Coral Gables. The houses were so well made that they survived hurricanes before there were building codes and his architecture was so charming that Coral gables is called the city beautiful. He also created the University of Miami. At first he wanted his buildings to be strictly Spanish and later Mediterranean style. Eventually he expanded his vision to include seven unique villages inspired by different international influences. The villages were built during the land boom years in the 1920's. It was a joint venture between Merrick, The American Building Company and former Ohio Governor Myers Cooper. The original plan was for more 1,000 residences in a series of villages based on architecture from around the world. The plan was never fully realized when the housing boom crashed from two hurricanes followed by the Great Depression. In the end only seven villages were built including this French Normandy Village. By 1928 George Merrick was forced out of the city he founded and ended up in the Keys. He returned to the city two years before he died to serve as postmaster. You can learn more about George Merrick by taking a tour of his family home in Coral Gables. The French Normandy village is based on a 15th century French Village. It is one of three of Merrick's villages that showcases different periods of French architecture. Architects John and Coulton Skinner built the eleven townhouses that make up this village between 1926 and 1927. The townhouses are characterized by hollow tile, poured concrete, and white stucco are crisscrossed with half timbering and topped by flat, shingled, gabled roofs. The grounds have traditional kitchen gardens, enclosed courtyards, and open-air porches. The village is bounded by LeJeune Road, Viscaya Court, Viscaya Avenue, and Alesio Avenue. In 1935 all of the French Normandy townhouses were purchased by the University of Miami to use as men's dormitories. During World War II, they were used as barracks for soldiers. Today they are all privately owned. The homes in the villages are some of the most sought after residences in the Gables. They rarely go up for sale and are always in high demand. Today there are 80 homes left. Expect to pay close to a million for a French Normandy residence. Once you see these beautiful homes you can easily understand why they are so coveted.

Another great excursion during your staycation or if you're visiting something other than the…read morebeach! This "village" was built in 1926-1927, and was designed by architects John and Coulton Skinner. They are supposed to resemble a 15th century French village. It's difficult to see much beyond the white stuccoed walls as you walk around the block. However, the profusion of flowers is amazing with wisteria and bougainvillea. The connected houses were not always privately owned. In 1935, the Village was sold to nearby University of Miami and served as homes to five fraternities. Next, during World War II like most of the iconic Art Deco hotels in South Beach, they were used to house soldiers here for training.

The Miami Design District is so much fun to explore and there are exciting discoveries around every…read morecorner. Nestled in between high end stores like Christian Louboutin and Louis Vuitton are exciting pieces of public art like Dollar A Gallon III. Dollar A Gallon III is a sculpture that looks like a rusty Sunoco gas sign sinking into the ground. Actually compared to today, the prices aren't so bad on it. If I ran across this gas station I would definitely stop and fill the tank. At night the gas prices are illuminated. In 2019, artist Virgil Abloh was inspired to create the sculpture by his thoughts on the effects of advertising on the public. He created this piece specifically for the Design District to provoke thought on shopping and brands. Not only is Abloh an artist but he is also an architect, engineer, creative director, and fashion designer. His art work has been shown at the Museum of Contemporary art in Chicago. Abloh is the Chief Creative Director and founder of Off-White and the Men's Artistic Director at Louis Vuitton. It was so nice to find a piece by such a prominent artists. I enjoyed learning more about the artist and the sculpture. The Design District is like a free art museum. You can go on an outdoor treasure hunt to find all of the pieces.

Wacky art? you bet? typical Miami? you beat, what? where? why? see below for info I found on the…read morenet - (be your own judge) Love or hate it, come take a peak! Where? Paseo Ponti, 168 NE 41st Street, Miami, FL 33137 What? Dollar A Gallon III is a sculpture by artist Virgil Abloh presenting a window into the artist's study and research of the effect of advertising on the impressionable. The work serves as a comprehensive lighthouse of mixed media. The framework is reminiscent of a gasoline sign relaying information about various types of gasoline and the respective pricing, while also being the commodity of an advertised sponsor. The series of global occurrences of this work was considered specifically for the Miami Design District, where its final positioning implies the concept of commerce and necessity re-packaged as a brand -- while underscoring the relevancy via location. Ultimately the work is a signature of Abloh's multi-lauded artistic logic emanating in a physical form not limited to any specific medium. Why? - Born in Rockford, Illinois, Virgil Abloh was an artist, architect, engineer, creative director, and fashion designer. After earning a degree in civil engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, he completed a master's degree in architecture at the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT), Chicago. At IIT, while studying a design curriculum devised by Mies van der Rohe, Abloh began to craft the principles of his art practice. The Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago presented a major traveling survey of Abloh's work in summer 2019--one of the highest attended exhibitions in the museum's history. the late Virgil Abloh was the Chief Creative Director and founder of Off-White™ and Men's Artistic Director at Louis Vuitton.

Ahol Sniffs Glue is a local street artist that has blown up the scene! I had the chance to visit…read morehis pop up shop in downtown Miami. It is selling collectibles and other one of a kind, exclusive items you can only get there! They are limited editions so hurry up if you want to get some dope stuff before it runs out for eva!! From his FB page: The South Florida native is best known for his soaring urban murals depicting expansive fields of drowsy eyes, reflecting his unique vision of life, labor and unrequited love of the mean streets of Miami. On top of being a dope artist, Ahol is a hell of a guy! Humble, nice and is all about spreading the love to his fans and the Miami community at large! He has work at local MDCPS schools, works with homeless shelters, is very compassionate with kids and an overall nice dude! This is why I support him! : ) Anyone can have art displayed in a gallery. It not everyone has the love, dedication and desire to help their community!