I have spent years listening to people tell me how terrible Miami is…read more..
I've heard it all, especially about Miami Beach. The crime, the chaos, the tourists, the traffic, the partying, the old cocaine reputation from the 1980s, and all the other things people seem to love bringing up whenever I tell them how much I love Miami. I know what Miami is. I've been coming here since I was 22 years old, so this isn't some recent love affair I developed because Miami became fashionable. I got the bug very early, and somehow it never left my soul, my mind or my heart.
Miami Beach has reinvented itself over and over again. It went from a resort playground in the early 20th century, through the glamorous Art Deco era, the postwar years, the decline and drug-era reputation, and then the extraordinary preservation movement that saved much of South Beach from being demolished. The Art Deco Historic District became the first urban 20th-century historic district on the National Register in 1979, and today Miami Beach has more than 800 historic Art Deco buildings. Even now, the city continues to build its identity around that architecture while mixing it with restaurants, nightlife, art, music, fashion, luxury hotels and international tourism.
And that's what people who constantly criticize Miami seem to miss when they talk about it like it's nothing but chaos. Yes, Miami Beach is still a party town. It is still loud, crowded, international, sometimes completely ridiculous and full of people doing very bad things...
There is also an incredible amount of history, architecture, culture, music, food, design and sheer personality packed into this little island. Millions of people still come here every year, and tourism remains one of the major economic engines of the area. In 2025 alone, tourism generated an estimated $2.2 billion in local and state tax revenue.
I've watched Miami Beach change for decades, and I still love coming here. Maybe that's why I don't get particularly interested when somebody starts telling me all the reasons I shouldn't like it.
Its honestly very offputting..
I have my own relationship with this place. I've stayed here, played here, dined here.. attended the parties ... large and small listened to the music, met the people, celebrated birthdays, had incredible nights and made memories that aren't going anywhere.
I don't need Miami Beach to be perfect for me to love it. I actually like that it has a personality. I like that it can be elegant one minute and completely chaotic the next. I like the energy, the people, the ridiculousness of it, the history, the ocean, the architecture and the fact that something is always happening.
People can have their opinions about Miami. I'll keep coming back. And if I'm going to choose between the chaos and millions of people in Miami or the chaos and millions of people in Los Angeles, I'll take Miami every single time.