I have always wanted to explore the old RC Cola Plant in Wynwood. RC Cola had its origins in…read moreGeorgia just like Coca-Cola but it never became as popular. The building is open sometimes for tours and as an event space. It was closed the day I finally had the chance to come by but I still was able to enjoy all of the art painted on the outside of the building. In 1905 RC (Royal Crown) Cola was founded by Claud Adkins Hatcher, a Columbus, Georgia pharmacist who enjoyed creating soft drinks in the basement of his family's wholesale grocery business. The company was originally called Union Bottling Works. Royal Crown Ginger Ale was the first flavor followed by Royal Crown Strawberry, Royal Crown Root Beer and Chero-Cola. One day Hatcher overheard a route salesman describe a competitors tall bottle as being knee high which inspired him to create the Nehi line of fruit flavors in 1924. These included orange, grape, root beer. By 1925 the name of the company had been changed to Chero-Cola Co. and there were 315 plants in 14 southern states for bottling Chero-Cola and Nehi. In 1928 the company changed its name again to the Nehi Corporation because of the popularity of the fruity soft drinks. Things were going along well for the corporation until the Great Depression and the stock market crash of October 1929. Business finally began to stabilize by the 1930's but Hatcher passed away suddenly at the age of 46 on December 31, 1933. His will provided for the establishment in 1938 for the Pickett and Hatcher Educational Fund named after his good friend Devitt Pickett. The fund offered college educations to students who couldn't otherwise afford them. The fund is still operating today benefitting thousands of college students. Hatcher was succeeded by Vice President H.R. Mott who led the company to profitability in the 1940's by streamlining operations and cutting expenses. In 1946 celebrities such as Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, and Joan Crawford advertised for the company. In 1955 the name of the company was changed to Royal Crown Cola Company. In 1961 they made a breakthrough with a diet cola that tasted good and had no aftertaste. Diet Rite Cola took the company to new heights until cyclamate, the low calorie sweetener used in the soda was banned in 1969. 1975 brought to the public the popular ad campaign "Me and my RC." In 1980 the first caffeine free RC cola was introduced and in 1983 Diet Rite was eventually reformulated with NutraSweet. In 1984 RC Cola was bought by Chesapeake Financial Corporation an affiliate of Victor Posner and the headquarters was relocated from Atlanta, Georgia to Miami, Florida. An unfavorable court ruling against Posner spelled the end of RC Cola and it closed down in 1993 due to financial mismanagement. After becoming abandoned, the building began attracting graffiti. Today the RC Cola building is a focal point of the prestigious Art Basel held every December. It has appeared in the movie 2Fast2Furious. The plant is now owned by the Mana Urban Arts Project nd it is used for parties, festivals, events, and trade fairs. Art pieces painted there are under the curation of the Bushwick Collective. A full list of upcoming events can be found online.

It's an abandoned building! It's Public Art! It's a Grafitti Mural! It's a Movie Set!…read more It's the Old RC Cola Plant!! George M. gave a great historical lesson on it, and I had the chance to check it out during the Wynwood Art Fair this afternoon legally ;) I'm half tempted to take out a star because there were no industrial piping by where they used to make the soda, but there was killer grafitti and you could inhale the history in the air, and see some real cool industrial architecture. I also got to see the making of an action film while sauntering through the facility. This place has potential too, for either a killah Halloween party or Full Moon drumming!

I came here for a fundraising event. The architecture in this building is amazing once you get in…read morethe building you're transported back to the early 1930's with the old painted ceiling the old vaults, the bathroom was even the same as it was in that era. lots of different work spaces and restaurants on the bottom floor

The Alfred I. Dupont Building is Miami's only Art Deco skyscraper and a representation of…read moreDepression Moderne architecture. Built in 1939, the restored mezzanine level began serving as an elegant special event space in 2001. A former bank headquarters, the 22,000-square-foot space with two distinct ballrooms boasts wall-to-wall marble flooring, hand-painted cypress wood ceilings, original brass scrollwork on gates, and original teller windows and bank vaults. I don't love the walk from the parking garage to the venue (you go through a lobby) and then you can go upstairs by escalator, walking or one of the 5 elevators to your venue (one is a service elevator). It is a huge space but I think the main issue is the drive to the venue and the surrounding area to the Bldg. not the best. So you need to decide if that's ok with you...

The New Tropic is a very cool venue. It is located in Little River Business District and I have to…read moreadmit, the area is a little sketchy. Lots of warehouses and buildings that look abandoned, but it seemed safe. The New Topic is on the second floor of a green building right next to train tracks. The parking is a little limited, so I recommend you go early to get a good parking spot. I have been following them on Instagram for a while and was finally able to go to one of their events. I attended the Brickwall Sessions: Comedy Night & Live Podcast. It was a fun and interactive comedy show with local comedians. They had a wide selection of drinks and had a special of 50% off drinks until 8:00 pm. After the comedy show, they recorded a live podcast with the topic of traffic in Miami and the audience participated by answering questions and sharing stories they about the wonderful traffic in Miami. I liked the venue and I can see myself going to more of their events.

The review is on Miami Against Humanity hosted in conjunction with and held at The New Tropic…read moreheadquarters in Little River. This was also a Yelp event hosted by Michelle, who I never met. Ok, so the event is from 6-9pm and I think it is reoccurring. I went on Tuesday, July 21st. You arrive at The New Tropic and in front is the 305 Vibe Food Truck. As an FYI, this food truck is strictly for charity. It is a non profit group that donates the proceeds of the food truck to inner city youth. I did not eat from the truck, so I cannot give a review on their food. You go inside and upstairs to a large room where there are about 12 tables with seating for 6-8 people. You pick a table where you would like to sit, introduce yourself to everyone there, and this is your team for the game. Since none of my Yelp friends could make it to the event, I knew no one. However, I was fortunate to run into a friend who I hadn't seen in ages and sat at her table. So, if you go alone, don't worry, you will either run into someone you know or you will meet new nice people. How the game works is everyone is given 3 cards with a place, person or thing particular to Miami. For example, the person could be Pitbull, the place could be Espanola Way and the thing particular to Miami could be the Duck tour bus in South Beach. You share your cards with everyone at your table, at this is your team and you must all work together. The game host, who in this case was Chris Sopher, the CEO of The New Tropic, then puts a phrase on the large screen in front. Your team must use one or two of your cards, depending on the phrase, to fill in the blanks of the phrase. I took a picture of one which is posted below so you could get the idea. I also took a picture of my team sorting through our cards to find a good fill in the blank card. The idea is to pick something that is interesting and funny. Then each team reads off the card they pick and applause from the other teams determines which team wins that round. It was an interesting game, very interactive and certainly a good way to meet people. If your team won a round, then your team was awarded one free drink ticket. There was a small bar in this large room with beer, wine, some mixed drinks and soft drinks. I think they also served some food, but I am not sure. 6-7pm was kind of a mix and mingle time and the game began around 7pm. The event was definitely unusual and interesting. The people were all very friendly and the staff of The New Tropic were all there playing the game. The dress code is very informal and casual as was the laid back vibe. They also played some old school music from the 80's and 90's mostly, like Laura Branigan's "Gloria", which everyone seemed to love. So if you're looking for a Tuesday night out, that is not too crazy, not too late, and not too expensive, check out the New Tropic's game night.

Came with Nicole who was working the boat show at the Army Corp Booth on Friday and Sunday. Mayla…read moreand I checked out a $10million Pershing and a $7.1million Viking Fishing yacht. Stunning what all can be had. From Overfinches to $500,000 Rolls Royce Phantoms. From folding bikes to Speedbobs. Everything yachting to be seen. In the mean time Mayla also made a friend who spoke both Russian and Spanish. Wow. FIU had a fantastic exhibit of their marine science programs. Mayla approved. We had a great time.

I have been attending and working the Miami yacht show for over 10 years. It's generally held…read moremid-February around Valentine's Day. It is a great event for vendors, buyers and looker on-ers that want to check out what these luxury "water houses" have to offer. The event was held off Collins for many years. BUT... Important note: The new location is now at One Herald Plaza between the Venetian and MacArthur causeways. The are many parking lots (garages), shuttles and public transportation as well as hotels to choose from. This new location makes staying near or far more convenient - in my opinion - as there are more ways and streets to get to the event. Instead of getting stuck on Collins in an Uber. Once you are in the event there are covered (air conditioned) areas that will display items anywhere from t-shirts to fancy motors. You could learn about the new material for wet suits or find some cool new boat shoes. The main event and "to see" part are of course the yachts. This location houses many luxury yachts from a large slew of brands. You can walk up and down the docks dreaming of which one you'd choose.. or just buy one if your pocket book allows. While I believe most are new displays there are some pre-own brokerage boats. If you've never been on one, they're a wonderful sight to see! Note that to get on a yacht you most likely will need to provide some information to each company. Honesty is key here. While they would like your information for marketing and security type reasons, they may also place you with a broker. Should you just want to see a yacht for fun, let them know. There is a food area to enjoy various food trucks and beverages. It is largely covered as well as uncovered. Most take cards as well as cash. Bring a hat and sunscreen and if you get motion sickness, know that if the weather is super windy, the docks can sway a bit.

Beautiful performance. What a great show. My family and I really enjoyed the show. I highly…read morerecommend the Vegas baby headliner show. We had a free parking for this event and it was not far from the entrance.we got to meet the performers in the end. The musician and the acoustics was great. Overall I highly recommend this show.

We recently went with our family to see The Second City touring company at the Aventura Arts &…read moreCultural Center in February 2024 and it was our first time in the Aventura Arts & Cultural Center and we're so happy we have this in our backdoor. We arrived about 15 minutes before show time and parked in one of the nearby Aventura city parking lots (complimentary parking), or you can opt for valet parking at a fee. I would personally walk each time because you typically don't walk more than 500 feet or so to get to the building. When you arrive, you go through a light security check point and walk into the venue. They have concessions with a full bar and light snacks. Mixed drinks and wine are $12 for a single or $18 for a double. They have a few spots to walk in and check your tickets and the ushers take you right to your seat. There's not a bad seat in the house (we were two rows from the back of the theater and loved our seats- see photo). If you see a show you want to attend, go for it! It's a great theater, with amazing staff!

This place is extremely cheap for it being in wynwood!!! And you can actually walk and dance!!…read moreTheir drinks are extremely affordable for this area and they have a live salsa band on Friday's starting at 10 pm. They also have a food truck with arenas just in case hunger kicks in.

The Seafair Miami is a 222 ft. $40 million mega-yatch docked in Bayfront Park, South Dock, in…read moreDowntown Miami. It gives you a unique experience and celebration of a special occasion or events while seeing Downtown Miami from afar under the beautiful night lights, or star watching under the moonlight from one of the yachts decks. This one of a kind yatch that can be transformed into an luxurious and classy event place. Delicious food, excellent service and one of a kind experience! Check it out!

Went for this tour on Valentine's Day. Felt it was overpriced. The yatch is beautiful and it offers…read moresome great views of the Miami skyline. Tickets plus a bottle, ran me around 1k. The open bar wasn't very varied The food buffet was ok. The highlight for me was lobster Mac and cheese. Prime rib, chicken and salmon were the main courses. Dessert was essentially a chocolate fondeu. I bought a bottle of MOET however was given a different one. If you go, don't buy a bottle as drinks are unlimited. I just wanted a higher quality champagne to celebrate the occasion. Unnecessary if you get the same everyone is drinking. Sitting was a bit scant and I saw people scrambling to find a table on deck if they didn't have to stand around for their pricey evening. Music was ok. In the end most of us couldn't wait to get off that boat once it was returned to dock. Overall, I recommend this if you've never done it but imo it's nothing too special to rave about. I won't be coming back.

This Convention Center is near the Miami Airport and basically connected to the DoubleTree by…read moreHilton Hotel. I came here for Otakufest, which is a convention that features Anime, Animation, Cosplay, Gaming, Comics, Music, and more. We came to support one of my friends who recently got into stand up comedy (shoutout to Dao N!) and had a feature in the comedy show for the first day of this event. We came in the afternoon on a Friday of the festival (the first day) and it wasn't terribly busy. The area that the convention center is in an area that's a little crowded (what area of Miami isn't, let's be real) and is formatted a bit odd. The entrance was easy to find and I drove to the gate where the signs were pointing to. When we got to the gate, there was a flat fee for parking and we were told to go around the building and we wouldn't miss the entrance. Driving around the building was ... interesting, there were cars parked all which ways but overall pretty easy to find where we were going. We were able to park in the main lot and there were tons of parking spaces! The festival was easy to find and we went inside with ease. Overall, the space for the convention was great! They had a room for vendors and another room specifically for local artist vendors. Upstairs was were they held most of their events. It didn't feel too overcrowded and the staff was pretty friendly and helpful. Overall, a great space for this pretty large convention.

This is my second year attending an expo here. I came to the Exxxotica convention that seems to be…read moreheld here yearly. If you haven't been to one and you are curious. I recommend attending. The convention has a parking lot. It is $7 cash for parking. If you want close parking I recommend to come twenty minutes early before it starts. It he's crazy busy. I got my ticket online. I suggest to get here early. The lines are long to get in. They check your bags and use metal detectors. This is a casual event. I did noticed some of the attendees dressed pretty sexy and getting into character. A good place to take pictures, they pose. Inside this is what you can expect No judging, webcams, vendors, shows, pops, food, classes, stars, performers, lingerie, toys and the dungeon room. It is an experience to be here. What is cool about this place is that a chance to learn new things from professionals that will explain it in a professional and respectful way. If you have a question about a product it is answered in a professional way. For me that was important . I felt completely comfortable. I am not a person who frequence adult stores and this is my second year attending this conference.