Miami Center for Architecture & Design might be Miami's best kept secret. I attended a private…read moreevents there and then signed up for the mailing list. First off, as an event space it's great. It's a beautiful, sophisticated room, perfect for small weddings, art openings or corporate mixer type things, just to name a few. Second, I'm not an architect, but I love Miami and architecture:design in general so signing up for the mailing list has proven to be a great way to learn about cool goings-on. So far I've attended an architectural tour of Downtown and seen a great DJ play on a Friday evening. This is why I love Miami.

From the owner: The Miami Center for Architecture & Design (MCAD) is the place for everyone interested in design…read moreand the built environment. Come visit us to learn about Miami's architecture, culture and events, as well as to see our exhibits and participate in our many programs.

Cool venue with many food trucks around. Bohemian vibe with cushions to sit in or another area with…read moreswings hanging from the trees. Theres also a large dj booth in the center with a lot of space for dancing. I went for a vegan food event but it looks like it would be a cool spot to come hang out, have a few drinks, and chill. Its an open space though so I would not recommend is once the temperature starts to rise.

Amazing place to relax and enjoy my kids ! Corn hole game, swings , food trucks , art from local…read moreartist ! Amazing place

I attended a training course and they took us here for a field trip. I'm truly happy I attended. I…read moredidn't know a museum was built here. I remember the marketplace, but this new addition is worth the visit. There is so much history that must be preserved and taught. I learned so much. I remembered learning about the different Haitian flags, but seeing them brought history to life for me. They have art displays and exhibits. They have a learning center there too, which is really cool. They have after-school and summer school programs. If you can donate to them. This is a wonderful place for the community and culture, so let's keep supporting. This place is worth visiting

I came to educate myself re Haitian culture and history. It was actually a wet, coldish (for Miami,…read moreie 69!) Winter Sunday - and it was raining, but whatever that's not gonna stop me. The historical building still looks a little jaded. I could only see it from the outside as it was shut, whether the reason was covid or a Sunday I am not sure. Anyway - here is some information I found regarding Haitian history in Miami - fascinating reading. https://www.eater.com/a/mofad-city-guides/miami-haitian-history ------------------------ And here is some information I found regarding the center - "The mission of the City of Miami's Little Haiti Cultural Complex is to present and preserve Afro-Caribbean cultures' inspire the next generation of leaders and leverage arts and culture as tools for transformation and community building." The Little Haiti Cultural Complex provides a large gallery space for local and non-local artists to exhibit, including space for opening receptions and social gatherings. Its Caribbean Marketplace offers authentic Haitian art and crafts for sale, and holds special events in its large 9,000 sq. ft. space. The Caribbean Marketplace is also an official visitor's center for the Greater Miami's Convention and Visitor's Bureau. https://littlehaiticulturalcenter.com/ Little Haiti Cultural Complex 212-260 NE 59th Terrace Miami, FL 33137

A very pleasant store in the heart of lil Havana. They offer plenty of art pieces. They offer…read moresections with separate galleries for different artists. Definitely worthy of a look.

The Futurama 1637 Art Building was established in 2011 with the mission to advance the arts in…read moreLittle Havana. Local artists can rent a space to create and showcase their art and sell it. The building has room for 12 artists studios and 5 offices. They hold monthly events that include outreach programs, live music, and business networking. I popped in during a recent visit to Little Haiti to do a little Mother's Day shopping. Parking is somewhat difficult to come by but I ended up finding a spot on the street several blocks away. I had a nice walk down Calle 8 and it was worth the extra effort to get here. On the day I visited only the first floor of Futurama was open but there was still a lot to look at. They have something for every budget from costume jewelry for a few dollars to art work that costs several hundred dollars. I saw tropical clothing, dominoes, mugs, crystals, magnets, and even Cuban coffee. I really loved Inna Malostovker Photographer. Her artistic perspective of nature is beautiful. Art fans and those who love artisan crafts should add Futurama to their list of places to shop in Little Havana.

Amazing theatre!! My husband and I went to a Moth grand slam and the venue was awesome. You can…read moreliterally feel the history here but it is clean! There is a bar, although they had to run and buy water on this particular night because they ran out. Otherwise, I would 100% be back!

I went here for The Moth Grandslam and although I throughly enjoyed myself, I would have to really…read moreconsider returning to this venue. Upon arriving to the venue, a big random man in a store bought neon vest stood outside blocking the entrance to the public parking. He would not let people pass him unless you paid him money first. Then we still had to pay the meter for said public parking. Others once inside had the same complaint and it's a darn shame. Many of the people for The Moth had never been to this theater and would likely not return. I hate being hustled and this left a sour taste in my mouth. The money I would have spent inside supporting the bar, I was nickled and dimed outside. I really would not want to return to this location.

Everyone who is anyone has surely seen this epic Midtown institution? Beautiful blue and white…read moretiles flashing in the Miami sunshine, right? This is the former Bacardi building and is now listed as a National Historical place. It is now the young arts building, and they are supposedly not going to mess with the historical element of it. I came today to look at its offerings and being a history buff I always want to see stuff like this. There are two buildings - one is the blue and white tiled one which is actually called the blue and white building (apt! ) and the other one behind it that is called the jewel box (for obvious reasons). Worthy of a look!

I have been hosting community, professional development movement classes at The Jewel Box and I…read morecould not have had a better experience. Aside from the fact that the space is beautiful, the Marley is perfectly placed and the space is always clean; The security guards in the parking lot are the nicest most helpful security guards I have ever encountered. The YoungArts Staff have been by far the most professional and easy staff to work with. All my requests have been met and I have had zero problems in the last 4 months working with this amazing and generous team. It is a pleasure to be in this space that holds such a positive ambiance.

Es un teatro especial, diseñado para mantener una conexión cercana con el público. Tiene capacidad…read morepara 250 personas y unos camerinos fabulosos para los artistas: amplios, cómodos y muy bien iluminados. Pero lo más importante es su dueña, la Señora Mireya, una persona muy especial, atenta, amable y servicial, que te hace sentir como si estuvieras en casa. La iluminación del teatro también es espectacular, con hermosos juegos de luces que hacen cada presentación aún más mágica. Tuve la bendición de realizar allí 4 conciertos y me quedé con deseos de seguir haciendo muchos más. Gracias a Dios y a la Señora Mireya por darme la oportunidad de trabajar juntos y vivir experiencias tan hermosas. Dios les bendiga siempre en abundancia.

This theater is a great place. As soon as you come in you have the box office to the right and the…read moreattendant there was friendly on my visit. My friends and I parked across the street and then realized there is parking on the rear. It was clean and nice. The seats expand as you seat. They do sell some beer and wine there too. My four stars are because there is very little Spence between rows, the seats are pre assigned and it was a little hectic to find them because although the letter are marked, the numbers aren't. It is also cash only which I find inefficient.

I visited The Koubek Center recently for a Miami Film Festival GEMS screening…read more The center is located in a residential area so may be a little tricky to find initially. Parking is quite limited so ensure some time to find some or to carpool/ride share. We found street parking but had to walk a few blocks to get inside due to the gates being closed and only triggered to open via cars. The actual theater inside is really nice, clean and quite updated. Great screen and sound system and comfy seats. Clean facilities and kind staff. I'd definitely return to catch another film here!

NOTE: They do not rent to people anymore unless you're planning on dropping big money/ multiple day…read morerentals. However, they will pretend they do in order to judge how much money they can get. The website makes no mention of these required minimum days or minimum $. I first contacted Koubek Center many months ago to inquire about a 4 hour rental of a classroom multiple months in advance. I didn't hear back from anyone until exactly 1 month later -- someone named Bianca who started the emailing explaining they are "swamped" and responding late to emails. This was fine and I inquired again about the rental. Over a month passed and nothing again. I tried calling but the director, Melissa, was never available and Bianca either doesn't work there anymore or was on vacation, I was told. Finally, after multiple more calls and emails where I'm basically begging to give them money for a service their website claims they offer, I was directed to a man named Antonio who told me he's "about to send an invoice." Yes invoice, not estimate. He never sends it and then ignores my calls for 4 days. Finally I give up and try going in person. Note that the multiple times I visited the Koubek Center -- none of the classrooms were being used. Including this visit. It was barren. I finally meet with Melissa who laments how overworked she is and that's why she's not answering phone calls or responding to emails. She claims she was "just about to tell me" (huh?) and tell me that she is no longer allowed to rent classrooms for only the minimum 4 hours. What? After 2 months of inquiries -- and two other people telling me it's available and even pretending to "send an invoice" to my email -- I'm finally told it's impossible. Which could have easily been done in the first email response. Except the truth is they only made it impossible after seeing a 4 hour rental (for any time -- I was flexible) really wouldn't be profitable for them, so they ignored all follow-up calls and emails. Honestly, if Melissa is so unbelievably swamped and overworked she can't send a single email or respond to a single phone call in 2 months, maybe they either need to hire someone else to this position who manages their time better. Don't bother dealing either this place. This spaces aren't even very nicely kept and the administration clearly uses immature passive tactics to avoid dealing with customers. It's frankly pathetic.

The City of Coral Gables was founded by George Merrick. On February 5, 1916 Merrick married Eunice…read moreIsabella Peacock a daughter of the Miami pioneer family, the Peacocks. In 1921 he attended Rollins College in Winter Park. Shortly after he started planning the City of Coral Gables. It was one of the first planned communities in the United States. He took his inspiration from the City Beautiful movement that was popular in the 1900's. In 1925 Merrick's family moved to Miami from Pennsylvania to join him. It was two years after Henry Flagler brought the railroad to Florida and it was the dawn of the development of Florida. Merrick started selling lots in the city in 1921. He marketed the city as having 40 miles of waterfront property. He wanted all of the city landmarks to be connected by water. He offered gondola rides from the Biltmore to the Cocoplum neighborhood to prospective home buyers. Coral Gables was designed to have four entry arches. They are reminiscent of the medieval gates in Europe and were meant to show that Coral Gables is separate from the surrounding city. At first Merrick planned on developing the Country Club Prado section as the city's downtown. In the end he decided to move it east to be closer to the already established towns of Miami, Coconut Grove, and Brickell. Merrick wanted his buildings to be strictly Spanish and later the Mediterranean style that was popular during Florida's land boom years in the 1920's. Eventually he expanded his vision to include seven unique villages inspired by different international influences. Today they are some of the most sought after addresses in the city. The buildings in Coral Gables were so well made that they survived hurricanes before there were building codes. Among his many accomplishments, George Merrick also created the University of Miami. Thanks to George Merrick's meticulous planning many of Coral Gables historic landmarks survive today including the Venetian Pool, the Alhambra Water Tower, and the Miami Biltmore Hotel. The later years were not kind to George Merrick. The Florida land boom went bust due to two hurricanes followed by the Great Depression. By 1928 George Merrick was forced out of the city he founded and ended up in the Keys. He went bankrupt in 1929. He returned to the city two years before he died to serve as postmaster. He died in 1942 at the young age of 55. He and Eunice are buried under a very simple marker in Woodlawn North. You can learn more about George Merrick by taking a tour of his family home in Coral Gables. Today Coral Gables has a population of 50,000 people. It's nickname is "the city beautiful." The University of Miami is a major educational institution. Giralda Plaza and Miracle Mile are popular dining and shopping destinations. The Historic Preservation Association of Coral Gables was founded in 1973 and they have been very successful in saving the historic landmarks in the city that make it so charming. Coral Gables is filled with ornate Mediterranean architecture and beautiful parks. Fairchild Botanical Gardens is a popular tourist destination for plant and nature lovers. Books and Books hosts a literary festival every November that attract authors and book lovers from around the country. The city is very pedestrian friendly. I could go on and on about my love of Coral Gables. If you haven't been in awhile it is time to rediscover the crown jewel of Miami.

Thank you to the Adult Activity Center and to the wonderful MISO Miami Symphony Orchestra for an…read moreamazing Mother's Day concert. First of all let me mention the fact that everything was free thanks to them, even the Valet parking at The Palace, across. The concert was amazing, wonderful music, genuine people and surrounded but distinguished people, in the area I love, Coral Gables. The hosts at the activity center were so nice and welcoming. My daughter and I had the opportunity to interact with them a couple of times and they are awesome. This place is impecable and we got to chance to be in one of their rooms where we enjoyed the concert. Spacious and great for the occasion. They offered complimentary refreshments, well presented and delicious. Thank you again, my family and I had a great time! Gracias al Centro de Actividades para Adultos ya la maravillosa Orquesta Sinfónica de Miami, MISO por un increíble concierto del Día de la Madres. En primer lugar, permítanme mencionar el hecho de que todo fue gratis gracias a ellos, incluso el servicio de estacionamiento en el Palace, de la calle de en frente. El concierto fue increíble, música maravillosa, gente genuina y rodeado de personas distinguidas, en la zona que me encanta, Coral Gables. Las anfitrionas en el centro de actividades fueron muy agradable y acogedoras. Mi hija y yo tuvimos la oportunidad de interactuar con ellas un par de veces y son increíbles. Este lugar es impecable y tuvimos la oportunidad de estar en uno de sus salones donde disfrutamos el concierto. Espacioso y genial para la ocasión. Ofrecieron merienda de cortesía, bien presentada y deliciosa. Gracias de nuevo, mi familia y yo la pasamos de maravilla!

Thank you Miami Film Festival for getting me to the Olympia Theater so much this week. The Olympia…read moreis one of my favorite venues in Miami, plus my eldest graduated here and thus, a cherished memory. There are no concessions, but the event sponsors didn't have a problem with people bringing in food. I don't know if renovations are being done, but upstairs and some stairs were closed. The rest rooms are on the second floor, I didn't see an elevator.

I'm glad that such a historical and beautiful venue and artifact remains for many to enjoy in…read moredowntown Miami. This is a large theatre perfect for movie premieres and debuts - with a large main floor and a smaller second floor. We came to visit during the Miami Film Festival - it gave the movie an aura of greater casual fanciness being showcased in such a venue. Easy entrance and easy exit; lots of food options across the street st Julia and Henry's and on the weekends - farmers market with delicious hummus and Italian delicacies. Grab a movie, a beverage and a stroll. Enjoy!