Miami Beach kids grew up in the most happening place
South Beach was our playground
Miami Beach kids grew up in a wholesome, nurturing environment, the kind of city that mirrors Des Moines or perhaps Boise.
Kidding. Most beach kids have been 21 since they were 16 if you know what I mean.
Our schools were literally located where you vacation
Most beach kids went to high schools that exist in the epicenter of Miami’s hottest areas: South Beach, Coral Gables, and I’ll even shout out Aventura.
Miami Beach Senior High School, located blocks away from Lincoln Road and Sunset Harbor, was basically a base for students to start their day.
A hot second at school and then off to workout, grab Jugofresh or Panther, and lay on the beach till the sun went down.
The beauty of this is that these schools yield students who consistently get into Ivy League schools and top colleges across the country. (Granted, this is not representative of all students, but still, it’s impressive.)
La Vida Loca
Living in a party town causes one to grow up quickly, thus explaining high school students going to Basement on a Wednesday night and then showing up to school on Thursday morning.
All Miami kids know the reality of going to college and having already partied 10 times more and 10 times harder than their peers.
From chill nights at Broken Shaker to wilder nights club hopping, Miami should really have the title the city that never sleeps.
It’s just a fact of life: late nights at Bodega pay off.
Artsiness
The pre-Zika era was glorious.
Wynwood was the perfect hub for an artsy day, although lately it’s become terribly touristy. The heaven that is a Coyo taco will never be forgotten, nor will the amazing bread from Zak the Baker.
As Wynwood became touristy, the Design District popped up with the most luxurious stores in the world. Louis Vuitton, Max Mara, Tom Ford- you name it, it’s there.
Restaurants like MC Kitchen and Michael’s Genuine reside there too and the dining is EXQUISITE.
Obvious but…the beach
Miami’s beaches are paradisiacal. The Atlantic is warm and inviting so locals and tourists alike frequent the water.
Surfside and Bal Harbor beaches are perfect for a more relaxed day, but there’s still the option the head South to Nikki beach for a more social time.
FOOD
Being away from home makes any snapchat of Lucali, Makoto, or Zuma torturous.
There’s nothing like a very Miami meal with friends followed by a night at Lagniappe or Craft Lounge.
Beach kid’s favorite and more affordable meals are at The Greek Place (world’s best hummus), Doraku, Anthony’s, and Sazon (Cubano).
Friends forever
Miami Beach is an intimate place to live. So many of my friends’ families and mine have resided on the beach forever. We grow up with the same families that our parents did and have classmates with Miami Beach last names.
And when beach kids return to Miami, there’s always a sense of home. You can always count on seeing childhood friends out and about.
Pitbull’s title Mr. Worldwide is kind of justified
Miami is an international city. Sure, Downtown Miami was built on drug money and half of the people involved in the development were mentioned in the Panama papers, but we really are cultured.
We have one of the largest Latino and Haitian communities. There are pockets of Russians in neighborhoods like Sunny Isles and tons of Jews in Aventura and Miami Beach.
Most beach kids are bilingual and if they aren’t, they can definitely speak Spanish casually to people they may come across.
When Ultra comes around, we indulge in the three day festival and then go home to sleep in our childhood beds. Going to Ultra as a beach kid means seeing your entire childhood at an EDM festival.
Everyday Miami is made more and more diverse, and the culture within as well as the culture that surrounds the beach yields thousands of Mr. and Ms. Worldwides.