South Miami Ave, Brickell

Nothing special on this ho-hum street. Kind of loud and kind of bad traffic. Needs more attractions to make it something special, otherwise it is just your average Miami street. Good place to stay but make sure you find something fun to do in the area. Don't bring the kids unless you want to here how bored they are.

I had my first apartment after I graduated from High School on South Miami Avenue, and lived there for two years. The area I lived in was located about three blocks south of downtown and north of Brickell. My apartment was located above a laundromat in a kind of rough area. The street, itself divides the street grid of Miami and Miami-Dade County into east and west, and runs south and north. Once you reach the downtown area it turns into North Miami Street. The traffic is congested and in some areas its a major thoroughfare from one side of Miami to exits and freeways. The scenery is very diversified if you were to drive the entire length of the street because it is located in the heart of Miami. If you are a tourist or a resident of Miami, its a street you would travel on frequently.

Very busy. Not a must see taurist destination. A nice area but not a lot of stores or restaurants or shops. This is a forgettable place.

Miami Avenue is great. In the area around Mary Brickell village, it's the Miami for locals. It has the good things that you associate with Miami -- lots of restaurants, nightlife, people skating on the sidewalk -- but it's not as soulless as South Beach (which is overrun with tourists and has been entirely ruined since the 80s). It still has the materialism (lots of expensive cars) but is at least less crowded.

Farther south, the Villa Vizcaya is a beautiful historic home on the water. (It'll probably look vaguely familiar, since they use it all the time in movies). Vizcaya is definitely worth a visit, even though it's in need of renovation. Go see it now, while you have the chance.