spinky

Third Street in Miami is in the heart of the Cuban District and was a street I visited often as a child. It's a family oriented residential street and located about ten miles from South Beach Parkon one side, and seven miles from Washington Park on the other side. The whole area is predominately Cuban but is welcome and inviting to anyone who might visit the area. If you are a tourist and happen to be visiting South Beach Park you should make a wayward turn and visit Third Street so you can get a birds eye view in the heart of the Cuban Community.

South West 68th Court Circle is located in Dade County in the heart of the suburbs of Miami. It's the perfect place to raise a family, the picturesque scenery is filled with large beautiful homes and fenced in yards. I visited there often while growing up at a relatives residence. Most of the residents are a bit above middle class, but not so rich that they appear snobby. It's a quiet street and is literally a circled street where the .people are open and friendly. The school district is Dade County Schools, and has a local elementary, middle, and highschool. Malls, grocery stores, and restaurants are a short drive away, and overall is a great street to live on.

South West First Court is located in the heart of Miami in the Cuban District, and leads to everything. If you happen to live in one of the many high rise condominiums in this area, you could literally see all of Miami. With ideallic views of Miami River, Biscayne Bay, downtown Miami Neo Vertika at nightand Brickell Financial Distric, are just a few. The street is also home to several restaurants featuring anything that would wet your palette, not only Cuban delights, which I must say are my favorite but also Brazilian, Mexican, French, Italian and international seafood. Just my opinion but I think you should try the Cuban first.

There is a Restaurant on South West 17th Avenue that you must visit It is called El Atlacatl serving food from El Salvador. Not to be missed are the pupusas -- cornmeal pancakes filled with cheese, served with a side of pickled cabbage and a piquant red salsa. They are to die for. Another excellent bargain for the discriminating palate is their shellfish soup, it's and extra special treat, if your luck enough to catch it. There's a different soup featured each day of the week. The atmosphere is family oriented and the staff are wonderful. Its a delightful addition to 17th Avenue, and should not be missed.

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.

is a combination of extreme lifestyles. During daylight hours typically Calle Ocho is a residential environment with individuals and families going about the business of daily life. There is a gated oasis called The Miami River Inn which is a short drive east on Calle Ocho toward downtown Miami. A series of four renovated historic houses, with gardens and a swimming pool, sit nestled on the west side of the Miami River. You get a glimpse of the water from some of the third floor rooms. It's like a little piece of Key West in the city. There are also several historical sights worth visiting. At night is when the street comes alive with live music and good food. This is when the crowd changes to young and hip singles and couples out to have a good time. The restaurants and bodegas in Miami are the best in the world and some of them are located on this street.

N.W. 5th Street is friendly, and family oriented, with a rich heritage and style that is uniquely Cuban. The very nature of the area looks Latin, with Spanish themed homes and yards. People who live on this street would rather have their windows open to the world then be closed up to use their air conditioners. The long history of families that live on this street has pretty much remained the same over the years. Children can play safely in yards, and ride their bikes up an down the sidewalks without parents feeling constantly worried. There are many elderly couples that reside in the area but new families are welcomed with open arms. Most households typically spend as much time outside as possible with an annual street sale that takes place every August, and cooking on a grill to share meals is a daily event. Everyone seems to know everyone. It was a great place to grow up.

Nightlife in a Cuban Community is like heaven. The people are warm and friendly, the food is delicious and NW 16th Avenue is the place to be on a Friday or Saturday night. The nightclubs and restaurants located on this street can compete with New York City night life any day of the week. On Tuesday and Thursday nights at Casa Panza located in the center of things, features a Spanish type lerro called Flamenco Nights offering dancing, guitars, mojitos and more. The fun officially starts at 8:30 PM, but really heats up later.

N.W. 2nd Street in Miami is a ten minute walk from Little Havana and a street that I rode down almost daily on my bike to get to the local convenience store to stockpile up on candy and pop during the summer months when I was growing up. The street has a family oriented casual Latin Style atmosphere quality, and a lot of the same families that I knew in the area growing up still reside in their original family homes, including my own parents just a few streets down. The street is also the (former) home of Elian Gonzales (2319 NW 2nd Street). The house is no longer occupied by the Gonzalez family, but the area in front of the house and along its fence is an evolving and improvised shrine to the young Cuban boy. Along the way you can't help but notice a towering, inflated bright yellow sculpture at Happy Face Auto Sales at NW 22nd Ave.

Little Havana is authentically "Cuban", and draws large crowds of the young and hip, free spirits, and artistic types. Every person that visits or lives in Miami should visit at least once. The venue of activities ranges widely. The last Friday night of each month features Viernes Culturales, with three styles of open artist studios, and the convenience of a shuttle bus that transports people between the sites. There is an outdoor live music stage that was recently renovated, the Tower Theater which is a local landmark and runs films with Spanish subtitles.
The first Saturday of every month is "Surreal Saturday" at the experimental performance arena. The variety of activities run from seven till midnight, ranging from four featured performances of music, dance, theater and poetry inside, and a DJ artist scratching tunes outside. Just short of bliss when the moon is full.