Miami in United States of America

If you're looking for sun you have come to the right place. Miami is located on the Atlantic coast of Florida’s most southern tip rendering it sunny and warm all year round. Here the atmosphere is glamorous, elegant and filled with cosmopolitan happenings.

Flagler’s railroad sparked a wave of expansion in areas such as Miami Beach, Homestead and Cutler. Soon after the railroad was built, the Overseas Highway was created; this highway connected the Florida Keys to the mainland. Growth and progress continued in Miami continued through World War I as well as the early to mid-1920s.

A devastating hurricane in 1926 halted Miami’s growth and temporarily put the city (as well as Miami Beach) in a recession. It was the city’s support of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s New Deal that helped the city rebuild. Roosevelt almost lost his life, however, when Giuseppe Zangara attempted to assassinate him when Roosevelt came to Miami to thank the city for its support of the New Deal.

When a Nazi U-boat sank a US tanker off Florida’s coast, the majority of South Florida was converted into military headquarters for the remainder of World War II. The Army’s WWII legacy in Miami is a school designed for Anti U-boat warfare. After WWII, several soldiers decided to stay in Miami to become permanent residents.

Stay safe

Miami, frequently heralded in the news as a center of crime and drug smuggling, is relatively dangerous for the passing tourist in certain areas. Overtown has the highest violent crime rate in the city and is best if avoided all together. If in this, or any other high crime neighborhood for any reason, take the same precautions as you would in other high crime neighborhoods around the country. Such as minding one's business, getting to your destination quickly, and avoid wearing flashy jewelry and electronics. Remember that most common sense rules such as being aware of your surroundings at night and traveling in high-traffic areas at night apply in Miami as it does in all other urban areas around the United States.

Emergency numbers

The emergency telephone number for fire, police and rescue emergencies is 911 . If you require non-emergency assistance, do not call 911. To contact police in a non-emergency situation, call ''+1 305'' 4POLICE.

Get in

By plane

Miami International Airport (, ) (http://www.miami-airport.com) is located just west of the city in an unincorporated suburban area. It is an important hub for traffic between North America and Latin America, and one of the largest airports in the world; therefore, Spanish is just as likely to be understood as English. The international traffic makes MIA a large and congested place. Be sure to allow extra time when departing MIA, particularly if flying internationally, as you may face an hour-long line just to check your bags. Curbside check-in is an excellent idea.

The predominant carrier at MIA is American Airlines, which has direct flights to most major cities in the Americas and several European cities as well. European, Asian, Latin and Caribbean carriers are well-represented at MIA. The airport has no direct service to Africa nor Oceania. The recent construction of two new, modern terminals at MIA have helped with the airport's passenger capacities as well as the efficiency in going through customs and baggage claim.

MIA also has several restaurants ranging from local chains such as La Carreta to national chains such as Dunkin’ Donuts, Burger King and Starbucks. Be aware that some restaurants serve beer, wine and/or cocktails; drink too much and airlines can refuse your boarding on a plane. MIA also has several retail stores, including several magazine stands and bookstores (including a Borders). Other retail stores include (but are not limited to) Brookstone, K-B Toys and Ron Jon Surf Shop. There is also a hotel connected to the airport. Money can be exchanged for US dollars at the airport as well.

Wireless internet is also available at MIA for a small fee.

Fort Lauderdale International Airport (IATA: FLL ) (http://www.fll.net) is 25-40 minutes north of Miami proper, depending on traffic, and does not have nearly as many international routes, only offer a small variety. However, it is smaller and less trafficked than MIA, making customs, immigration and security a bit easier to go through. Southwest Airlines, JetBlue and other low-cost carriers generally use FLL instead of MIA, making FLL a cheaper alternative in many cases as well.

Public transport is available to MIA and FLL. If arriving from FLL, there is a free shuttle to the nearby (http://www.tri-rail.com Tri-Rail) train station ; Tri-Rail trains connect West Palm Beach, Boca Raton, Fort Lauderdale and Miami.

At MIA, public transportation includes a free shuttle to the nearby (http://www.tri-rail.com Tri-Rail) station, as well as to (http://www.miamidade.gov/transit Metrorail) and (http://www.miamidade.gov/transit Metromover). Your best option is to take a taxi from the airport or rent a car, depending on what your stay involves (if you need to get around parts of Miami with no nearby Metrorail stations). MIA's car rental facilities are scattered around the airport and connected to the terminal by shuttle buses: FLL's facilities are more conveniently located in the parking garage adjacent to the terminals. Currently, at MIA, construction of the new Miami Intermodal Center, is slated to become Miami's Grand Central station with hub connections of (http://www.amtrak.com Amtrak), (http://www.miamidade.gov/transit Metrorail), (http://www.tri-rail.com Tri-Rail), taxis, (http://www.miamidade.gov/transit Metrobus), and all car-rental facilities. The M.I.C. is expected to be completed around 2009/2010.

By train

[http://www.amtrak.com Amtrak's] Silver Service operates two trains daily to Miami from New York (city), Washington, D.C. and other cities along the Eastern Seaboard. The ride from New York is about 24 hours but is often subject to delays, as Amtrak uses poorer-quality freight lines south of Washington and must cope with slow freight trains along the way.

There are frequent (at least 1 per hour) (http://www.tri-rail.com Tri-Rail) trains every day to Miami from West Palm Beach, Boca Raton and Fort Lauderdale.

By car

There are three main highways coming into Miami. I-95 runs along the Atlantic Coast of the United States and terminates in Miami. I-75 comes in from the Midwestern United States and runs through Atlanta and Tampa before terminating in Miami. Florida's Turnpike is a toll road mainly useful for those driving in from Orlando. The only southbound route from Miami is US Highway 1 , which runs through the Florida Keys all the way to Key West.

Get around

By bus

Miami has a large and elaborate public bus system which covers the entire county and connects to the bus system in Greater Fort Lauderdale. Recent developments have made the bus system more reliable than in the past. Even with the changes and because of high local traffic, buses tend to have a harder time remaining on schedule. However, buses run often enough through each route so as not to be a nuisance. Schedules and routes are available from the Miami-Dade Transit website (http://www.co.miami-dade.fl.us/transit/) or by calling ''+1 305'' 770-3131.

By train

[http://www.miamidade.gov/transit Metrorail ] is a single-line elevated rail system serving Miami and surrounding areas. Due to low funding, Metrorail has not been greatly expanded since its opening in 1984, but serves many areas of tourist interest. These include Downtown Miami, Dadeland Mall, Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, Lowe Art Museum, Miami Museum of Science, Village at Merrick Park and many other nearby shopping areas. Coconut Grove and downtown Coral Gables can be reached via short shuttle bus from various stations. Metrorail operates between roughly 5AM and midnight, with a bus serving all Metrorail stations operating in the overnight hours, effectively providing 24-hour service.

Downtown Miami is served by a free elevated people mover system known as [http://www.miamidade.gov/transit Metromover ], which connects to Metrorail at two stations at Government Center in the Central Business District and at Brickell Station in Brickell. Metromover is free of charge and is the most efficient way to move around Downtown Miami. It is a great way to take a rest when walking around downtown, and a great time to take pictures of the skyscrapers and growing Miami skyline from above.

Currently a funding boost has set forth an expansion for the Metrorail system including a connection to Miami International Airport to be operating by 2010. Further expansion to the north toward Dolphin Stadium (the home of the NFL's Miami Dolphins) is expected to be operating by 2012. A light rail line to Miami Beach is also under development, as well as the Miami Streetcar connecting Downtown Miami to the Media and Entertainment District as well as Midtown Miami.

By taxi

Taxis are generally expensive with a surcharge of $2.50 for the pick-up and an additional $0.40 for each sixth of a mile traveled. Almost all cab companies in the area have pre-determined rates for travel into the barrier islands of Miami Beach and other beach and nightclub communities popular with tourists which can range from $30-$60 depending on arrival location. For example, South Beach may be the most expensive while a residential neighborhood in Miami Beach may be the cheapest. The charge is the same regardless of pick-up location on the mainland. All taxis are fitted with maps of the barrier islands which state the cost per location. The same applies for passengers leaving the islands onto the mainland, though normal rates apply for person traveling by taxi within the islands or within the mainland.

Service is available throughout Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, and Monroe counties regardless of pick-up location. The normal service charges apply for these four counties, but it is wise to ask for a pre-determined price beforehand if leaving the county as this will in most cases turn out to be cheaper and most drivers are willing to negotiate when leaving the county. If you wish to be taxied to a location outside of those four counties, you must negotiate a price and advise the cab company first. Drivers may refuse to drive outside of the metropolitan area if they are not advised to do so beforehand.

Usually you will have to call a cab company and request a pick-up. Taxis operated by the major companies are not normally allowed to pick up passengers at random locations for safety and legal reasons except at MIA, the Port of Miami and train stations. Some individual taxi drivers will not follow this rule, however. You can try hailing a taxi in the street.

All taxi drivers must have a valid license to operate . It is uncommon to hear of crimes involving unlicensed taxis anywhere in the metropolitan area since Dade County keeps track of all taxi activity in and around Miami and cooperates with other counties in getting this information. If you enter a cab and do not see a valid license placed in front of the passenger's seat, you should not enter the taxi and instead call another cab company regardless of what the driver says. If you willingly enter a taxi without a license or with an expired license and there is an incident or accident, it is possible that you may not be able to hold the driver accountable by law. When entering a cab you should make note of the driver's name, license number and cab number if any problems arise during the trip. This information should be easily found inside the taxi. It may be able to help you identify the cab driver to the police or the cab company.

By car

Unless you plan to stay downtown or in a single location elsewhere, you will find that a car is very convenient in Miami, and car rentals are cheap in comparison to other major US cities.

Surface roads in Miami are usually easy to navigate. The area's roads are designed around a grid system, where most roads are numbered based on their distance from the city center. The two main axis roads are Miami Avenue (running north to south) and Flagler Street (running east to west). These two roads intersect in downtown Miami, the county's geographic center. All avenues run north to south, while all streets run east to west. For example, the address, 9500 NW 30th Street would be at the intersection of NW 30th Street (to the west of Miami Avenue, and 30 blocks north of Flagler Street) and NW 95th Avenue (north of Flagler Street, and 95 blocks west of Miami Avenue). Most roads in Miami conform to this nomenclature, but due to the more than 30 municipalities within Miami-Dade County, there are a few exceptions to be aware of. Examples include: Coral Gables, the Coconut Grove section of Miami (city proper), Miami Lakes, and Hialeah. Hialeah is particularly notorious since it uses it's own grid system, in addition to the overall county system. For example, NW 103rd Street is also marked as E 49th Street, or W 49th Street in Hialeah.

Note that if you cross into Broward County, the roads will be numbered based on their distance from the Fort Lauderdale city center, which is generally the same going east-west but will be very different going north-south. Most of the municipalities in Broward County use their own limited grid systems as well. Some street names also change at the county line. The coastline highway, A1A, is known as Collins Avenue in Miami, but becomes Ocean Drive in Broward. Likewise, Red Road in Miami becomes Flamingo Road in Broward.

Miami has four primary expressways. In addition to I-95 and Florida’s Turnpike, there is state highway 836 (also known as the Dolphin Expressway ) and state highway 826 (also known as the Palmetto Expressway ). The Dolphin Expressway runs west from downtown Miami along the edge of Miami International Airport. The Palmetto Expressway and Florida's Turnpike form F-shaped loops around the city. The Turnpike continues north, roughly parallel to I-95, and will take you to Orlando if you keep driving. I-95, the Palmetto and the Turnpike intersect at a junction in North Miami called the Golden Glades . You may find driving in the Glades challenging, especially if you have little experience driving in it.

New visitors to Miami should be aware that the area's drivers are particularly aggressive. AutoVantage.com's Road Rage Survey has rated Miami drivers the rudest in the country for a (http://www.autovantage.com/global/scripts/promo.asp?ref=avAUTVANonlgs01 third year in a row). This shouldn't discourage anyone from using the roadways, but a passive approach to Miami driving can save you from an unwanted exchange with another driver, or even worse an accident. Posted speed limits are ignored by most drivers, especially on larger roads with lower speed limits. Two examples are I-95 and state road 826 (The Palmetto Expressway). The eastern portion of state road 836 (The Dolphin Expressway) between Miami International Airport and downtown Miami handles traffic that exceeds its capacity, and contains several left-hand exits, including the eastbound off-ramp to Lejuene Road (NW 42nd Avenue), which is the posted route, and the quickest route to Miami International Airport.

Districts

Note: This districting is incomplete, obviously. Please and improve it!

*Downtown Miami
*Miami/Brickell
*Midtown Miami
*Wynwood/Edgewater
*Miami/Coconut Grove
*Miami/South Beach
*Miami/Little Havana
*Miami/Overtown