Places to go for single girl traveling (almost) alone!

[Mario]

Yes, there's the fluffy South Beach ... but I'd like to offer a counterpoint here:

New World Symphony (world renown music institution led by the director of San Francisco Symphony bringing in top classical music artists from all over the world for performances and education, some of which spills over into the local community AND one-of-a-kind Internet2 vanguard technology program)

New World Symphony - Frank Gehry Building (new campus designed by Frank Gehry -- in terms of culture, this is going to blow the socks off many other cities, nothing else like it in the world)

Wolfsonian Museum (academic research institution AND museum AND largest collection of its kind in the world)

Colony Theater (great programs like the ones put together by Rhythm Foundation)

Miami City Ballet (top ballet company)

Bass Museum of Art (great collection)

Art Basel ... hello? only second biggest to actual fair in Switzerland!

I agree with Maria, beneath all the glitz, South Beach and Miami have plenty of culture to offer.

[coach]

We just did a march down Lincoln Road to commemorate the 90th anniversary of women's suffrage that included Mayor Matti Bower. Glitzy? I think not. <---that's a link to photos on our site.

[sungal]

Wolfsonian Museum (academic research institution AND museum AND largest collection of its kind in the world)

Largest collection of what? I'd skip it..I had fun going with Jess, but if you're planning a trip to Miami and think going to a museum will take up the day, and it will be wonderful, you'll be dissapointed.

The Miami City Ballet performances are amazing, one dance is better than the next..they get excellent reviews in the NY times and it's fun to people watch during intermission. And if you like brownies, the brownies they have are from Barton G., best brownie I've ever had! Hmm when do the shows begin?

Maria, are there plays at Colony Theatre? I would definately do that.

[Maria de los Angeles]

I don't want to go too off topic here, but ...

I was not saying that our friend should go to the museum; I was simply pointing out that there is some culture in South Beach, in reply to Matt. Put simply, Wolfson traveled a lot and was interested in decorative and propaganda arts.

The Wolfsonian Museum houses the collection of Mitchell Wolfson Jr, son of Mitchell Wolfson, the first Jewish mayor of Miami Beach and founder of Wometco Theaters as well as the first TV station in Miami. The Wolfsons were/are a very important Miami Beach family. Museums aren't for everybody, but if you skip the Wolfsonian, you're skipping a very important cultural, research and academic institution that is historically important to Miami Beach in many ways.

(Also, the building has great architectural details and and houses a gorgeous art deco door. It used to be a storage company.) Plus, they have a cool café and gift shop. They also have an excellent book club and they sometimes show important films that you can't see anywhere else. There are two Wolfsonian Museums in the world ... one here in Miami Beach and the other one in Italy.

Their exhibits can be fun too, like the one they did on the history of swimwear. I think you would've like that one, Sungal ... sex and the beach: Local: Beauty on the Beach

Art collector and museum founder Mitchell "Micky" Wolfson Jr. continues to explore his unique vision through ongoing initiatives and educational projects in South Florida and Genoa, Italy. Dedicated to the support and promotion of research, preservation and education, Wolfson is developing new resources to further his investigation of modern material culture. In downtown Miami, Wolfson's new Study Centre provides access to an evolving collection of decorative, design and propaganda arts of the period 1885 to 1945. In Italy, the newly inaugurated Wolfsoniana Museum exhibits elements from his collection in Genoa, comprising more than 18,000 works documenting the period through works on paper, paintings, sculpture, furniture and decorative objects.


Raised in Miami Beach, Wolfson gained an early appreciation for the built environment and its relationship to cultural factors. Extensive travel and work overseas provided him with opportunities to amass an extensive collection of British, Dutch, German, Japanese, Italian and American design. In 1986 he established The Wolfsonian Foundation, a research center and museum in Miami Beach and began publishing The Journal of Decorative and Propaganda Art, an internationally acclaimed and award-winning publication dedicated to fostering scholarship in late nineteenth and early twentieth century design arts. In 1997 he donated his collection, estimated at 80,000 objects, and the state-of-the-art museum to Florida International University. The Wolfsonian-FIU continues to be a respected research center and museum with an ambitious program of exhibitions, publications, educational programs and scholarship.

Read more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitchell_Wolfson,_Jr.

[Maria de los Angeles]

Maria, are there plays at Colony Theatre? I would definately do that.

The Colony is owned by the city and different companies hire it out for performances and such. It varies throughout the year. This ticketmaster site has details: Colony Theater Miami Beach, FL tickets. Directions, seating chart, events. Official Ticketmaster site.

I think Jess would know when the season starts for Miami City Ballet.

[Jess]

Season starts in October for the ballet at the Arsht Center in Miami. I have already got my tickets for The Nutcracker! The Arsht also has great broadway shows, Wicked was here recently, and Mamma Mia. Miami is very lucky to get these top shows in town.

One thing I did like when I went to The Wolfsonian was an authentic tube station sign from London! They had Leicester Square on the wall, I was completely surprised.

[Maria de los Angeles]

Jess, in addition to the great shows, a fabulous Bombay Sapphire lounge is open now in the old Sears tower, with small bites by Barton G. I went to their opening night party and it was great. You can go to the lounge even if you're not going to a show.

[Lizy]

I agree a mix of South Beach and Key West is the ideal option. South Beach is swank and sophisticated (at times), while Key West is funky and laidback. Here's an article I wrote a while back that mentions some fun things to do if you have 24 hours or so in Key West:

24 Hours in Paradise: What to Do on A Day Trip to Key West - Miami Beach 411

Great article Doug, and the photos are lovely! Almost makes me feel the ocean breeze, just looking at them

[Doug]

Great article Doug, and the photos are lovely! Almost makes me feel the ocean breeze, just looking at them

Thanks, Lizy! I"m glad you enjoyed it. I wrote another one about the Key West cat man. If you're ever there for the sunset celebration, be sure to check him out. He's trained ordinary housecats to soar through hoops and other tricks. It's not to be missed! He's out in the Mallory Square area around sunset each evening.

[Lizy]

Thanks, Lizy! I"m glad you enjoyed it. I wrote another one about the Key West cat man. If you're ever there for the sunset celebration, be sure to check him out. He's trained ordinary housecats to soar through hoops and other tricks. It's not to be missed! He's out in the Mallory Square area around sunset each evening.

Thank you Dough, I'll check it out! And I def. will go see the cat man, though I'm more of a dog person, I do love cats (all animals actually - besides pets, bugs and crawling things lol). BTW, I never knew you cold really train a cat - they are just such free spirits. I love training dogs though!