One of Miami Beach's great pleasures is hanging out on Lincoln Road. From Washington Avenue to Alton Road, Lincoln is closed to vehicular traffic, creating a pedestrian mall of bars, restaurants, theaters, stores, and galleries.
The area was rundown back in the 1980s, but art galleries and cafés led a renaissance in the ‘90s. Now that the real estate has skyrocketed in value, some of the smaller, more interesting storefronts have disappeared, but Lincoln Road retains much of its charm.
Here are some highlights:
On the Alton Road end of the strip stands an 18-screen movie multiplex that shows a nice mix of Hollywood blockbusters and art-house films. It'll give you something to do on a rainy afternoon or an evening when you seek air-conditioning.
The fine arts are also represented on Lincoln Road. Miami's acclaimed New World Symphony (under the direction of Michael Tilson Thomas), as well as visiting classical artists, play at the Lincoln Theater. Miami City Ballet used to have a rehearsal space nearby, where you could watch them plie and jette through the large front window, but they moved to more affordable digs at Liberty Avenue and 22 Street. (You can still watch them rehearse at the new address.)
A personal favorite attraction on the strip is the Art Center South Florida, which is both a gallery and a working artist's space. You can watch local artists crafting their works and converse with them about their paintings and sculptures. Look for its curving edifice and blue neon sign at 800 Lincoln Rd.
One of the more interesting cocktail lounges you'll find anywhere is Laundry Bar. It's both a bar and a working Laundromat, so bring your dirty clothes and your dirty habits. Laundry Bar (actually on Lincoln Lane, parallel to Lincoln Road on the north side) attracts a decided mixed crowd: Anglo/Latino, men/women, and straight/gay. Down the block is Idol's Gym, where you can get in a workout for $10. The workout space is nice, though the locker room is a bit shoddy.
Like any popular public area, Lincoln Road is full of street acts (the human statue, the disco skater) and local crazies. (Beware the middle-aged Colombian woman who begins conversations with, "Are you going to hit me?") Spend a little time observing the tops of the palms that line the strip; you'll notice a slew of green and red parrots nesting up there. (You can't miss hearing them.) I'm told that these are the progeny of birds that escaped from the mainland tourist attraction Parrot Jungle after Hurricane Andrew hit in the ‘90s.
Lincoln Road (between 16 and 17 Streets) is within walking distance of most South Beach hotels. If driving there, you might be lucky enough to find metered street parking on Jefferson, Pennsylvania, or Meridian Avenues, but it's more convenient to pull into the nearby Convention Center lot for about $5.