While many people associate Miami with South Beach and all of its spring break and beach appeal, there’s a new part of the Magic City that is quickly gaining momentum and creating a buzz equally as trendy as the beaches.
When people move to South Beach, they used to be perfectly content with remaining in the area unless they had to venture out to the airport for travel, but as the New Year approaches, so does Midtown Miami’s appeal.
Located just north along Biscayne Boulevard, the Midtown in Wynwood neighborhood is in close proximity to the trendy Design District and is luring in artists and young professionals who want a break from the glitz and glamour of South Beach. The new residential and retail development of Midtown is a $2.3 billion development that features 1000 residential units, including luxurious lofts and penthouses which are up for rent or sale. Along the streets, stores and restaurants are popping in great numbers and the development currently has approximately 650,000 square feet of retail space.
Centrally located in the area is Miami Art Park, a 2.5 acre park that is the size of a football field and launched a nine garden exhibit in early December. “It’s the next big things,” says Skip Van Cel, a local artist who moved to the Wynwood and Design District area in the 1990s when South Beach was just a budding locale.
The allure of convenience in Midtown is a huge selling factor. It is located just five minutes from downtown Miami, seven minutes from South Beach, and 10 minutes from the Miami International Airport. Considering the fact that Miami ranks among the top five most congested cities in the country, moving around quickly in Midtown is a huge plus. Van Cel adds, “It’s the strongest draw for anybody in traffic soaked Miami.”
With rents on par or even less than the prices on the beach, Midtown’s properties are all brand new and most come with parking. Occupancy in Midtown is finally up, with some buildings approximately 98 percent full.
The only problem? People took a while to figure out exactly where this new development was. A Midtown agent notes, “What was happening is that we didn’t show up on MapQuest. People didn’t realize we were open. That certainly doesn’t seem to be a problem anymore as Midtown takes hold of its new appeal and runs with it.
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