Maimi Guide: Spring 2026

Miami is a last-minute or full-plan destination. Meaning, you can get here day of and still end up having a good time, but you have to know the areas. Most people think of Miami as a tropical beach destination, but with so many people migrating here from New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, even some abroad, there's a lot of traffic, and I'm not talking about the cars.

When I first moved to Miami full time, it was much different than when I used to come here to cover Art Basel as a young journalist writing for Details Magazine or some indie fashion publication. I was used to staying at The Mondrian in South Beach, going to the hottest sushi restaurant for a press dinner and then skipping the line at Eleven after a fashion party at someone's penthouse.

Those days are still true, but as a local who lives here 24/7, I would say the vibe has definitely extended outside of South Beach. Now, you can catch me vintage store hopping on the Upper East Side, after a game of Padel in Little River, or even happy hour at Sunny's Steakhouse.

Just in the last few months, I've attended Miami Open, the Exotic Car Show, a slew of tech conferences including Emerge and Solana Accelerate. F1 is here, and we're also getting FIFA. Miami is the city that never sleeps, and why would it when it's always 80 degrees outside.

Now with Design District, Wynwood, Midtown, and Edgewater experiencing hyperbolic developments, it's quickly becoming a truly walkable area. There's hotels, shops, and living areas including condos and houses that are so quaint — Spanish casita style mixed in with those modern box builds. No shade to the real estate people, but those places look like dentist offices. Anyways, here are some of my favorite places to stay, eat, and play by neighborhood.

Design District / Buena Vista / Midtown

My favorite part of this neighborhood are the stores. Jacquemus is going to be opening up by fall 2026, there's every designer under the sun including Balenciaga, Alo Yoga, and the On Cloud store. I also love the art — there's the Dale Zine, an indie bookstore. It's truly something for everyone. I also love that there's a Pura Vida cafe for mid-price dining, and there's a food hall on the second floor of the mall. For families who want white-tablecloth dining, you can check out Michael's Genuine, which has a good happy hour. In terms of hotels, you'd have to go more towards Midtown — The Standard is opening their own spot up.

Buena Vista Market also has a great sushi spot. There's a Michelin-star Mediterranean spot as well.

Now that conference season is in full force and the spring is here.

For beauty and nail spots, I love Midtown Brow and Eyebrow Bar, female-owned and on the same block as Trader Joe's and Solidcore. Midtown also has a Barry's Bootcamp. And then there's also Rumble.

Banana Daddy is also a vibe — love their banana bread and protein shakes. You can sit in the cafe as well.

Edgewater / Morningside / Little River

This neighborhood is under construction but I love it. If you can find an Airbnb around this area, your place will most likely be someone's condo, so look for a unit with a fancy pool or gym amenities, which will usually be a good indicator you're in the right spot. In terms of restaurants, I think we have some of the best! There's Sunny's Steakhouse, La Sanguich, which is a Cuban coffee and pastelitos place, there's also Reserve in Little River which has indoor and outdoor courts. I like Caracas Bakery for coffee and breakfast in Morningside. There's also Ironside Pizza in Little River. On Saturdays, there's a really fantastic farmer's market at Legion Park. Edgewater also just got a Whole Foods grocery store.

South Beach

Hotels I would stay at: The Shelborne by Proper, CitizenM (which also has one in Brickell). Lincoln Road has gotten a complete makeover as well as far as shopping. There's also an Apple Store. Lincoln Road is really central to The Standard. Good for biking and walking. For my Lower East Side New Yorkers that need to feel something,  love Las Lap Miami, a Caribbean restaurant inside of the DayDrift hotel.  

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