46 June 22-28, 2023 miaminewtimes.com | browardpalmbeach.com New Times b e s T o f m i a m i ® 2 0 2 3 B E S T B E AC H ( M I A M I ) Sunny Isles Beach 18070 Collins Avenue Sunny Isles Beach, 33160 305-947-0606 sibfl .net/public-safety/ocean-rescue/beach- access If Miami Beach is for the tourists, then Sunny Isles Beach is for the locals. Wedged between the Atlantic Ocean and the hotel and condo- minium towers lining Collins Avenue between Aventura and Bal Harbour, this tiny sliver of low-key beachfront is clean, quiet, and blessed with the softest white sand in Miami-Dade County. Thanks to ample parking nearby, you don’t have to worry about searching for a space or weaving through traffic while lugging your beach chairs, umbrellas, towels, and cooler. B E S T B E AC H ( B R OWA R D ) Dr. Von D. Mizell-Eula Johnson State Park 6503 N. Ocean Drive Dania Beach, 33004 954-923-2833 fl oridastateparks.org/mizell Fighting for space in the sand is about the last thing any beachgoer wants to do when they’re trying to get away from the hustle and bustle. If you fancy a bit of serenity, Dr. Von D. Mizell– Eula Johnson State Park offers a surprising quantity of shoreside space to stretch out and explore compared to the crowds that throng other beaches in the Fort Lauderdale area. Open from 8 a.m. till sunset and asking a mod- est $6 for vehicle admission to its multiple parking lots, the park is equipped with cov- ered pavilions, grills, and 2.5 miles of beach. At the heart of the park, near a mangrove-lined waterway, seek out the Whiskey Creek Hide- out, which offers food, beverages, and kayak and paddle board rentals. Hiking trails weave throughout the area, and if you don’t mind walking a bit, you might encounter an idyllic stretch of sand to enjoy all to yourself. B E S T P O O L Hyde Beach 1701 Collins Avenue (at the SLS South Beach) Miami Beach, 33139 305-455-2990 book.ennismore.com/nightlife/hyde/hyde-beach tixr.com/groups/hydebeach Pinpointing the pool that reigns supreme is no easy task in a town with almost as many of ’em as there are backyards. But no matter how you shuffle the deck, Hyde Beach at the SLS South Beach comes up near the tippy top. Whether it be the funky painted concrete rubber duckie, bites from chef José Andrés and sushi master Katsuya Uechi, or big-time DJs who burn up the turntables till the morning on weekends, this a pool and pool deck that never underde- livers. Other pools can get a bit cramped and start to feel like a weird, warm bath, but with 8,000-plus square feet of indoor/outdoor space to wiggle in, Hyde Beach is a claustro- phobe’s dream. Be it a leisurely lap in the mid- dle of a stay or live sets by Sofi Tukker and DJ Ruckus, you’re guaranteed a memorable dip. B E S T- K E P T S E C R E T ( B E AC H G O E R D I V I S I O N ) Haremlique à la Mer Boutique 9011 Collins Avenue (inside the Four Seasons Hotel) Surfside, 33154 786-482-2284 us.haremliquealamer.com It’s easy to overlook a tiny shop inside a hotel as grand and glamorous as the Four Seasons Hotel at the Surf Club in Surfside. But don’t be fooled. Haremlique à la Mer boutique offers an array of items, from caftans to candles to Selamlique Istanbul sweets to bikinis to jew- elry. Most of the luxury beachwear for sale is custom-produced in Turkey and printed in geometric patterns and unique fabrics that will stop the jet set in their tracks. B E S T O U T D O O R | AT T R AC T I O N Vizcaya Museum & Gardens 3251 S. Miami Avenue Miami, 33129 305-250-9133 vizcaya.org In a town that has a predilection for the new- est, sleekest, and most modern, Vizcaya Gar- dens is a nod to the past and a throwback to classical beauty. The gardens feature Italian and French Renaissance elements lined with walkways and ponds that make you feel as though you’re strolling through a 400-year-old villa in Tuscany rather than a property near the heart of Miami. Designed more than 100 years ago by Diego Suarez for James Deering (heir to an agricultural equipment fortune), the gar- dens remain a serene spot to spend an after- noon on the edge of Biscayne Bay. Overlooking the gardens is Deering’s historic mansion, which boasts one of the most impressive local collections of antique Italian furniture. Tickets for the mansion and gardens run $25 for adults and $10 for children ages 6 to 12 (free for the youngest ones). The gate is open from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. every day except Tuesday. B E S T I N D O O R AT T R AC T I O N Kendall Ice Arena 10355 Hammocks Boulevard Miami, 33196 305-386-8288 kendallicearena.com In a town where summer never really ends, there’s a place where it’s always winter. It’s not a cryptic fortune cookie or meteorological rid- dle, but the southernmost ice rink in the conti- nental United States. The Kendall Ice Arena offers public skating hours, hockey and figure skating programs, expert sharpening and blade-mounting services, skating lessons, a vin- tage arcade, a concession stand, and a Colom- bian restaurant overlooking the ice. More than anything, it offers locals one of the only legiti- mate reasons to leave home with their mittens. B E S T P O O L H A L L The Billiard Club 15532 NW 77th Court Miami Lakes, 33016 305-821-8383 True cue masters know the Billiard Club has been racking up an unspoken reputation as the go-to spot for some eight-ball and nine-ball action since its grand opening in the early 2000s. At $12 an hour Sunday through Thurs- day and $15 an hour on Friday and Saturday, prices remain fixed since the early 2000s. Lo- cated in Royal Oaks Plaza just south of the big bend in the Palmetto Expressway, this Miami Lakes pool joint is not subject to Florida’s in- door smoking ban, so the stale miasma of Marlboro Reds and Cohiba cigars sticks to you like blue chalk on a cue the moment you walk in — as it should be at any reputable pool joint. There are plenty of tables, so there’s little to zero wait time. Sleepless boozehounds should note that this is one of the few late-night spots in northwest Miami-Dade. Depending on your budget and taste, you can enjoy top-shelf or bottom-of-the-barrel liquor and beer. B E S T P I C N I C S P OT North Beach Oceanside Park 8328 Collins Avenue Miami Beach, 33141 305-861-3616 https://www.miamibeachfl .gov/city-hall/parks- and-recreation The appeal of the oceanfront stretch known as North Beach Oceanside Park is its location. It’s far enough from the touristy throngs of South Beach and the teeny thongs of the nude beach at Haulover. Unlike Crandon Park, you don’t have to schlep across Biscayne Bay or succumb to a $3 toll. There’s typically ample street park- ing, pavilions to rent for parties, playgrounds for the kids, shaded areas with picnic tables, and, of course, that big, beautiful expanse where the sand meets the Atlantic surf. B E S T PA R K Moore Park 765 NW 36th Street Miami, 33127 miamigov.com/parks-public-places /parks-directory/moore-park It was a sad day in 2008 when the Orange Bowl, the stadium that hosted University of Miami Hurricanes football since 1937, was de- Sports & Recreation
