Can't believe that there isn't a distinct thread about my favorite city in the world!!! Not in the general news about Miami category anyway...
Every time I travel, one of the most amazing moments is still coming eastbound over the MacArthur causway and looking at the sailboats moored on the right, the largest cruise ship port on the left, the booming downtown Miami skyline, and the highrises on West Ave dead ahead!

It's not development news, but this is taken from the e-newsletter that all citizens of Miami Beach receive.
Crime rate in Miami Beach continues to drop. The crime rate for 2005 dropped 10.89% in comparison with 2004. Violent Crimes, which include Homicide, Rape, Robbery and Aggravated Assault, were down 7.3% in 2005 as compared to 2004. Property Crimes, which include Burglary, Larceny, and Auto Theft, was down 11.2% in 2005 as compared to 2004. Most impressively is the fact that Part 1 crime is down over 25% in 2005 as compared to the year 2000.

this is good to see

I went to Miami Beach for the first time earlier this month. Wow, very beautiful and had a great time just laying out on the beach, walking/drinking/eating on Lincoln St, and walking/drinking/eating on Ocean Dr.

My only nag is parking there is a problem...I wish there was a mass transit train that ran to Miami Beach. I think that would help out a lot with the parking/traffic problem. An example of how out of hand the parking problem has gotten, the public parking deck by the Wachovia Bank in SoBe was charging $85 for one day. That is just insane!

Miami proper is not as nice...they skyline is nice, especially the BofA tower lit up at night...but the rest of it is kinda crappy from a pedestrian perspective.

never heard of an 85$ day parking rate ever... that must have been a very empty parking lot considering all other parcking lots charge 5-10 dollars 20 the most during events....

The parking deck was almost full. Its the one at the corner of 6th and Washington (entrance on 6th) I was there for the weekend and most of the time they were charging in the $30-$40 range to park there...but that $85 really blew me away, and I guess people were paying for it because the deck was just about full. Luckily my friend had a free pass to the deck since he worked nearby.

Isnt there a municipal parking garage on 6th? And if there isn't I know there is one on 11th. I would walk 5 blocks for 70 dollars anyday.

I DONT KNOW SOUNDS LIKE A TOURIST SCAM TO ME
BETTER CHECK WITH THE BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU ABOUT THAT ONE...

A little interesting peice of MB news: The Fisher estate on North Bay Road is going up for sale at a cool $40 million. I didn't know it had its own observation tower.

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/13744513.htm

A mere $40 million takes Fisher estateThe former estate of Miami Beach pioneer Carl Fisher is up for sale.

The asking price? A jaw-dropping $40 million.

BY SUSAN ANASAGASTI
sanasagasti@MiamiHerald.com

Back in 1912, when Carl Fisher first set eyes on Miami Beach, he had trouble giving the land away.
Times have changed.

The price of real estate today would likely flabbergast Fisher, the city's founding father. Especially the $40 million asking price for his own Biscayne Bay estate.
It's a record for any house in Miami-Dade County, according to broker Nelson Gonzalez, of Esslinger-Wooten-Maxwell Realtors.

Wanting to know exactly what one can get for $40 million these days, we asked Gonzalez to show us the place.
Located at 5020 N. Bay Rd., the 79-year-old villa stands three stories tall and boasts 12 bedrooms and 19 bathrooms. It sits on a 1.57-acre waterfront lot and comes with an open pavilion, an outdoor fireplace, an open-air Jacuzzi, a wine cellar, a $65,000 stove and an original walk-in vault.

But the real showpiece is the 85-foot observation tower, which has its own elevator and bathroom.

Your reward, after getting to the top, is breathtaking views of the Atlantic Ocean, Biscayne Bay and Miami's downtown skyscrapers.
''The view has always brought people here,'' Gonzalez said. ``You can never, ever, duplicate this because of the city's height limits on residential properties. This is the best of the best.''
It is said that Fisher constructed the tower to show off spectacular views to potential buyers in the 1920s.
''This is where [Fisher] used to come to close the deal,'' Gonzalez said.

Architect and businessman Jorge Almeida bought the historic home in 1978 for $550,000 and sold it just before his death last year for $16.5 million.

The current owners, Todd Michael Glaser, Chad Oppenheim and Armin Mattli, have spent the last several months reworking and remodeling the luxury villa.

The estate is undergoing a $7 million renovation. Once the project is complete, it will have two guest houses with a poolside cabana, staff quarters and a five-car garage.
And it doesn't end there.

Statues, original to the 1927 house, will adorn the gardens. And part of the original master bedroom has already been converted into a walk-in closet. It comes with a balcony that will overlook the gardens and Biscayne Bay.
For traditionalists, the home will also include the original coffered ceilings and wood floors that remain on the property.

Vintage chandeliers, a double staircase and exquisite architectural details will give visitors a glimpse of the history of the home and Miami Beach.

''The staircase is incredible,'' Gonzalez said. ``It's very grand.''

Gonzalez also described the North Bay Road neighborhood as the ''it'' address of Miami Beach.

Celebrity neighbors have included Jennifer Lopez, Matt Damon, Ricky Martin, Calvin Klein and Billy Joel.
Lenny Kravitz almost became the newest celeb on the block. He toured the property six times and made an offer, but the deal fell through.

''He didn't step up to the plate,'' Gonzalez said.
So, would the $40 million asking price be too rich for Fisher's blood?

Perhaps not. In the building boom of the mid-1920s, his fortune was estimated to have reached $100 million.

http://www.miamibeach411.com/History/photo_carl_fisher_realstate_1.html

and for those that don't know the story...
http://www.miamibeach411.com/History/bio_fisher.htm

The parking deck was almost full. Its the one at the corner of 6th and Washington (entrance on 6th) I was there for the weekend and most of the time they were charging in the $30-$40 range to park there...but that $85 really blew me away, and I guess people were paying for it because the deck was just about full. Luckily my friend had a free pass to the deck since he worked nearby.Well...6th and Collins is a public parking structure and is regulated. The fees would never be more than $12. If parking was problem, you could go a whopping 5 blocks north to Wash and 11th (behind the Police Station) for public parking, if that didn't work, go anothe whopping 2 blocks to 13th and Washington to another public parking structure (this is the one that Andrew Cunanin parked in before he shot Gianni Versace. The only real shooting that I can remember in South Beach), or you could check out the structure at 15th street.
Oh boy...
People might get the idea that it's hard to park in South Beach. If you can read a street sign, it is a big green sign with a capital P with a white circle around it. There is parking structure about every 4 blocks on South Beach, and meters every inch on Ocean Drive, Collins Ave, and Washington Ave.

http://www.miamisunpost.com/thirdstoryfrontpage.htm

Affordable on the Beach
South Beach Housing Project Gets Final OK From Planning Board

“I feel terrible because I know the alternative is staying on the street, but we need to do the right project,” — Planning Board Chair Victor Diaz

By Omar Sommereyns

The Miami Beach Planning Board approved a conditional use permit for supportive housing project for the formerly homeless and mentally disabled, during a meeting Tuesday.

Only the board’s chair, Victor Diaz, was not satisfied with the application for the facility at 530 Meridian Ave., which will be operated by Carrfour Supportive Housing.

“I believe it is the obligation of the city to make reasonable accommodation to house the homeless… I think we’ve been pushed too hard to accept a project that isn’t favorable for the city,” he said.

The staff report, however, recommended approval, “given the extreme need for such facilities within our city to house people who would otherwise be living on the street.”

Still, Diaz spoke of an “underlying fiction” in the application and tirelessly reiterated his pet peeve with the amount space being allotted to each resident. [B]According to plans, the 37 units comprise 66 interconnected rooms with 70 beds, some sharing a bathroom, and thus wouldn’t allow each individual tenant the 200 square feet of space that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development requires.

“Please approve this with the 200 square feet per person … maybe reduce the number of units,” Diaz urged. “I feel terrible because I know the alternative is staying on the street, but we need to do the right project, one that gives [these people] dignity and meets city code.”

Carter McDowell, the attorney representing Carrfour, insisted that SRO, HUD’s Single Room Occupancy program regulations, stipulated that there be privacy between each tenant. “I don’t think any of you would want to deny [locking] the bedroom door at night,” McDowell said.

During the public debate, which gathered a few dozen people at the commission chambers, those in Carrfour’s programs and residents of the nonprofit group’s other facilities pleaded for the project to be approved. “Carrfour was able to create a sense of community that I’ve never had before in my life,” said Elizabeth Hudson. “I ask you to just consider that when people have a sense of family, [they] change.”

“The places are small, but they’re here; they help us,” added a disabled speaker who lives in a Carrfour facility. “Being able to lay my head down at night and not having to worry about what’s coming at me … is important.”

Meantime, opponents spoke about concerns “for the neighborhood,” suggesting that since most of the potential tenants don’t work or drive and the project doesn’t include enough recreational areas, they’d have to “congregate on the street corner,” as pointed out by Mara Perez, an area resident.

“The application must be judged based on its merits regardless of who will be living there,” Diaz then advised.

The project is supposed to provide on-site services such as case management and supportive services, and Carrfour has increased the size of common areas from 1,400 to 1,575 square feet (including a TV/game room and computer room) following the denial of its December application. (The application was granted a motion to reconsider in January following Carrfour’s fair housing complaint against the city.)

Diaz still wasn’t convinced and pointed to Carrfour’s Harding Village farther north at 8540 Harding Ave. as a better example. “Despite all the public opposition, that project will succeed.”

Built in 1940 as a hotel with 76 rooms, the three-story building at 530 Meridian Ave. is in the historic district and contributes to the historic properties database. In accordance with the Carrfour project, the former hotel, which according to the staff report was “in an extreme state of disrepair and lacking maintenance,” is being renovated and brought up to code.

The property will remain “clean and sober,” obligating residents not to drink alcohol or use drugs, as well as to undergo random testing. The city’s community services office is working with Carrfour to target the homeless population of Miami Beach.

Adds the staff report, “There is a critical need in South Florida, and in Miami Beach in particular, to address the issue of homelessness. The city is under state and federal mandates to accommodate the homeless, and this project is fulfilling a portion of our requirements in that area.”

Comments? E-mail omar@miamisunpost.com.

http://www.miamitodaynews.com/news/060406/fyi.shtml

MANSIONS EXTRA: A reporter and film crew from "Extra!" were in town last week filming celebrity angles on Miami hotels, real estate, restaurants and nightlife for an upcoming special, "Mansions & Millionaires: South Beach." The show's daily viewership is estimated at 3.5 million.

By the way, the Fisher Estate which was on sale for $40 million was sold this week to Condo developer Ugo Columbo.

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/14379287.htm

Developer Ugo Colombo buys Carl Fisher estate
By MATTHEW HAGGMAN
mhaggman@MiamiHerald.com
A high-rise developer is set to go low-rise.

Ugo Colombo, who has built luxury condo towers like the Santa Maria on Brickell Avenue or The Grovenor in Coconut Grove, has bought the Carl Fisher estate in Miami Beach.

Colombo said he closed on the 79-year old, 12-bedroom villa this week. He declined to disclose the price but the North Bay Road property was on the market for some $40 million.

''Do I want to get into the business of restoring single-family homes? Probably not,'' said Colombo, who heads Miami-based CMC Group. ``This was just a once in a lifetime, unique opportunity.''

Hulk Hogan just closed on a $12 million house on North Bay Rd and they will be filming his VH1 show from down here next season.

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/14485642.htm

Hulk Hogan just closed on a $12 million house on North Bay Rd and they will be filming his VH1 show from down here next season.
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/14485642.htmJust saw him on Leno last night. Did you see how Leno kept teasing him about the George Forman grill??? Evidently, Hulk's agent called the house while Hulk was out and Mrs. Hogan didn't give him the message immediately. Hulk called back about an hour and $168 millon too late.

http://img148.imageshack.us/img148/6886/img5957zk5.jpg

http://img148.imageshack.us/img148/7373/img5955mf3.jpg

http://img148.imageshack.us/img148/3350/img5951zd0.jpg

http://img148.imageshack.us/img148/5177/img5944fd8.jpg

http://img148.imageshack.us/img148/4971/img5943du7.jpg

http://img148.imageshack.us/img148/360/img5947az1.jpg

http://img148.imageshack.us/img148/6939/img5948ti2.jpg

Canyon Ranch

http://img148.imageshack.us/img148/8434/img5950om6.jpg

http://img148.imageshack.us/img148/986/img5953ym5.jpg

Are those towers in Canyon Ranch designed by Chad Oppenheim, because they look a lot like Ten Museum Park.

Can't believe that there isn't a distinct thread about my favorite city in the world!!! Not in the general news about Miami category anyway...
The problem is that most people think that MB is some kind of district within Miami, when in point of fact it is an altogether separate city.

The same can be said about Hialeah, Homestead, Kendall, Florida City, etc...

Are those towers in Canyon Ranch designed by Chad Oppenheim, because they look a lot like Ten Museum Park.

It was done by Arquitectonica, interiors done by David Rockwell.

We enjoyed your warm and sunny weather last winter we were there. We are returning this January. Florida is the only place in the US where we can count on warm sunny days tanning on the beach in the dead of winter.

We enjoyed your warm and sunny weather last winter we were there. We are returning this January. Florida is the only place in the US where we can count on warm sunny days tanning on the beach in the dead of winter.

Thank you! We do have our share of bad weather, but the odds here are usually in favor of our guests! :lol::cheers:

If you haven't been yet, go check out South Pointe Park. It is fantastic and you can tell that it will grow better with age.
The park wraps from the Ocean/Beach around the tip of South Pointe and winds along the waterfront at Government Cut around through to the Miami Beach Marina all the way to the 5th Street Bridge.
A winding elevated path provides great views and beautiful green banks of grass for laying around or picnicing.
The park is extremely active and really worth a trip. Here are a few pictures that don't do the park justice.
South Pointe Park from a boat
http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n215/restainer/Skyscrapers/2009-07-25MuranoApogeePortofinoSout.jpg

http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n215/restainer/Skyscrapers/2009-07-25SouthPointePark3.jpg
The elevated path
http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n215/restainer/Skyscrapers/2009-07-25SouthPointePark2-1.jpg

Continuum South Beach. Ocean Drive terminates at the entry to Continuum and another pedestrian entry to the park.
http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n215/restainer/Skyscrapers/2009-07-25SouthPointeParkContinu-1.jpg

Miami Beach Marina
http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n215/restainer/Skyscrapers/2009-07-25031.jpg

Miami Beach in my opinion is the most beautiful beach in the continental United States.I love its parks ,the beautiful Coconut and Royal Palms,the beautiful ocean water,the beautiful architecture and just the name "Miami Beach" has a national and international appeal to make people want to flock here.

^^ It really is! :yes: I can't wait to be back in Miami again. :yes:

Is the city still planning to build the iceberg s the centerpiece of the park? Or has it been canceled?

here is a cool retail center that is going to be built near 1111 lincoln on lenox avenue:
1681 LENOX AVE
http://img39.imageshack.us/img39/5184/20boxes20day202.jpg
http://img39.imageshack.us/img39/7830/20boxes20night202.jpg

It's a nice building. It's on a great site because it's currently a surface parking lot, so that's great. The block immediately north of Lincoln Road is almost exclusively parking lots, so it's nice to see an infill project like this to promote more pedestrian activity north to 17th St.

scumbag developers at seville hotel/ ritz carlton residences

http://cbs4.com/local/howard.graham.condo.2.1154901.html

this structure is a huge embarrassment for the city, and the city should fine these people for every day that the building remains vacant

scumbag developers at seville hotel/ ritz carlton residences
Quick to judge with one side of the story Sod, and that is some harsh name calling.

My parents raised me not to call people names, can you define "scumbag" and how that applies in this case.
Also, which developer are you calling names and what was your experience with them?

The same can be said about Hialeah, Homestead, Kendall, Florida City, etc...

Not quite. Miami Beach is separated from the mainland by a body of water (Biscayne Bay), which makes it even more isolated from Miami.

It would be kind of nice if they made a "Washington Square" at the end of Washington Avenue in South Point Park. We're talking real 18th century statue in the middle of George Washington.

It would be kind of nice if they made a "Washington Square" at the end of Washington Avenue in South Point Park. We're talking real 18th century statue in the middle of George Washington. The entry at the end of Washington Avenue is excellent. I love the new modern park that Hargreaves & Associates has created there.
http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n215/restainer/SouthPointePark_Overview.jpg

http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n215/restainer/SouthPointePark_HumanInteraction.jpg

http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n215/restainer/SouthPointePark_WaterFeatures.jpg

However, you bring up a provocative point, 1772. Maybe instead of a modern and Miami Beach appropriate entries, citizens should demand that the creative people copy the old squares, and perhaps at the South end of Ocean Drive, instead of a modern park, citizens could demand that the architects build an old European square with a real old statue.
We're talking real 1980's Billy Ocean statue at the end of Ocean Drive.
dkXV5O5GfJ8

Quick to judge with one side of the story Sod, and that is some harsh name calling.

My parents raised me not to call people names, can you define "scumbag" and how that applies in this case.
Also, which developer are you calling names and what was your experience with them?

try to envision someone buying a house in your upscale neighborhood in lansing, fencing it off with an ugly chain link fence, leaving trash strewn about an overgrown yard, boarded up windows etc. this goes on for years with no end in sight and brings down the value of the whole neighborhood. safe to say you would have choice words for them

the city should be slapping massive fines and liens on these people until they are forced to cede control of it and go back to argentina

One statue at a time. Let's get Telly Savalas' right foot in South Point Park first.

One statue at a time. Let's get Telly Savalas' right foot in South Point Park first.

Damn right.

I even hear there's stimulus money available for the once-proposed revolving head and lighted eyes so the colossus can serve as a shipping beacon.

try to envision someone buying a house in your upscale neighborhood in lansing, fencing it off with an ugly chain link fence, leaving trash strewn about an overgrown yard, boarded up windows etc. this goes on for years with no end in sight and brings down the value of the whole neighborhood. safe to say you would have choice words for them
the city should be slapping massive fines and liens on these people until they are forced to cede control of it and go back to argentina
What???
You avoided every question.
When you are calling someone a scumbag, who are you referring to??
Who are you calling a scumbag and why?

However, you bring up a provocative point, 1772. Maybe instead of a modern and Miami Beach appropriate entries, citizens should demand that the creative people copy the old squares, and perhaps at the South end of Ocean Drive, instead of a modern park, citizens could demand that the architects build an old European square with a real old statue.
We're talking real 1980's Billy Ocean statue at the end of Ocean Drive.

One thing dosen't exclude another IMO.
A Washington Square could be a nice transention between South Point Park and the Miami Beach Marina.

One thing dosen't exclude another IMO.
A Washington Square could be a nice transention between South Point Park and the Miami Beach Marina.
The brand new transition from South Pointe Park to the Miami Beach Marina is excellent. You are posting as if you haven't been there in the last 2 months. You should really go and see it for yourself.
vWJOvRN6wu4

What???
You avoided every question.
When you are calling someone a scumbag, who are you referring to??
Who are you calling a scumbag and why?

the owners of this property who have displayed a blatant disregard for their neighbors.

the owners of this property who have displayed a blatant disregard for their neighbors. So which one of the owners are calling a scumbag?
Do you know their name?
If your accusation is correct, there are more effective ways to handle the situation.
Rather than name calling, it would be more effective to talk to them personally, make a phone call, or send an e-mail.

their name is irrelevant, a phone call cannot reverse years of complete disregard and neglect

At least the developers have returned most of the deposits all except for 10,I feel they had good intentions for this project but the economy went sour.One has to really delve in to the details of the situation before one can put a label on a developer.

One has to really delve in to the details of the situation before one can put a label on a developer.
That's right. But not just a label, but calling another person a scumbag?

It is relevant to know who Södermalm is calling names, and what specifically he means by "scumbag"
How about a friendly competition between Sodermalm and any one of the developers or land owners. Södermalm you pick one either of the Lowensteins or Defortuna.

Challenge of the "scumbags"
1. Who has done more to enhance property values in Miami Beach?
Södermalm or the developers
2. Who has created more jobs?
Södermalm or the developers
3. Who has donated more time and money to charities?
Södermalm or the developers
4. Who has donated more land to schools?
Södermalm or the developers
5. Who contributes more tax dollars to the community?
Södermalm or the developers

It would be everyone's best interest to stop name calling and start thinking.

And by the way Södermalm, as Exploratus learned, you have as much power as you assume. If you want a fence taken down, or a property cleaned up, stop whining about it and DO something about it. You are important enough to make a change.

...

any prior (and questionable) postive actions are no excuse and do not negate current sins. it is the responsibily of the city to fine/lien/sue these scumbags until they either get their act together or get the hell out of town, but there still is no way to recover the years of damage done by their neglect
Wow.
So you are still name calling.
You won't accept the "scumbag" challenge.
If these men are "scumbags" you are clearly superior and will be able to make a significant positive change in your neighborhood.
I'm rooting for you!!

Name calling is simple....third graders and ineffective people do it all the time.
Taking action and making a difference is difficult.

Good luck...you are important enough to make a change.

http://southflorida.bizjournals.com/southflorida/stories/2009/08/31/daily92.html

miami beach ending pink sidewalks?

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/miami-dade/beaches/story/1239416.html

miami beach ending pink sidewalks?
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/miami-dade/beaches/story/1239416.html
That is a hilarious letter to the Editor. Just like from the Onion!
This is truly a sad day in our history and not one to be taken lightly.
RAY BRESLIN
Miami Beach
Truly a sad day in our history...everyone get up and change the world!!!!
Fight for pink sidewalks!!!

Hahaha... The Onion is classic

- Miami Beach Throws The Switch On For City Wide Free WiFi

http://www.citydebate.com/florida/miamibeach/template.php?url=0110160901.htm


- Deco Bike, LLC. is a Miami-based joint venture firm that will house is headquarters in the Wynwood Arts District.The company recently entered into contract with the City of Miami Beach to provide residents and visitors an automated, solar-powered public bicycle rental and sharing system that will operate 24 hours per day throughout the City. Patrons will be able to check a bike out from any of 85 station locations and return to a station of their choosing. With nearly 1,000 bikes in the program, it aims to improve mobility in the community, improve public health, reduce vehicle emissions and help to eliminate parking problems and traffic congestion by taking hundreds of cars off the road. Bikes will be available via monthly memberships or on an hourly basis. Such programs have experienced great success in Europe and now are slated to be implemented in a variety of urban locations in America. The Deco Bike Miami Beach program will be one of the first and largest city-wide programs in the country and is expected to launch in the Spring of 2010.

Nakheel, the Dubai developer is all over the world news with their debt mounting in Dubai. They own half of the Fontainebleau Miami Beach, while the owner of the other half, Jeff Soffer, has been under fire from his failed Vegas project. Do you think there will be a big upheaval at South Florida's largest hotel, or will the owners be able to ride out the storm and keep things moving along as they are at the property?

Nakheel, the Dubai developer is all over the world news with their debt mounting in Dubai. They own half of the Fontainebleau Miami Beach, while the owner of the other half, Jeff Soffer, has been under fire from his failed Vegas project. Do you think there will be a big upheaval at South Florida's largest hotel, or will the owners be able to ride out the storm and keep things moving along as they are at the property?I doubt that there will be any big upheaval unless you own the debt or were one of the investors in the billion dollar place.
The ownership or ownership structure may change as is often the case in bankruptcies and restructuring, but the the restauranteurs will stay in place, the drinks will be served on time, and the rooms will still get cleaned.

Here is a pano from Flamingo in South Beach...
SrJXVmU9WLI

Here is a pano from Flamingo in South Beach...
SrJXVmU9WLISometimes it is not about skyscrapers but about God's creation and the beauty He displays.

Sometimes it is not about skyscrapers but about God's creation and the beauty He displays.

Hear, hear!

I'm not sure where to post this but...

Is it just me or has South Beach been way busier than usual these past couple days? It's probably just because it was Christmas weekend or whatnot, but jeez everytime, I'm walking around, the sidewalks are so packed everywhere. Collins and Washington were ridiculously packed with pedestrians Sunday afternoon, it just made me realize how badly the sidewalks should be widened on some of our streets. Lincoln Road and Ocean Drive felt like Disney, it was a mob of people everywhere lol. Don't get me wrong, I love to see everyone out on the streets walking, but I just thought I'd bring it up.

^^ yeah that is so true...at the same time, is sad and a bit embarrasing, imo, to have all those bums (homeless) people hanging around on Washington Ave....some of those streets smell like piss and god knows what else...embarrassing cause a lot of the people that come to our city to visit (tourist) see this....but then again, this is the other face of the coin...not all is nice in South Beach.

The overnight population of Miami beach hit a new record this week, the most overnight visitors in city history despite the recession

and there isn't really much that can be done about the homeless, they are attracted to the same things that everyone else comes for, and most love the crowds and refuse shelter. These are not Miami beach residents who lost their homes, they come from elsewhere

It's a great sign that all of the hotels are booked, hopefully we can keep it up. Now it is the Holidays and Miami is a holiday destination, but there are no big special events at the moment, for so many to decide to make Miami their vacation destination just because it is Miami is fantastic.

So its not normally as busy as it was this past weekend? Either way I loved it! All those people bring a vibrant feel to the city. Only part I didn't like was driving from the mainland to the beach.

So its not normally as busy as it was this past weekend? Either way I loved it! All those people bring a vibrant feel to the city. Only part I didn't like was driving from the mainland to the beach.

South Beach is always really busy day and night year-round, but this past weekend just seemed a bit busier than usual. It's probably just because it was Christmas weekend though.

Oh ok and yea a lot of people from different places.

I think Ocean Drive should remain closed up for traffic for good....yesterday they closed Ocean Drive for New Years. It was amazing...the restaurants could add more sitting and it would be much better than what it is now with all that traffic.

I think Ocean Drive should remain closed up for traffic for good....yesterday they closed Ocean Drive for New Years. It was amazing...the restaurants could add more sitting and it would be much better than what it is now with all that traffic.

They should close Flagler Street in Downtown from traffic too. It'd be a nice shopping mall, like Lincoln Road. I had never considered Ocean Drive, but it makes sense, extend the park west, and extend the sidewalks.

but there are no big special events at the moment, The Orange Bowl had about 75k + Iowans and Georgians that are taking up a few hotel rooms.
South Beach has always been busy around the Christmas/New Years week. The first two weeks of Jan will quiet down, then there is a steady stream of events that keep the hotel rooms filled.

Kevin, where did you get the close Flagler idea, that one is pretty good!:)

I think Ocean Drive should remain closed up for traffic for good....yesterday they closed Ocean Drive for New Years. It was amazing...the restaurants could add more sitting and it would be much better than what it is now with all that traffic.

I agree. It's not like traffic ever move on Ocean Drive anyway.

There has been talk about this for years, but inevitably, Ocean Drive remains a great place for tourists to cruise and take in some excellent architecture.
Like Lion Country Safari, you get to take in the 10 blocks of wildlife and architecture.

There has been talk about this for years, but inevitably, Ocean Drive remains a great place for tourists to cruise and take in some excellent architecture.
Like Lion Country Safari, you get to take in the 10 blocks of wildlife and architecture.

I agree. You wouldn't be able to turn Ocean Drive into a pedestrian mall without losing some of the neighborhoods character. Cruising Ocean Drive, particularly in a classic car, is as much a part of the South Beach fantasy as anything else. Unfortunately, there are just some times when cruising and crossing the street are nightmarish.

I agree. You wouldn't be able to turn Ocean Drive into a pedestrian mall without losing some of the neighborhoods character. Cruising Ocean Drive, particularly in a classic car, is as much a part of the South Beach fantasy as anything else. Unfortunately, there are just some times when cruising and crossing the street are nightmarish.

I think the correct verb here would be 'stalled on Ocean Drive'. Ocean resembles a parking lot more than a street often times lol.

I think the correct verb here would be 'stalled on Ocean Drive'. Ocean resembles a parking lot more than a street often times lol.
That is true...and if you are in a restaurant or on sidewalk, you will notice that there is never road rage.
People that drive on Ocean Drive know that they will creep along...the City planners understand this too. It is charming.
So, unless you have big events centered around Superbowl, Pow Wow, Art Deco Weekend, or the Food and Wine Festival, Ocean Drive is rarely closed to vehicular traffic.

PeterSmith
You agree on that it should be closed AND you agree that it should stay open? :)

Flagler would be nice, but not Ocean Drive. Just listen to it; "Drive".

I think the correct verb here would be 'stalled on Ocean Drive'. Ocean resembles a parking lot more than a street often times lol.
It's the only free parking in that part of South Beach!

Creeping down Ocean Drive in a car has little appeal to me at all (none really) BUT it's certainly part of the South Beach 'experience'---especially for tourists. I can't imagine they would ever close it off to vehicular traffic. Besides, the pedestrian-only option exists nearby on Lincoln Road.

PeterSmith
You agree on that it should be closed AND you agree that it should stay open? :)
...

Nope. :)

Creeping down Ocean Drive in a car has little appeal to me at all (none really) BUT it's certainly part of the South Beach 'experience'---especially for tourists. I can't imagine they would ever close it off to vehicular traffic. Besides, the pedestrian-only option exists nearby on Lincoln Road.
It is almost a staple of the Miami tour when friends visit from around the world. We can take in the whole Ocean Drive experience by slowly creeping down Ocean Drive to take in the architecture and to give them the, "That one is owned by Diesel Jeans, that one by the Estefans, that was Versace's place, that was where Ace Ventura/Birdcage/Scarface/etc etc was filmed" without having to park.
Spell hit the nail on the head, leave it the way it is, and if you want a pedestrian Mall only, Lincoln Road is 3 blocks away.

As a graduate, I can tell you that this program is an exceptional way to meet the human beings that make things happen in the City of Miami Beach!
Learn how your government works, and learn how to change things if you don't think that it works.
Recruiting for Leadership Spring 2010! Begins March 9th (http://web.miamibeachfl.gov/residents/scroll.aspx?id=13150)

15 weeks of fun and learning and it's free!!! All you grads out there pass on the message..........

Miami Beach Hosts Super Bowl Events Many private and public events leading up to the Super Bowl will attract thousands of visitors to our city. A comprehensive plan is in place to ensure the safety and enjoyment of the city and cooperation to our quality of life...

Burger King plans beer-selling Whopper Bar in South Beach
Aluminum bottles will keep the beer cold.

By Bruce Horovitz, USA TODAY
Gimme a Whopper, fries — and a beer.
Those words are no longer wishful thinking. Friday, Burger King (BKC) will unveil plans to sell beer and burgers at a Whopper Bar — a new BK concept to compete with casual dining restaurants — in Miami Beach's tourist-heavy South Beach. The South Beach Whopper Bar is scheduled to open in mid-February. Full Story... (http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/food/2010-01-21-burger-king-beer_N.htm)

They should get that vaguely creepy mascot guy to bartend...

http://images.businessweek.com/ss/06/09/ceo_socnet/image/burger-king.jpg

I've been to an Arby's Wine Bar before, but this is really intriguing...

I knew this recession would produce some out-of-the-box thinking.

I'm pretty sure that some time around mid-February I'm going to be throwing up all over the South Beach Whopper Bar.

The Denny's in Sunny Isles has a full bar. It's a really, really crappy bar but they do serve liquor.

lol.....americans and their love for burgers, fries and beer.....no wonder why they call us "Fat"..so unhealthy...:nuts:

I've been to an Arby's Wine Bar before, but this is really intriguing...

I knew this recession would produce some out-of-the-box thinking.

Taco Bell's new 'Tequila Pairings Menu' is great, too. The 7-Layer Burrito with a Cuervo Gold chaser is refined dining at its best.

Wendy's 'Absolut Frosty'---not so much.

The Denny's in Sunny Isles has a full bar. It's a really, really crappy bar but they do serve liquor.

Wow...that's actually a terrifying image. :lol:

The Denny's in Sunny Isles has a full bar. It's a really, really crappy bar but they do serve liquor.
That post goes in the "Fine Dining of Sunny Isles" thread sir.
thankyouverymuch.

The Denny's in Sunny Isles has a full bar. It's a really, really crappy bar but they do serve liquor.

I go here anytime I get the urge to dunk a Moons Over My Hammy in a glass of Bailey's. Don't knock it 'til you've tried it.

That post goes in the "Fine Dining of Sunny Isles" thread sir.
thankyouverymuch.

Sunny Isles is far too lacking in establishments that like to stick sparklers on dishes with bland chicken or cotton candy. That's why I do all my dining on South Beach.

There will always be people that talk and post about what Miami Beach needs to do without ever knowing how to do, or how to get things done, Miami Beach Leadership Academy is one way to learn how to get things done. If you are a Miami Beach resident, this is highly recommended.

Neighborhood Leadership Academy Spring Term Opens

The City of Miami Beach Leadership Academy is a civic and public information program designed for residents of Miami Beach. The Academy provides residents with the information and resources to become more knowledgeable members and participants in our diverse community and effective neighborhood leaders. Sessions will be conducted by City staff with expertise in areas of concern.

Classes begin March 9, 2010.
Register> (http://web.miamibeachfl.gov/outreach/email.aspx?id=37714)

A CALL TO ACTION:
Gentleman, please vote/suggest that Google test it's new Fiber network in the City of Miami Beach.
This Fiber Network is 100 times faster than anything available in the marketplace today. Only a few cities will have the opportunity to be the testing grounds.
Be a Fan on Facebook.
Nominate Miami Beach.

Let Google know that the density of residential units, hotel units, and proximity to the Network Access Point are all great elements to put their system to the test.

Google Miami Beach Don't just be a fan! Nominate Miami Beach for Google's ultra-fast Internet before Friday, March 26.
http://bit.ly/b3iK0E (http://bit.ly/b3iK0E)
Google Fiber for Communities: Get involved

Google is planning to test ultra-high speed broadband networks in one or more trial locations across the country. Learn more about this initiative.

Posted on Fri, Mar. 26, 2010
South Florida cities hope for high-speed boost from Google Fiber
BY DAVID SMILEY dsmiley@MiamiHerald.com

Miami Beach likely won't be changing its name to Silicon Beach anytime soon, and Miami Mayor Tomás Regalado hasn't thrown himself into Biscayne Bay to grab Google's attention.
But despite the lack of antics and buzz seen from other regions of the country since the announcement of Google Fiber, several South Florida communities are hoping they will become, if not the site of a new and experimental high-speed Internet, then one of the few communities with it.

Friday is the deadline to apply for Google's revolutionary network, which according to the Internet giant will operate at more than 100 times the speed of the average connection. Miami Beach, Miami, South Miami, Cutler Bay and Boca Raton said they have applied or expect to.

Google is describing the new network as a groundbreaking development that will allow ``applications that will be impossible today.'' And the possibility of exclusively snagging the technology has sent U.S. cities into an online and media bidding war that in some cases has bordered on bizarre.

Topeka, Kan., changed its name to Google for the month of March. The ploy was countered the next day by a Duluth, Minn., mock decree that every first-born male in the city would be known as Google Fiber. Sarasota's mayor even swam in a tank of water with bonnet head sharks.

A MUTED RESPONSE

Steketee Greiner & Company released a list Thursday of the 10 most active cities vying for Google's revolutionary network, and Duluth, Topeka and Sarasota were named.

But no other Florida city made the list. And compared with other parts of the United States, the response in South Florida has been tepid.

``Am I going to set myself on fire to draw attention to our city? No,'' said South Miami Mayor Philip Stoddard.

No one from Miami responded to an interview request made through a spokeswoman.

Brian Breslin, a self-described South Florida ``tech community evangelist,'' said he has heard little talk about Google Fiber.

``I know a large percentage of people in the tech community, and very few people are mentioning it,'' he said.

Breslin said the new network will be a boon to any community chosen as a test site, because having the world's fastest Internet connection would attract business.

``If you wanted to build a company around video content or large-scale data processing, you need a super high-speed Internet connection,'' he said. ``You're opening the possibility for more startups and lowering costs.''

Kevin Crowder, director of economic development for Miami Beach, said the absence of antics shouldn't be construed as a lack of interest.

He said Miami Beach -- which has free citywide WiFi and is home to the New World Symphony, a musical partner with Google on the YouTube Symphony -- stands on its merits.

``Think about the potential for an event like Art Basel,'' Crowder said, adding that Miami Beach's brand would bring Google publicity.

WHAT'S COMING UP

Google says it will announce its pick or picks later this year, and that between 50,000 and 500,000 people will have access to the new network. The company will bear the cost of constructing the new high-speed network, which will then be offered at a yet-to-be-determined cost to individual customers, according to a spokesperson.

To nominate Miami Beach for the trial click here. (http://www.google.com/appserve/fiberrfi/public/options)

We're the New World Symphony Fellow's message to Google
ddMJ2CWUihA

Come on guys...do something...this is a big deal!
http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n215/restainer/WelcometoMiamiBeach.jpg

^^Advertisements ...every where :nuts:

^^Advertisements ...every where :nuts:C'mon...it was photoshopped in from the City of Miami Beach website.
To be one of the first cities in America with this Fiber Optic technology is huge. It's a shame there isn't much support from the Skyscraper forum for something so complementary to the advantages of living in dense areas.

RE: Post from January-- South Beach Whopper Bar=Place where you can get the food they show you in the BK commercials.


Google's Motto: "Don't Be Evil"

What would SoBe do if the sin vanishes?

Well, one city has certainly raised the bar, and it is not a Florida city: http://www.google.com/

http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2010/04/different-kind-of-company-name.html

just keep in mind when you read the article; today's April 1st

Well, one city has certainly raised the bar, and it is not a Florida city: http://www.google.com/

http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2010/04/different-kind-of-company-name.html

When I used Google earlier this morning and found the title line reading "Topeka" instead, I briefly wondered if some kind of virus had invaded the site itself.

Too bad it wasn't Enid. :cheers:

Here is a preview of the new MBC (http://miamibeachfilmsociety.memberlodge.org/new-mbc-coming-soon) opening soon on 12th and Washington and moving from the Espanola space.

Great organization to be a part of.

just keep in mind when you read the article; today's April 1st

The irony did not escape me; neither did the symbolism. Topeka is an obvious front runner.

Topeka is an obvious front runner.Obvious? Why do you say that?

They've garnered the attention of Google in a way that cities, such as Miami Beach and Orlando, have not.

They've garnered the attention of Google in a way that cities, such as Miami Beach and Orlando, have not.
Oh...you posted that with so much conviction that it seemed like you knew something about the program.

Garnering attention does not make them an "obvious front runner"?

That is like saying Bombsell McGee is the obvious front runner to Ms. America because she has garned attention in ways that other contestants have not.

Oh...you posted that with so much conviction that it seemed like you knew something about the program.

Garnering attention does not make them an "obvious front runner"?

That is like saying Bombsell McGee is the obvious front runner to Ms. America because she has garned attention in ways that other contestants have not.

What hogwash this post is; no need to disagree just to be disagreeable, Roark.

What hogwash this post is; no need to disagree just to be disagreeable, Roark.
Is this opposite day too?

You post that something is obvious, when not only is it not obviously true, it is not even true...and my post is hogwash.

Is this opposite day too?

You post that something is obvious, when not only is it not obviously true, it is not even true...and my post is hogwash.


How silly -- I will leave you to your own devices (how stressful it must be).

How silly -- I will leave you to your own devices (how stressful it must be).

Please accept my aplogies, didn't mean to get you all upset...I really thought you might know what you were posting about.

Does anyone have any reliable information regarding the Google Fiber program?

I don't want this to sound racist or snobby or anything but damn, its a shame that the beautiful neighborhood of South Beach has to host Memorial Day Weekend. Where the ghettoist of ghetto people come from different cities and states to Miami to party on SB for the weekend. Restaurant and store owners have been complaining about how they are trashing everything. I'm sure the NORMAL tourists are thinking "bad timing". It really makes Miami look horrible but luckily its only a week.

I don't want this to sound racist or snobby or anything but damn, its a shame that the beautiful neighborhood of South Beach has to host Memorial Day Weekend. Where the ghettoist of ghetto people come from different cities and states to Miami to party on SB for the weekend. Restaurant and store owners have been complaining about how they are trashing everything. I'm sure the NORMAL tourists are thinking "bad timing". It really makes Miami look horrible but luckily its only a week.

I love the Memorial Weekend because it makes all the liberals extremly nerbous.
They hate when it turns super-ghetto, but their white guilt wont allow any complaining. Thus you get some wacked out explanations on why it is what it is. :)

^^ I dont hate Memorial Weekend...just the fact that you have to wear a bullet proof jacket everytime you leave work in South Beach. I dont understand why this particular crowd of people have to get so violent and rude? :nuts:. I even heard that there was a shooting on Ocean Drive that weekend with some casualties....not sure how truth that is....but the beach was a gargabe can...everywhere you turn there was garbage. And forget enjoying the beach.....ewww.

The only problem I have is, South Beach is supposed to be like a nice upscale neighborhood where all sorts of people come to enjoy the beach, shops, restaurants, clubs etc. When people like the Memorial Day Weekend crowd come down to hangout they don't know how to act and they mess everything up. It's like all the locals and regular tourists abandon SB when Memorial Weekend is in session.

I don't want this to sound racist or snobby or anything but damn, its a shame that the beautiful neighborhood of South Beach has to host Memorial Day Weekend. Where the ghettoist of ghetto people come from different cities and states to Miami to party on SB for the weekend. Restaurant and store owners have been complaining about how they are trashing everything. I'm sure the NORMAL tourists are thinking "bad timing". It really makes Miami look horrible but luckily its only a week.

I love the Memorial Weekend because it makes all the liberals extremly nerbous.
They hate when it turns super-ghetto, but their white guilt wont allow any complaining. Thus you get some wacked out explanations on why it is what it is. :)

^^ I dont hate Memorial Weekend...just the fact that you have to wear a bullet proof jacket everytime you leave work in South Beach. I dont understand why this particular crowd of people have to get so violent and rude? :nuts:. I even heard that there was a shooting on Ocean Drive that weekend with some casualties....not sure how truth that is....but the beach was a gargabe can...everywhere you turn there was garbage. And forget enjoying the beach.....ewww.

The only problem I have is, South Beach is supposed to be like a nice upscale neighborhood where all sorts of people come to enjoy the beach, shops, restaurants, clubs etc. When people like the Memorial Day Weekend crowd come down to hangout they don't know how to act and they mess everything up. It's like all the locals and regular tourists abandon SB when Memorial Weekend is in session.

It's an embarrassment from the "I'm in Miami bitch!" T-shirts on down the line. If the city tried to put an end to it, I think they'd be justified. I don't think it's worth whatever revenue it generates because it scares a lot of tourists away, and many locals stay home during that weekend, including me. At this point, let the racist accusations fly. We need to be realistic about this!

It's an embarrassment from the "I'm in Miami bitch!" T-shirts on down the line. If the city tried to put an end to it, I think they'd be justified. I don't think it's worth whatever revenue it generates because it scares a lot of tourists away, and many locals stay home during that weekend, including me. At this point, let the racist accusations fly. We need to be realistic about this!

Isn't it nice when you just drop the PC BS and talk plainly and openly?
I don't think we need to get racist; just like you say "realistic".

These aren't "urban youths", they are a degenerate bunch of low-lifes born out of a ghetto culture which has to stop growing...

I don't think we need to get racist; just like you say "realistic".

These aren't "urban youths", they are a degenerate bunch of low-lifes born out of a ghetto culture which has to stop growing...

Something really terrible has happened in this society. The way I learned as a child that one should not behave is now considered culture? I don't buy it. BS is what it is. American society is moving backward in time rather than forward.

^^ Agreed and is not just in Miami, FL, that's everywhere along the east coast....when Memorial Weekend comes along. I mean...today going to work I was like....wow....what a difference, you could actually smell the fresh air...sort-of-speak....:lol: the streets were clean, traffic was moving at a steady pace, pretty much everything was back to normal today...:cheers:

Something really terrible has happened in this society. The way I learned as a child that one should not behave is now considered culture? I don't buy it. BS is what it is. American society is moving backward in time rather than forward.

^^ Agreed and is not just in Miami, FL, that's everywhere along the east coast....when Memorial Weekend comes along. I mean...today going to work I was like....wow....what a difference, you could actually smell the fresh air...sort-of-speak....:lol: the streets were clean, traffic was moving at a steady pace, pretty much everything was back to normal today...:cheers:

Last year, at my mother's memorial service, I met a six-year-old 2nd cousin for the first time who was amazingly intelligent, articulate, and well-spoken for his age. Of all my younger relatives that I've met over the years, he is the one who is the most like me out of all of them. It was if I had been given a vision of what my son would have been like. His mother says he's very savvy with the computer and since his biological father is not in his life, she asked if he could keep in touch with me. Of course I said yes! I welcome the opportunity to get my strength and influence in there so that the kid doesn't buckle under peer group pressure to fit in and turns into some kind of ghetto child with lost potential. It's a cycle that must be broken.

You guys might not see any aerials for a while because I've promised to take him with me the next time he comes to Miami, which will be some time this summer before he has to go back to school. I sent a picture of the Miami Seaplane Cessna (along with a link to my Shutterstock gallery) so that he can see what the plane looks like and the fact that it's on the water so that he'll know what to expect. He's not afraid. He's very excited about it! :):cheers:

^^ Hey Quantum, you notice you just gave a spiel about how great a father-figure type you'll try to be for your 6-year-old cousin and then ended the post about him with a beer-chugging smiley? A little ironic, that's all. :lol:

That fits my uncles! (Wait and me too now!):cheers:

The drinking habits have been passed along:ohno::banana::nuts:

^^ Hey Quantum, you notice you just gave a spiel about how great a father-figure type you'll try to be for your 6-year-old cousin and then ended the post about him with a beer-chugging smiley? A little ironic, that's all. :lol:

How do you know that's beer? It could be cabernet sauvignon, sauvignon blanc, Dos Equis, or cranberry juice for all you know. All of which I drink, along with Jameson Irish Whiskey or Bailey's Irish Cream. Anyway, the point is, you don't know what's in that glass, but I hope to one day teach my young cousin how to appreciate a fine wine when he's old enough, like the sauvignon blanc I'm drinking now along with some Alaskan king crab I just cracked myself that I bought from the Miami Shores Publix. It's too expensive to have it cracked at the Oceanaire in Brickell Village thanks to the Discovery Channel's "Deadliest Catch". :):cheers:

How do you know that's beer? It could be cabernet sauvignon, sauvignon blanc, Dos Equis, or cranberry juice for all you know. All of which I drink, along with Jameson Irish Whiskey or Bailey's Irish Cream. Anyway, the point is, you don't know what's in that glass, but I hope to one day teach my young cousin how to appreciate a fine wine when he's old enough, like the sauvignon blanc I'm drinking now along with some Alaskan king crab I just cracked myself that I bought from the Miami Shores Publix. It's too expensive to have it cracked at the Oceanaire in Brickell Village thanks to the Discovery Channel's "Deadliest Catch". :):cheers:

I'm a fan of this response.

As well as Breckenridge Brewery Vanilla Porter and Dogfish Head Chicory Stout. Both outstanding (weep for the Coors and Presidente crowd...ick)...:cheers:

Isn't it nice when you just drop the PC BS and talk plainly and openly?
I don't think we need to get racist; just like you say "realistic".

These aren't "urban youths", they are a degenerate bunch of low-lifes born out of a ghetto culture which has to stop growing...

You might actually be surprised at my views on certain things that you haven't heard yet that I wouldn't post here. I'm more practical and middle of the road than a lot of people think, especially as I've gotten older.

Anyway, getting back to the topic of the thread, it broke my heart to give up my South Beach apartment in 1999 after having lived there for 15 years, but I don't miss it because it's not the same as it was anyway. In the 90s, it was more Bohemian and more like an artists colony. Now it just seems too crowded and expensive. As a property owner in Miami now, I'm enjoying watching the metamorphosis the city is undergoing, though it has slowed down quite a bit.

It's an embarrassment from the "I'm in Miami bitch!" T-shirts on down the line. If the city tried to put an end to it, I think they'd be justified. I don't think it's worth whatever revenue it generates because it scares a lot of tourists away, and many locals stay home during that weekend, including me. At this point, let the racist accusations fly. We need to be realistic about this!

I agree, the city needs to piss these people off, so that they start a boycott and don't come back. Also, it doesn't generate revenue, Memorial Weekend business is way down from a typical weekend because of these scum.

Memorial Weekend business is way down from a typical weekend because of these scum.

Doubt it. The city is hardly ever as busy as it is during that weekend.

It probably doesn't affect business, as a matter of fact it probably increases business especially on Ocean Drive. The only thing is, it's the type of people that make it a shame.

I agree, the city needs to piss these people off, so that they start a boycott and don't come back. Also, it doesn't generate revenue, Memorial Weekend business is way down from a typical weekend because of these scum.

Are you trying to say that these people, who you claim are scum, drive away business?

Are you trying to say that these people, who you claim are scum

Do you object to this description?

Are you trying to say that these people drive away business?

Yes. In areas that cater to locals - including Lincoln Rd., business is way down, sometimes shutting down completely. Even areas that cater to tourists were way down. The Clevelander was down 40% from an average weekend.

http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/06/03/1662440/memorial-day-weekend-reports-calm.html

See the link for more articles on ABMB from FT.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/62320572-f81a-11df-8875-00144feab49a.html#axzz16mZyoPW8


By Gareth Harris
Published: November 26 2010 22:03 | Last updated: November 26 2010 22:03
The Brazilians are coming. So are the Argentinians. Collectors from Mexico, Peru and Uruguay are also set to make an appearance next week at Art Basel Miami Beach (ABMB), the high-profile fair launched in Florida in 2002 with an eye firmly on the Latin American market. The move made sense: Brazil’s GDP is predicted to grow by at least 7 per cent this year. But is the city really the de facto art capital of Latin America on US soil?

“Latin American collectors are becoming increasingly committed internationally. The reason we come to this fair is for them,” says the Paris-based dealer Chantal Crousel, who is showing a new work by Mexican artist Gabriel Orozco (“81 Euroman”, a gold leaf print on canvas priced at $200,000) and a series of hand-made prints by the Puerto-Rico based duo Allora & Calzadilla (“Intermission Halloween Iraq V”, $70,000).

US collectors who shunned the major European autumn fairs are also expected in the Sunshine State, notes Marc Spiegler, ABMB co-director. But the Latin American art invasion has equal clout, reflecting the strong presence of South Americans in the city (according to the National Association of Realtors, in 2009 17 per cent of international buyers in the Miami area were from Venezuela).

But which artists are they investing in? “We work with some informed collectors in Uruguay, Argentina and Brazil who have made a significant commitment to the art of Joan Mitchell, and to that of other first-generation abstract expressionist painters. Their long-term interest in historical figures from the region – such as Hélio Oiticica – is consistent with their search for great non-representational work of the New York School,” says Adam Sheffer of New York’s Cheim & Read, who is showing a new word sculpture, “The Modern”, by Jack Pierson, priced at $200,000.

Argentine collectors Juan Vergez and Patricia Pearson-Vergez point out that they have attended the fair every year since its inception and are on the hunt for works by British artist Mathew Hale this time. Other Miami fairs are banking on buyers from Brazil and beyond. Angeliki Georgiou, director of the Zoom Art Fair (December 1-5), a new event at the South Seas hotel with 20 Middle Eastern exhibitors including Ayyam Gallery in Damascus, sees the “large concentration of Arabs in South America as a potential collector source”.

The collector base may be growing but so is the value of art from the region. Miami gallery Cernuda Arte, an ABMB first-timer, will offer “Les Fiancés” by the late Cuban Wifredo Lam for $3m, following the record auction price ($2.2m) recently achieved at Sotheby’s New York for his 1970 oil “Les Abalochas dansent pour Dhambala, dieu de l’unité”.

Blue-chip 20th-century art is holding its value, as evinced by Warhol’s “Coca-Cola (4) (Large Coca-Cola),” which fetched $35.4m at Sotheby’s contemporary evening sale in New York earlier this month. But the strength of the Manhattan day sales, with Christie’s making $67m from its November 11 postwar and contemporary auction, especially indicated a fizzing market. “For some contemporary galleries dealing in emerging artists, there may still be a hard climb,” stresses dealer Ramon Cernuda. But New York-based art adviser Anna Di Stasi said: “The exceptional auction results, particularly given the large amount of material offered, proved we have entered a period of stabilisation.”

“I do not see any other asset appreciate so much globally, that gains consistently in value beyond volatile currency-exchange rates,” observes Berlin gallerist Matthias Arndt, one of 11 dealers returning to the Miami fair after a one-year hiatus with works by Thomas Hirschhorn (a 1992 wall-piece, €60,000), two new paintings by Jitish Kallat ($125,000 each) and pieces by Brazilian Vik Muniz ranging from $29,000 to $150,000. He expects clients from Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore and eastern Europe.

The fair, which this year has 260 stands, also proves popular with NRIs (non-resident Indians) based in London, New York and California’s Silicon Valley, along with Russian collectors, says Spiegler. But what about the Chinese, who have been so dominant at recent auctions? Craig Robins, founder of the Design Miami Basel fair, expects a “substantial” showing of Chinese visitors this year, building on the steady flux of collectors in recent years, among them property developers Zhang Xin (Soho China) and Dai Zhi Kang (Zendai Group).

For now, it’s hola in Miami – but get used to hearing ni hao more frequently at fairs worldwide.

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5203/5228259288_92491894f1_b.jpg

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http://img502.imageshack.us/img502/8012/dsc0546j.jpg

CC: Myself

Here are some I took this morning...I cant never get enough of this view into South Beach via I-395.
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5208/5250229785_fd85634105_z.jpg
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5161/5250230125_39bd561f1b_z.jpg
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http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5089/5250231853_4c0fbbba39_z.jpg

Nice pics 305, but damn it looks empty! :)

^^ Thanks...it was one of those cold mornings....Brrr....:ohno:

Bo suu tap mua he cua Thoi trang GEN, xem tai: http://thoitrangcongso.org

You know, I was just thinking that myself.

Gosh I am freezing my ass here and you show me these lovely pictures with beaches and warm water and everything? :lol: It is 11 degrees right now here.

We're talking real 1980's Billy Ocean statue at the end of Ocean Drive.
dkXV5O5GfJ8

In the 1980s it used to be my favorite song. :D

Gosh I am freezing my ass here and you show me these lovely pictures with beaches and warm water and everything? :lol: It is 11 degrees right now here.

It's the Miami forum! What do you expect?:):cheers:

It's the Miami forum! What do you expect?:):cheers:

I am joking! :lol: Of course I know this is Miami forum. I have an apartment in Avenchura. I just wish to be there now.

There is a new Rosa Mexicana going into the 1111 Lincoln Road Building.

The Miami Herald

Posted on Sat, Sep. 10, 2011
SoBe Facebook page chronicles cool of yesteryear
By AUDRA D.S. BURCH

It started out as the precious, archived memories of a few who came of age as South Beach came to be known for something other than, something livelier than, a retirement destination with a water view.
Now, in their 40s, 50s and 60s, they call themselves the South Beach Pioneers. They recently created a Facebook group — a technologically modern way to capture and safeguard vintage moments. In posts and pictures, they celebrate the Beach of two decades past — the 1980s and 1990s — before the big-box stores, coffee shop franchises and chic hotels. They fete the fabulous scrappiness of the Beach, the struggle to preserve its Art Deco bones, the blossoming gay culture, the modeling movement and the relentless, hedonistic parties at long-dead grande dames like Warsaw Ballroom and the Paragon and later Liquid.

The pioneers call it a “digital town square” a place that is both familiar and comforting and, perhaps permanent — the seeds of memories and photos might someday be the foundation for a coffee table book that chronicles the cool of yesteryear.

“In some ways, this is about nostalgia, about remembering friends when the grass seemed greener, the sky seemed bluer and the seas were calmer,” says Elaine Lancaster, a drag-queen extraordinaire who has built a dazzling career on the stages of Miami Beach and elsewhere.

“But it’s not about living in the past, it’s a snapshot of our lives 15 or 20 years ago,” says Lancaster, who helps administer the group.

Though views of the era’s beginning and end are fluid, the period is defined as much by the beachside bohemian spirit as the celebs — Madonna and Sylvester Stallone and Gianni Versace and Sandra Bernhardt and the others who indulged, at that time without such a merciless glare of paparazzi. Twenty-five years ago — before it became an affluent playground where some are now talking about bringing in casinos — Miami Beach was more village than city, a place for seniors to live the last chapter by the sea. The rediscovery of the architectural gems spawned a rebirth and attracted a wave of creative types, from photographers and models to designers and performance artists. It also became a friendly community for gays.

“Here was this tropical oasis at the tip of Miami Beach that had been neglected,” says Lancaster who arrived in the late 1990s. “You had all these beautiful Art Deco buildings peppered along the beach that were in ruins. The renaissance was fueled by preservation and art and fashion and gays who made huge contributions.

“We all have memories of some of this. So this page is a conduit for like-minded people to connect electronically. It’s like back in the day in small towns when you went to church and afterward you went to the town square to fellowship.”

Launched by Dan Sehres, who now owns Bar 721 but in the heyday owned New Concept Video on Lincoln Road, the Facebook group is open by invitation only. Already, there are more than 1,300 pioneers — from as near as South Beach and as far away as Paris — who visit the town square.

For many, the page is truly a reunion.

“I clicked on the page and all of a sudden I saw all these names from the past. They were people who I rarely see anymore or haven’t seen in years,” says Merle Weiss , she of the platinum locks and carefree vibe. “Some have moved away. And sadly, some have passed away.”

The latter list — fondly remembered on the pioneer page — includes beloved names like Gilbert Stafford, the renaissance doorman who schooled so many in the delicate art of “No.” Or dance music promoter Artie Jacobs, who helped DJs make the dance floors sizzle. Or Irene Williams, the senior fashionista who graced Lincoln Road each day with dazzling hand-sewn ensembles, hat included. Or Pagan Rivera, who lit up South Beach stages under the drag name Sexcilia.

Weiss moved with husband Danny to the Beach in 1985 as a mother of three adult sons. She launched her Chapter Two as a bon vivant and owner of a posh consignment shop called Merle’s Closet that became the go-to for drag divas who came in search of the perfect boa or you-betta-werk pumps. The en vogue couple became fixtures on the scene, relishing the newness of it all and meeting the characters who made the Beach come alive. So when the Beach became something else, the faces and the mood inevitably changed.

Things perked up this summer when the South Beach Pioneers were born and started reprising the Beach before… .

Most every day, a pioneer posts a particular moment or subject or name followed by an invitation to discuss.

An August posting by Chris Bills, a longtime employee of Uncle Sam’s, the hip Washington Avenue record store and DJ haunt:

I have one other name to bring up....YOKO!!!! Discuss.....

My favorite memory is her wearing a mask on the back of her head that she had painted up to match her face. You had no idea if she was coming or going. CRAZINESS at its best!!.

The name alone sparked a slew of well wishes to Yoko, a popular drag queen (not the Japanese artist, peace activist and widow of John Lennon), as well as more remembrances.

Most of the memories are triggered by a photo or other noir-ish throwback: nightclub personality Kevin Aviance, at the underground dance club Swirl wearing little more than a million-dollar smile, painted face and yellow fedora; a group of men backstage at gay dance palace Paragon; photos of Lancaster, Shelley Novak and Kitty Meow in one edition of club rag Miamigo; a candid of Stallone, Madonna, Ingrid Casares and Gloria Estefan and son Nayib.

Dozens of music files have also been posted, each conjuring a particular moment, a night that bled into morning or a dance floor. Point and click and the tunes roar, much of it the soundtrack of an era: Stay Around by Milk & Sugar or What is Love (Frenchapella) by Deee-Lite or Viola Wills’ Stormy Weather, Shawn Christopher’s Another Sleepless Night. Sometimes the memories come flooding back with the image of a club flier like the one for Halloween at the Kremlin hosted by drag queen Adora and her royal court. Or A Room With A View at Paragon (now Mansion) or one of the over-the-top Susanne Bartsch productions at Warsaw (now Jerry’s Famous Deli).

Tara Solomon, who chronicled South Beach’s nightlife beginning in 1993 as The Miami Herald’s Queen of the Night and now owns a Miami Beach public relations firm, has an archive of cassettes of karaoke nights she hosted at Semper’s in the early stages of the Beach revival. Also a participant on the page, Solomon says the memory of those Wednesday nights brought back memories of the beach’s energy at that time.

“South Beach during the late 1980s and 1990s was magical. A bohemian spirit pervaded everything we did. It was a hugely creative time when artists and gays fueled the scene and there wasn’t a mass retailer in sight,’’ she says. “We drank café con leches from the corner bodega; there were no Starbucks. We were truly a self-amused group. Everyday seemed like Halloween.’’

Collectively, the page offers a peek into a curated portrait of South Beach’s many chapters.

Chris “Deejay Smeejay” Hodgson, 52, a funny guy who can recount great stories of go-go dancing at Warsaw and once ran a male dance group, moved to Miami Beach in the early 1990s after one too many one-eyed drives back to Fort Lauderdale after a night of partying. Hodgson, who deejays in local clubs and hotels, says there are two distinct groups of pioneers on the page among many represented.

“They each contributed to the Beach differently, and their memories are different. The 1980s were the homesteaders who came in and pretty much gentrified the Beach. At that time there wasn’t much going on besides The Strand and Woody’s on the Beach. The group that came after that built upon that, and that is when you saw the openings of places like Liquid,” says Hodgson. “But the thing to remember is that so many people passed through the Beach. A lot of them got their shakes out and went back to a structured life. This is about solidifying those great stories and friendships.’’

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

© 2011 Miami Herald Media Company. All Rights Reserved.
http://www.miamiherald.com


Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/09/10/v-print/2400789/sobe-facebook-page-chronicles.html#ixzz1XdsBIlzV

Young voters in Miami Beach need to get engaged, and Steve Berke has made that his mission.
Yale graduate and professional comedian is running on the "After Party" ticket, which proposes legalizing Marijuana, Gay Marriage, and 24 liquor licenses in South Beach.
He's funny...with some real serious thoughts on how to improve Miami Beach.
Get hooked with the funny....
NdIYVWA0dr0

So....Steve Berke started running for Mayor as a goof. While researching for comedy material to make comedic campaign videos for YouTube, he realized that Matti Bower is so funny that it hurt.

Suddenly, the funny got serious. If you are registered to vote on Miami Beach, I highly encourage you to get to know Steve Berke. Then, whatever you think, get out there and vote.

This Week in South Florida with Michael Putney
http://www.local10.com/video/29506290/index.html

So....Steve Berke started running for Mayor as a goof. While researching for comedy material to make comedic campaign videos for YouTube, he realized that Matti Bower is so funny that it hurt.

Suddenly, the funny got serious. If you are registered to vote on Miami Beach, I highly encourage you to get to know Steve Berke. Then, whatever you think, get out there and vote.

This Week in South Florida with Michael Putney
http://www.local10.com/video/29506290/index.html

but... meltzer says he is a douchebag
http://forums.miamibeach411.com/general-discussion/10312-sexy-sax-man-interupts-miami-beach-government-meeting.html

A First Look at the new Miami Beach filmed STARZ Original Series, Magic City. Coming Spring 2012.

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A First Look at the new Miami Beach filmed STARZ Original Series, Magic City. Coming Spring 2012.

b2pI7jixax4

This is gonna be one of 2012's best tv shows.
beautiful.

^^Looking forward to seeing it. I've got a friend who worked a little in pre-production and and she says they really paid attention to detail (not easy when you're portraying an era over a half-century ago). Wait until you see some of the amazing cars from back then they use!

but... meltzer says he is a douchebag
http://forums.miamibeach411.com/general-discussion/10312-sexy-sax-man-interupts-miami-beach-government-meeting.html
Matt Meltzer may call him names all he wants...

Last weeks debate at the Colony Theater on Lincoln Road was clearly a Berke win. Politically speaking, being called names by the opposition has less effect than endorsements....I'm told that Lebron James and Dewayne Wade joined Steve Berke at HL for the After Party.
Meltzer clearly does not realize the that an endorsement and cameo by the Sexysaxman at Miami Beach City Hall Meeting is a good thing...
GaoLU6zKaws

^^Looking forward to seeing it. I've got a friend who worked a little in pre-production and and she says they really paid attention to detail (not easy when you're portraying an era over a half-century ago). Wait until you see some of the amazing cars from back then they use!

Can't be easy... if you look closely as the car pulls into the driveway (:20 into the clip) you can see a modern high-rise tower in the background.

Matt Meltzer may call him names all he wants...

Last weeks debate at the Colony Theater on Lincoln Road was clearly a Berke win. Politically speaking, being called names by the opposition has less effect than endorsements....I'm told that Lebron James and Dewayne Wade joined Steve Berke at HL for the After Party.
Meltzer clearly does not realize the that an endorsement and cameo by the Sexysaxman at Miami Beach City Hall Meeting is a good thing...

Doesn't matter. Both candidates are clearly unqualified, and neither will be able to solve the major issues of salaries/pensions/blackbeachweek.

Can't be easy... if you look closely as the car pulls into the driveway (:20 into the clip) you can see a modern high-rise tower in the background.

Oops! I actually LIKE finding errors like that in film and television. Yeah, I'm nerdy that way.

Hey, on the subject of 'series set in the past' am I alone in thinking 'Pan Am' was going to be set in Miami? Sure I have heard that somewhere (but maybe it was an inner voice). No matter. It's a dumb show. :lol:

Once again....................producers who have no clue about the difference between Miami and Miami Beach!

Whether is a dumb show or a great show...anything that showcase Miami on TV is great to me....even though I think this show has been cancelled.
2OZWGiroy2o

Whether is a dumb show or a great show...anything that showcase Miami on TV is great to me....even though I think this show has been cancelled.


Yeah, it was canned. Apparently ABC was displeased that the only regular viewer was Mrs. Agnes Strumpet of Eau Claire, Wisconsin (who is reportedly in a deep depression).

I think they missed the boat by not combining the successful 'Golden Girls' formula with their product. Have three elderly women fighting drug lords and cavorting in bikinis. Definitely would have pulled down monster numbers.

OK, I just threw up in my mouth a little. :cheers:

Yeah, it was canned. Apparently ABC was displeased that the only regular viewer was Mrs. Agnes Strumpet of Eau Claire, Wisconsin (who is reportedly in a deep depression).

I think they missed the boat by not combining the successful 'Golden Girls' formula with their product. Have three elderly women fighting drug lords and cavorting in bikinis. Definitely would have pulled down monster numbers.

OK, I just threw up in my mouth a little. :cheers:

Golden Vice?

Yeah...

Golden Vice?

Yeah...

There 'ya go. I can see the episode description now:

"Blanche and Rose are horrified to discover their friend 'Consuela' has been transporting cocaine in their Depends. Guest star: Charo"

Whats the status on Cocaine Cowboys?

Rakontur released "Square Grouper" this year, stories about the weed smuggling which was briefly mentioned in "Cocaine Cowboys". Mickey Munday is living in North Miami and has released a spoken word album this year, "Tall Tales - Mickey Munday" which is available on iTunes. I don't know what's up with Jon. New Times recently had a piece on The Godmother's son.

http://img855.imageshack.us/img855/8697/01artbasel11woodenpavil.jpg

http://img163.imageshack.us/img163/1687/02artbasel11woodenpavil.jpg

Interesting wooden pavilion outside the Design Miami tent across from the Miami Beach Convention Center, where visitors can relax.

Unfortunately I did not enter the display, too pricey for my budget, $40 for the tour. However, many exhibits related to this event can be seen at no cost in this sector of the city such as intersection of Collins Avenue and 21th Street:

http://img40.imageshack.us/img40/5964/03artbasel11boulan1pica.jpg

http://img703.imageshack.us/img703/5023/04artbasel11boulan2mrpo.jpg

ABOVE: Canvas depicting Pablo Picasso and Star War’s soldiers of the empire on guard duty on the balconies of the Boulan South Beach building. BELOW: Detail shot of Mr. Potato Head with a spray can.

Bass Museum of Art
2100 Collins Avenue
Miami Beach, FL 33139
305.673.7530
www.bassmuseum.org

http://img37.imageshack.us/img37/4918/05artbasel11bassmuseum1.jpg

The following descriptions were taken from the Bass Museum brochure:

Art Public presents outdoor sculptures, interactive performances, site-specific installations, and public artworks. This year, to mark its 10th edition, Art Basel Miami Beach has inaugurated a new collaboration with the Bass Museum of Art, which transformed the recently redesigned Collins Park with unique artworks by renowned artists and emerging talents.

Curatorial Statement

The curatorial premise of this year’s Art Public for Art Bassel Miami Beach derives from two primary antecedents: As Patrick Charpenel’s selection of work for Art Public 2010 examined public sculpture’s modern lineage from its commemorative function toward a mere variable social approach allowing the abandonment of “the verticality that characterized traditional monuments and create a horizontal formulation, extending public work into new contexts”, this year’s grouping reflects a shift towards expanded conceptual, performative and temporal gestures. These moments derive from reflections on art practices of previous decades, namely the 1960s and de 70s, partially invisible, likely bodily, fragmented, and often less digestible than its more consumable counterparts, with a slight lean towards Los Angeles and the West Coast. The selection does not abandon more traditional forms of outdoor sculpture in stone, concrete, fiberglass, steel and other metals, but rather attempts to weave more texture and openness into a more conventional approaches to what is perceived as public art.

The diverse range of practices and works stretches across a variegated, multi-use, high-volume, and transitory intersection – from the 1930 key stone façade of the Bass Museum of Art and manicured mall, across the touchy traffic of Collins Avenue, past the packed parking lots between soaring four-star hotels, alongside crowded beach walkways, clear to the fresh-filled beach – during the highly-anticipated tenth edition of Art Basel Miami Beach. The installation is intended to compliment, frustrate, soothe, challenge and distract from the cacophony and activity of South Beach during the show.

Exhibit (follow the numbers on the following map)

http://img803.imageshack.us/img803/2917/06artbasel11bassmuseum2.jpg

Chakala Brooker
(3) Holla, 2008

http://img97.imageshack.us/img97/3379/07artbasel11bassmuseum0.jpg

Brooker’s sculpture “Holla”, with its protruding slices of mixed rubber stacked and held in place, piece by piece, forming a feverishly intense pattern defined by forceful undulating forms, exemplifies the handwork aspect of this artist.

Lowery Strokes Sims refers to the “hardwork” quality in her essay “Seeing Chakala Brooker’s Sculpture”, where she states: “Brooker has been ahead of the curve of the current interest in hardwork and making that has re-emerged over the last decades in the art world. This sense of touch, this commitment to the craft of making, the honoring of technique in the services of concepts resides in another vanguard: the blurring of lines between what is traditionally separated into art and craft, concept and execution. In Booker’s work there are seamlessly intertwined and indebted to the other”.

Rachel Feinstein
(9) Gargantua, 2011

http://img14.imageshack.us/img14/2127/08artbasel11bassmuseum0.jpg

“Gargantua” takes its title from the 16th century satirical novel by Robelais. A popular 19th century edition of the story includes illustrations by Gustave Doré. One of his images, depicting the giant leading a group of humans into a castle, served as the points of departure for Rachel Feinstein’s work. Only the back of the giant is visible in Doré’s illustration, but Feinstein conjecture a front that is simultaneously minimal in its unblemished white surface and Baroque in its formal composition. Simultaneously abstract and figurative, delicate and formal monumental, Feinstein’s “Gargantua” re-images Doré’s image in three dimensions, springing it loose from the page.

Damien Hirst
(12) Sensation, 2003

http://img856.imageshack.us/img856/9255/09artbasel11bassmuseum1.jpg

“Sensation” is a monument-scaled, bronze sculpture, painted to look like an oversized anatomical model. Hirst created the piece for the group exhibition “In-A-Gadda-da-Vida” at Tate Britain 2004. The artist experiments with the boundaries between art and sciences, and this sculpture is an example of these paradoxical, but arguably equally powerful disciplines. The subject of an anatomical model subverts the concepts of traditional sculpture. Painted bronze goes against the artistic norm, much like drastically enlarging the proportions of the models goes against the scientific norm :Sensation” works on the levels to provoke questions on art, science, life and death.

Robert Indiana
(15) ART, 1972-2001

http://img64.imageshack.us/img64/5743/11artbasel11bassmuseum1.jpg

Robert Indiana’s sculpture “ART” reflects the artist’s interest in the graphic power of words, the technicality of welded sculpture with a unique vision of Pop Art. Indiana’s reflection on the meaning of a piece spelling out the word art successfully presents the viewer with one of the most challenging questions of Post-Modernism, raised by a number of philosophers such as Bergson aand Foucault, on the possibility of shaped ideas through one language.

Robert Melee
(18) It Sitting, 2008

http://img846.imageshack.us/img846/3202/12artbasel11bassmuseum1.jpg

Robert Melee’s bronze sculpture entitled “It Sitting” is one of a group of four large scale works doused in nautical paint. All are vast forms that, while amorphous and featureless, seem familiar in their generalized characteristics and poses – slouching, sitting, pointing, standing upright – but also retain a haunting sense of disguise and alluring somberness. The artist’s choice of “it” in the title refers to a non gender-specific, figurative form and reminds us that the work is, in fact, a generic featureless mass. This direction, as well as the medium, pushes the sculpture towards the grotesque, challenging the “idealized form” often represented in traditional figurative art.

George Rickey
(20) Two Lines Oblique Gyratory II, 1989

http://img403.imageshack.us/img403/7820/13artbasel11bassmuseum2.jpg

“Two Lines Oblique Gyratory II” is a classic example of George Rickey’s oeuvre and a demonstration of the artist’s mastery and use of monumental scale. Rickey’s iconic kinetic works were the consequence of experiments with wire and metal that began during his service in World War II. By the late 1950s and the 1960s he reduced sculptural forms to simple, geometric shapes such as rectangles, trapezoids, cubes, and lines, largely limiting his materials to stainless steel. Thus, Rickey’s created a body of work that is a mesmerizing combination of Minimalism and movement.

Eduardo Sanabria
(22) Snake Skin Boots with Snake Head, 2011

http://img830.imageshack.us/img830/4650/14artbasel11bassmuseum2.jpg

The title of Eduardo Sanabria’s work at Art Public references the identity cards stored with archeological objects. In this case the “archeological” object is a snake-skinned boot which can be related to a drug lord, referencing the drug conflicts in (Northern) Mexico. The artwork only hints at the trafficking conflicts. A pair of snake skin boots can be perceived as an identifier of a powerful outlawed class, directly related to a much bigger and more complex political situation. The artist creates fake evidence of an unfolding event, in a commemorating and somehow mocking way. The viewer must enter the artist’s fantastic in order to understand the information found in documentation and the communicating power of certain objects.

Zhang Huan
(24) 49 Days No. 1, 2011

http://img845.imageshack.us/img845/6232/15artbasel11bassmuseum2.jpg

“49 Days No. 1” one of the twelve monumental sculptures by Zhang Huan, is a compromised of salvage bricks collected from demolition sites surrounding Shanghai. The eleven foot tall pig hearing a house on its back alludes to Zhu Gangquiang, or the “Cast-Iron Pig”, now famous for having survived 49 days under rubble following China’s 2008 Sichuan earthquake. Upon hearing the story of its fortitude, Zhang negotiated the pig’s purchase, adopting it, employed a full-time care-taker and made its likeness a central component of his body of work.

City of Miami Beach, I find a cozy place, and their structures are according to the place.

City of Miami Beach, I find a cozy place, and their structures are according to the place.

Yes, I was just thinking that myself. I also enjoy structures being according to the place.

Have you been to Opa-Locka?

City of Miami Beach, I find a cozy place, and their structures are according to the place.

What does that mean...."according to the place"?

Are the shanty towns of Soweto, "according to the place?

What about the favelas of Rio? Why is the government trying to eradicate them before the Olympics and World Cup get there? Afterall they are according to the place!

Oh...and lest I forget....some of us think the Opa-Locka minarets are...according to the place!