Miami is known for its luxurious lifestyle, picturesque skyline, sleek expensive cars, sun-kissed women, hip-hop music, glamorous beaches and sleepless nights.
We are shrouded under the “Miami Vice” drug cartel plotlines, “Scarface” shootings and “Cocaine Cowboys.” But beneath the facade of our 1980s depiction, we have emerged as a new cultural icon.
We are home to a variety of entertainment venues, performing arts centers, fashion districts, museums and parks. There are also many landmarks like the Everglades, Vizcaya, Venetian Pool and Marine Stadium.
On a sunny afternoon, you can drive by Knaus Berry Farm to munch on some fresh-picked strawberries and homemade cinnamon buns, stop by and enjoy a wine tasting at Schnebly Redland’s Winery and end the evening on the sand at Crandon Park in Key Biscayne. It’s safe to say Miami and its surroundings areas are some of the few places that allow you to drive through farmlands and beaches in one day.
Thousands of tourists continue to road trip down to the Magic City in hopes of fist pumping, making scandalous fashion statements, and giving into the temptations of sex, drugs and alcohol. But, when they reach their destination, they are quick to find that their Miami is just a fantasy.
Ultra Music Festival, LIV and South Beach are just a piece of the puzzle, but they are not quintessential to what defines the city.
Miamians enjoy venturing to Coconut Grove, visiting the Wynwood Arts district and enjoying an evening of Broadway at the state-of-the-art Adrienne Arsht Center.
The city of Miami was once raised on vices, but it is now raised on culture, diversity, tradition and trends. The Miami some are looking for is never found.
We’ve been stereotyped by booze, boobs, bills and bling. Although this stereotype brings in tourists, it’s not for the right reasons.
Miami is not just about the beaches and palm trees. That was then and this is now. We should not be judged for what we were, but what we now are.
It’s a city where everyone can find their passions; a city that embraces a new generation of innovators; it’s a diamond in the rough.
Welcome to our Miami.
Editorials represent the majority view of The Miami Hurricane editorial board.