If you love to shop the hottest styles & trends in women’s & men’s clothing and athletic apparel Simons is your spot. Simons North Miami is located on 698 NE 167th St and is very popular with all the sneaker fanatics. They usually love the fact that they are able to get the latest and greatest sneakers before anyone else. They also have employees that are very knowledgeable about all release dates for shoes so they keep customers up-to-date. This store started out as a small family owned business, but has blossomed into a place for everyone to come and shop.

If you’re a bride to be you’re in luck, North Miami has multiple locations you can find your dream dress. My Dreams Bridal & Formal Wear (12535 W Dixie Hwy), Sassy Bridal & Formal Wear (831 NE 125th St), Gowns Couture (711 NE 125th St), and Brides of America (785 NW 167th St).

Getting ready for a special event just got a lot easier. A-Z Formalwear (777 Northeast 125th Street) is a family owned business that has been around for over 25 years. They offer great personalized service to each and every customer, while making sure that they always have the most competitive prices in South Florida. They are able to help with any occasion such as weddings, proms, formal parties, company gatherings, funerals and more. They even have a special for grooms where they get a free tuxedo when they rent five tuxedos.

If you love shopping for the best vintage items North Miami has to offer there are a variety of places you could go, such as C Madeleine’s (13702 Biscayne Blvd), Community Family Thrift Store (12560 NE 6th Ave), Second Chance Thrift Store (14722 NE 16th Ave), Red & White & Blue Store (12640 NE 6th Ave). Red & White & Blue Store is jammed packed with a variety of items from clothes and shoes, to houseware. So whatever you might need you will find it there. Their prices are very affordable, so if you’re shopping on a budget these are the perfect place for you.

CHEF CREOLE

The famous Caribbean restaurant has one of its three locations in North Miami. Chef Creole offers some of the best, spiced seafood in town and other traditional Haitian recipes such as queue boeuf. The grilled red snapper with a side of rice and sweet plantains is a must try.  If you fall in love with Ken Sejour’s special sauce, which you will, you can purchase it on your way out and drench anything you find in your kitchen with it.

 Red Snapper // Photo: Property of Trip Advisor

FINGA LICKING

Finga Licking proves you don’t need a fortune to eat like a celebrity. Finga Licking’s fried chicken and lobster is so good even Flo Rida, Diddy and DjKhaled have made it their go-to restaurant. Entrée prices start as little as $9.99, while their most popular dish, fried lobster, is $22.99 and worth every penny. The restaurant is open Monday through Sunday until 2 a.m., making it the perfect after-party destination.

PETIT ROUGE

Petit Rouge is a French bistro located in an obscure strip mall off Biscayne Boulevard that only sits about 20. However, don’t let the size fool you; everything in the menu is as French as the Eiffel Tower, ranging from typical escargots, to steak tartar to their homemade pâté. They offer an extensive list of wine, but if you have a bottle at home you’ve been waiting to pair with the perfect meal, Petit Rouge lets you bring it in for a corkage fee of $30.

PRIMO TRATTORIAITALIANA

If you love Italian food but can never find a place where the pasta is not Americanized, Primo Trattoria is the place to go. In 2014, it received the Genuine Italian Cuisine award from The Consul of Italy in Miami and for a good reason. The family owned restaurant makes all their pastas and pizzas from scratch and you eat atunbeatable prices. The chef and staff set up a friendly, quiet ambiance that will make you want to take off your shoes and feel at home as you indulge in mouthwatering, bold flavors.

ZAIKA INDIAN CUISINE

Finding authentic Indian cuisine in Miami happens sporadically, but fortunately one of these few hidden gems is situated in North Miami. Naan comes warm, fresh out of the oven accompanied by tasty chicken curry, and the quality is top-notch. Though the restaurant is small and has a seemingly mundane façade, the chef comes straight from the TajMahal Hotel in New Delhi, so you know you are getting the five-star experience at unbelievably low costs.

Dozens of Art Galleries and Furniture Stores Migrate to North Miami

Wynwood, the undisputed art capital of Miami, is receiving a run for its money.

The tremendous success of the neighborhood translated to untenable rents, forcing the very same boutique galleries that placed Wynwood on the map to seek refuge elsewhere. North Miami responded to the displaced art community by offering more practical rental rates, easy access and maintaining the authentic ambiance at the root of the community.

“The art galleries have become a new occurrence in North Miami over the last few years,” said Germain Bebe, president and CEO of Greater North Miami Chamber of Commerce. “I believe they are being driven there by the rising costs of rent in places like Wynwood.”

The Buena Vista neighborhood initially developed a strong presence within the art community by becoming home to famed local art dealers and investors such as Gary Nader, Martin Margulies and the Rubell Family.

Now galleries such as Blu EGG Interiors and Erdie Teaching Studios and Gallery, a hybrid art gallery and interior design studio co­owned by Jay Luiz and Virginia Erdie, are setting the stage for this exodus from Wynwood and are defining the new avant­garde community of creators, artists, entrepreneurs and visionaries who are putting down roots in North Miami.

“We opened in North Miami about six months ago,” said Luiz. “Many artists that started in Wynwood have moved up here; Wynwood is mostly commercial now.”

Dozens of other galleries moved across from the Museum of Contemporary Art, officially establishing North Miami’s designated art district and safe haven for international artists.

In efforts to promote the city’s rich art scene, the Greater North Miami Chamber of Commerce initiated the NOMADIC NIGHTS art walk, featuring more local art galleries, antique shops and contemporary furniture stores.

“The area encompasses about two blocks of antique stores and art galleries,” said Bebe.
“Many of the antique stores have been there for over five to ten years.”

Dozens of Art Galleries and Furniture Stores Migrate to North Miami

Wynwood, the undisputed art capital of Miami, is receiving a run for its money.

The tremendous success of the neighborhood translated to untenable rents, forcing the very same boutique galleries that placed Wynwood on the map to seek refuge elsewhere. North Miami responded to the displaced art community by offering more practical rental rates, easy access and maintaining the authentic ambiance at the root of the community.

“The art galleries have become a new occurrence in North Miami over the last few years,” said Germain Bebe, president and CEO of Greater North Miami Chamber of Commerce. “I believe they are being driven there by the rising costs of rent in places like Wynwood.”

The Buena Vista neighborhood initially developed a strong presence within the art community by becoming home to famed local art dealers and investors such as Gary Nader, Martin Margulies and the Rubell Family.

Now galleries such as Blu EGG Interiors and Erdie Teaching Studios and Gallery, a hybrid art gallery and interior design studio co­owned by Jay Luiz and Virginia Erdie, are setting the stage for this exodus from Wynwood and are defining the new avant­garde community of creators, artists, entrepreneurs and visionaries who are putting down roots in North Miami.

“We opened in North Miami about six months ago,” said Luiz. “Many artists that started in Wynwood have moved up here; Wynwood is mostly commercial now.”

Dozens of other galleries moved across from the Museum of Contemporary Art, officially establishing North Miami’s designated art district and safe haven for international artists.

In efforts to promote the city’s rich art scene, the Greater North Miami Chamber of Commerce initiated the NOMADIC NIGHTS art walk, featuring more local art galleries, antique shops and contemporary furniture stores.

“The area encompasses about two blocks of antique stores and art galleries,” said Bebe.
“Many of the antique stores have been there for over five to ten years.”

If you love live music and art MOCA is the place for you. MOCA (The Museum of Contemporary Art) is a collecting museum located in the core of North Miami, Florida at 770 NE 125 Street. MOCA has both temporary exhibitions and exhibitions of its own collection. MOCA always has many different activities.

JAZZ AT MOCA is a free outdoor concert held the last Friday of every month at 8 pm. MOCA galleries are also open by donation from 7-10 pm so you’ll be able to peruse through them during the concert. Admission is always free for children under the age of 12 as well as the residents of North Miami and city employees, and there’s also free parking.

MOCA has many art exhibitions going on for the duration of the year. Such as the exhibit of Intersectionality from June 16 – September 4, 2016, which focuses on the works of South Florida artists exploring concepts and issues of intersectionality. Then there is the Rolando Peña: Black Gold exhibition from September 29 – November 13, 2016 where Pena shows how oil has affected the path of modern day and contemporary life in a video presentation. They will also be having the Edouard Duval-Carrié: Migration of the Sign to close off the year starting from December 6, 2016 – February 2, 2017. The Edouard Duval-Carrié: Migration of the Sign is an annual Art Basel exhibition which inspects the artist’s approach to art through the different symbols of images, language, objects and schematic actions.

The Miami Auto Museum at the Dezer Collection is a privately-owned museum in North Miami located at 2000 NE 146th Street. This museum exhibits automobiles and related memorabilia collected by Michael Dezer. This museum features more than 1,000 of the most exclusive vehicles held in any private collection in the world. The Miami Auto Museum at the Dezer Collection has nine exhibitions that are showcased in authentic scenes that show the historical period and origin of the automobiles that they display.

Have you ever wanted to be a ninja? Well here’s your chance. The Ninja Lounge located on 14401 NE 20th Ln is your opportunity to be one. The Ninja Lounge is an indoor trampoline park and extreme obstacle course, featuring several challenging and exciting attractions. From dodge ball courts, basketball hoops, a Tumble Trak, and the longest harness-free obstacle course in the world for the ages 7 and up. The Ninja Lounge is jammed pack with things to do for instance aerial classes for kids & adults Monday through Friday and a variety of camps. So if you are looking for some excitement and invigoration the ninja lounge will keep you at the edge of your seats.

North Miami is filled with authentic flavors of the Haitian culture. Such as Chef Creole (13105 W Dixie Hwy), L’Auberge Restaurant (13315 W Dixie Hwy), Nathalie Kitchen (12989 W Dixie Hwy), and Moca Café (738 NE 125th Street). Moca is a great place for a Haitian Creole cuisine containing a variety of dishes as well as the option of a continental meal. Moca has the flavors of the Caribbean laced throughout many of their dishes like with the griot (marinated, stewed pork that is fried until crispy), strips of conch and stewed or fried goat. Entrees come with either black bean soup, rice, fried plantains and pikliz, (a spicy Haitian slaw). Moca also has poetry reading on Thursday nights and live music on Friday nights. So it is the best place to hang out and have a couple of drinks as well as a bite to eat.

If you love the outdoors North Miami is jammed packed with many parks that can get you connected with nature. To name a few: Cagni Park (13498 NE 8th Ave), Keystone Point Park (13050 Ixora Ct), and The Oleta River State Park (3400 NE 163rd Street). The Oleta River State Park is a 1,043-acre Florida State Park on Biscayne Bay North Miami, Florida and is Florida’s largest urban park. Oleta offers a variety of recreational opportunities, such as fishing, camping, kayaking, canoeing, picnicking, hiking, miles of off-road bicycling trails, and many more. Oleta also has a one hour ranger led hike through the nature trails in Oleta River State Park every month. Where you would be guided by a Park Ranger and given the opportunity to learn about all of the local plants and wildlife that Oleta River State Park has to offer.

There is never a dull moment in the city of North Miami, there will always be an abundance of things to do. “The best way to get things done is to simply begin.”

“Welcome to North Miami the City of the Move”