Adrienne Arsht Center

It's only a matter of time before a three block stretch of Biscayne Boulevard in Downtown Miami becomes one of the most architecturally important districts in the Americas.

This week's news that the AIA is relocating to the historic post office building in Downtown Miami serves as a good reminder that the Magic City is only about 116 years old. The "historic" label carries a much different meaning in these parts. Still, we may be guilty of not having preserved enough of our architectural gems.

Kevin Costner has earned A-list celebrity status for memorable roles ranging from 'Crash' Davis in "Bull Durham" and 'Tin Cup' McAvoy in "Tin Cup," to Lt. Dunbar in "Dances With Wolves" and Ray Kinsella in "Field of Dreams." Now it may be time to add another line to his long-list of credits: lead vocals and rhythm guitar.

The story of Miami's arts awakening has gone national, thanks to a feature in this weekend's San Francisco Chronicle penned by Miami's own Jane Wooldridge. The article's basic premise is one that we Miami folk have known for quite a while: the Magic City isn't about just sun and surf anymore.

Traffic mayhem! A sudden uptick in neon bracelet sales! A disproportionate number of Dutch speakers overheard at Starbucks! It can only mean one thing: the Dade County Youth Fair has arrived. Not so fast.

I'm the first one to discredit 'top 10' lists. Maybe it's because Miami, my hometown, is a perennial fixture atop rankings of the 'most dangerous,' 'most expensive,' and 'most superficial' cities.

Finally, there's a list that Miamians can take some pride in: The Chronicle of Philanthropy has released its annual Philanthropy "Top 50" and the Magic City is well represented.

It's not everyday that we pass on the opportunity to write about something that's near and dear to our hearts, but today's blog post authored by Matt Haggman, Miami program director for the Knight Foundation, was so well-done, so right-on-the-money that we just couldn't top it.