downtown Miami

What a difference a year makes. Miami’s fledgling condo comeback of early 2012 has evolved into a full-blown stampede, with developers racing to acquire developable sites and launch new projects and international buyers snapping up units ‘sight unseen.’

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.

Don't look now, but the rise of Miami's next up and coming neighborhood may be underway in the most unlikely of places. The city's Health District, located just northwest of Downtown and southwest of Wynwood, smack dab between MIA and South Beach is heating up.

What would be Seattle without the space needle? Paris without the Eiffel Tower? New York City without the Empire State Building?

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.

Today's news that Espacio USA, the American subsidiary of one of Spain's largest real estate development firms, is planning a $412 million mixed-use project just north of the Arsht Center is a big step forward for downtown Miami on a few levels.

When is an office building much more than just an office building? When it's the symbol of an entire city. New York has the Empire State Building. Chicago has the Sears Tower (now the Willis Tower). And here in Miami, we have Miami Tower, otherwise known as 'the building that lights up at night.'

Flashback to 2006. Developers across South Florida were outgunning each other for the privilege of building the biggest, tallest, priciest, most luxurious condos in the land. That’s when a light bulb went off in the mind of Rilea Group CEO Alan Ojeda.

From August 1 through September 30, Miami Spice is every local’s favorite time of year (it sure is ours) because we get to try new eateries and dine at old favorites – for $19/$23 (lunch) or $33/$39 (dinner), you can enjoy a three-course meal at hundreds of participating Miami restaurants.