Miami's South Beach, a section of Miami Beach, is an arts, entertainment, and recreation center of global scope. South Beach is the southernmost 23 blocks of Miami Beach. This district has exquisite restaurants, hip nightclubs and luxurious oceanfront hotels. Topless sunbathing is common on some beaches. It is also home to the historic Art Deco District. Most of the hotels and apartment buildings here were built in the 1930s and have the rounded corners and geometric highlights of Art Deco architecture.
The district has spawned smaller, hipper neighborhoods. One such is SoFi, short for South of Fifth Street, a laid-back neighborhood with sizzling spots such as Opium Garden and Nikki Beach. SoFi is also home to the Bass Museum of Art which houses a collection ranging from Botticelli and Rubens to Miami Beach architectural photographs.
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South Beach was recognized when its first bar, Mac's Club Deuce, opened in 1906. Today, some diehards consider Club Deuce the last real bar in South Beach. It's now surrounded by a kaleidoscope of glitzy, trendy nightclubs that regularly change names or owners in search of the latest craze. All of this razzle-dazzle begs the question: Has South Beach replaced Los Angeles and the Big Apple as America's hottest nightspot? You decide.
