Miami [1] is a major city in the south-eastern United States and makes up part of the largest metropolitan area in Florida. Being part of the South Florida region, it is 20 miles from Fort Lauderdale, 106 miles from Naples (Florida) and 156 miles from Key West.
Miami Beach
Although tourists generally consider Miami Beach to be part of Miami, it is in actuality its own municipality. Located on a barrier island east of Miami and Biscayne Bay, it is home to a large number of beach resorts and is one of the most popular spring break party destinations in the world. Because of its length, it is generally broken up into three districts.
Mid Beach - Often known just as "Miami Beach", this district refers to the "Mid-beach" area between 23rd Street and 63rd Street. South Beach - Southern tip of the island to about 23rd Street. North Beach - Northern tip of the island, from about 63rd Street on up.
Understand
Although Miami is the second most populous city in Florida, the Miami metropolitan area is the largest in the state with an estimated population of over 5.4 million (2007), which makes it the 7th most populous metro area in the United States. A 2007 estimate by the United Nations, labeled the Miami metropolitan area as the fourth largest urban area in the United States after New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago. Due to being sandwiched in by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and the Everglades wetland area to the west, the Miami metropolitan area is a lengthy 110 mi(180 km) north to south, but never more than a mere 20 mi (32 km) east to west.
History
Flagler’s railroad sparked a wave of expansion in areas such as Miami Beach, Homestead and Cutler. Soon after the railroad was built, the Overseas Highway was created. This highway connected the Florida Keys to the mainland. Growth and progress in Miami continued through World War I as well as into the mid-1920s.
A devastating hurricane in 1926 halted Miami’s growth and temporarily put the city, as well as Miami Beach, in a recession. It was the city’s support of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s New Deal that helped the city rebuild. Roosevelt almost lost his life, however, when Giuseppe Zangara attempted to assassinate Roosevelt when he came to Miami to thank the city for its support of the New Deal.
When a German U-boat sank a US tanker off Florida’s coast, the majority of South Florida was converted into military headquarters for the remainder of World War II. The Army’s WWII legacy in Miami is a school designed for Anti U-boat warfare.
Climate
Because of its proximity to the equator, Miami's weather is generally hot to really hot! The summer months of June-September will see most daytime highs over 90º fahrenheit. Combined with the region's humidity, these can make for stifling temperatures, both day and night. You won't see nearly a car or home without running air conditioning. Winters average an impressive 75º fahrenheit for daytime temperatures and nights are slightly cooler. During June to November, rain and thunderstorms can be expected.
Beaches
Of course, if you're in Miami, you'll want to spend some time on the beach. Miami Beach in on a barrier reef across the Biscayne Bay, and it's sandy, sunny beaches from party-hearty South Beach that continues all the way up north along the coast of Florida. As Miami has pretty temperate weather, the beaches will be active all year round, but the water will usually be too cold to swim in the winter. Topless sunbathing is allowed in Miami Beach, and if you want to take it all off, go to Haulover Beach Park in North Beach.
By public transit
Miami's public transit system is the most diverse and extensive of any locality in Florida. In short, if travel time is not a priority, it is possible to travel to all commercial areas and major attractions within Miami without a car.
Miami's bus system covers the entire county and connects to bus lines serving Broward County and the Greater Fort Lauderdale area. Recent developments have made the bus system more reliable than in the past. Even with the changes, and because of high local traffic, buses tend to have a hard time remaining on schedule. However, buses run often enough through each route so as not to be a nuisance. Many of the major bus routes operate 24 hours a day, seven days week, including the Route S bus, which connects downtown Miami to all of Miami Beach, terminating at Avenutra Mall in north Miami-Dade.
