As the tropical heat rages into fall, here’s five more reasons to get down to sexy South Beach.
1. New Kids on the Block
Collins Avenue welcomes two much-anticipated boutique hotels this fall—the SLS Hotel South Beach, the über-stylish and worldly brain child of Sam Nazarian, Philippe Starck, and Lenny Kravitz; and The James Royal Palm, an art deco treasure revamped to the tune of nearly $50 million—the third location of the independent James boutique brand. slshotels.com/southbeach, @slssouthbeach; jameshotels.com/miami, @jameshotels
2. Edgy Eats
An edgy, 21st century incarnation of yesteryear’s central market, Cooper Avenue is quickly becoming a South Beach institution. Occupying the entire 11,000-square-foot city block off Lincoln Road, the hot spot commingles multiple personalities of fabulous food, drink, music and fun under one roof—recalling elements of both New York City’s foodie empire Eataly and hipster hangout Ace Hotel. cooperavenue.com, @cooperavesobe
3. Ritz Gone Wild
The Rockwell Group Europe has reinvented The Ritz-Carlton, South Beach with a modern edge and youthful sophistication. Best known for its work on the W Paris, W Vieques Island and Hotel Arts Barcelona, the group has bestowed this Morris Lapidus art deco gem with a funky interior flair, which brings Lapidus’ vision into the future—dutifully enticing a younger, jet-setting crowd. ritzcarlton.com/southbeach, @ritzcarlton
4. Karaoke High
Karaoke goes Hollywood at Jelsomino, a stunning, theatrical bar that transforms your harmony (or cacophony) into an all-out production. Think: belting out Top 40 hits with live backup performers and choreography on an American Idol-inspired floating stage. Thankfully, there’s bottle service and fabulous libations to help with any performance anxiety. jelsomino.us
5. Sticky & Sweet
Now trending on South Beach: a carb and sugar rush of epic proportions. While bakeries are popping up all over the beach, Lee & Marie’s Cakery takes the cake—literally—for its divine baked goods and confections by Yannis Janssens, named one of Dessert Professional magazine’s Top 10 Pastry Chefs of 2010. leeandmaries.com, @leeandmaries
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