Miami is a very open city with many things to do. It was never boring living there for 3 1/2 years and I continue to visit to have fun with friends. One hot spot, very well known around the world, is South Beach. South Beach caters to people of all ages. The beach is beautiful with rich white sand, beautiful blue ocean water, and you can always come across a party. The place that young people from Florida International University go is Ocean and 7th (street intersection). Every weekend the fraternity guys are throwing parties with a lot of music and alcohol but, you can easily create your own parties. The police usually do not check anyone if you have a cup but, if you are beligerent, they will bother you. So be smart about day drinking on the beach! There are always events going on the beach such as the Nautica Triathlon. What is truely better than a nice day at the beach in Miami? The weather is perfect, at least most of the time! Usually the best time to get to the beach is before 10 (am) because everyone starts to gather afterwards and the traffic becomes unbearable because the streets are so tiny (at least for Americans). And the best place to park is at the parking garage on 7th street and Collins avenue because it is the cheapest ($1/hour) and close to the hot spots.
After you spend the day at the beach there is plenty of food all around and all down Ocean Avenue. From places like Johnny Rockets to Pelican Cafe and much much more. The food is really yummy, however certain places are very expensive and the drinks, though they are supersized, are over the top price wise. I suggest bringing alcohol and drinking on the beach. My cousin spent $500 dollars in one night on food and drinks for him and his girlfriend, and that is on the lower end when you start popping bottles. Be careful of where you go and how much things costs (because not every menu has prices). You can go on Collins Avenue and find a lot of hispanic restaurants which are amazing. Also there is a pizza shop that serves 18 inch (45 cm) pizza slices! It was really delicious (however, I forgot the name). Make sure you fill up on food before you go partying!
Lastly the clubs and the bars! There are so many options as far as music and drinking. A well known place is Fat Wet Willie's. Everyone loves to go there because of the crazy alcohol slushies, you can mix and match and every flavor tastes great. It is a little pricey, however it is a big cup and should last you a while. It is a lot of fun!
There are a couple of clubs to check out while you are in South Beach. Some are spread out and others are closer to one another. You have to be 21+ to get in. Security is very strict on age which can be a good thing because youger kids tend to be crazy at nice clubs. Women will tend to get in for free while men have to pay $30+ depending on the club and who is performing. You must always dress nice (no flats allowed, however I know plenty of women who sneak them in with their purses). If you love electronic music, this is definetly your scene. The clubs compete a lot with who they bring in as a performer. Often you see Calvin Harris, Drake, and many others being featured for the night.
The first one I will talk about is Mansion. The pro's of this club is that it is very open and giant inside. There is a bar on every wall pretty much and the structure of the club is pretty neat. The music is alright, I am not techno crazy and this what the club dj's usually play. The placement of VIP's are pretty weird (random spots all over the club) and there are a couple of levels which creeped me out because when I was on the bottom floor I felt like people from the top were watching me dance.
Another club on South Beach is Mokai. I love this club but, if you are very insecure about sexual stuff it may not be for you. I will be blunt in saying that the play porn in the bathrooms and there is sexual art on the walls. The club is relatively small and has a bunch of couches. However, if you do not have VIP, you will end up standing by the ONE bar they have. There is not really much of a dance floor, again having VIP helps (in Miami, this is easy to get because there are a lot of promoters everywhere you, they will even come up to you on the beach). It is never overcrowded and there is always room move. The music ranges from techno to hip hop. They change the set up of the club every once in a while. They had swings at one point and merry go round horses to sit on at another. It is hard to be bored at Mokai.
LIV is also very popular. It is located in a hotel and it pretty big as well. It has a nice dance floor and a great crowd. I saw Benny Benassi and Nervo one night there and the atmosphere was so much fun. There are multiple levels and the VIP's tend to be on the levels and not in the way of the dance floors. The decorations on the ceilings are so neat looking and the DJ booth is in such a place that no matter where you are standing you will feel close to the DJ. I loved LIV.
I also enjoyed SET. It has high ceiling and they always have performers hanging from them. The club is really tight though and not much of a dance floor. But, a good place just to listen to good music and watch performers do crazy illusions. You will often see many people standing there and just staring. And the last club that I liked was Story. It too is very big with multiple levels but, the levels are like stairs and the VIP is very open. There is plenty of a room to dance and plenty of bars. The DJ booth is in a good spot where everyone can see him/her well. It was a lot of fun when I went with my friends.
Miami constantly has small clubs popping up all over the place. One club I never got to go to was Nikki Beach but, I heard it was great. Just keep an ear open for word of mouth opening. Spending time on South Beach is a major blast and when you are 21+ you have plenty of options whether it is during the day or during the night, from the beach to the night life you really would have to find a way to get bored.
