This Month in Biscayne Times

After nine years of trying, the Havenick family, which owns Magic City Casino in Little Havana, has gained the right to seek city approval for a jai alai fronton, a poker room and maybe some sports betting at 3195 NE 2nd Ave. The proposed location, which spans two lots in Miami’s Edgewater neighborhood, is an area where high-end high-rises are sprouting like kudzu. Thanks for listening! For more l...

New North Miami Beach City Manager Arthur “Duke” Sorey III has been hired without the full support of the city council. The final vote was 5-2. One of the dissenters was Mayor Anthony “Tony” DeFillipo, who said his opposition was not over Sorey's qualifications but over the contract length and high salary pushed by Commissioner McKenzie Fleurimond. Thanks for listening! For more local news vi...

At long last, North Miami is ready for its close-up. Before leaving office in 2019, former Mayor Smith Joseph called it the “city on the move,” but he was just a tad early. The big action was happening solely at the 184-acre, $4 billion Solé Mia project, which runs pretty much as a self-contained principality within North Miami’s boundaries. Thanks for listening! For more local news visit Biscayne...

Marcel Perdomo was just starting to make strides in his boat charter business when everything suddenly stopped. “I had 50 bookings and they all canceled,” Perdomo said, recalling March 2020, when the county headed into coronavirus shutdown. “I made all this effort,” he thought. “Now I don’t know if I’m going to make a living.” Thanks for listening! For more local news visit BiscayneTimes.com .

It’s May in Miami, which can mean a number of things depending on how you look at it, especially for wine lovers. For one, this is the last month before our dreaded hurricane season starts up, giving us an opportunity to enjoy a few more rain-free afternoons before the summer storms arrive. Let’s hear it for the last days of afternoon picnics! Thanks for listening! For more local news visit Biscay...

I went to Morningside Park to commune with nature. But it wasn’t going to be enough to just come to the edge and look. That day, I needed to go beyond the fringe of riprap and mangroves on the waterfront and be in it. Thanks for listening! For more local news visit BiscayneTimes.com .

If you ask Micky Wolfson what his favorite acquisition is in the more than 200,000 pieces of his collection – the majority of which make up his namesake museum, The Wolfsonian-FIU – he’s quick with an answer. He doesn’t have one. Thanks for listening! For more local news visit BiscayneTimes.com .

Miami Shores was officially established in 1932 and today it is a modern, residential community of 10,000 people with a quaint and thriving downtown. According to the U.S. Census, it's 70% white. Due to redlining practices that prevented people of color from owning homes in the area until well into the 1980s, Miami Shores is only 14% Black, but you wouldn't know that from the changing fa...

Before I-95 was completed in the early 1960s, Biscayne Boulevard – US-1 ranked as Miami’s north-to-south main street. It was also the focal point for the city’s glamorous midcentury lifestyle, which was exemplified by its iconic residential buildings. Sixty years ago the new condominium concept arrived in Miami via Puerto Rico, sparking major local development... Thanks for listening! For more loc...

In a city where the goal is usually “see and be seen,” it can be surprising to find hidden gems in Miami where the clientele prefer a quiet place to flex their exquisite tastes. But there are a few wine shops around town where the region’s top sommeliers and fine wine collectors can be found regularly perusing a selection of hard-to-find bottles and rare collectibles... Thanks for listening! For m...

One Sunday afternoon, I set out to take my three kids for a neighborhood bike ride. With my youngest in the bike seat, my 5-year-old son rode behind me. His 3-year-old sister, on training wheels, held up the end. As we slowly rounded a corner, I had everyone in single file. Needing to adjust my seat, I said, “Heads up, I’m going to stop my bike so let’s slow down.” I guess they didn’t hear, becaus...

In Brickell, Toscana Divino (900 S Miami Ave., 305.371.2767), has been one of the few long-term tenants at Mary Brickell Village. While businesses have come and gone at the shopping center, this Italian gem has withstood the test of time. The reason for its success is simple: a consistent dining experience that’s full of flavor and value. The expansive menu is packed with memorable dishes like a t...

Miami is blossoming with interactive art experiences this spring. Two are traveling pop-up immersive exhibitions, although both are making their debuts in Miami. In the Allapattah neighborhood, a 50,000-square-foot space across from the Rubell Museum will become a permanent center focused solely on experiential art... Thanks for listening! For more local news visit BiscayneTimes.com .

Miami real estate rules when it comes to trend-setting luxury living. Residential and mixed-use buildings literally reach new heights enriched by essential conveniences and exceptional amenities. A recognizable brand name completes a property’s identity and draws people in to the condominium lifestyle... Thanks for listening! For more local news visit BiscayneTimes.com .

Will the bright neon lights of South Beach still attract tourists if you can't drink and dance until dawn? Absolutely, says Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber. The nightlife scene is not what lured Michel Hausmann to Miami. He used to have a theater in Caracas, until he ran afoul of the Chávez regime 11 years ago. So he left Venezuela, pursued a master’s degree in New York City, wrote a critically...

The pandemic hit Miami-Dade public schools hard. Regardless of how well students and their families have adjusted to remote learning, the practice poses significant challenges. If they haven't lost a job, parents fortunate enough to be working from home have had to balance work with assisting their children through Zoom education. And teachers also continue to struggle. Thanks for listening!...

It’s halftime and the City of North Miami is at the 50-yard line as the May 11 municipal election looms. Team North Miami may be down on points, but don’t bet against it. The second half is beginning to look pretty good, particularly if the right candidates know how to navigate the next two years. The boom is starting... Thanks for listening! For more local news visit BiscayneTimes.com .

A year since arts groups across South Florida took a heavy hit due to the pandemic, performing and visual arts are starting to slowly emerge back into the spotlight. From outdoor theater and music performances to timed exhibition appointments, in-person activities have been exponentially growing since the new year. Thanks for listening! For more local news visit BiscayneTimes.com .

Ryan Rea spent eight years of his life on the West Coast, working in the tech and marketing fields. But after he was laid off from his job in San Francisco in 2017, the rural Pennsylvania native decided to move to Miami. “I literally came here with a laptop and a suitcase,” he said. “My friends and family all asked me if I was insane.” Thanks for listening! For more local news visit BiscayneTimes....

ver since Wynwood became a buzzy neighborhood, street artists have been transforming bare concrete walls on the facades or sides of buildings into colorful eye-catching murals. Now ceilings in mundane buildings are the chosen palettes for decoration... Thanks for listening! For more local news visit BiscayneTimes.com .

Miami has gained a new “wine girl” with the arrival of beverage director and sommelier Victoria James, and her impressive wine list at the newly opened Cote Miami (3900 NE 2nd Ave.) The New York City Korean steakhouse concept by restaurateur Simon Kim earned a Michelin star under his direction, along with James’ extraordinary attention to vino-detail. Thanks for listening! For more local news visi...

Popular North Miami Beach City Manager Esmond Scott was out of a job and it was no surprise. He and others had seen it coming for weeks, even months. Scott knew he didn’t have the votes to stay with the new 4-3 Haitian American-majority commission, who wanted a replacement more likely to do their bidding... Thanks for listening! For more local news visit BiscayneTimes.com .