Born For Basel

Here's how to navigate the country's biggest and best art fair.

- Sara Liss

Art Basel barreled into Miami Beach seventeen years ago and forever changed our cultural landscape with its mix of high-end art dealing, nonstop parties and a slew of satellite art fairs and events that have turned the city into an art-making and buying mecca. Just remember, this art-palooza is a marathon, not a sprint, so pace yourself.

THE ESSENTIALS

Here is one universal truth you’ll encounter this week: traffic will be bad. Give yourself time. If possible, take a bike (many hotels have their own fleet of bicycles) or use a ride share service. Miami is a city with multiple wonderful neighborhoods and notoriously terrible public transportation, so tackle one locale at a time. Pick an area to spend the day—Wynwood, Design District, Midtown or South Beach—and have the discipline to stick to that area. And make sure to bring your phone charger, a canvas bag for picking up all those free mags and programs (extra points if its from a museum or gallery) comfy shoes and water—these are going to be long days.