MIAMI HEAT

Once a backwater, the Design District continues to solidify its place as the Magic City's most dynamic neighborhood

- RACHEL FELDER

IT SEEMS HARD TO BELIEVE NOW, but not so long ago most visitors to Miami bypassed the showrooms and studios of the Design District for South Beach or downtown. The roots of the neighborhood's current cachet lie in the 1990s, when local developer Craig Robins, seeing potential in the area-a former pineapple plantation-began buying up its rundown storefronts and leasing them to top-tier designers. Eventually, he partnered with L Catterton Real Estate to shape it into what it is today: an inviting and eclectic hub of cutting-edge art, scene-y restaurants, and high-end shops, all presented in a distinctively vibrant South Florida style. True to form, the Design District continues to evolve: Opening soon is a major renovation of The Moore, a landmark building sure to become a neighborhood anchor. Come for the colorful people-watching, which is always guaranteed and stick around for everything else. 

Art Party

The city's explosion of annual art fairs since the turn of the century (Art Basel, Scope, NADA, and more) hasn't just put Miami on the global cultural map-it has also upped the level of work shown year-round. Case in point: the