Miami - Sightseeing: City Loop

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• published: 14 Dec 2013
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Visit Miami / Miami Beach (Pictures and Videos): http://carluz.uk.cloudlogin.co/wonderfuldreams/miami2013/miami2013.htm http://carluz.uk.cloudlogin.co/wonderfuldreams/wonderful.htm (where you can find all information, vídeos, pics, ...) Miami City Sights The City Loop departs from Central Station and takes you to see all the most alluring districts of mainland Miami: Coconut Grove, Coral Gables, Little Havana and the grandeur of Downtown Miami. Millionaires' Row, Venetian Pool, the Biltmore Hotel, Freedom Tower, the County Courthouse and Vizcaya Museum... all this and more awaits you as you as you explore the City Loop. Downtown As you pass through Downtown Miami, look down from the bus and you will see the smaller Cuban-owned businesses -- evidence of Miami's status as the capital city of US Latin culture; look up and you'll see the great American metropolis -- Miami at its most 'Anglo'. The contrasting mix of the two epitomizes the dual function of this unique city. Bicentennial Park stretches out towards the bay; the American Airlines arena -- home to the Miami Heat NBA team -- stands proud beside it; marvel at the Freedom Tower then cast your eye out across the vast marina. Little Havana Situated immediately to the West of downtown Miami, Little Havana has been home to a significant proportion of Miami's vibrant community of Cuban immigrants since the 1960s. You may be lucky enough to catch one of the Viernes Culturales -- a festival of arts, culture and entertainment held on the last Friday of each month. Otherwise just soak up the atmosphere on the famous Calle Ocho or take a stroll down the Walkway of the Stars, where Latin personalities such as Gloria Estefan, Willy Chirino and Celia Cruz are all honoured and commemorated. Little Havana - La Pequeña Habana to the Spanish-speakers - is famous for its colourful stores, superb restaurants and exclusive art galleries. Coconut Grove The first wave of immigration to the area saw the establishment of Coconut Grove as a settlement in 1825, even before Miami -- the city that has now absorbed it -- existed; and something of the pioneer spirit still remains in the arty, eccentric and gently rebellious elements within the area. Large parts of Coconut Grove have streets filled with lush greenery as the name suggests, but there are also two sizeable shopping centres in the central area. The magnificent Kampong botanical garden is well worth a visit, as is the Villa Vizcaya, James Deering's grandiose recreation of a sixteenth-century Italian villa. Coral Gables Coral Gables, the self-styled 'City Beautiful', occupies an area to the south-west of downtown Miami, which was developed during the Florida land boom of the 1920s and is home to the University of Miami. Many of the original landmarks of the area still survive: the Merrick House, City Hall, the Miracle Mile and others. The Biltmore Hotel, a famous TV and movie location, was once the tallest building in Florida and now designated as a National Historic Landmark; and the Venetian Pool, created in 1923 from a disused coral rock quarry, is the largest freshwater swimming pool in the United States. Freedom Tower Originally built in 1925 to house the Miami Times newspaper, Freedom Tower was designed by the same architects that laid the plans for New York's Grand Central Station. As a replica of the Giralda bell tower in Seville, the tower's shape does not lend itself well to occupation as office space; however, during the period from 1961 to 1974 it served as a processing post for over 360,000 Cuban refugees, and also as a community centre for those same immigrants, for which reason it retains an important place in local affections. Vizcaya Museum and Gardens You cannot adequately prepare yourself for the extravagant opulence of the Villa Vizcaya. In 1914, Farm Machinery mogul James Deering began a two-year, $22 million project to recreate a sixteenth-century Italian villa, and this is the result. One thousand workers were involved in the construction of Villa Vizcaya -- one tenth of the then population of Miami! Thirty permanent staff took care of Deering and his guests during the four-month winter period that he would spend in Miami, away from his home city of Chicago. Each room is filled with classical, Renaissance and Rococo antiques, yet mod cons such as elevators, fire sprinklers and a telephone switchboard were all installed, as well as en suite bathrooms for each of the many bedrooms. Venetian Pool Venetian Pool was once a quarry pit from which coral rock was extracted for the local buildings, but was transformed in 1924 from an eyesore to an elegant ornamental swimming pool, said to be the largest on the US mainland. Music Instrumental NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT IS INTENDED by this video it is ONLY for entertainment purposes.