Miami's hottest neighborhoods

South Beach

Miami: The Magic City. And no Miami neighborhood is more magical than South Beach. You know this place, you've seen it before, if not in person than in movies like Miami Vice and television shows like Showtime's Dexter. One of the world's greatest concentrations of Art Deco architecture (think 1925-1945) sits by the Atlantic surf like heaped-up mounds of pastel ice cream. At night, Ocean Drive pulses with cars, limos and music from neon-lit hotels and clubs. Raised from boarded-up delapidation to celebrated glory largely due to the Miami Design Preservation League, South Beach is the stuff dreams are made of. www.mdpl.org

Miami Beach

Miami Beach has always had money and never fell into the terrible disrepair that South Beach did. Its reputation as a senior citizens' retirement haven has been dusted off in recent years by an influx of celebrity homeowners like Enrique Iglesias and Anna Kournikova and renovation of such Miami Modern masterpieces as the legendary Fontainebleau Hotel (now a Hilton Resort) and the glamorous Eden Roc. Both throng with young and beautiful jetsetters who come to Miami for the clubs. www.miamiandbeaches.com

Little Havana

Miami moves to a Latin rhythm, especially since the influx of Cuban refugees in the 1960s. A stroll along Little Havana's main artery S.W. Eighth Street--called Calle Ocho--yields many delights. In the morning, the fragrance of robust Cuban coffee drifts from open coffee windows. At lunchtime, wash down inexpensive and delicious meals like puerco asado or grilled seafood with a cold Presidente. Browse for cigars and guayabera shirts, or visit Domino Park. Mojito cocktails and live rumba music make Calle Ocho one of Miami's best nights out. If that night happens to be the last Friday of any month, you're in luck. That's when the evening street fair called Cultural Fridays happens. www.culturalfridays.org

Coral Gables, FL

Coral Gables has always been golden, the vision of developer George Merrick who dreamed of--and created--a swank Mediterranean Revival enclave in the early 20th century. Many of the gorgeous homes were built of coral rock taken from a local quarry which was then turned into the world's most enchanting swimming "hole", the spring-fed Venetian Pool. It's a great place to cool off in style after a morning spent browsing the boutiques of the Miracle Mile or the luxe galleries on Ponce de Leon Blvd. www.gableschamber.org

Design District

Unless you're redecorating your vacation condo, your main reason for visiting Miami's famed Design District will probably be to eat at celebrated restaurants like Michael's Genuine Food and Drink or Sra. Martinez, celebrity chef Michelle Bernstein's newest restaurant housed in the art deco former Buena Vista post office. Trust me (and the James Beard Foundation), it's worth the trip.

Opa-Locka, FL

There really is a Sesame Street! Founded by famed aviator Glenn Curtiss in 1926, the town of Opa-locka in northeastern Miami-Dade county was built with an Arabian nights theme. Streets with names like Sultan and Ali Baba Avenues (and, yes, Sesame Street) are home to the largest collection of Moorish Revival buildings in the Western hemisphere. The wonderful city hall serves as the backdrop to the town's Arabian Nights Festival. Vibrant Opa-locka is newly famous for being the birthplace of rapper Flo Rida. Dum double di...

Key Biscayne, FL

Miami's only island, Key Biscayne, shimmers like a mirage between the sea and sky. Posh homes and luxury resort complexes like the Ritz-Carlton are relatively unobtrusive and it's easy to imagine yourself in a Pirates of the Caribbean-type fantasy, especially among the mangroves and palms of Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park. Locals fish with success near the old Cape Florida lighthouse. A gorgeous natural playground, less than half an hour by car from downtown Miami. www.key-biscayne.com