Miami Beach

Allison Island is a highly sought-after Miami Beach island community surrounded by the blue waters of Biscayne Bay. And while most island communities feature both landlocked and waterfront properties, this coveted zip code is all water, all the time. "Allison Island is on the Intracoastal, on a very calm section of the waterway. There's less traffic; it's a very quiet area,” says Julian Johnston, a Realtor with the Corcoran Group and a resident of Miami Beach. “The neighbors are friendly; there's always someone out walking their dog. Some people own properties here as their second or third home, so they may only be there in season. It’s very affluent. Lil Wayne just sold his home here; Future just bought one." A walk down the island’s only road, Allison Road/Aqua Avenue, is reminiscent of a tropical vacation far from the rest of the world. But in reality, Allison Island is quite connected to everything the city of Miami Beach has to offer. "There's been a resurgence of high-end retail and dining on Collins Avenue," Johnston says. "Allison Island has become more important as a location because of everything getting built around it. The area has changed a lot in the last two years, so there's a lot of new construction.” The tiny island’s luxuriant 8.5-acre stretch is split into two halves. Both are gated and solely feature residential properties. On the north side are high-end single-family houses. They range in style from grand Mediterranean Revivals to sleek contemporary estates. “The older homes, built in the late '30s and '40s, were mainly short-term holiday houses,” Johnston says. “Everyone is leaning toward new construction because now more people live here year-round." Driveways, garages and in-ground pools are standard features; docks are fairly common. Prices of single-family homes range from $8.8 million to well over $30 million. Age, sun exposure and aesthetics all factor into the cost. "The houses facing west are more desirable because you get the sun shining on pools out back and beautiful sunset views looking over La Gorce Island," Johnston says. On the south side of Allison Island, also known as Aqua, luxury contemporary mid- and high-rise condominiums reach toward the South Florida sun alongside modern townhouses. Market prices for these opulent multifamily properties range from $800,000 to $10 million. Miami Beach is served by Miami-Dade County Public Schools. Allison Island students can attend North Beach Elementary, rated A-minus on Niche, before attending Miami Beach Nautilus Middle, rated B, and graduating from Miami Beach Senior High, rated B-plus. Miami Beach Senior High has several specialized academies students can apply to for a head start in their desired area of study. These programs include creative arts, communication and digital media, hospitality and tourism, information technology, and marine and environmental science. Green space is a walk away from Allison Island. Allison Park is a small beachside spot with plenty packed into it. It has a playground, a zipline and a handful of picture-perfect turtle statues. Brittany Bay Park is full of palm trees and walkways. It also has some great views of the Intracoastal Waterway. Centrally located for shopping, dining and entertainment, Allison Island sits on the north side of Miami Beach, just a bridge away from the crux of North Beach and Mid-Beach. Residents can easily browse their favorite brands at Bal Harbour Shops, hit the fairways at La Gorce Country Club or enjoy fresh Florida mahi-mahi while sipping cocktails at the Oceanside Hotel's full-service restaurant, The Tavern. "The Bath Club is a 10-minute walk away," Johnston says, referring to Miami Beach's oldest private membership club. "You can join as a social member and have all these amenities right on the beach." Members of the Bath Club can lounge in daybeds on Mid-Beach’s shores with beachside food and beverage service. Of course, leaving the island isn’t always for leisure. A quick ride over 63rd Street Bridge and a left on Collins Avenue, also known as State Road A1A, takes residents down a commercial corridor. They can grocery shop at Publix, grab prescriptions from local pharmacies and utilize a variety of other convenient businesses. The closest ramp onto Interstate 195 is less than 5 miles away, across La Gorce and Nautilus islands. I-195 meets I-95 across the water, making the 10-mile trip to Downtown Miami a breeze. Miami Beach is at high risk for flooding and hurricane damage. According to Risk Factor, many properties on the island score a 9 out of 10 Flood Factor at the least. Hurricane season extends from June 1st through November 30th. The City of Miami Beach has available hurricane preparedness information and encourages residents to have emergency plans.

Some neighborhood names get it right from the start. Situated on the shore of Biscayne Bay, Bayshore is a suburban community surrounding a historic golf course in the heart of Miami Beach. This area strikes a balance between the quiet suburban streets of North Beach and the bustling nightlife of South Beach. “The beaches are much more crowded around Ocean Drive,” explains an agent with Cervera Real Estate Inc., who has 15 years of selling experience in the Miami Beach area and is soon retiring from the industry. “The beaches around Bayshore are clear because it is much more residential.” It offers freestanding homes and a relaxed atmosphere while close to the action. On the weekends, many residents head to the Scott Rakow Youth Center for many recreational activities. This includes soaking up some sun at the outdoor pool or beating the heat at the indoor ice-skating rink. Despite being the youth center, classes and sports leagues are available for all ages. Located in the neighborhood’s center is the 18-hole golf course at the Miami Beach Golf Club, a staple of the area since 1923. The course features challenging water hazards, a pickleball court and its on-site restaurant for dining. Sitting less than a mile east is Miami Beach, making spur-of-the-moment trips to the Atlantic coastline a breeze for Bayshore community members. A morning stroll along the residential sidewalks of Bayshore comes paired with spots of shade found in the canopies of mature palm and live oak trees. Peeking from behind manicured shrubbery are the bright stucco exteriors and orange clay-tiled roofs of Spanish and Mediterranean-inspired homes built from the late 20th century through today. Homes here are highly sought after and range in price from $2.5 million to $30 million, depending on size and condition. Those looking for a condo can expect to pay a range from $300,000 to $700,000. Live music under the sun is found at Miami Beach Bandshell, “a popular attraction of the area,” explains the agent. “which is programmed by Ticketmaster.” The concert hosts a variety of artists throughout the year for those living and visiting Miami to explore. When Independence Day rolls around, locals can catch a fireworks show over Biscayne Bay to help ring in the holiday. Sunset Harbour toward the southwest offers an easily walkable commercial district complete with restaurants, shopping and multiple grocery store options. Morning pick-me-ups come in the form of a latte from Panther Coffee, which boasts its own in-house roastery. An upscale twist on pizza and other classic Italian dishes is found at Lucali, while freshly baked Parisian-style pastries are picked up from True Loaf Bakery. When it’s time to shop, groceries can be found at The Fresh Market, while retail options are situated at Lincoln Road Mall, less than a mile south of the community. Young students will begin their educational journey at Feinberg-Fisher K-8 Center, which has earned a C-plus on Niche. Meanwhile, older students will head to Nautilus Middle School before attending Miami Beach Senior High School, both of which have earned a B from Niche. Students from the 2022 graduating class of Miami Beach Senior High were accepted into all eight Ivy League schools and received more than $27 million in scholarships. For those commuting into Miami proper, the neighborhood sits less than 10 miles from downtown via I-95, while flights at Miami International Airport are a 10.7-mile drive along the same route. Closer to home is the campus of Miami Dade College, which sits 5.6 miles east, and the Mount Sinai Medical Center, conveniently located less than a mile away.

Walk outside your front door, and what do you feel? Can you feel the ocean breeze caressing your face? Can you smell the salt in the air? That's every day in Biscayne Point, a coastal community on the shores of Miami's Biscayne Bay, where almost every home comes with a waterfront view. Predominately residential, this compact suburb is a showcase of architectural styles. From cozy Mediterranean villas and ranch-style homes with rich terra cotta roofs to avant-garde modern mansions, you'll see a bit of everything on this isle. Multifamily houses such as duplexes and condominiums are popular as well. A canal runs through the center of the island community, meaning there are waterfront views from every possible angle. The unique MiMo, or Miami Modernist, architecture style can also be found in the area. The style arose in Miami in the post-war period as a more glamorous response to the International Style. Home prices in Biscayne Point range from $1.3 million to $12.5 million. <br><br>A quick trip across the bridge takes you to North Beach, where residents have easy access to Broad Causeway Bridge, which leads to North Miami, where many in the area go to school. Children attend Biscayne Beach Elementary School with a B-minus overall score from Niche. While the elementary school is under a mile from the neighborhood, kids must commute to North Miami for middle and high school, about 24 minutes away by car. North Miami Middle School is a magnet school with an overall Niche score of C. Teenagers attend North Miami Senior High School, another magnet school with a Niche score of C. The high school offers an International Baccalaureate program and various academies designed to prepare students for post-grad careers, like the Academy of Finance or the Academy of Culinary Arts. <br><br>You can enjoy two parks in Biscayne Point. On the north side, there's Stillwater Park, with a playground and basketball court. On the south side, Crespi Park has similar amenities as well as a larger multipurpose lawn. And if pocket parks aren't cutting it, North Beach Oceanside Park is only a few blocks outside the neighborhood. The park is bordered by a row of dunes leading to an open expanse of sand and ocean. The expansive and tranquil beachside park offers plenty of green space, picnic areas, walking paths, and even a doggy beach. Meanwhile, golf enthusiasts can practice their swing at the nearby Normandy Shores Golf Course.<br><br>Commercial areas are pretty close, too. Due south, Collins Avenue is lined with eateries like Manolo. This food-truck-turned-restaurant has served the Miami Beach community for two decades, and the menu is expansive. Try the planchita for your choice of diced beef or chicken, grilled with onions, peppers, mushrooms, bacon and signature Manolo dressing. Local markets and grocery stores like M&L Food Market are also located on Collins Avenue. And for a familiar Florida name, a Publix supermarket is nearby -- just a little more than a mile north. For those craving resort-style living surrounded by the tranquility of the ocean, Biscayne Point may be the perfect oasis to call home.

Overshadowed by the famous South Beach, the mainly residential community of Flamingo is just as colorful as its avian namesake. The area was named after the famous Flamingo Hotel. “People love this area due to its walkability to everything in South Beach,” says Daniel Rosa, a broker with Gary Hennes Realtors, who has over 10 years of experience in the industry. “You can walk to Lincoln Road or Sunset Harbor for upscale shopping and dining. You can walk to grocery stores, restaurants, spas, parks and the beach. You really have a little bit of everything,” Rosa says. Brimming with vibrant Art Deco architecture, chic restaurants, and outdoor escapes, Flamingo residents get the best of both worlds. Like much of Miami Beach, any single-family standalone homes in the area are listed for well over $1 million and reach over $4 million, with the median price around $1,850,000. However, these Mediterranean-style designs are a rare sight. Most of the residential options in Flamingo are smaller, two-to-three-story condominiums. Studios with a kitchenette can start in the mid $100,000s, with most one-to-two-bedroom units selling between the mid $200,000s to the $700,000s and multimillion-dollar luxury penthouses with ocean views and floor-to-ceiling windows. The Miami-Dade County Public Schools District serves the community, scoring above-average ratings on Niche. Elementary and middle school children may attend Fienberg-Fisher K-8 Center, scoring a C-plus. Students then move on to Miami Beach Senior High School, boasting a B rating on Niche and offers academy programs, such as the Creative Arts Academy and The Academy of Information Technology. The neighborhood offers an unbeatable location for anyone who loves the beach. Locals can head less than a mile east to enjoy the white sands and clear water of Miami’s famous South Beach or the same distance west to hit Biscayne Bay, part of the Intracoastal Waterway. Those wanting to spend a day in the Florida sun without getting sandy can head to Flamingo Park in the heart of the neighborhood. This 36-acre public green space includes amenities like basketball courts, an aquatic center, a dog park, and even professional-grade baseball and football stadiums. With its clay-tiled rooflines and bright exteriors, Espanola Way is home to some of South Florida’s most renowned restaurants and boutiques. For a bite to eat, La Sandwicherie is a popular spot for French-inspired sandwiches, while 11th Street Diner serves up classic American fare in a retro setting. Limoncello Miami is the go-to spot for traditional Italian dishes, or locals can flock to one of the many Latin American restaurants around town – whether that’s Mama’s Tacos or La Ventana for a taste of Colombia. The nearest groceries include Whole Foods Market on Alton Court and Publix Super Market at Fifth & Alton. Other major retailers like Petco, Target, and Orangetheory Fitness are next door. Visitors and residents alike flock to Flamingo’s different museums. The Wolfsonian showcases contemporary exhibits and historical masterpieces that illustrate humanity’s journey through industrialization to the modern day. The Wilzig Erotic Art Museum has more than 4,000 pieces in its collection. For a groundbreaking modern art experience, ARTECHOUSE Miami displays a range of stunning digital and experiential art. Locals can stroll along Ocean Drive and delve into the history seen throughout the Art Deco Historic District or explore 12th Street, the heart of the LGBTQ cultural scene in South Beach. Head towards the beach to find the iconic rainbow crosswalks and street signs, and along the way, swing by the various bars or head to the LGBT Visitor Center to get local insight into the area. Flamingo and neighboring South Beach are extremely popular due to their walkability – many residents don’t even own a vehicle. For those who drive, downtown Miami is about 7 miles across the MacArthur Causeway. Interstate 195 is the other main thoroughfare onto the isle, providing a direct route to Miami International Airport 10 miles away. Florida State Road A1A and Alton Road are the two main roads in the community, with bus stops scattered along Alton and Washington Avenue. The nearest hospital is Mount Sinai Medical Center, while Miami Dade College is also downtown for commuters. As a barrier island surrounded by Biscayne Bay and the open waters of the Atlantic Ocean, it’s no surprise that prospective homebuyers should consider natural disasters inevitable and take preventive precautions.