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Shopping

Miamians are as mall- and shopping-crazed as anywhere in America, if not more so. And that's not even counting the ever-burgeoning offerings aimed at the wealthy and the chic, nor the multitudes of Latin Americans living or just shopping here.

In South Beach, Lincoln Road boasts more than a hundred stores; some of the quirkier galleries and boutiques hang on among the Gap, Williams Sonoma, Victoria's Secret, and Starbucks. Farther south, you'll still find a few funkier shops on Washington Avenue, while the collection of retailers concentrated on Collins and Washington between Sixth and Eighth Streets tend toward the likes of Armani, Kenneth Cole, Nicole Miller, and Versace.

Over on the mainland, the mammoth and well-done Aventura Mall (19501 Biscayne Blvd.), just below the Broward County line, is South Florida's largest mainstream shopping complex, where Macy's and four other department stores anchor more than 250 retailers from midrange to exclusive.

Below Aventura and across the William Lehman Causeway, at 180th Street (and a roughly 20-minute drive up Collins Avenue from South Beach), is the ritzy city of Bal Harbour (so snooty it simply insists on the British spelling, dahling), whose Bal Harbour Shops complex (9700 Collins Ave.) is still, for many people throughout America and beyond, the gold standard for Platinum-Card consumerism. Its 500,000 square feet harbor two stories worth of chichi retailers (Cartier, Prada, Dior, Armani, the usual suspects), and several fine-dining restaurants.

Downtown Miami, meanwhile, is good for a price break from the city's upscale shopping. Along Flagler Street, check out bargains on electronics, clothing, and jewelry, or head to somewhat touristy but fun Bayside (401 Biscayne Blvd.) with lots of cute – and yes, plenty of upscale – shops, eateries, and entertainment/amusements including sightseeing and party cruises out on the Biscayne Bay.

Heading west, you'll find shopping in Coconut Grove a mixed bag of upscale, downscale, and off-the-scale, with boutiques lining the pedestrian downtown area and occupying two smallish malls, CocoWalk (3015 Grand Ave.) and the somewhat less successful Streets of Mayfair (2911 Grand Ave.). Meanwhile, over in Coral Gables, the half-mile downtown stretch of galleries, bridal shops, and boutiques known as Miracle Mile , has been joined by a Bal Harbour wanna-be, the Village of Merrick Park (San Lorenzo Ave. between Ponce de Leon Blvd. and LeJeune Rd.): gracious design, fancy shops, the lovely Elemis day spa, and upscale dining, anchored by Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus.

See Miami Travel Guide