Beach Miami Condos are there beach condos in Miami?

I started this post off with Beach Miami Condos because often people group Miami Beach and Miami into one lump category. This is one of the biggest misunderstandings about our local area. Miami Beach and Miami are two different neighborhoods but often non-locals and the media just state, “Miami”, when in fact the news coverage of TV show is displaying images of Miami Beach.

Let’s talk areas first. South Beach is a neighborhood of Miami Beach. It is from (north to south) about 23rd street down to 1st street and (west to east) from Biscayne Bay to the Ocean. The other areas are a little more vague, I am sure there is some definite distinction in a book some where but in terms of where I work and the buildings that I work in, I have drawn them up on the above map. They include Brickell, Downtown Miami and Midtown Miami.

South Beach is a very unique neighborhood. It’s jam packed full of different people from all over the world. It’s a destination, a scene, lots of shopping, restaurants and one of the really true pedestrian areas of Miami or really Miami Beach. Plus it features the infamous beach. It’s truly a very mini city within itself. Because it’s located on an island with not a lot of land left to develop, it can be kind of pricey. The more affordable buildings are typically a little older and of course the newer buildings come at a premium. Parking is not a given. If you have a parking space on South Beach, it’s a luxury. There are Beach Miami Condos in South Beach but technically this area is Miami Beach not Miami.

Brickell is often referred to as the financial and business district of Miami. There are also a lot of banks, insurance companies and International professional businesses based in the Brickell area. In terms of the overall environment Brickell feels a little more polished, commercial and planned than the organic feel of South Beach. Brickell is located just south of Downtown Miami on the edge of Biscayne Bay (east). Many of clients really like the Brickell Miami condos because in terms of what you get for your money, you can live in a lot newer building for less money than South Beach. The Brickell area also offers a pedestrian lifestyle and features the Mary Brickell Village area that hosts many shops, restaurants and bars. In this area there are no Beach Miami Condos because although this area is located on the water, it is the Biscayne Bay, not the actual ocean.

Downtown/Midtown Miami are located just north of the Brickell area, parallel to the Miami Beach area and just off of the Biscayne Bay. (look at the map for better reference) I grouped these two areas into one because they are both similar to me in terms of development. A few years ago, some of the blocks in these areas were literally grass and fallen down buildings. They are the areas that were booming during our boom time. There are still a lot of projects planned for the future in terms of development but since the market has slowed down, I think some of those plans slowed down too. In terms of pedestrian friendliness (sorry but that’s how I judge everything), during the day both of these areas are hustle and bustle but at night they are a little slower. If you live in these areas you are probably going to be driving around in a car more than you would in Brickell or South Beach. This area is the same as Brickell, in this area there are no Beach Miami Condos because although this area is located on the water, it is the Biscayne Bay, not the actual ocean.

View Miami Real Estate Market-Neighborhoods Defined in a larger map

If you are looking at the map, you can see that the term Beach Miami Condos, is a confusing term because most of the true Beach condos are located on Miami Beach, while the Miami Condos are on the mainland and if they are on the water, they are on the Biscayne Bay side, rather than a true “beach front property”.

Where you should live depends on your budget, lifestyle and what you expect to get for your money. South Beach, Brickell, Downtown & Midtown Miami are different and each have something special to offer….. drive around, do the comps, preview the buildings and find out which area and building fits you.

Miami Beach Luxury Condos Overivew

This post was written by

Jamey – who has written 516 posts on Miami City Diggs.

I am a luxury Realtor ® in Miami & Miami Beach, a local real estate blogger, a "secret" programming nerd & a tad OCD... which our clients love. I write this blog because a lot of people call me to help them buy, sell or rent in our city and have a lot of questions about how to do it. So I hope this blog better answers those questions. If you want to work with us, feel free to give me a call at: 305-793-8965 or use the email link below.

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