The Only Place to Play


Play is a word that takes on many dimensions, especially in Downtown.  When we sat down and kicked around all of the ways you can play here the list was long.  So we picked a few of the more interesting “playgrounds” and as you can see,  no matter the age or interest, there is always a place to play in Downtown… 

Play Days for Kids & ‘rents

By Millie Acebal Rousseau

family fun. At the center of it all—the Miami Children’s Museum.

Build them and the people will come. Yes, those cool looking high-rise buildings aren’t only for hip singles … families live here too. Meet some of the youngest dwntwnrs—7-year-old Nahimana (Nahi) Tsay, and 8-year-old Marcos Fuentes. Both live with their families in Downtown; it’s where they learn and play.

Nahimana’s mom, Nina, lived in New York and Seattle before she moved here 10 years ago. She says she’s never seen a city like this, especially when it comes to the different cultures. “It’s better than having vanilla ice cream everyday,” she says about the variety. Daughter Nahi chimes in when she sees me chuckle … “Some things are funny, but they’re true.” It’s safe to say this is one smart cookie.

Nahi attends the Miami Children’s Museum Charter School in Downtown, which serves grades K-2. Nina likes it because classes are small, and everyone’s like a family at the school. But, getting in wasn’t so easy.  “Someone left and I got my daughter in. The parent behind me [in line] got mad I got a slot.”

Marcos is Nahi’s class- and play- mate. His mom, Mariana Corbalan, is a teacher at the school, and like the Tsay’s, they call Downtown home. “We have lots of fun activities; in the morning we play and have fun,” says Marcos about life at the school. Mom Mariana is all about the bonds that bind them. “I love that it’s a community, a family … everyone knows everybody. The energy in the building is so amazing.” Yep, it’s where everyone knows your name … even if you’re a security guard. I saw the little ones greet several of them while they walked me through their second home. Safety, both moms say, is also another reason they love this place.

The school is onsite at the Miami Children’s Museum, which provides a great learning opportunity. Through a “museum lab” concept, kids get to learn in interactive environments—the exhibits tie-in with what’s taught in the classroom. In essence, they learn through play.

This place makes it hard to compete with theme parks. Watch out Mickey! There’s a playground and a rock climbing wall—Mount MiChiMu—apparently it’s quite popular with dads, especially those who always wanted to climb Everest. This should be a lot easier. “We encourage families to play together,” says Lauren Wilbanks, marketing and design manager at the museum, “Parents get really into it.” Remember, besides it being a school, there’s also a museum open to anyone who just wants to have fun.

Nahi and Marcos gave me a tour of some of their favorite exhibits. Among them—a Supermarket where they harvest Florida fruits, put ‘em in a cart, and pretend to pay for them; Bank, where they learn about earning, saving and the best part, spending money; TV Studio, where they can simulate a newscast by being in front, or back, of the camera (wait ‘til they learn about ratings!); Hospital, where they can play doctor; and so forth. Upstairs, Port of Miami teaches them about importing and exporting products, while Cruise Ship allows them to participate in classic cruise activities like the limbo. All of these are permanent exhibits.

Marcos’ favorite exhibit right now is the Summer Games, which runs through September 7. He especially enjoys lighting a fake Olympic torch. Here, kiddies get to participate in a triathlon. 1-2-3 and they’re off! The race starts with swimming, where they lay on their bellies on  a cushioned bench and swim while watching a simulation on a TV screen. Next up, they pedal on child size bicycles followed by running on tiny treadmills designed for little feet. (Storing these in the house would be a cinch! Too bad I’m not four feet tall.)

While kids learn and play at the museum, parents pretend they’re kids again, for a little while. This is a time-out everyone will enjoy, and it’s right in your own backyard!

Miami Children’s Museum
980 MacArthur Causeway
Miami, FL 33132
305-373-KIDS
www.miamichildrensmuseum.org
Adults and children $12.
Open 10 a.m.-6 p.m. daily
For information on the charter school, visit mcmcharter.dadeschools.net.

Dwntwn Ballin’

By Jennifer LeClaire

If you have a competitive spirit, there’s no better place to play than Downtown Miami.

That’s because two elite facilities that promise to get your heart pumping in the lap of luxury – Brickell Tennis Club and Futbol-Inn – call the metro home.

A state-of-the-art private facility, Cliff Drysdale’s Brickell Tennis Club boasts unrivaled service and tennis programming for players at all levels. There you’ll find hydro-clay courts, an elite on-site retail shop, a healthy snack bar and plenty of other high-end amenities designed to make you feel like a pro. You can even sign up for tennis clinics with professional players.

“This is a little oasis of tennis right in the Brickell corridor,” says Tom Brownhill, director of tennis at the Brickell Tennis Club. “You can play on the same courts that tennis greats Roger Federer and Maria Sharapova play on, then relax on our Italian couches while you watch our oversized flat screen TVs.”

You don’t have to take Brownhill’s word for it. Conde Naste Traveler magazine voted Brickell Tennis Club the best tennis club in Miami and the 13th overall reason to visit the Magic City. Despite the exclusivity and the famous members, though, anyone can take tennis lessons or take part in weekly clinics. Private lessons are $100 an hour and clinics are $45 for 90 minutes. Membership rates are $145 a month after a $5,000 initiation fee.

The Brickell Tennis Club offers the ultimate tennis experience, with special events scheduled throughout the year, including the Fila Tennis Classic and the Sony Ericsson Open. If you want to get in on the competition for yourself, you can play in the Miami Corporate Tennis Cup each February.

“Beyond all its amenities, what’s really amazing about this facility is that no other city in the world would have set aside so much real estate in its downtown area for a tennis club,” Brownhill says. “Can you imagine having this much tennis real estate in Manhattan, Paris or London? But here in Downtown, the business district of Miami, you have one of the best, most beautiful tennis clubs in the world.”

If you’d rather kick than serve, the recently opened Futbol-Inn will satiate you and then leave you hungry for more. This is indoor soccer at its best. Set inside a refurbished warehouse building at 15th Street and North Miami Avenue, the fully-air conditioned facility is drawing footballers from all over Miami – and all over the world – to play a pick up game.

“We have private parking, air conditioning, oversized bathrooms – everything is new,” says Danny Cotarelo, co-owner of Futbol-Inn. “In fact, this is the only place in Miami where you can play soccer in the air conditioning 24 hours a day. You don’t have to worry about rain or heat.”

Futbol-Inn features two regulation five-on-five artificial grass fields in its 12,000-square-foot state-of-the-art facility. High definition plasma screen televisions with stadium projectors broadcast some of the best soccer matches from around the world. That means the action never stops even if you take a breather between matches. You can even enjoy an ice-cold brewsky at the bar as you take in the hip sounds from the in-house DJ.

Futbol-Inn holds a kid’s summer camp with soccer clinics and is launching an after school program for children who want to stay active.  Certified instructors are on hand to make Miami’s kids the next international superstars.

“Soccer is a sport where you can interact with others before, during and after the game,” Cotarelo says. “It’s the number one sport in the world and it’s at its best in Downtown Miami, where we have a mixture of cultures and people from different countries. We see players from all over the world gather here. Everybody loves soccer.”

Brickell Tennis Club
601 South Miami Avenue
Miami, FL 33130
305-858-3375
www.cliffdrysdale.com/brickell.club.html

Futbol-Inn
1625 N. Miami Ave.
Miami, FL 33136
305-527-9720
www.futbolinn.com

Creatives and Suits - Chill and Play

By Millie Acebal Rousseau

DWNTWNRS, regardless of age and profession, come out to play at places like The Wallflower Gallery and Tobacco Road, Miami’s oldest bar.

Musicians, poets, artists, politicians, executives and number crunchers are all welcome at The Wallflower Gallery, where feeding your imagination and independent thinking is actually a good thing. This neat little place is a creativity kingdom, and its reigning king (a.k.a. owner) is “CD Flash.”

For the past 11 years, Flash who sports long hair and shades (even on a rainy day), has been providing DWNTWNRS with an outlet for their creativity. “We’re a platform for artists,” he says. Whatever you’re shtick—spoken word, painting, photography, music, this is your place to shine.

There’s a theater for live performances, and a recording studio onsite, along with various rooms that do double duty as galleries and events space. Rules and structure are scarce. “It’s fun, and gives people a chance to create and connect.”

Age is only a number in this art utopia. You’ll find everyone from four year olds to 80 year olds—“If they can make it up the stairs,” adds Flash. A little cardio never hurt anyone. No alcohol is served, but it’s okay because the people here are buzzed on life.

Wrap up the workweek with a Holistic Happy Hour, held every Friday from 4:30 to 7:00 p.m. Massage therapists are ready to tackle those knots in your shoulders and back; there’s yoga, tai chi and games. “It’s a chance to decompress. People are already here [in Downtown], so they can chill before sitting in traffic.” Every last Sunday of the month at 4 p.m., there’s a Progressive Vegetarian Pot Luck Social, fueled by healthy food and conversation. Hang up the suit for a few hours and come out and play. Even wallflowers will feel right at home.

Tobacco Road, one of DWNTWNRS’ favorite hangouts, celebrates its 96th birthday this year, yet it remains hip, further proving age is relative. The bar opened back in 1912. When asked who came here in those days, Manager Joe Portela jokes, “I imagine the Indians.” In 21 years, he’s seen it all. “Everything happens in Tobacco Road.”

In the old days, Downtown’s beloved bar was a speakeasy. After some nudging, Portela dishes about a secret closet used back then for hiding during raids. The closet is gone now, but good times are still had here.

Like most bars, it’s dark. Face it, everyone looks better in the dark, especially after a few drinks. But that’s not why people come here, after all, Miami is known for its beautiful people. They come because it’s a simple and relaxing place, says Portela. Both professionals and the younger set crowd the joint during lunch, Happy Hour, and at night for the live music that plays every evening. It’s a good thing they’re open late everyday—until 5 a.m.

Tobacco Road is also well known for their daring burgers. Phastong, that’s a person not a burger, has been hand patting those ground sirloin babies for the past 24 years. Portela says that’s part of what makes them so good.

The cabaret upstairs is ultra hip, but downstairs on the patio is where most people like to hang, says Portela. “In the middle of Downtown, you can sit under an oak tree,” and listen to live music at night. Mark your calendar for November 26 when the Big T will celebrate the big 9-6 with a parking lot bash.

Tobacco Road has survived good and bad times, hurricanes, city scandals and corruption, and an array of neighbors throughout the years. “They come and go; we will always be here.”

The Wallflower Gallery
10 NE 3 St.
Miami, FL 33132
305-579-0069
www.WallflowerGallery.com

Tobacco Road
626 South Miami Ave.
Miami, FL 33130
305-374-1198
www.tobacco-road.com

 

SO I SAY

David L. – DWNTWN Executive

“On Saturdays I like to start by getting an old fashioned hot shave and shoe shine at Churchills, then I like to grab a steak at Manny’s Steakhouse for dinner followed by some barhopping at Segafredo’s and Badrutts.”

Brian B. – DWNTWN Resident/Business Owner

“...a good run around Brickell Key in the morning…riding my bike down Flagler, thinking I am in a big city...playing pool at PS14 having some drinks and listening to good music surrounded by great people…”

Janice P. – DWNTWN Executive

“I have fun with a good workout at MPower Project Gym...the music is always enjoyable …it’s definitely not your typical, “meat market” which is one of the major reasons why I like it so much…”

Heather H. – DWNTWN Business Owner

It is nice to work in Downtown because it allows me to interact with a multicultural range of people.  Besides that, I have all the shopping stores, restaurants, at an arm’s length...