And Other Pleasures
By Cubby

Spending any time in South Beach without hitting the club scene is almost like going to a mall without shopping. Sure, within some twenty blocks there's a list of clubs and lounges that includes Billboardlive, crobar, LEVEL, Liquid, Steam, Rain, Lola, Opium Garden, Pearl, Nikki Beach Club, BASH, Honey Lounge, W6, Six Degrees, Salvation, Kiss, Mynt, RUMI, Touch, Score, Twist, B.E.D., Blue, Bolero, Lost Weekend,

Jimmy'z at the Forge, Jazid, Mango's Tropical Café, and Mynt, but is that all there is to do on the beach? Those in the know (who know where to go) will tell you that South Beach offers much more than the incredible nightlife scene--but they're either too exhausted from hitting the clubs to sample the other offerings, or they'll simply say "Next time we're here." It's South Beach's non-stop party reputation and the nightclubs packed with gorgeous models, international jetsetters and your occasional celebrity that keep those crowds returning year after year. I've heard some people visit South Beach for years and never see the beach, but they have a favorite bartender, know doormen by their first names, and never have to stand in line.

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The lines waiting outside the hottest clubs aren't the only lines under the stars--there are other "hot tickets" (and we're not talking drink tickets here). Just a few blocks north of clubs like crobar and Liquid is the Jackie Gleason Theatre, home of The Miami Beach Broadway Series which offers a vibrant season of plays and musicals including shows still running on Broadway (like the recently opened Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, starring Ann-Margaret).Miami is very proud of the Miami City Ballet, its resident dance company, that offers a wonderful season blending classical ballet with the avant-garde. Dance enthusiasts abound in Miami, supporting other companies like Freddick Bratcher & Company, Mary Street Dance Theatre, Momentum Dance Company, Ballet Flamenco La Rosa and Maximum Dance Company (with scheduled performances at the Colony Theatre this month).

The Miami nightclub scene boasts an impressive roster of international DJ/Producers that provide the music for all-night dancing, but there are still those who still delight to the sounds of live music. Housed in a beautiful art deco theatre on Lincoln Road, The New World Symphony (with scheduled performances at the end of the month) offers a season ranging from orchestral and chamber music concerts to specials like the Mozart Festival. Miami's menu of musical treatsinclude The Florida Philharmonic, Miami Symphony Orchestra, and the Florida Grand Opera but don't forget to
check the schedule of live bands offered in Billboardlive, one of South Beach's new multi-level club complexes.

The FIU Miami Film Festival opens this month (January 24 - February 3) at the Gusman Center for the Performing Arts, offering not only an incredible lineup of films but workshops and events where film buffs can meet the filmmakers, and in some instances, the film's stars. For art deco enthusiasts, there's Art Deco Weekend (January 19-20) that offers tours of Miami Beach's Art Deco and MiMo buildings, lectures, a schedule of big bands, and blocks of art deco displayed and sold on Ocean Drive. For some, a Miami Beach holiday means club hopping night after night while others hop from table to table. With the number of international eateries even larger than the clubs no wonder travelers keep coming back for more. But the one pleasure everyone remembers forever is the incredible moon over Miami. Some say it's the most romantic moon in the world. Others swear it keeps them dancing all night. The night may be made for dancing, but a trip to Miami isn't complete without a stroll on the beach under that fabulous moon (and there's never a line).