North Beach is the northernmost part of Miami Beach, located on the east coast of Florida about midway between the Fort Lauderdale and Miami airports. It’s not to be (but easily is) confused with the city of North Miami Beach, which is a little further north and west, and strangely doesn’t actually have any beaches in its city limits.
North Beach is a lot more chill than South Beach, and quieter at night. It’s a primarily Latino neighborhood, and most of the people I hear walking around are speaking Spanish, though most everyone speaks English too. Latin flavor is everywhere in the music you hear and the restaurants, cafes, and markets you see in the center of town. The Art Deco style is still present here too, but not to the same extent.
The beach itself is nice, and certainly less crowded than further south. Mornings are worth a visit – I’ve seen some incredible sunrises, and the water can get pretty calm, great for a swim. You’ll often run into plows and beachcleaning machines however. Sargassum seaweed can be present here from spring until fall.
Getting Around
It’s easy to get around without a car here. Ridesharing is plentiful, and there’s also a free trolley that comes by every 30 minutes are so. CitiBike is also a good option, with multiple stations throughout North Beach. I like to ride along the boardwalk getting to and from places.
Outdoor Gyms
There are exercise stations along the path that runs through North Beach Oceanside Park, including one for pull-ups and another for dips, separated by about a 2 minute walk. There is also a workout station on the boardwalk at the park between 73rd and 72nd.
Memorial Day Visit
My last visit was a week over Memorial day to take care of a few things. AirBnBs, like everything else, are expensive in Miami Beach, and I ended up with what was essentially a tiny motel room on the ground floor, but with a kitchen. I booked a couple of months in advance but options might have been a bit limited already because of the holiday.
I was located just a block from the lower west corner of North Beach Oceanside Park, and 2 from the beach, which was great. However it’s about a 10 minute walk to the nearest market from there, and 15 to the Publix. I used CitiBike several times, since there was a docking station about a block away.
The beach was busy over the holiday weekend, but there weren’t a lot of people outside of that.
The weather alternated between sun and rain most days, and the forecast seemed to change from minute to minute. There were several downpours, but plenty of nice sunny times too. It was hot during the day but nice in the shade. I didn’t notice any bugs.