Shopping the American Way
If you are not just looking for a beach holiday and have a passion for fashion, Miami is the place to be. Here you can shop until your credit card maxes out, chasing the latest trends. Just be careful about customs regulations when bringing goods back to Europe!
Dolphin Mall Miami – Near the Airport
The Dolphin Mall is located a little to the south-west of Miami Airport. A regular shuttle service runs from outside the airport to the Dolphin Mall ($10 for adults, $5 for children). A taxi costs around US$32. It is ideal if you have a bit of time to spare before your return flight and your luggage is already checked in. The journey takes 15–20 minutes.
The mall offers more than 230 shops and a large cinema complex. There are also several nightclubs on site.
From Miami Beach it is about a 30-minute drive, covering 20 kilometres heading west.
Dolphin Mall Address:
11401 NW 12th Street
Miami, Florida 33172
Phone: (305) 365–7446
Web: shopdolphinmall.com
Aventura Mall in North Miami Beach
You can enjoy wonderful shopping at the Aventura Mall. It takes about one hour by bus or half an hour by car along Collins Avenue to reach Aventura at North Miami Beach. The Aventura Mall is located there on 192nd Street. In this typically enormous American shopping centre, we indulge in a full-on shopping spree. Many luxury brands are represented across around 280 stores.
Aventura Mall Address
19501 Biscayne Boulevard
Aventura, Florida 33180
Web:aventuramall.com
Phone: (305) 935–1110
Miami Sawgrass Mills Mall near Fort Lauderdale
At the Sawgrass Mills Mall, north of Miami near Fort Lauderdale, visitors will find around 400 factory outlets — it is considered the world's largest outlet centre. Your heart will race at Levi's, DKNY, Calvin Klein, Key Largo, Guess, Nike, Hugo Boss, G-Star Raw, and many more. There is an enormous variety of shops, dining options as far as the eye can see, and children's play areas and childcare facilities that are second to none, giving parents the free time they need to shop.
A pair of Levi's 501 jeans starts at just $25.
Address:
12801 West Sunrise Blvd Sunrise,
Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33323
Web:Sawgrass Mills Mall
Phone: (954) 846–2300
Driving time from downtown Miami: approx. 40–45 minutes (~35 miles).
CocoWalk in the Coconut Grove District
The CocoWalk shopping centre offers numerous stores, restaurants and bars. In the evenings especially, many younger people gather in bars such as Hooters or Fat Tuesday. There is also said to be a Coyote Ugly Bar, though we were not able to visit it.
CocoWalk Miami Address:
3015 Grand Avenue,
Coconut Grove, Florida 33133
Web: cocowalk.net
Miami – Collins Avenue
After a spot of sunbathing we venture out once more on a shopping tour along Collins Avenue, running parallel to Ocean Drive.
Just a few metres makes a huge difference in price. Many seemingly unassuming shops offer fashion at rock-bottom prices that will be trending back home in the coming months.
On Ocean Drive itself there are of course countless shops and galleries, which charge accordingly for their prime location.
Lincoln Road
Lincoln Road begins at the northern end of Ocean Drive and runs in a westerly direction.
Life pulses here in the shops and in the evenings out on the street and the pedestrian zone. Restaurants, boutiques and galleries alternate along its length.
A big surprise awaits me here. We discover a TeNo jewellery store. I actually wear this designer jewellery from Pforzheim myself — and we even stocked the collection back home in our jewellery shop in Freiburg.
Countless stores further along and a few well-spent dollars lighter, we make our way back to South Beach in the late evening. Extra tip: when the dollar exchange rate is favourable, you can find some fantastic designer bargains here!
