South Beach: Not Your Grandfathers Nightclub Anymore
When we arrived in Miami on a little beach called South in 1999 we had no idea what we were getting ourselves into or how our presence here would help raise the bar even in the slightest to the international fish bowl South Beach has become. I remember an Esquire article that spoke about South Beach and actually called it Mayberry on ecstasy. Having come from Chicago and being a hospitality and nightlife designer with over fifteen successfully launched venues in a five mile radius, I really thought the re-do of the CAMEO theater would be a chip shot. To say the least it wasn’t. Big Time Design took nightclub design to a new level. We arrived at the tale end of the red velvet drapes, antique furniture and chandelier stage. With our Chicago team in tow, we brought a style and sensibility in the actual design that would ultimately lead the way for the current super stars and ground breakers. Enter my pal, Dave Grutman, at LIV who certainly earned his mark in Miami nightlife honing his skills at Tantra, Mansion and ultimately the old CROBAR (Best Interior Design) space which in turn became the award winning CAMEO (Best Nightclub Renovation). So… it was a long time coming. Now, you be the judge. South Beach is not just about the velvet ropes and electronic dance music! There is a flourishing underground scene that, truthfully, is not so underground but thankfully emerging.
This excerpt from the NY TIMES, “But lately, the seaside playground has found a cooler, local groove away from the beach: a handful of cocktail bars, homey restaurants and boutique hotels — some imported from New York — have opened far from the hubbub of Ocean Drive and the frat-crush of Wet Willie’s. It is an un-touristy South Beach for the self-selective few. ‘You just have to find the avant-garde in South Beach,’ said André Saraiva, a night life impresario who has opened pop-up clubs here during Art Basel Miami Beach.”
Read the full NYT article here.
Stay Tuned …