Miami Nights

We all know that when people say they've been to Miami they actually mean they've been to South Beach. The only time they spent in Miami was crossing over it through the MacArthur Causeway. Well ever since I've started taking public transportation to work, which requires me to take the Metrorail from the Coconut Grove Station to the Brickell Station and then transfer over the Metromover, I've noticed a new phenomenon, tourists using the Metromover as way to see Miami's urban core.

I mean it's hard to tell who is a tourist in a city full of multiple languages, but I assure you, their tacky wardrobe, maps in full view and look of amazement give them away. Today, when I hopped into the Metromover I saw two German men looking in awe at all the buildings going up. One was actually videotaping the entire ride which sort of made me happy to see someone enjoying what we take for granted. This isn't the first time I've seen tourists on the Metromover, but usually they are just snapping pictures, not videotaping the thing like it's a Disney ride. Then again, the Metromover offers some fantastic views of many architectural splendors. Some highlights include the Knight Center stop which was the world's first elevated metro station to be built into an pre-existing structure, the Loft 2 building, which was built around the Metromover tracks and houses the First Street Station, and the area around Government Center, which offers spectacular views of some of Miami's oldest buildings.

Anyway, point is, its nice to see tourist taking interest in a city (by city I mean county in its entirety) that has much more to offer than Art Deco buildings and a man-made beach. Sometimes I think people forget a lot can be found over the causeway that is way more interesting than what you can find the 25 blocks that make up South Beach. And if Miami is to become this mega-metropolis it aspires to be, it needs to start pulling its share of tourists.