As you drive into Miami, you can’t miss Wynwood’s glorious colourful and eclectic buildings standing proud in the midst of the city’s pristine white high-rises. And you can’t resist visiting it.
Wynwood gives Miami a different edge. It is hip without being in-your-face, and hugely creative, with artworks on exhibit on every bit of wall space available, each with its own personality and style. The former Puerto-Rican area is bursting with energy, ideas and life. I hope it hasn’t overshadowed the local community, because as far as neighbourhood re-births, this looks like a good way to do it.
We visited Wynwood early in the morning, right on time to pick up a rich coffee and a croissant at Panther Coffee to give us a much-needed caffeine boost, vital for walking around under the blazing Miami sunshine. This café felt like the right place to be, good lookin’, with a great variety of coffee and full of people working on their laptops or meeting up with friends.
To start off our little wander in the area, we entered the gates of Wynwood Walls, an open-air gallery where you can find works by very well-renowned street artists such as Vhils (see more here) and Shepard Fairey, but also discover lesser-known, but still incredibly talented artists. A great place to start exploring the area, full of creativity and inspiring pieces. It’s not too hard on the kids either as this place is so much fun that it feels like a playground to them. It can be a bit dull for them outside Wynwood Walls, so make sure you take their buggy/scooter so they’re entertained while you’re walking around.
As you exit, try to just get a little bit lost in the neighbourhood, explore backstreets, and take it all in.
And for an extra dash of inspiration, visit Plant the Future – one of the most interesting and beautifully done shops I’ve seen.
Wynwood is just a small piece of Miami’s coolness, but it’s a big reason to love this place. What’s the street art like in your city?
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