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5/25/2007

Le Meridien: Sunny Isles

Sunny Isles Beach, Fla.: Le Meridien

That the upscale international chain Le Meridien chose Sunny Isles Beach, a small oceanside municipality about 22 miles north of Miami Beach, for its first Florida location is a sign that this once fairly quiet, retiree-oriented community is coming of age. The 26-story, 215-room condo hotel — it functions as a hotel, but the units are individually owned — has a sleek sensibility, but the fact that many of the rooms are essentially apartments, with full kitchens and one or two bedrooms, makes it family-friendly.

Sunny Isles isn't South Beach — there aren't many hip and happening nightspots — but it's only about 30 minutes away. The beach is much the same — expansive and inviting. There is plenty of condominium construction going on — yes, even Donald J. Trump has his name on buildings there — giving the area a busy vibe. But if you want to step back in time to the Sunny Isles Beach of the past, pay a visit to Wolfie Cohen's Rascal House, a beloved (though overrated) South Florida deli.

# posted by MSwaye @ 5/25/2007 10:47:00 AM 0 comments links to this post

Fairfax South Beach

Fairfax South Beach

Facing the Atlantic from 18th Street and Collins Avenue in South Beach, this is a transformation of a hotel, which opened in 1955, to 49 fractional residences. Most of the residences will be 450- to 575-square-foot suites, but there will be two two-bedroom, 1,000-square-foot units. The units, all furnished, will be sold in quarter shares, with owners granted at least 13 weeks a year in theirs. The designer Todd Oldham is leading the renovation of the building, designing everything from stone and glass walls to furniture to the staff’s uniforms. The restaurant will be an outpost of Spiaggia in Chicago, and the private rooftop will hold a dining area as well as the pool. Other amenities include a beach club and membership to a nearby David Barton Gym. The residences will be part of the Registry Collection, a vacation home exchange program.

# posted by MSwaye @ 5/25/2007 10:45:00 AM 0 comments links to this post

Acqualina Resort

Sunny Isles: Acqualina Resort and Spa

Some visitors to Miami Beach never venture north of the Delano, at 17th Street. But there’s plenty more to see. The legendary Fontainebleau is at 44th Street. Five miles north is Bal Harbour, with a famous mall anchored by Saks and Neiman Marcus. And a bit farther north is Sunny Isles Beach, an area long known for extravagantly themed motels. About five years ago, a wholesale transformation began, as skyscrapers with names like Trump Grande began replacing the motels. Most of the new buildings are white-metal-and-glass behemoths — Richard Meier on steroids. Acqualina, by contrast, is covered in yellow and orange stucco. The Tuscan accents don’t hide its vast bulk (more than 50 stories, and nearly half as wide as it is tall). But most of the building contains condos; the hotel, which opened in May, has only 97 rooms. Operated by Rosewood Resorts (best known for the Mansion on Turtle Creek, in Dallas), it provides an extraordinarily high level of service.

# posted by MSwaye @ 5/25/2007 10:29:00 AM 0 comments links to this post

11/15/2006

Over 62? House-rich but cash-poor? Try a reverse mortgage.

Reverse mortgages allow home owners aged 62 and over to convert the equity they've built up in their homes over the years into cash while living at home for as long as they wish. Borrowers continue to own their homes and can choose to receive the funds as a lump sum, line of credit, or monthly payment. The loan comes due only when the last borrower moves out, dies, or sells the home. Reverse mortgages are a good way for many to stay in their homes, maintain ownership and access an additional stream of income to enhance their retirement. Often times the extra money is used to buy a second home such as a condo in Miami Beach, Bal Harbour, Sunny Isles or Aventura. In the year 2000 more than 20 million Americans over the age of 62 owned their homes. Their equity was estimated at approximately $2.5 trillion.

# posted by Miami Beach Homes @ 11/15/2006 02:49:00 PM 1 comments links to this post

11/09/2006

Aventura, Greynolds Park and Sunny Isles Beach hoping to get new dog parks.

Aventura city officials are planning to move the existing dog park at Veterans Park to The Waterways Park. The basketball field and playground facility currently at The Waterways Park would be moved to an adjacent seven-acre plot near Gulfstream Park and Veterans Park would be converted into a 1.75-acre park for children. Also, a meeting was held recently to discuss a dog park planned for Greynolds Park East just south of Aventura. The county has earmarked about $120,000 to develop a several acre dog park with separate fenced-in areas for small and large dogs and a covered pavilion. The park would be near the Biscayne Boulevard entrance but an exact site has yet to be determined. Finally, the city of Sunny Isles Beach recently acquired a 3.9-acre site at 192nd Street and Collins Avenue near the Lehman Causeway Bridge and residents have started a petition drive to push for a dog park there also.

# posted by Miami Beach Homes @ 11/09/2006 02:54:00 PM 0 comments links to this post

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