Posts Tagged ‘florida’

South Florida I-95 Traffic Signals

Thursday, February 5th, 2009

Today is another new beginning for Miami-Dade’s northbound I-95. Drivers will be introduced to a new traffic system on some of the busiest sections of I-95. Drivers will no longer be able to dive freely into expressway traffic. Now, they must wait for a green light at the entrance ramp to merge in during rush hours. These traffic signals will await motorists at eight different northbound I-95 ramps between NW 62nd Street and the Golden Glades interchange.

This new addition to the driving system is meant to ultimately manage congestion and ease any merging madness on this very busy Florida expressway. This, much like the implementation of the new northbound toll lanes, will require some adjustment. Drivers should pay extra attention when entering I-95 as the new traffic signals create a huge potential for rear-end collisions.

Drivers that are not used to red lights on an interstate ramp may not stop and end up rear-ending drivers ahead of them that obey that traffic signal. Florida Highway Patrols hope that, like the new I-95 toll lanes, people will come to understand the purpose of the traffic signals and adjust after some initial chaos and confusion. A trooper will be set up at every traffic signaled ramp to enforce the new regulation. Violators may face penalties including a $160 ticket and three points on their license. Ramp backups will be monitored by sensors under the ramps and expressway lanes as well as surveillance cameras. When ramps get too backed-up the sensors will signal to speed up entries. If you are traveling to Miami and you plan to rent a car, these traffic signals may not be foreign to you.

There are several like these that already exist in other parts of the country. If you want to avoid them, maybe you should look into Miami Beach vacation rentals and Florida vacation rentals which are within walking distance to many of Miami’s attractions.

View Larger Map

Miami Beach Vacation Rentals Ordinance

Friday, December 26th, 2008

The City of Miami Beach ordinance has been fighting the allowance of vacation rentals of single family homes for the past 8 years.

The city finally decided to discontinue the renting of “party homes”, villas rented by operators for 1 or 2 nights for an organized commercial event.

The events were disturbing neighbors so the City of Miami Beach took drastic measures to put a stop to the nuisance. Unfortunately, by the same token they have affected the entire industry of home vacation rentals in Miami Beach.

Owners and managers of a vacation rental house in Miami Beach have been severely limited in their ability to rent their homes. They can rent their properties a mere 3 times a year, no matter the term of the rentals.

[caption id="attachment_131" align="aligncenter" width="240" caption="Miami Vacation Condo Building"]Miami Vacation Condo Building[/caption]

City of Miami Beach inspectors have been on the lookout for violators of this legal interpretation that will soon be added to the city codes.

Home owners in Miami Beach have received fines and have watched their homes get raided by police to enforce a misfit regulation for one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world.

Nonetheless, vacationers should follow tips for travel and be careful when staying at a vacation rental. Maintain the serenity to your vacation in order to avoid such consequences.

Some vacation rental property owners advertise on websites or magazines under the false indication that their vacation homes are located in Miami Beach when, in fact, they are in other neighborhoods of Miami.

Make sure to get travel information such as the address of the house when you reserve it. If it is located in Miami Beach, you should be prepared to risk expulsion. Otherwise, follow tips for travel and avoid this vacation rental house entirely.

If the vacation villa is located in other areas of Miami such as North Miami Beach, Miami or North Miami, you can peacefully enjoy your stay. Always make sure to follow tips for travel and ask the Miami vacation rental agency if there are any restrictions or other travel information you should know.

The cities of Miami, North Miami and North Miami Beach are not targeted by this ordinance.

Miami Beach vacation rentals for vacationers having special eating needs

Friday, December 26th, 2008

Miami attracts tourists from all over the world with different eating habits. Therefore, tourists come with all sorts of different needs and requirements. There are Miami Beach vacation rentals that are specifically adapted to accommodate them.

Being a hard core vegetarian or eating kosher is not complicated for tourists anymore.

Rent a vacation rental in Miami Beach and eat at home when you are craving you favorite foods. Holiday rental properties always come fully equipped with cooking resources.

It is easy to find ingredients and foods such as Kosher foods, Hallal foods or vegetarian foods in Miami grocery stores, being that Miami is such a cosmopolitan city. Miami vacationers with special diet needs have found their match through the exploding popularity of vacation rentals.

[caption id="attachment_129" align="aligncenter" width="240" caption="Miami Beach Luxury Vacation Home Rental"]Miami Beach Luxury Vacation Home Rental[/caption]

Maintain your eating habits in your home-away-from-home. Visitors can take advantage of the great Miami restaurants, Kosher Miami Beach Restaurants or Vegetarian Miami Beach restaurants. Hereunder, find a list of restaurants. Alternatively, you could also visit our section dedicated especially to restaurants.

Bike Friendly Miami

Wednesday, December 17th, 2008

Miami is taking steps to become a bike-friendly city.

City leaders recently approved a plan that strives to achieve that by 2012. Get ready to get those dusty bikes out of your garage or rent a bike in Miami and start practicing.

You may not forget how to ride a bike but you definitely get rusty.

Commission Chairman Joe Sanchez wants bike routes to be included in all street plans for here-on-out. A bike coordinator will join the transportation department.

Meanwhile, the city is working with Miami Parking Authority to create 24 bike parking areas.

The bike-friendly Miami action plan is made up of four points:

  • Construct a set of bike paths
  • Improve bike safety through education and outreach plans
  • Develop a bike master plan
  • Implement a practice of assessing and advancing bicycle proposals

Don’t miss the opportunity of enjoying a bike-friendly city, ask your Miami hotel front-desk where you can locate bike rentals in Miami. You can also ask to your Miami Beach vacation rental agency. In fact, some Miami Beach vacation rentals agencies provide bikes as a complementary service.

Miami Beach Vacation Rentals and Observance of Jewish Laws

Wednesday, December 17th, 2008

Strict observant Jewish vacationers face several constraints when traveling. Often, hotels are not a good lodging option for several reasons:

Observant Jews follow a strict kosher diet that only allows them to eat in Kosher restaurants or at home if cooking with kosher pans and kosher ingredients.

Observant Jewish vacationers often have strict clothing restrictions that forbid them to have their body exposed to other peopmiami-kosher-dietle. Vacation rental homes in Miami Beach may be the best solution to take advantage of the beautiful weather in the privacy of their villa.

Respecting the rules of Shabbat in not easy. It prohibits the use of electricity for about 24 hours from Friday night to Saturday night. During the vacation, observant Jews would be unable to open their room door if they are electrically controlled. They cannot use elevators or an electricity-operated door to enter or exit the premises of a hotel.

The hotel needs to be within walking distance of a synagogue.

For all those reasons, renting a Miami Beach vacation rental villa is often the best solution as it allows vacationers to respect all strict rules.

…see more on kosher rules.

How to select a Miami Beach vacation rental agency - Miami Travel Information

Wednesday, December 10th, 2008

miami-beach-luxury-villasThe internet welcomes new websites everyday. Vacationers looking for travel information or a vacation rental website should make sure that they ultimately rent from a legitimate and professional agency. There is travel information you can look into for indicators of a good company. First, find out how many years the vacation rental agency has been in business. The longer, the better. Potential renters should also check travel news to see if the agency has some credentials. Serious companies are usually active in their community. They are normally members of the Chamber of Commerce of vacation rental associations and of the Better Business Bureau. http://www.seflorida.bbb.org/Home.aspx

The Miami Better Business Bureau allows you to access reports and travel information on a company that you intend to do business with. The presence of a BBB logo on a vacation rental agency website indicates that it is genuine and professional. Check Tripadvisor.com for travel news or any comments left regarding the Miami Beach vacation rental agency in question. Tripadvisor.com is one of the largest travel news and traveler review websites and it will give you a good sense of what to expect from a lodging option or vacation rental. Another way to check up on travel information on a particular company is to type the name of the Miami Beach vacation rental company and “fraud” in the browser.

Miami Video of The Week - Miami Vice Video

Tuesday, December 2nd, 2008

Enjoy the Miami video of the week! We share the free videos of Miami that we feel are representative of what the city is all about. Miami Vice was instrumental in bringing Miami back as a top tourist destination; therefore, here it is a flash back…

miami-vice-video

Miami Book Fair International - Miami Events

Friday, November 14th, 2008

A Miami event you should be part of. This year, the Miami Book Fair International will celebrate its 25th round in Miami. On November 9th through the 16th, thousands of people will attend this Miami event and listen to readings and discussions about and with international best-selling authors. The Miami Book Fair International is held at Miami-Dade College Wolfson campus in Downtown Miami. Programs will include a week-long reading series called Evenings Withe, a Spanish program called Ibero-American Authors, kid activities called Children’s Alley, student sessions called Student Literary Encounters and a rare book showcase called Antiquarian Annex. The Miami-Dade Wolfson campus is located at 300 N.E. 2nd Ave.

Don’t miss it. The street fair of this annual Miami event will be on THIS WEEKEND!

For additional information, call 305-237-3258 or visit http://www.miamibookfair.com


Start to plan your participation in the 2009 Miami Book Fair by visiting www.miamibookfair.com. You  must have in mind the accommodations during important Miami events get packed, so it is highly-recommended to book your Miami hotel now or considered other options like Miami vacation rentals, which might offer more value.

Picasso, Tapies, Miro and Others - Miami Bass Museum of Art

Monday, August 25th, 2008


Gertrude Silverstone Muss Gallery

This Miami exhibition and recommended event is comprised of approximately 80 works on paper by some of the 20th century’s most renowned Spanish artists, as well as artists from other countries whose careers were impacted by Spain.

This event in Miami showcases rarely seen sketches and illustrations by artists such as Pablo Picasso, Joan Miro, Sonia Delaunay, Juan Gris, Picabia and Joaqui­n Torres-Garcia.

Where: Miami Bass Museum of Art

2100 Washington Ave, Miami Beach, FL - (305) 673-7843

View Larger Map

When: Aug 23rd to Nov 2nd, 2008

Renting a Boat in Miami, Miami Travel Guide

Monday, August 25th, 2008

Boaters will find what they are looking for in Miami, Florida. In Miami and Miami Beach, tourists can charter boats and yachts of all sizes and for all budgets. Usually, prices vary depending upon the kind of boat, yet Miami boats for rent tend to be more affordable that boats in Europe and other popular boating destinations.

In our tropical paradise, it is possible to rent a boat for the day, with or without a captain.  Besides, people can charter a luxury yacht for a few days to travel around South Florida coast line and the Caribbean with a captain and small crew. In addition, whether you are planning a holiday celebration, corporate event, or even a wedding, renting a Miami party boat is always a great idea. Party boats in Miami are equipped with all your guests my need, from kitchen and indoors dining, to dance floor and DJ’s.



The chartering a boat in Miami can be easy or more challenging depending on the way it is done. There a few companies offering yacht charter services online which frequently are accessible and have easy processes; nonetheless, there are a few things you need to know in order to get the best deal:

  • Select a professional and experienced boat charter in Miami that have established relationships with boat owners.
  • Respected Miami Florida boat charters select quality boats and negotiate good prices.
  • A broker will help you to solve any obstacles that may occur during your period of rental.
  • Doing business with an established Miami Florida yacht charter is an added protection and guarantee.

Chartering a boat in Miami with a particular owner is also an option; however it has certain disadvantages when it is compare with professional South Florida Yacht Charters, some of these disadvantages are:

  • Miami boat rentals’ prices are usually cheaper.
  • Boats might not be as a good condition as professional charters in Miami, Florida.
  • In case of trouble, there is no one responsible for it, only you!

During the year there are many boating events in South Florida such as Miami International Boat Show, South Florida Boat Show and Fort Lauderdale Boat Show. These events are ideal opportunities for all those interested into know more about the new trends of the industry or perhaps buying a boat.

Calendar of Miami Events 2008

August / September / October / November / December

Share this page

REDDIT

DIGG

STUMBLEUPON