The Famous Opium Garden Night Club is leaving South Beach!
Friday, February 20th, 2009South Beach and Miami Beach nightlife is changing before our eyes. A major South Beach nightclub, Miami Opium Garden with Prive, just closed its doors and is moving to the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel in Fort Lauderdale. Is this the beginning of a new trend or just an isolated event? The Miami Opium Garden along with its VIP Prive has been the leading Miami Beach nightlife nightclub in South Beach for decades.
The crisis afflicting South Florida was probably the major factor behind this move. Miami Opium Garden will reopen at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in mid-March. Even the world-renowned Winter Music Conference will hold events there for the first time.
The city of Miami Beach became anti-nightclubs and quoted thousands of violations made by Miami Beach clubs in the past 10 years. Miami Beach vacation rentals attract a large variety of vacationers including clubbers. This aggressive stand by the city might endanger the future of Miami Beach nightlife and reputation as a trendy, hip city. TV series such as CSI Miami have attracted a lot of tourists because of their depiction of the glamorous Miami Beach nightlife. What will become of Miami Beach if the Miami Beach nightlife disappears? Miami Opium Garden was hit with so many noise violations that it decided it could not operate anymore in such a hostile environment. The city noise ordinance was unbearable. The Opium Group sued the city but ultimately lost the fight. Opium Group continues being a part of Miami Beach nightlife and operating Mansion, SET and the Louis Bar Lounge in the Gansevoort hotel.
The Seminole Hard Rock Casino is one of the major entertainment centers in South Florida with a casino, restaurants, concert venues, stores, hotels and night clubs such as Passions, Pangaea and Gryphon. The Seminole Hard Rock Casino is very popular among locals and has a slightly older crowd than you will find within the Miami Beach nightlife.
