Wynwood Walls
Just a few years ago, Miami’s Wynwood Arts District was a rundown area with a low-profile art community. It has grown in the past four years, and now is known for the many colorful murals and artistic graffiti covering the exterior of buildings. Some of the works are within Wynwood Walls, a sort of open-air, free museum.
On the second Saturday of each month, thousands of people crowd the district’s streets to enjoy a night out during Art Walk. Starting at 6 p.m. and extending throughout the night, the event features openings at art galleries, restaurants and retail businesses. Food-lovers enjoy dishes from James Beard Award-nominated restaurants and dozens of food trucks.
During Art Walk, participants also can enjoy the thriving craft-brew scene that has emerged in Wynwood. During a recent fam visit, my group toured and sampled beers at Concrete Beach Brewery, J-Wakefield Beer and Veza Sur Brewing Company. All of them are fun places for groups to visit and hang out, and Veza Sura, which had just opened the week we visited, is particularly vibrant, with lots of original beers, large spaces and fantastic energy.
We had dinner at Wynwood Yard, an outdoor public hangout with plenty of unique food trucks, live music and games, among other things. It’s ideal for groups seeking an active, high-spirited evening. Wynwood Yard has become very popular and is fulfilling Founder and CEO Della Heiman’s vision as a place where people of various ages can congregate all day and support local start-ups that, in turn, support one another.
Miami Beach Commissioners approved a five-year lease for a similar site, North Beach Yard, in Miami. Heiman foresees 35 food, retail and fitness businesses in the new space.
The Wynwood area has a wonderful raw, cutting-edge feel to it—with an abundance of young energy—and is a great place for groups to visit.
Read about other Miami attractions, including the luxurious new Nobu Miami hotel and vibrant Little Havana area, in the “Smart Dispatch” column in the November issue of Smart Meetings.
