It was only at the start of the 20th Century that people were coming to realize the glamour of Miami, the round the clock summer weather and warmth while the rest of the country sat frozen before the fireplace in winter. As the tourists came, so sprung the hotels packed into clusters in extravagant flourishes. Cheap stucco and plaster were draped over the buildings’ exteriors in vivid, almost comical prints imported from Paris to the streets of Miami. Yet that was the hallmark of the district and South Beach which skirted its edge.

Enter Art Deco Historic District: most of the early 20th Century constructs left intact to reflect the exuberance of the times. 800 buildings, each flaunting their unique characters, appeal to the hundreds walking past each week. Neon lights and bright pastels dress Ocean Drive. Bold typeface arranged vertically along a jutting column announces the identity of the pristine white Congress Hotel. Elaborate tiling labels the Villa Casa Casuarina from Spain where the Italian fashonista Gianni Versace spent a lifetime. Whimsical, confident and jaunty, the Art Historic District is always ready to strike a pose before the reflecting waters of South Beach.