Special Report North Beach: The Next Great Miami Neighborhood, Part One
Miami's Last Great Beachfront Frontier Is Finally Waking Up.
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When I first moved to Miami permanently in 2015, every house on the beach was for sale. Everyday I would drive up Collins Avenue from my house in Miami Beach to the office in Aventura and somewhere between 63rd and 75th Street, my mind would drift.
Half of me was in awe of this impossibly beautiful drive, sunlight dancing off turquoise water, Art Deco relics glowing in faded pastels, and the other half was wondering how I’d traded New York City’s egocentric center of the world for sleepy Miami Beach.
When I hit 63rd street, I would wonder if I was seeing something other people weren’t. A derelict forgotten corridor sandwiched directly in between some of the wealthiest neighborhoods in the world. To the south, you have the polished pulse of Mid-Beach, the Faena District, Edition, Soho Beach House. To the north, Bal Harbour, Aventura, Surfside, Indian Creek, crazy desirable residential real estate and 2 of the 3 the highest grossing per square foot retail real estate developments in the country, Aventura Mall & Bal Harbour. And yet somehow, right in between, North Beach, Normandy, and North Bay Village sat there, a run-down ethnic corridor left behind.
Everyone drives through here to get somewhere else. And I would think, doesn’t anyone else see this opportunity? Well it turns out that it took a Covid miracle for everyone to realize, but now they are seeing it and things are transforming with a momentum rarely seen outside of places like Dubai.
When the Music Stopped
It wasn’t always like this. The Deauville was once the spot, The Beatles played at the hotel. Sinatra too. The old-timers still tell stories about it like it was a myth.
But when Miami Beach came roaring back in the 1990’s, North Beach never did. South Beach got its rebirth, Mid-Beach got its luxury revival, but this stretch remained in purgatory, a place of old condos and local diners, beloved by the Argentineans, Cubans, and Colombians who gave it character but not cachet.
“They used to call it Vietnam up until about 2014,” real estate broker Willy “the Q” Quintana told me. “The retail rents were fifteen bucks all in.”
The First Sparks
Around 2014, the tide started to shift. Developers like Silvia Coltrane and Sandor Scher along with brokers like Willy saw what others missed. They started working to resurrect Ocean Terrace, a beachfront block with oceanfront Art Deco hotels that had faded into obscurity.
At the same time, Wynwood was booming. The Design District was transforming. Doral was reinventing itself. And yet somehow North Beach, the only one of those actually on the ocean, still lagged behind.
Then came the Faena District, signaling that Mid-Beach was no longer the fringe. Sandor Scher partnered with Alex Blavatnik, and together they spent nearly a decade pushing Ocean Terrace toward rebirth. Running into every possible roadblock along the way. The city commission just didn’t seem to think North Beach was important.
Eventually the city struck a deal: developers would get the rights they needed to build if they agreed to deliver a new beachfront park for the community. Slowly, the dominoes began to fall. “Sandor, Alex, and Sylvia Coltrane took all the bullets that allowed everyone else to get their projects approved.”
Restaurants started to fill the gaps, Sazon changed ownership to the team behind Goerges and Burgers and Shakes, reemerging as one of Miami Beach’s busiest restaurants. Manolo, an Argentinean Bennigan’s stayed a nostalgic constant, filled with people who loved it from home. The bandshell resurrected itself with a new team, new funding, and better line-ups than ever before. Sandwicherie arrived. Sushi Bichi, on the beach, came from the old Sushi Samba employees. Carrot Express evolved into its modern incarnation on 72nd and Collins. Prima Pasta has been a constant since the beginning offering a great vibe, perennial line, and affordable italian. And now there Marc’s Artisanal Pizza, one of Miami’s best, Evio’s from the Roberta’s team, Love Loaf Cafe’s amazing croissants and much more.
But the real story now isn’t the restaurants. It’s the North Beach real estate because as Oprah said, “the one thing they aren’t making more of is beach front property.”
The New Gold Rush
Enter the big guns.
Two years ago, Steve Witkoff, now negotiating international peace treaties joined the Ocean Terrace project, bringing the final influence necessary to help the project over the line. Around the same time, the 22-story 72 Park opened as the first major condo under the new 2017 Town Center zoning. That zoning change was the quiet catalyst: it allowed developers to assemble larger lots and build taller buildings in exchange for community benefits.
Tom Mooney, the city’s Planning Director, said the goal wasn’t just more luxury condos, it was balance. “It’s challenging in today’s market to subsidize non-luxury housing,” he said, “but the goal is to create diversity in who can live here.” Commissioner Tanya Bhatt, who represents the district, agrees. “North Beach feels more like old beach towns than South Beach does,” she said. “It’s slower, more human. But if you want a nightclub, it’s just two miles down the road.”
Momentum is a funny thing. It takes time, in this case decades, to roll a boulder up a hill, but once it starts going downhill its impossible to stop. North Beach now has that momentum, it is Williamsburg by the sea, except in this case the community is already filled with great people and things. There is the Miami Beach Tennis center, multiple new and amazing beachfront parks, the only residential homes on the beach in Miami Beach (Altos Del Mar), and the city is about to build a huge community center directly across from the bandshell and the beach. And yet there is still no neighborhood gym and there are alot of storefronts that look dingy and forgotten. But that is all about to change, as you will clearly be able to see below, there are now almost 20 active developments across North Beach and billions in investment flowing in.
The Developments Shaping the Future North Beach
North Beach Mega Projects:
Ocean Terrace
One-Line: Our flagship condo and hospitality development on the beach
Status: 200m already in condo pre-sales starting at 6 million, luxury hotel In process, retail coming soon, and beach club
Developers: Witkoff Group, Alex Blavatnik, Sandor Scher
Unit Count: 76 Residences, 110+ Hotel Rooms
Community Benefit: Ocean Terrace Beachfront Park
Our Take: The development that will completely change the perception of North Beach. The anchor. The “Faena for North Beach.” Once this goes vertical, everything changes.
Deauville Hotel Redevelopment:
One-Line: The largest beachfront property being developed on Miami Beach by one of our best developers David Martin
Status: Planning Stages
Developers: Meruelo Family & David Martin’s Terra:
Unit Count: 150 hotel rooms, 120 condos, mid-century inspired revival
Community Benefit: Connectivity to the Community Center + revitalized streetscape
Our Take: A mid-century–inspired rebirth of Miami Beach’s most legendary hotel site. Second most important development in the neighborhood. This will completely transform Collins from 63rd to 72nd.
North Beach Town Center with a TARGET Superstore
One-Line: Mixed-use hub with 258 luxury apartments + 149,000 SF curated retail + upscale grocery.
Status: In development
Developers: Pacific Star Capital & Starling Group
Unit Count: 258 units
Community Benefit: A pocket park + full-scale community hub
Our Take: The “Downtown” North Beach always needed. Prima Pasta stays. Weird to see a mega development being built around a restaurant.
Leffert’s Big Bet, 3 Buildings at Once:
72 Park:
One-Line: 22-story luxury condo with short-term rental flexibility.
Status: Delivered; sold out.
Developer: Lefferts
Unit Count: ~270
Community Benefit: Streetscape improvements
Our Take: A breakout success that validated demand for North Beach.
Palma:
One-Line: 126-unit modern condo neighboring 72 Park.
Status: Pre-selling; ~30% sold.
Developer: Lefferts
Unit Count: 126
Community Benefit: Town Center activation
Our Take: The natural next step—early buyer momentum is strong.
72 Carlyle:
One-Line: 134 residential units designed for full-time living.
Status: Pre-sales underway.
Developer: Lefferts
Unit Count: 134
Community Benefit: Added retail + walkability
Our Take: The stabilizer—designed for real residents, not investors.
7200 Collins Avenue, Silvia’s Play
One-Line: Major mixed-use redevelopment transforming the northern gateway of Collins Avenue.
Status: Demolition completed; construction expected to begin late 2025.
Developer: Northlink Capital
Unit Count: 222 residences (studios to 2-bedrooms + penthouses)
Community Benefit: Daily-rental-friendly ownership, new retail activation, and a modernized Collins Avenue streetscape.
Our Take: This is the moment the quiet 72nd Street corridor becomes a real district—high energy, high usage, and a fresh front door to North Beach.
Boutique Hotel and Lifestyle Projects
Ella Miami Beach
One-Line: A boutique 103-unit building with full STR zoning.
Status: 65% sold.
Developers: Constellation Group & Boschetti Group
Unit Count: 103
Community Benefit: Retail activation
Our Take: A smart play for international investors; will drive foot traffic.
Mimet Hotel
One-Line: A 160-key luxury lifestyle hotel by Urbanica, bringing elevated wellness, dining, and design to one of Miami Beach’s last remaining waterfront lots.
Location: 6747 Collins Ave, Miami Beach
Developer: Urbanica
Unit Count: 160 rooms and suites
Features: Wellness center, beach + pool club, multiple restaurants, Michelin-starred chef partnership
Design: Arquitectonica
Status: Under construction on a prime waterfront parcel
Community Benefit: Adds a sophisticated hospitality anchor to the North Beach corridor
Our Take: A high-design, culinary-forward hotel that will inject much-needed lifestyle texture into North Beach’s oceanfront.
Maison Felix Hotel
One-Line: A 29-room, design-forward boutique hideaway bringing quiet luxury, intimacy, and European charm to the heart of North Beach.
Location: 7418 Harding Avenue, Miami Beach
Unit Count: 29 rooms and suites
Features: A lush garden courtyard, serene outdoor pool, sun terrace, concierge services, and thoughtfully curated room types including Cocoon, Nest, Elegance, Signature, Junior Suite, and Atelier.
Design: A restored 1948 Miami Beach residence transformed into a warm, tactile, European-meets-tropical retreat. Soft textures, Mediterranean touches, layered lighting, and subtle luxury define the interiors.
Status: Newly opened and welcoming guests.
Our Take: This is not a mega-project—it’s a mood. Maison Felix feels like a secret address locals whisper about: intimate, design-driven, and effortlessly chic. A perfect example of the kind of hospitality North Beach needs more of as it matures into its next era.
Infrastructure Meets Imagination
What’s happening in North Beach isn’t just private development—it’s a full-scale public reinvestment that finally matches the neighborhood’s potential. The city is pouring $53.8 million into the new 72nd Street Community Complex, a flagship civic project with an Olympic-size swimming pool, public library, fitness center, community spaces, and a major parking facility. It’s the kind of amenity you expect in a mature world-class district, not a forgotten stretch of Collins.
Along the oceanfront, North Beach Oceanside Park is undergoing a significant refresh, bringing improved dunes, new paths, upgraded playgrounds, lighting, and a more connected, family-friendly beachfront. Meanwhile, along Ocean Terrace, privately funded improvements are transforming the pedestrian experience—new sidewalks, landscaping, lighting, and public plazas that will give North Beach its own walkable, social spine.
These public upgrades are the glue connecting the major private developments, creating a foundation for real, lasting neighborhood change.
Put simply: North Beach is receiving billions in investments and will be one of the premier destinations in Miami Beach within five years.
Conclusion: The Fuse Has Been Lit
North Beach is no longer the sleepy corridor I used to speed through on my way to Aventura wondering if I was the only one seeing what this place could become. The boulder is finally rolling downhill, and there’s no stopping what comes next. Ocean Terrace is rising. The Deauville is returning. The Town Center is about to have it’s first true gravity. Developers, operators, and restaurateurs are planting real flags. The city is finally investing in infrastructure at a scale that matches the coastline. And for the first time in decades, North Beach feels inevitable.
But this is just Part One of the story.
Because the real plot twist isn’t just Collins Avenue—it’s what’s happening beyond it.
To the east, the twenty hidden mansions of Altos del Mar—the only true beachfront homes left in all of Miami Beach—are about to step into the spotlight. To the west, Normandy Isles is becoming the new landing zone for young families who want the Miami Beach lifestyle without the Miami Beach price tag. And across the bay, North Bay Village is gearing up for the biggest transformation of them all—a Greenpoint-level reinvention with 360-degree views and billions in development already in motion.
If Part One is about momentum, Part Two is about magnitude.
This Sunday, we go deeper into the crown jewel, the sleeper hit, and the next skyline: Altos del Mar, Normandy Isles, and North Bay Village—with exclusive insights from Ruthie Assouline and Miki Hamoui, two people who understand this wave better than anyone. North Beach is rising.
In part two coming on Sunday we will show you just how high.
Keep your SPF high and your standards higher.
See you at the beach.
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