Caution! No snobs or racists are allowed in this area. We know you’re not like that, that’s why you’ll love Little Havana, an area full of ethnic colors and cultural strokes. Restaurants in this neighborhood are landmarks of taste: visit Versailles for the best palomilla steaks in Miami, or have some great coffee and pastry from the adjacent bakery. Apartments in Little Havana are available for rent at ridiculous prices compared to the bright experiences you gain.
Overview
Ever wanted to go to Cuba, live there a couple of years, drown in its effervescent culture and learn to cook some richly flavored goodness? Well, you don’t need to leave the US to do that! We present to you Little Havana – the center of the cultural, social, and political life of Miami, the fragment of Latin American life lost and found on the eastern coast of Florida, and a national treasure, literally. Everything breathes life in this neighborhood of Miami. Music is louder and faster, food is spicier, the sun is hotter, and the air is prickly with almost-tangible electricity. There’s eminent Calle Ocho that absorbed the best of Little Havana, Florida. There’s the Walk of Fame for the celebrities of Latin origin. And there’s only one true way to discuss politics in Little Havana – over dominos in Maximo Gomez Park. We hope you wear your guayabera for the long talk.
Business & Economy
Little Havana, Miami lives off its undying spirit – and the crowds of tourists and locals that flood the streets in flamboyant flocks. The venues with live Latin music, salsa dance clubs, and tiny ethnic eateries come in all shapes and forms. Hand-rolled cigar shops, handmade souvenirs, and open-air fruit markets – local specialty – catch the eye at every corner. Most of the businesses concentrate along Calle Ocho, but family-owned restaurants and cafes are scattered all over Little Havana.
Demographics
They say Little Havana is Cuba in miniature. That’s a hard claim to refute: the concentration of Hispanic population in the neighborhood reaches the record 95%. Local pride runs high: the community is tight and driven by tradition, with family being the central social unit that glues everything together. There are still ways to go for Little Havana, Florida; but at least the pervasive gentrification stayed out of this ethnically rich neighborhood: walking the streets, you know you must be in Cuba.
Entertainment
Little Havana hosts a number of festivals including the most popular of Calle Ocho Festival, Viernes Culturales, and the Three Kings Parade. It’s also a museum under the open sky – River Drive Historic District has nine buildings of national importance, including the miraculously preserved vernacular frame houses. Rich in culture, Little Havana is also rich in food: there’re plenty of Cubin places that serve customary ropa vieja with twists and kinks known only to the local chefs – it almost feels like home-cooking. Afterwards, have a traditional cafecito or cortado on a terrace while leisurely conversing with locals.
Finding Apartments in Little Havana for Rent
Do you speak Spanish? No? Here’s our advice for you: find apartments for rent in Little Havana, Miami; they say it’s best to live in the community of natives. We should warn you though the accent you get will be definitely with Cuban round, mellow overtones. Looking for houses for rent in Little Havana, Miami, you might come across a real treasure, a historic home or a two-story lodge with a ridiculous price tag on it. No wonder then that the rooms for rent in the area are an attractive alternative to settle in Miami, especially seeing as Downtown is just to the east, a short drive or a long walk from Little Havana.
