The central city of Miami covers a land area of 35.5 sq mi. Miami took its name from the Miami River, which in turn was named for a Native American term believed to mean "big water". The Miami River empties into Biscayne Bay (an arm of the Atlantic) at the heart of what is now the central business district. To the northeast of this point lies a series of neighborhoods and inner suburbs along Biscayne Bay, including Buena Vista; Miami Shores; North Miami Beach; and further east across the bay, Miami Beach and the oceanside suburbs to its north. To the south lie the luxury high-rise condominiums of bayfront Brickell Avenue and the offshore island suburb of Key Biscayne. The metropolitan area’s huge southwestern quadrant contains Miami’s Little Havana, a predominately Cuban neighborhood, and affluent Coconut Grove. Beyond these neighborhoods lie middle-to-upper-income residential developments that stretch from the city of Coral Gables, which adjoins Miami, for more than 30 km (more than 20 mi) through Kendall to the edges of the Everglades. The northwestern quadrant contains most of Miami’s black neighborhoods, Cuban-dominated Hialeah, and an outer ring of affluent suburbs, again reaching to the Everglades’ perimeter.

Parks and recreational areas line much of the metropolitan region’s coastal zone. These include the beaches of Miami Beach, Key Biscayne’s Crandon Park, and Coral Gables’ Matheson-Hammock County Park. The inland zone also has a number of such facilities, including MetroZoo, Tropical Park, and Tamiami Park.

Landmark buildings in Miami include Freedom Tower, Miami-Dade County Courthouse, and the Villa Vizcaya, a grand mansion built from 1914 to 1916 in the Italian Renaissance style. The monuments of the suburban ring tend to be hotels built before World War II (1939-1945), such as the Biltmore in Coral Gables and Miami Beach’s seaside resorts. The southern end of Miami Beach, known as the Art Deco District, consists of more than a dozen restored hotels that represent some of the best art deco architecture in the United States. Additional tourist attractions include the Miami Seaquarium on Virginia Key, South Miami’s Parrot Jungle, and Fairchild Tropical Gardens in Coral Gables.

Sports venues include suburban Pro Player Stadium (formerly Joe Robbie Stadium), the home of the Miami Dolphins professional football team and the Florida Marlins professional baseball team; AmericanAirlines Arena, home of the Miami Heat professional basketball team; and the Orange Bowl stadium in Little Havana, home of the University of Miami football team. The Florida Panthers professional hockey team plays at the National Car Rental Center in nearby Sunrise, Florida.

Real Estate: United States - Florida

Vacation Rentals: Florida - Florida Keys - Southeast