Parking drops to a dollar an hour through October
The city's $1 parking deal, Yardbird's last shift, and a free Sunday at The Bass.
The city is charging $1 per hour for municipal parking from August 1 through October 31. It applies in city lots, garages, and street zones across Miami Beach. There is one catch worth memorizing: it only works through the ParkMobile app. Enter the zone number and a promo code for that zone shows up in the app. Each session is capped at three discounted hours, and each user gets up to 45 discounted hours over the whole promotion. So it is not a free-for-all, but it is real money on a Saturday. Feed the app, not the meter.
The original Yardbird closed after 15 years
Yardbird Table and Bar has closed its original Miami Beach location after 15 years. The South Florida Business Journal reported the closure on August 6, after it turned up on the restaurant's OpenTable page. This was the one that started it all. The Southern brand was born here, picked up James Beard recognition, and then grew into other U.S. markets and all the way to Singapore. The brand itself is not going anywhere. But the room where the fried chicken and the bourbon list built their reputation is done, and that is a specific loss for this neighborhood.
Sweet Liberty is open again, and it was never closing
If you heard Sweet Liberty was gone, breathe. The cocktail bar closed on July 26 and reopened on Thursday, August 6, after a refresh of the room and the menu. Miami New Times reported the clarification after regulars spent a week assuming the worst. That reaction says something about the place. Bars close here all the time and nobody organizes a group chat about it. This one got a small panic. Two weeks dark, a redone room, a new menu, and it is back on the schedule. Go see what they changed.
A Waldorf Astoria is planned for 2201 Collins
Hilton and Reuben Brothers plan to renovate the oceanfront hotel at 2201 Collins Avenue and rebrand it as Miami Beach's first Waldorf Astoria. What Now Miami reported the plans on July 8. The 20-story building is slated for 348 renovated suites, each with a private balcony and an ocean view. The redo also covers the restaurants, bars, spa, fitness center, pool deck, and event spaces. Reopening is expected in winter 2027. That is a long runway, and these are announced plans rather than finished work, but it tells you where that stretch of Collins is heading.
Free art-making at The Bass on Sunday
The Bass runs Open Studio on Sunday, August 23, from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. It is at The Bass Creativity Center, 2100 Collins Avenue. Drop in whenever you want during those four hours. There are self-guided art projects, design challenges, and books to dig through. Activities come with museum admission, and for Miami Beach residents both the admission and the studio are free. Bring the kids or do not; nobody is checking. The program repeats on weekends through late September, so a rained-out afternoon has somewhere to go for the next month.
A guided walk through The Bass on the 29th
The Bass has a Highlight Tour on Saturday, August 29. A guide walks you through selected works and current exhibitions at 2100 Collins Avenue. It is a different experience than wandering in alone and reading wall text at your own pace. Someone tells you what to look at and why it is there. The museum has not posted a start time or admission yet, so check the page before you go. Pair it with the dollar parking and a Saturday morning at The Bass gets cheap fast.
The city wants to cut Art Basel's rent
Miami Beach officials have proposed a new convention-center rent deal for Art Basel. Artnet News reported that it could save the fair as much as $9 million over ten years. The fair now pays close to $1 million a year. The proposal would drop base rent to roughly $400,000 to $500,000 and have the city cover about $300,000 in police and fire costs. In return, the city wants $100,000 toward transportation and a ten-year commitment. Art Basel wants five. These are proposals under negotiation, not a signed contract, and the gap on years is the real fight.