Miami New Times

As we lead up to the book release party, New Times’ Editor in Chief, Tom Finkel, shares some words. "I stumbled into journalism in January of 1989. It was a whim — I’d just finished an MFA in fiction writing and I intended to carry on doing what I’d been doing the past two years: tending bar and writing short stories. A novel, maybe. Only I wanted to do it someplace new. A weekend visit to Miami in late 1988 — my first time in Florida, ever — sealed the deal. I met a local author who, upon hearing my vague plan, suggested I get in touch with the editor of New Times, an upstart free paper of the type then known as “alternative weeklies.” When I got home, I mailed Jim Mullin my résumé and the only writing samples I had, some short stories. Then, a week after Christmas, I packed up my 1973 VW bus and drove south. Mullin brought me aboard at New Times, first as a part-time proofreader and, by summer, as a full-time staff writer. The staff was growing too. We attracted a constant influx of young talent. Some couldn’t handle the pace. But others stuck, seduced by the livable wage and the freedom to tell stories that editors at other publications wouldn’t touch, as well as the opportunity to experiment with longform narrative and various other forms of what can best be described as disturbing. I still remember when New Times flew DeFede in from Spokane to interview for a job toward the end of 1991. The Chronicles of Willy and Sal is a collection of disparate stories written by Jim DeFede for Miami New Times during the 1990s. We were lucky enough to have reported on Miami in the 1990s while it was happening, and we think there’s value in revisiting that work from a new vantage point. This book would not have been possible without the generous grant from the Knight Foundation, Letter16 Press, Rakontur, Jim DeFede, Jim Mullin, Mike Lacey, Jim Larkin (1949–2023), and every single other person who ever helped keep Miami New Times afloat on newspaperdom’s storm tossed seas." 📰 Become a recurring New Times member by September 30 and receive a signed book and poster, all for just $15 a month at miaminewtimes.com/support

Move over, Wynwood. Step aside, South Beach. Miami's newest cool-kid neighborhood is officially making waves. Time Out has deemed the 1.25-square-mile-chunk of Miami known as Little River one of the coolest neighborhoods in the world. Clocking in at a solid no. 12 on a list of 38 cool neighborhoods around the globe would appear to certify that our own Little River is having a moment. The travel mavens at Time Out say they tapped insiders to tease out places that offer the best in food, drink, art, culture, and that elusive "it factor." Other Miami neighborhoods might pop to mind when you're calibrating those factors into a list of contenders. But if you think about it, Little River — bordered roughly by Little Haiti to the south, I-95 to the west, NE Fourth Court to the east, and the banks of the Little River itself to the north — is far from a pretender. Nor is it a mere flash in the Magic City pan. It's an area with its own long (by Miami standards) history, and a place that's chock-full of creative energy and local color, not to mention some of Miami's best eats and arts. Better still, it has largely managed to dodge the trajectory of the increasingly typical Miami bulldoze-and-build development template. Which not to say it won't fall prey to the real estate speculation/gentrification engine that powers the city's political and economic boiler room. But for now, at least, it's a cultural playground by locals, for locals. Read the full story: https://lnkd.in/eebaH_rf

On Monday, Amtrak announced a new temporary daily train service connecting Chicago and Miami. The Floridian, as it has been dubbed, will offer round-trip service with stops in Tampa, Orlando, Jacksonville, Washington, D.C., Pittsburgh, and Cleveland and will launch on Sunday, November 10. The trip combines the Capitol Limited and Silver Star routes for a limited time as the company makes way for the East River Tunnel Rehabilitation Project in New York. "During this project, one tunnel tube will be closed at a time, minimizing service impacts, maximizing construction access, and modernizing the tunnel infrastructure to serve customers for another 100 years," the rail company's announcement reads. As far as accommodations for the 47-hour journey, customers in coach class will be treated to wide, reclining seats with "ample legroom." First-class private room options include a roomette, which offers two reclining seats that turn into beds and shower access, or a bedroom, which is twice the size of a roomette and is equipped with an in-room bathroom and shower. The private rooms will have large bi-level windows, a sink, and a dedicated attendant who can provide turndown service, assist with meals, and help with luggage. Read the full story ⬇️

Big news on the home front: New Times has re-created a piece of our own history in book form — and we want to give you a copy! With the assistance of a generous grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, we collected former staff writer Jim DeFede's coverage of the U.S. government's pursuit of Miami's infamous "Cocaine Cowboys," Willy Falcon and Sal Magluta (AKA Los Muchachos). The Chronicles of Willy & Sal takes readers through this improbable only-in-Miami tale exactly as New Times readers experienced it in real-time in the 1990s, with the bonus of scores of added visuals — evidence photos, courtroom sketches, reproductions of the original newsprint layouts, and more. How can you get your hands on this piece of local history? It's pretty simple. 🗞 Learn more details: https://lnkd.in/evWJpiyt

For anyone who has ever wanted to live out their disco-themed, wind-in-your-hair, roller-skating dreams in the heart of Miami, those prayers are now being answered. Wynwood Skate is rolling into the arts district starting Thursday, September 12. Talking place at Wynwood Marketplace and presented by Swarm and Bucket Listers, the open-air roller rink promises to be the ultimate hangout spot for anyone looking to glide through the area. From Thursdays to Sundays through November 1, skaters can grab a ticket (starting at $25, which includes skate rental) and enjoy an hour on the rink. The best part? No need to be a skating pro. Whether you're a roller-derby queen or a newbie just trying to stay upright, this rink welcomes skaters of all levels. Derek Berry, Bucket Listers' head of experiences, says the idea was conceived after opening similar skating pop-ups in California, as well as after having other successful events in Miami, including the Malibu Barbie Café in February and the Golden Girls Kitchen last year. ⛸ Read the full story: https://lnkd.in/duhPh4AW

A funky downtown Miami spot for delicious Vietnamese food has just been named one of the best new restaurants in the U.S. According to Bon Appetit, the popular Vietnamese restaurant Tâm Tâm is one of the 20 Best New Restaurants of 2024. Founded by husband-and-husband team chef Tam Pham and sommelier Harrison Ramhofer, Tâm Tâm has quickly grown from a supper club pop-up for those in the know to a full-service restaurant serving devoted customers for dinner every Tuesday through Saturday. The restaurant was born from Pham and Ramhofer's disappointment with Miami's Vietnamese options. And while both come from a background in hospitality, Pham — with no formal chef training — makes food that transcends diners to his family's cooking. "I've always enjoyed cooking," Pham told New Times in 2023. "But a lot of it was, and still is, trial and error." 🍜 Read the full story: https://lnkd.in/ePpY2uee

On September 4, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) released its annual rankings of the 2025 Best Colleges in the U.S. Florida International University (FIU) was the highest-ranked Florida university on the list. In collaboration with college-focused survey and research firm College Pulse and data researchers from Statista, the WSJ considered weighted components including salary outcomes (70 percent) such as salary impact and years to pay off net education cost, learning environment (20 percent), and diversity (10 percent). This year's rankings expanded to 500 schools from last year's roundup of 400. Private and public universities in the Sunshine State did not fare well in the 2025 rankings. The University of Florida (UF) which is already dealing with the fallout from Ben Sasse's one-year stint as university president, fell from 15 to 83. It was previously named the best public university in the nation in the 2024 rankings. Now, the publication found UF is 24th among public universities in the U.S. Although FIU was the highest ranked out of all the Florida schools, it dropped from its previous ranking of 29 to 77. The University of Miami tumbled 141 spots to 231 from 70 while Florida State University fell from 102 to 199. The University of North Florida, which was not listed in the 2024 rankings, comes in at 170. Read the full story: https://lnkd.in/exq3WDyd

Inter Miami CF's controversial soccer stadium at the site of the former Melreese Country Club just east of Miami International Airport is slated to open in 2026, the club announced on Wednesday, September 4. "After years of dreaming, it is so exciting to be sharing that in 2026, Inter Miami will be moving to its long-term home at Miami Freedom Park," David Beckham said in a statement. "Miami Freedom Park is the culmination of years of hard work and a desire to realize a vision and create a lasting legacy for the fans and the community of Miami and South Florida." After Miami voters approved a no-bid deal to build Inter Miami's Miami Freedom Park at the publicly owned Melreese site, the City of Miami Commission approved a 99-year lease in 2022 as part of a deal l that some residents say benefits wealthy developers at taxpayers' expense. As the club awaits the opening of its new stadium, it has been playing home games at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale. A 131-acre development, Miami Freedom Park will feature a 58-acre public park, athletic fields, retail shops, office space, restaurants, hotels, and an entertainment venue. Read the full story ⚽ : https://lnkd.in/df6dkagS

While many people visit Doral for its sprawling golf courses and upscale food halls, there's one longtime attraction that isn't labeled on Google Maps: the "cow lot." The sprawling, 175-acre green space — situated on the corner of NW 107th Avenue and NW 41st Street — has long been a familiar landmark for Miami locals. Once owned by siblings Claudia Lemon Cook and Charles Buck Lemon and previously passed down through generations of the Lemon family, the land has been home to dozens of grazing (and occasionally mischievous) cows over the years. But as one social media user recently pointed out, the beloved bovines have suddenly vanished. "I’m honestly sad that the Doral cow pasture is gone and they’re finally gonna develop the land after all these years," user @majordouzie wrote on X. State records show that in January 2022, Claudia Lemon Cook relinquished control of Doral Farms LLC to Bridge Point Doral 2700 LLC, an affiliate of the Chicago-based real estate development firm Bridge Industrial Acquisition. In March 2022, Charles Buck Lemon died at age 68, according to an online obituary. In June 2022, three months after his death, Doral Farms LLC officially sold the cow pasture to Bridge Industrial Acquisition, Miami-Dade County property records show. While it's unclear how much the development firm paid for the lot, the Lemon family previously asked for more than $300 million for the land. Read the full story below 🐄

Just a few weeks after our readers went wild over the news that Cava will open in Plantation this year, word on the street is the popular Mediterranean food chain will head down south to Miami next A New Times source has confirmed that Cava is slated to open at the Shoppes at Highland in Hialeah Gardens. However, the contract and official opening announcement depends on the company obtaining the proper licenses and permits to operate in Miami. The property is being developed in Hialeah Gardens with stores such as Publix, Ulta Beauty, Burlington, Panera Bread, and Panda Express. Near Cava's slated location, the retail plan shows a Tropical Smoothie Cafe and First Watch Cafe. Cava's official LinkedIn page also posted a job listing for a restaurant general manager role in Hialeah on August 31. Read the full story below ⬇