Wynwood, located North of Downtown Miami, was formerly a warehouse and garment district but has evolved into a funky hip community of breweries, unique restaurants, boutique shops, and art galleries. The real draw here is the myriad of murals and you can find artworks from some of the world’s best known street artists. This trendy area is growing rapidly too. We first visited in 2017 and there were so many new businesses and restaurants when we returned 4 short years later.
PARKING
Parking is the biggest issues when visiting. Expect weekends and special events to be potentially problematic. We try to get there well before lunch and we have not had any problems finding parking. Wynwood garage located on 26th Street. Daily parking is currently running $30. There are however a variety of metered and pay by phone parking options in the neighborhood as well. We generally head to our starting point and drive around the block and see what’s available and reserve the parking garage for backup.
WYNWOOD WALLS
Wynwood Walls is the real attraction here and what drew so many businesses to set up shop in Wynwood. This street art museum opened in 2009 in an attempt to devlop the areas pedestrian potential. There are over 3 million visitors a year. Tickets are $12 with children under 12 free and discounts for military, senior citizens, and students. The murals are constantly changing so this is a place you can visit over and over.
Should you want to do a tour you can purchase admission with a 50 minute tour for $25 but there are alternative tour options as well. Wynwood Art Walk offers a variety of tours including an opportunity for you to wield a can of spray paint yourself. If you don’t want to spring for admission or a tour, then don’t fret. There are plenty of murals to be found throughout the neighborhood.
WYNWOOD BREWERIES
There are currently 4 breweries here: J Wakefield, Wynwood Brewing Company, Veza Sur, and Cerveceria La Tropical. Breweries come and go and Wynwood is no different in this regard. However J Wakefield has been part of the Wynwood scene well before Wynwood Walls was established. The taproom itself is mostly Star Wars theme with a sprinkling of other sci-fi/comic book themes. They even have a table with Han Solo frozen in carbonite. Coincidentally the beer is not just good, it’s fairly creative. On our last trip, I really enjoyed “The Juice is Worth the Squeeze,” a fruited Berliner Weisse made with guava, lulo, and soursop.
I also think Veza Sur is worth a mention. We were very impressed with this brewery. One of the brewers was behind the bar and you could clearly tell he is passionate about what he does. He kept our friend, also a brewer, entertained for a solid 40 minutes discussing brewing techniques and equipment. In addition to beer they also offer a variety of unique beer cocktails. They have food on site too. Chifa to be exact. Chifa is a fusion of Cantonese and Peruvian Everything we tried was delicious and new to us. Their space is quite cozy too. We spent some time playing games
THE FOOD SCENE
Wynwood has historically been inhabited by immigrants and, not suprisingly, you will find a variety of cultural food options here. We are always down for a good taco and therefore made a beeline for The Taco Stand. The menu features hand made corn tortillas as well as a wide variety of tacos, burritos, and quesadillas at an affordable price. Did I mention they have Elote?
Other budget friendly options in the neighborhood include the La Sandwicherie, for French style sandwiches, Eriqueta’s Sandwich Shop a local favorite for Cuban fare, and Zack the Baker for a variety of soups, salads, quiches, pastries, and daily specials.
If you’re looking for something else to do in Miami, be sure to check out Little Havana. You can read my review of the Little Havana Food & Culture Tour here.
