Abandoned Building in Miami Beach

Everyone thinks they know Miami, Hollywood has burned a particular image into our minds. A Magic City complete with beautiful beaches, silicon implants, mob owned nightclubs, and celebrity DUIs.

But there is a side of Miami that isn’t as glamorous, yet still captivating. Far away from the tourist traps, you’ll find the REAL Miami.

I decided to go out and explore some of these more mysterious areas late at night, when most people are at home in bed, or getting drunk in clubs. It’s surprising what you can find when you head out with no particular plan in mind.

To begin my adventure, I roamed the streets of South Beach. Not the main tourist roads, but the back alleys and side streets that are often overlooked. Here I found abandoned hotels, stray animals, and a homeless woman trying to break into a police car… Not the Miami Beach you see in the movies.

Man Baits Fishing Hook Under City Lights

Next up, I visited the underside of a major causeway that links Miami Beach to the City of Miami (for those unfamiliar with the area, Miami Beach is actually a separate city, on an island). You find all kinds of strange and wonderful things under bridges!

Like local fisherman catching their breakfast by lantern light in view of the beautiful Miami city skyline. A fantastic and surreal scene that you would never experience getting hammered on touristy Ocean Drive…

Finally, I ventured over to the Wynwood Art District of Miami. A bit run down, it’s full of all kinds of crazy characters out and about at night. The area is packed with urban art galleries and professional graffiti wall murals, as well as some local bars and clubs that are far away from the tourist scene in Miami Beach.

Man Baits Fishing Hook Under City Lights

After parking the car, I paid a responsible looking crackhead to guard it from thieves while I explored the area. I know this may sound silly, but if you don’t want your vehicle to be broken into, pay a little protection money to the homeless guy that keeps watch on that particular street. I’ve never had any problems doing this, and it’s definitely worth $1 to prevent your car windows from getting smashed in.

Right outside the Vagabond, a favorite local hipster bar in the area, I found this man dancing around in the streets with an immaculately clean wedding dress on. He saw my camera and demanded to be my model. How could I say no?

So after an impromptu bridal photo session in the middle of the street, I decided to call it a night. You never know what you’re going to find when you take the road less traveled, but it’s almost always an adventure!