Miami/Design District

The Miami Design District is a small neighborhood in Miami about two miles north of Downtown, with several blocks of filled with furniture showrooms, art galleries, fashion boutiques and hip eateries. Many creative services, such as architects and graphic designers, have also set up shop within the district. The district was founded in the 1920s to create and market furnishings for hotels during the South Beach art deco boom, but withered, along with much of Miami, when crime rates soared in the 1970s and 80s. In the 1990s a local developer began revitalizing the area and looking for hot, brand-name tenants, and the Design District is returning as an area for shopping and dining. However, the density of these locations remains low, with few pedestrians exploring the archipelago of attractions.

The main intersection for the Design District is at NE 2nd Avenue and NE 39th Street.

As with most of mainland Miami, the most convenient way of traveling to the Design District is by car.

• From Miami Beach, take interstate highway 195 west and exit immediately after the causeway onto Biscayne Boulevard North. Cross Biscayne Boulevard and keep going until you see NE 2nd Avenue.
• From Downtown Miami, go north on Biscayne Boulevard. Make a left at NE 36th Street and then a right onto NE 2nd Avenue.
• From I-95, exit at highway 195 East. Take the Biscayne Boulevard exit and continue on NE 36th Street, and make a right onto NE 2nd Avenue.

Street parking is generally plentiful, but the meters are hungry so bring a lot of quarters. Alternatively, valet parking should also be available at certain venues.

Buses are not very well oriented for tourists, but can be used to get to the Design District.

• From Miami Beach, take the #110 J-Airport bus from W 41st Street and Collins Avenue. Buses come every half hour and the trip takes around 15 minutes to arrive. Exit at NE 2nd Avenue or NE 1st Avenue on NE 36th Street. Walk north underneath the highway overpass for about three blocks.
• From South Beach, there is no direct bus line so you will need to transfer. One way of doing this is to catch the #103 C-Downtown bus from Washington Avenue, then transfer at the Omnitert bus station to the #10 163 St Mall bus. Exit the bus at NE 2nd Avenue and NE 40th Street and you are right in the Design District. This trip can take up to 45 minutes.
• From Downtown Miami, take the #9 Aventura Mall bus anywhere along NE 1st Avenue. Buses come every half hour and the trip takes around 15-20 minutes to arrive. Exit the bus at NE 2nd Avenue and NE 40th Street and you are right in the Design District.

• Plumer Alley/Oak Plaza (perpendicular to NE 1st Avenue and NE 2nd Avenue, connecting NE 39th St and NE 40 St).  
• Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami, 61 NE 41st St, ☏ +1 305-901-5272. This one is good if you like trying to figure out if it's you or the painting that is touched. 
• 25.814722-80.1902781 Haitian Heritage Museum, 4141 NE 2nd Ave #105C, ☏ +1 305-371-5988, [email protected]. T-F 10AM-5PM. Founded in 2004 to commemorate Haiti’s bicentennial independence. $10/adult, $7/student.  (updated Nov 2023)

• Design District Gallery Walk. 7PM-10PM. Taking place during the second Saturday of each month, this is an evening of art, dining, cocktails and other events in the Design District. 

The Design District has a large amount of art galleries and retail showrooms, mostly for furniture manufacturers. These are just a small handful of stores worth checking out here. For a complete selection, you can browse the Design District's official listings [1].

• Poliform, 4100 NE 2nd Ave #101-102, ☏ +1 305 573-9950.  
• Driade, 4141 NE 2nd Avenue, ☏ +1 786-615-9792.  
• Fendi Casa, 90 NE 39th Street, ☏ +1 305 438-1660. The first U.S.-based showroom for the Italian luxury brand. 

• Michael's Genuine Food & Drink, 130 NE 40th Street, ☏ +1 305 573-5550. $5-$40. 
• MC Kitchen, 4141 Northeast 2nd Avenue. Modern Italian cuisine by Chef Dena Marino. 

• * Kush, 2003 North Miami Avenue. Gastropub with a good local beer selection. 

Hotel options in or around the Design District itself are fairly lacking. Travelers should look for lodging in Downtown Miami, Midtown or Miami Beach and travel in when visiting the district.

• There is a US Post Office located at 66 NE 39th Street, between N Miami Ave and NE 1st Avenue.