In preparation for Urban Beach Week, WLRN-Miami Herald News asked members of the Public Insight Network to weigh in on the festival.
In the seven years my wife and I have lived on South Beach, we’ve only left town for one Memorial Day . We make it a point to not make any plans for the holiday weekend that would require us to use our car, because of the difficulty of finding parking upon our return in addition to the aggravation of fighting through the traffic getting on, off, and around the beach.
But we do not mind Urban Beach Week any more than we mind any of the other big events that come to Miami Beach, like the Super Bowl. Most of the inconvenience of Urban Beach Week, like those other events, is the traffic. As far as being afraid of crime, we typically don’t worry about it. Most of the violent incidents from years past have taken place in the late hours of the night, or very early in the morning, times of day we are typically not out and about anyway.
Urban Beach Week gets a bum rap. the publicized violence that takes place during the weekend’s festivities is usually the fault of local South Floridians, many coming from other parts of Miami, Broward County, or beyond. It is not the fault of the many people who come from other parts of the country to enjoy what Miami Beach has to offer.
Urban Beach Week is proof that Miami Beach is a great place to vacation. Miami Beach has become very popular among the celebrities and fans of “urban culture,” as well as other groups. This is just more proof that Miami Beach is a “come as you are” place where the world comes to play.
John Ermer was born (1982) and raised in Miami-Dade County and has lived in South Beach since 2006. John has worked as a freelance writer and is currently a teacher of social studies at Miami Beach Senior High School and a grad-student at Florida International University. John and his wife, Jackie (also a teacher), love living in South Beach.
