MIAMI BEACH, FL - "I'm in Miami, bitch!"

I’ll be honest; I had low expectations for Miami. Miami’s reputation for being a shallow, materialistic, over-populated, over-augmented, over-tanned, and under-dressed “LA of the East Coast,’ never appealed to me. After living in Tampa, FL for 3 years, I had but fleeting momentary regrets of never driving 4 hours south to visit. However, being the idealist I am, I wanted to give Miami, and particularly South Beach (SoBe) a chance to prove me wrong. Okay, perhaps my decision to take a trip down to Miami may have been influenced by the fact that it was November and DC was dipping into the low 60s during the day, while Miamians were basking in the mid-80s and sunshine. Either way, I set out to see what Miami is all about.