Haute Living’s “Luxe And Leisure Weekend” was a weekend where guests were able to indulge in a weekend of luxury as Haute Living and Brickell City Centre partner together to present a series of curated events featuring some of the world's greatest luxury brands in the watch, automobile, fashion, and culinary industries. One of the many highlights from the weekend was a special real estate panel for Haute Residence about the future of downtown Miami that took place at Rise tower at Brickell City Centre.
The panel was moderated by Related ISG’s Alex Vidal and included powerhouses in the real estate area such as Douglas Elliman’s Cecilia Hinojosa, Related ISG’s Craig Studnicky, ONE Sotheby’s Harvey Daniels, Engel & Völkers’ Magnus Jennemyr, and Compass’ Andres Larin.
During the discussion, many interesting points were brought up about the downtown Miami area. Those in attendance who are downtown residents may have agreed with many of the observations and predictions that were brought up.
One point that came up in the talk was downtown becoming more connected than ever before. Harvey Daniels states "there's always been a break.. and now there's connectivity, a flow of retail and restaurants." If you’ve been in the downtown Miami area lately, you’ve seen the scooters that downtown residents and visitors are utilizing to maneuver from various downtown establishments that are short distances. With new buildings and restaurants being built, residents are living feet away from downtown museums and restaurants that bring the community closer than ever.
Many real estate professionals noted that 10 years ago, no one wanted to live in the downtown Miami area. Andres Larkin spoke about how he's been in Miami for about 10 years and feels "we have now reached that work, play lifestyle." An appealing quality developers are taking note of is creating working spaces in their buildings. With spaces to work and live, buyers feel more inclined to lease or buy because they have no commute time and they are getting a space to live and work in one building.
Panelists noted how downtown Miami is becoming more metropolitan like New York City. Like New York City, downtown Miami is creating more public spaces where people can partake in outdoor yoga along with various entertainment shows happening that appeal to everyone. With places like Brickell City Centre hosting farmer’s markets and other community activities, downtown residents are able to feel more connected to their neighbors like never before.
The discussion ended with giving Miami an age if it were a person. Many said Miami was a mature woman in her 30s while Cecilia Hinojosa believes Miami is "ageless." Miami, especially the downtown area, is maturing. It’s no longer just a place to go out during the weekend and leave. Downtown Miami is providing something for everyone. For the entrepreneur who wants to live close to his business to the family who wants to ditch their car to live in a more pedestrian-friendly environment to be in the mix of things. There’s a neighborhood in Miami for everyone. More and more buyers are seeing the growth that has happened in downtown over the last few years and want to be a part of it. For those looking to buy in the downtown Miami area, it is definitely the best time to do so. Downtown Miami is becoming the hub for all things and with developers taking note of what buyers are wanting as they look in the downtown area, more and more people will see that there’s a place for them downtown.
The evening ended with a cocktail hour in one of Rise towers' penthouses where attendees were able to take in the breathtaking view of downtown Miami's Brickell neighborhood. Here, guests were able to experience firsthand all that living downtown is about. With residential buildings like Brickell City Centre's Reach and Rise towers, buyers are able to be in the midst of everything like proximity to amazing retailers, restaurants and have amenities that give them the luxurious Miami lifestyle.
Photos courtesy of Romain Maurice
