The University of Miami’s main campus is located in the city of Coral Gables, in Miami-Dade County. UM students take advantage of the world-famous climate and attractions that make South Florida such a unique place to live and learn. Enthusiasts of sports, arts and the subtropical environment will all find something within driving distance of the University. Below is just a taste of South Florida.
Everglades National Park, John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park in the Florida Keys, Miami Seaquarium, Miami Science Museum, Jungle Island and the award-winning Zoo Miami are just a few of the attractions in South Florida.
Music, theater and art buffs are never at a loss for things to do. The Miami City Ballet and the New World Symphony Orchestra all call Miami home. Downtown Miami’s new Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, which opened in fall 2006, is one of the country’s premiere venues for music, theatre, and dance. Art museums, including UM’s own Lowe Art Museum, the Miami Art Museum and the more than 100 art galleries in Coral Gables and Miami Beach, make South Florida an art-lovers’ haven. The annual Miami International Film Festival brings the best in world cinema to South Florida. The area’s many concert venues make South Florida a stop on nearly all of the major concert tours.
With more than 40 golf courses, 500 public parks and thousands of miles of paths for biking, running or walking and the miles of beaches, South Florida is truly an outdoor lover’s paradise.
For sports fans, South Florida is home to a professional sports team for all of the major sports. The NFL’s Miami Dolphins, NBA’s Miami Heat, baseball’s Miami Marlins, and hockey’s Florida Panthers all play their home games in South Florida. Other sporting events come to South Florida on a yearly basis, including major golf tournaments such as The Honda Classic and the Ford Championship, NASCAR and Indy racing at the Homestead Miami Speedway, and championship tennis at the Sony Open. And for a local flavor, try the area’s pari-mutuels – greyhound and horse racing and jai-alai.
With our ethnic and cultural diversity, South Florida is home to many festivals, parades and fairs. Carnaval Miami, a 10-day festival celebrating the many Latin American cultures and the Kwanzaa Festival honoring the African-American community are only two of the larger events. Other events include the Coconut Grove Arts Festival, the Miami-Dade County Fair & Exposition, and the Renaissance Festival.
UM’s Coral Gables campus is down the street from one of the larger shopping centers in Miami-Dade, the Shops at Sunset Place. The multi-level center has a variety of stores and restaurants plus a movie theater and interactive video game themed restaurant. Students can either walk or take the UM HurryCane Shuttle over. The Village of Merrick Park, just a few minutes away from the campus, offers a wide variety of upscale shops. South Florida is also rich with restaurants to satisfy all budgets and tastes.
