Surfside Florida
A boat zipping through the Atlantic Ocean near the shore
Water park, café and activities at the Community Center on Collins Avenue
Town Hall, a Harding Avenue landmark
Immediate access to the beach from oceanfront resorts
Town-commissioned arts project known as the Turtle Walk
Shopping and dining along Harding Avenue
Relaxing visit to the beach after biking around town
Fun options: splashing in the waves or in a resort pool
- Major Airports:
- Miami (MIA)
- Fort Lauderdale (FLL)
- States:
- Florida
Small-town charm near big-city Miami
Surfside’s serene beaches run from Bal Harbour to North Beach, between 96th Street and 87th Terrace. Nearly two kilometers of uninterrupted shore and a picture-perfect backdrop of the turquoise-blue Atlantic Ocean can be enjoyed any day of the week.
To thoroughly enjoy this leisurely town, you can rent a bike at the designated Deco Bike stations and take the beach route, which showcases waterfront residential buildings, the town’s community center, the chic Grand Beach Hotel as well as luxury condominiums, the Four Seasons Hotel at The Surf Club, and The Fendi Chateau.
When Surfside incorporated in 1935, it consisted of 50 residents and is currently inching near the 6,000 mark. Surfside is special because it still overflows with charm. The business district gives an air of a small-town main street with residential Art Deco-style houses on streets named after famous writers and poets: Abbott, Byron, Carlyle and Dickens.
Just steps away from the ocean, a brisk walk can be enjoyed on the palm tree-lined Harding Avenue, the town’s shopping and dining district. You will find unique and independently owned sidewalk cafes serving international to traditional American cuisine. In recent years, Surfside has grown to become known for its generous representation of kosher food options. Selections vary and include upscale kosher Italian, barbecue, sushi and a kosher cholov Yisroel-inspired pizzeria with an ice cream and pastry shop. A kosher supermarket specializes in Shabbat feasts.
Shopping on Harding Avenue is also diverse. You'll find flower shops, eyewear boutiques, high-end fashion and fabric stores, chain stores like Starbucks, Jean Claude Biguine salon, banks and other convenient amenities and services.
While visiting Surfside during the winter months, you can catch Third Thursdays, an evening block party on the third Thursday of the month from January through April. In addition to live entertainment, the party offers a variety of food trucks alongside 95th Street between Collins and Harding avenues, adjacent to Surfside’s main shopping and dining corridor.
A couple of blocks south on 93rd Street between Collins and Harding lies the Tales of the Surfside Turtle Art Walk, the town’s Art in Public Places initiative where local artists created turtle sculptures to bring awareness to the loggerhead turtles that come to nest in Surfside.
The town is steadily growing and becoming more inviting to visitors who want to enjoy a town that provides easy accessibility for shopping, dining or just spending the day at the beach. It’s a safe family environment where one can reconnect to all that really matters.
Fun Fact
In the 1920s, before it became a town, Surfside was named “Normandy Beach” by the Frenchman who owned most of the area.