I’ve lived in Bay Harbor, North Miami Beach, South Beach, Doral, on 8th Street, Kendall, Miramar, and honestly, Miami Lakes has been my favorite.
I can genuinely say that I love where I live. #iheartmiamilakes to the fullest. My husband has mentioned buying a bigger house elsewhere, but I just never want to move because I love Miami Lakes that much!
Miami Lakes is a small town with beautiful, consistent oak trees and lakes throughout the entire town. Widened sidewalks and paved walk trails have been recently added in order to promote a healthy lifestyle. The town is primarily in the shape of a circle, which ends up being a perfectly designed 4-mile trail when walking/running/biking around the four lakeways (Miami Lakeway North, South, East, and West). Oh… and did I mention the consistent oak trees throughout the entire town?! They are just so beautiful!
The Perfect Town
Miami Lakes has been the perfect town to build a home and raise two kids with my husband. Aside from the beautiful oak trees, there are parks at almost every corner in every neighborhood. The peaceful lakes are filled with turtles, fish, and ducks which my children enjoy feeding. The cows are Miami Lakes’ mascot because it was more than 50 years ago when the Graham family started their former dairy farm which made way for the build-out of the northwest Miami-Dade community. Through the years, it has been fun to see my son memorize where the cow statues are located as he asks to go to the next one while we go on our bike ride trail.
We go on family bike rides in the afternoons almost every day, where we see almost all of our neighbors outside walking their dogs or going on bike rides themselves. Actually, our neighbors are one of the main reasons why we don’t want to move–they have become family! The best part is that our neighbors can also say the same–not wanting to move because we love each other so, so much. Especially during this health pandemic, we have seen our neighbors more than we have seen our actual family, and well, I am thankful to have had them nearby this past year to stimulate my socialization skills on an enjoyable level.
Why do I love Miami Lakes?
-Mainstreet offers a variety of restaurants and local shops, in addition to a movie theatre. We love to walk around at night during the holidays when all of the oak trees are lit up.
-There are a variety of restaurants with outdoor seating now to comply with Covid-19 guidelines: Cancun, Salsa Fiesta, Bolay, Sergios, Casavana, El Novillo, Dr. Limon, Gauchos, Ana Capri, 100 Montaditos, Sushi Saki, Beverly Hills, Starbucks, Ale House, and most recently added, Chela’s Beer Garden.
-Fitness: Shula’s gym offers so much–from fitness classes for adults to sports classes for children to an entire gulf course. Shula’s gym even offers a daycare for your children while you work out! (It doesn’t get more convenient than that, am I right?!) There is also a local CrossFit (Caution Crossfit) and an Orange Theory. In addition to indoor gyms, there are two large parks (Miami Lakes Optimist Park and Royal Oaks Park) that offer sports for all ages. The beautiful playgrounds throughout the town are covered to block direct sunlight on our children while they play.
-Health: there is a Baptist Hospital Urgent Care and a Nicklaus Children’s Hospital Urgent Care in the actual town, along with a Pediatric Associates and several private doctors offices. The nearest hospitals are Palmetto Hospital in Hialeah and Memorial Miramar Hospital.
-Wellness: there is a Hand and Stone and a Massage Envy. The Shula’s Spa (which was my personal favorite), unfortunately, recently closed during quarantine.
-Holidays and celebrations: Miami Lakes offers several parades and events throughout the year for holiday celebrations. Last year, during quarantine, they dropped off Easter baskets at our door and created a drive-by haunted house/trick-or-treating experience to make the holidays extra special. For birthday celebrations, you can reserve a pavilion at one of the several parks or at the Miami Lakes Youth Center. Before covid-19, Miami Lakes would offer concerts and movie nights at Miami Lakes West Park, which my family and I would love to attend!
-Religion: there are several churches and temples.
-Schools: the neighborhood schools are all A+ schools.
-Groceries: there is a Publix, Winn-Dixie, and CVS. Miami Lakes even offers a farmer’s market on Saturdays from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm for a portion of the year. If you like to shop at Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s, the nearest ones are in Pembroke Pines which is a 20-minute drive from Miami Lakes.
-Location: Miami Lakes is central and has access to several highways–826 north or south, I95, I75, Turnpike.
I truly love living in Miami Lakes.
This post is part of our Love Where You Live series. Be sure to check out the other posts in the series here!
