Partnership with Fairchild Botanic Garden Spurs Conservation Effort
and Latest Instagrammable Moment on the iconic pedestrian mall.
Miami Beach’s Lincoln Road District, recognized as the cultural and social hub of Miami Beach, announces its latest permanent installation – 500 orchids, planted along the pedestrian street’s trees between Meridian Avenue and Jefferson Avenue. The orchids, which more than a century ago blanketed oak and mahogany trees throughout South Florida, will be attached to the Road’s existing trees as part of Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden’s The Million Orchid Project.
Lincoln Road already welcomes more than 11 million visitors annually, and now those strolling through its eateries and boutiques will also be able to marvel at the beauty of 500 colorful orchids, take social media-worthy photos along the path and learn about Fairchild’s program to reintroduce native orchids into South Florida’s urban landscapes.
The orchid project was funded by Stephen Bittel, Chairman and Founder of Terranova Corporation, a property owner on Lincoln Road, as a gift to the City of Miami Beach. Born and raised in Miami, Stephen grew up with a passion for orchids, and envisioned green spaces along Lincoln Road blooming with these colorful flowers. His gift was warmly accepted by the City commission in a public hearing and orchestrated in partnership with Fairchild.
“It is an honor to protect and help this native species propagate again naturally,” said Bittel. “The Million Orchid Project is a vital conservation effort. As Miami Beach’s most walked promenade, Lincoln Road will give visitors and locals alike visible, free access to one of South Florida’s most precious gifts.”
More Free Events, Exhibits and Things to Do on Lincoln Road
Through the vision and sponsorship of the Lincoln Road Business Improvement District (BID), the 14-block district is committed to ensuring the iconic street, long known as Miami Beach’s living room, remains a pedestrian promenade where locals and visitors gather to experience and partake in free activities ranging from tango lessons and yoga classes, to live concerts and farmers markets.
To cater to the residential base, the Lincoln Road BID is also sponsoring free weekly fitness classes, including bootcamps on Mondays, yoga on Wednesdays and Sundays, Zumba on Tuesdays, and the SoBe Run Club on Thursdays. A recent survey conducted by the City of Miami Beach ranked Lincoln Road as the place or facility 60% of area residents say they visit most, and 47% of those same respondants say they visit Lincoln Road at least once per week.
“Tourists and locals are increasingly looking for experiences that make them feel connected to the community they are living in and visiting,” said Timothy Schmand, executive director of the Lincoln Road BID. “The Lincoln Road District is not only a preferred destination for world-class entertainment, dining and shopping, but now it is also a place to learn about the complexity and fragility of natural South Florida environments, and educate our millions of visitors about the importance of habitat restoration.”
To learn more, visit lincolnrd.com and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @LincolnRd.
About Lincoln Road
From quirky hipsters and swanky fashionistas to laid-back surfer-skater types and all that lies between, the crowd drawn to Lincoln Road may be visiting for different reasons, but the underlying factor bringing this group together is the same – it’s still is the coolest place to be and be seen in Miami Beach.
Affectionately referred to by some as Miami’s living room, there is nothing as quintessentially Miami Beach as Lincoln Road. It’s the street where models walk their dogs after runway shows, where bikini clad rollerbladers zip past window shoppers, and where café culture overrules standard business meetings.
Lincoln Road has reached critical mass, and with good reason. The pedestrian promenade is home to the best of everything. Best places to shop? Try hyper-trendy boutiques like Lulu Laboratorium, Alchemist and Intermix or national cult favorites like Lululemon. Even popular nationwide stores are more interesting here – Banana Republic is in a former bank building, Guess is inside a former Cadillac dealership (complete with its original exterior signage), and All Saints Spitalfields is housed in a synagogue-turned-Jehovah’s Witness temple. Looking for the best place to eat, but overwhelmed by Yelp reviews? Head over to Lincoln Road’s new food halls Lincoln Eatery or Time Out Market, which features 17 local chefs and boasts, not one, but three bars. Music and entertainment lovers will find refuge in the Lincoln Road District – home to the Fillmore, New World Symphony, Colony Theatre, and Regal South Beach movie theater. Steps away is the newly remodeled Miami Beach Convention Center, which welcomes world-renowned Art Basel every December. Even the parking garages on Lincoln Road are a cut above the rest. Considered “carchitecture,” the Herzog & de Meuron-designed 1111 Lincoln Road building is a modern masterpiece and magnet for photographers, social media influencers, locals, and tourists alike.
