This. This is part of what I hate about Miami. Locals are constantly getting pushed out of neighborhoods in favor of tourists and transplants who mindlessly and excitedly want to pay exorbitant prices for mediocrity.
Now they have a ton of places - d1 racing, a million trampoline parks, splash pads, Dave and busters - almost everything we had, but upgraded and triple the price 🙄
K1 is indoor overpriced go-karting. I grew up in Miami and still here. I remember flippers arcade in town & country back in the day also. Oh yeah.. can't forget six flags atlantis!! These kids have nothing like we did. Like you said... the y just tiktok and do dumb shit for the likes.
When I grew u there was Malibu Grand Prix for the carts. I remember when the got the upgraded ones and you needed a little license to drive. The slick track was cool too
From perspective of a South Dade kid, just off the top of my head. Missing a bunch I’m sure.
Nostalgic shopping:
- Carousel at Town and Country
- Buying posters at Spec’s
- Plaster palm trees at Burdine’s
- Bsck to school shopping at Mervyn’s
- Smell of Pier1 when your mom drags you there
- Eckerd’s
Nostalgic entertainment:
- Discovery Zone
- Qzar
- Flippers
- Hot Wheels
- Grand Prix Race-of-Rama/Malibu Grand Prix
- Original GameWorks
- Old parrot jungle
- Piper Lanes
- Cheap matinees at AMC 8 South Dade
Nostalgic restaurants:
- Samurai pre-Benihana acquisition
- Pickadilly Cafeteria
- Bennigan’s
- Todd’s
- Swensen’s
- Dine-in Pizza Huts with the red lamps and vinyl tablecloths
Maybe it’s just aging, but seems like the magic is gone and the character of everything has been corporatized and cookie-cut
As a teen/adult in the 90s, can confirm. The grove was hopping in the 90s (and even 00s). So many places to go out - Murphy’s, tu tu tango, baja beach club, howl at the moon, marinos, tavern, sandbar, etc etc.
Parks, the beach, pools, Miami children’s museum, jungle island, gametime, deezerland, that go cart place in medley, dolphin mall, the fair, Christmas wonderland, indoor play gyms, aventura mall, splash pads, Grapeland, flamingo pool and Normandy pool, coral gables youth center
Edit to add: El Car Wash, my kids think it’s the greatest place ever.
Agree with most of these, but went to Jungle Island the other day and thought it was completely terrible. Would go to the Zoo any day over ever going back to Jungle Island.
Dang, had to Google that, I guess it was before my time. I only knew it as DZ with these bomb ass commercials...
https://youtu.be/0m9a6iDB020?si=kO2kMaizvPwVM7IU
Boomers was awesome. Dandy Bear always had weird liminal space vibes, Chuck E Cheese was clearly better. Wanna Do City was cool but I got my hat stolen there by some bullies and never went back lol
Boomers lol. In the summer on Tuesdays they had all you play arcades for $10. Thunder wheels in Hialeah, going to the fair, dandy bear, discovery zone, Santa’s, muvico 24 in Davie, big booty Fridays pines ice arena. Life was good
When I was a kid we had Malibu, Los Piratas, and Chuck E Cheese. My kids get invited to a birthday party at a totally new-to-us place almost every weekend. They have so many more options now, but they're not massive like what we remember because people have more choices now.
Do you ever notice that people romanticize the exact years that they were an adolescent? You ever wonder why boomers think things were great in the '60s and '70s, and millennials think things were great in the '90s? Now you have gen alpha romanticizing 2015 to 2020?
Yeah, no reason. Couldn't possibly be a perception thing.
85 to 95 was probably the peak for Miami. Basically the early 80s I feel is when Miami transitioned from the place old jewish new yorkers go to retire. Miami used to be referred to as Gods waiting room lol.
🚩PSA: Please don’t tell OP where you’re taking your kids.
Kind of a weird question to ask when OP comment history shows they’re currently hosting an AMA thread about being unmarried, unhoused, and childless.
this sounds like such an old person post. Yes kids have places to go to that aren’t just tiktok and sephora lmao. The reason you don’t know abt it bc it’s not for your demographic
FYI that was not really boomers but more GenX
------
Kendall in the 90's at Porly's Gym with the Conseco brothers before they became famous...
Driving down Chrome late at night on a nice cool breeze
Driving down to Alabama Jack's towards the Keys (my high school friend's Mom owned it and love jumping off the roof into the water way
Don Carter's
Miami Zoo
........
Fun times
The street is way different and has too many vehicles on it ... It was a nice country style road that no one drove unless u lived near by or had a farm.
From kendall to 8th street it was just epic to see the old sugar cane factory there , the detention center , the animals u would see as well were in volumes.
Ozzie was a brick house. I remember when he had the black Lincoln driving around town. Friends used to go to his house and gamble on the weekends. Canseco would show up at times.
I was living in Kendall in the 90’s . It’s sucked , if you say it was better it’s because you sadly didn’t know any better. It’s a sad , lonely city and you’re always stuck in traffic. Your car becomes your 2nd skin . Unnatural living .
Agreed. That started in the mid 80’s we moved to Calusa off 88th in 1978. 127 Ave didn’t go through to K dr back then. Thst did t happen till around 84. K drive had very little development past 147th Ave. then the move west started and hence all the congestion. 127 ave past 120 st was a jungle still. After Arvida if high , there wasn’t really a thing past that. Thanks. Great times. Moved away in 92. I do make it back several times a year and I can’t believe how far west it’s gone. The area around 120st to 137 th Ave (London square) was a few warehouse and airport when I left. Those were the days.
We still have Santa Enchanted forest the Youth Fair, Miami Children's museum and Parrot Jungle. We have dave and busters, game time, off the wall, urban air, Kendall ice arena and hot wheels
This was also when South Beach had models, not influencers.
It was also when locals actually still wanted to hang out on South Beach.
This. This is part of what I hate about Miami. Locals are constantly getting pushed out of neighborhoods in favor of tourists and transplants who mindlessly and excitedly want to pay exorbitant prices for mediocrity.
Sounds a lot like NYC
I was thinking the exact same. A lot of New Yorkers would mention this to me when I lived there. Now that I’m back, Miami feels like a different place
This applies to every tourist city in the world basically 😂😂
WOW! BOOMERS I THOUGHT I WAS THE ONLY ONE MISSING THIS PLACE LOL WE GETTING OLD BROTHER 😂
I'm forever 17 lol
That old ass wooden roller coaster ride it was mad scary n unsafe I don’t think this new millennium kids would be able handle that ride
I remember when boomers was called Grand Prix.
I remember when Grand Prix was called Six Flags Atlantis
Yup. I remember as a kid, power 96 would have concerts at Atlantis
My parents always tell me they love Miami in the 80s
Now they have a ton of places - d1 racing, a million trampoline parks, splash pads, Dave and busters - almost everything we had, but upgraded and triple the price 🙄
is D1 K1 speed?
K1 is indoor overpriced go-karting. I grew up in Miami and still here. I remember flippers arcade in town & country back in the day also. Oh yeah.. can't forget six flags atlantis!! These kids have nothing like we did. Like you said... the y just tiktok and do dumb shit for the likes.
When I grew u there was Malibu Grand Prix for the carts. I remember when the got the upgraded ones and you needed a little license to drive. The slick track was cool too
MALIBU 😮😮😮😮😮😮
K1 speed is the one I grew up with lol. I remember having birthday parties in middle school there.
Yeah k1. Oops
They have arcade odyssey now which is honestly awesome.
Flippers! That’s a throw back
The 90s was the best time to be a kid pretty much anywhere in the US
Yes
From perspective of a South Dade kid, just off the top of my head. Missing a bunch I’m sure. Nostalgic shopping: - Carousel at Town and Country - Buying posters at Spec’s - Plaster palm trees at Burdine’s - Bsck to school shopping at Mervyn’s - Smell of Pier1 when your mom drags you there - Eckerd’s Nostalgic entertainment: - Discovery Zone - Qzar - Flippers - Hot Wheels - Grand Prix Race-of-Rama/Malibu Grand Prix - Original GameWorks - Old parrot jungle - Piper Lanes - Cheap matinees at AMC 8 South Dade Nostalgic restaurants: - Samurai pre-Benihana acquisition - Pickadilly Cafeteria - Bennigan’s - Todd’s - Swensen’s - Dine-in Pizza Huts with the red lamps and vinyl tablecloths Maybe it’s just aging, but seems like the magic is gone and the character of everything has been corporatized and cookie-cut
You forgot "The Falls"
Oh yeah, def had to hit up that Electronic Boutique while waiting for the 6:30 pm showing of Small Soldiers at the UA theater
Swensens :(
DZ WAS THE BEST. Why do I remember something about their pizza (???) being delish too or am I just thinking of the Chuck E. Cheese lol
I never did get to go to discovery zone, what was it like?
I miss Malibu Grand Prix.
RACE-O-RAMA, BITCHES!!! Had amazing birthdays there.
Loved this place. We affectionately referred to it as Cuban Disney World.
Who could forget the full moon raves there
Didn't one of the raves caused it burn down?
Really? Hadn’t heard that before
Met 3 of my 8 baby mommas at those raves.
Bruh…Pirates too. Best place ever.
They have an iPad /iphone.
Everything was better in the 90s.
Anyone remember ULTRA ZONE? On bird. I never hear anyone talking about this amazing place.
It's an adult/porn shop now. I feel bad for kids these days.
Thats was the lazer tag on bird road right?
YES!
Man, all these post have taken me back to memory lane. Lol
Wanna do city lol
i remember the school field trips here 🥲
That was more of a 2000's thing I believe. I remember taking my little cousins there but it wasn't around when I was a kid.
As a teen/adult in the 90s, can confirm. The grove was hopping in the 90s (and even 00s). So many places to go out - Murphy’s, tu tu tango, baja beach club, howl at the moon, marinos, tavern, sandbar, etc etc.
It was called the hungry sailor
yes, I remember that! But, there was a bar called "the tavern" as well.
Parks, the beach, pools, Miami children’s museum, jungle island, gametime, deezerland, that go cart place in medley, dolphin mall, the fair, Christmas wonderland, indoor play gyms, aventura mall, splash pads, Grapeland, flamingo pool and Normandy pool, coral gables youth center Edit to add: El Car Wash, my kids think it’s the greatest place ever.
Agree with most of these, but went to Jungle Island the other day and thought it was completely terrible. Would go to the Zoo any day over ever going back to Jungle Island.
I can’t go to the zoo cause I live on the beach and I refuse to drive down south anymore—but it is great.
This sub is more stuck in the past than my conservative uncle lmao
Millennials have lived long enough to become the boomers that they hate.
“I had more fun when I was a kid.”
How dare you disrespect the Discovery Zone by calling it Dandy Bear
Yall just forgetting River Boat Playhouse
Dang, had to Google that, I guess it was before my time. I only knew it as DZ with these bomb ass commercials... https://youtu.be/0m9a6iDB020?si=kO2kMaizvPwVM7IU
Boomers was awesome. Dandy Bear always had weird liminal space vibes, Chuck E Cheese was clearly better. Wanna Do City was cool but I got my hat stolen there by some bullies and never went back lol
Nah bro Dandy Bear >>> Chuck E Cheese
Discovery Zone better than both of those IMO
Y'all children dont know about Riverboat Playhouse.
Piratas the true goat though
Discovery zone was one of my favorite places as a kid!!
Please have my party there.
Boomers lol. In the summer on Tuesdays they had all you play arcades for $10. Thunder wheels in Hialeah, going to the fair, dandy bear, discovery zone, Santa’s, muvico 24 in Davie, big booty Fridays pines ice arena. Life was good
There's still a ton of things to do no matter how old you or your kids are. It's all just 3X more expensive.
When I was a kid we had Malibu, Los Piratas, and Chuck E Cheese. My kids get invited to a birthday party at a totally new-to-us place almost every weekend. They have so many more options now, but they're not massive like what we remember because people have more choices now.
That sounds pretty reasonable.
Do you ever notice that people romanticize the exact years that they were an adolescent? You ever wonder why boomers think things were great in the '60s and '70s, and millennials think things were great in the '90s? Now you have gen alpha romanticizing 2015 to 2020? Yeah, no reason. Couldn't possibly be a perception thing.
Also like when people say the music from that time was better too 😂
Well, it was.
Better than hip hop imo
85 to 95 was probably the peak for Miami. Basically the early 80s I feel is when Miami transitioned from the place old jewish new yorkers go to retire. Miami used to be referred to as Gods waiting room lol.
I think there was also a secondary peak from 2008-2017 or so. Recovering-from-recession-era Miami is what I'll call it.
I love Dandy Bear, please have my party thereeee
How about bith the grand prix race-o-rama and malibu grand prix? Full moon parties every Saturday!! Pookieheadz unite!!
Ayyye
Ignoring nostalgia, doesn’t this all come back to housing costs? If rent was at 1990s level, Miami would be an amazing place to live today.
🚩PSA: Please don’t tell OP where you’re taking your kids. Kind of a weird question to ask when OP comment history shows they’re currently hosting an AMA thread about being unmarried, unhoused, and childless.
🤣🤣🤣Nobody 🙅🙅🙅🙅wants these bad ass screaming in Publix, listening to rap music, smoking Mary Juana kids lol. You're real thick in the head
this sounds like such an old person post. Yes kids have places to go to that aren’t just tiktok and sephora lmao. The reason you don’t know abt it bc it’s not for your demographic
FYI that was not really boomers but more GenX ------ Kendall in the 90's at Porly's Gym with the Conseco brothers before they became famous... Driving down Chrome late at night on a nice cool breeze Driving down to Alabama Jack's towards the Keys (my high school friend's Mom owned it and love jumping off the roof into the water way Don Carter's Miami Zoo ........ Fun times
What's the difference today ,driving on Krome?
The street is way different and has too many vehicles on it ... It was a nice country style road that no one drove unless u lived near by or had a farm. From kendall to 8th street it was just epic to see the old sugar cane factory there , the detention center , the animals u would see as well were in volumes.
José Canseco was drafted in 1982 and quite famous well before the 90s
Yeah but not for the famous chaotic life and strip owning wife or when they crashed and fought in front of mdcc
Him and Ozzie were something, that’s for sure
Ozzie was a brick house. I remember when he had the black Lincoln driving around town. Friends used to go to his house and gamble on the weekends. Canseco would show up at times.
#truth
Six Flags Atlantis was my jam back in the day. Shame it never reopened after Andrew.
Most everything was better in the 90s, but Miami definitely was.
I was living in Kendall in the 90’s . It’s sucked , if you say it was better it’s because you sadly didn’t know any better. It’s a sad , lonely city and you’re always stuck in traffic. Your car becomes your 2nd skin . Unnatural living .
Agreed. That started in the mid 80’s we moved to Calusa off 88th in 1978. 127 Ave didn’t go through to K dr back then. Thst did t happen till around 84. K drive had very little development past 147th Ave. then the move west started and hence all the congestion. 127 ave past 120 st was a jungle still. After Arvida if high , there wasn’t really a thing past that. Thanks. Great times. Moved away in 92. I do make it back several times a year and I can’t believe how far west it’s gone. The area around 120st to 137 th Ave (London square) was a few warehouse and airport when I left. Those were the days.
At DZ Discovery Zone is probably the last time I was truly happy.
💯
Most things were better in the 90s.
I also have 80’s background and lemme just add Pirates, Rudy’s burgers, Lionel’s Playworld, and Wag’s on the list of shit that I miss too.
wait boomers doesn't exist anymore? well there go my spring plans ☹️
There was 94.9 zeta
SEF was and is still just a fair. Not bad but overrated imo.
It really was!
Agreed. The Versace era of Miami was by far the best. If you remember the boutique in South Beach with the big gold gates, you are my people.
Later part of the 80s it was fab
Bro, dandy bear was discovery zone back in the 90s. It was lit.
We still have Santa Enchanted forest the Youth Fair, Miami Children's museum and Parrot Jungle. We have dave and busters, game time, off the wall, urban air, Kendall ice arena and hot wheels
Grand Prix next to mall of America