Discover North Bay Village

Geographic orientation and parks

North Bay Village lies between Miami and Miami Beach, in the middle of Biscayne Bay. Approximately 4.75 miles of private and public waterfront property are among its defining geographic features; this figure includes both types of ownership. Its location between Miami and Miami Beach gives you an initial sense of where you are in relation to your trip. Parks, art, and historic place names offer further concrete points of reference for understanding North Bay Village as a destination.

Dr. Paul Vogel Community Park is located at 7920 West Drive. It is open to the public daily from sunrise to 9:00 p.m.; exceptions apply for special events and unforeseen emergencies. Another named place is Philip Schonberger Memorial Playground at 1841 Galleon Street. The addresses clearly distinguish the two places to visit.

Nearby is Pelican Island, a 10-acre public island. Its facilities include covered picnic shelters, barbecue grills, picnic tables, and a sand volleyball court. Pelican Island is also a bird and wildlife sanctuary. Brown pelicans and cormorants are found there, as are other marine animals such as dolphins and manatees. The island, its facilities, and its wildlife offer different points of reference for finding your way around the area.

Public art

The Vogel Park Frame Sculpture, created by Florida artist Jeff Whipple, stands in Dr. Paul Vogel Community Park. Curved steel arches and delicate metalwork frame the view of Biscayne Bay. The sculpture invites visitors to step inside and pose for photos in front of the bay. Also in Vogel Park, the North Bay Native Species Mural depicts native marine species and pollinators. Both works connect the park to themes from the immediate surroundings: one through the view of the bay, the other through the species it portrays.

Other artworks are scattered across named locations in North Bay Village. The Island Walk Mural at Benihana combines the look of “Heart of the Bay” with the Benihana brand and features cherry blossom motifs. The “Heart of the Bay” welcome mural is located on the Grove by the Bay building along Kennedy Causeway. Next to Civic Park is a brightly painted Florida Power & Light utility box, designed by the artist duo “We Are Nice ‘N Easy.” On Harbor Island, local artist German Dubois created environmentally themed artworks on the Village’s traffic islands.

Island Walk South Plaza is also a distinct point of reference: North Bay Village completed the plaza in 2019; it is located between the East 79th Street Bridge and Grandview Palace Condominium. The similarly named Island Walk Mural at Benihana is a mural. Distinguishing between the names helps prevent confusing an artwork with a plaza.

Historic names and entertainment

The name Treasure Island comes from Robert Louis Stevenson’s literary creation. Broadcast Key, also known as Cameo Island, was the location in what is now North Bay Village from which radio station WIOD (610 AM) began broadcasting in 1926. These historic place references show how names and broadcasting history are connected with the development of today’s municipality.

In the 1950s, North Bay Village’s popular restaurants and nightclubs attracted prominent guests such as Frank Sinatra and Judy Garland. In the late 1960s, Dean Martin opened his own nightclub, Dino’s. Together, these dates offer a brief glimpse into the history of entertainment: the restaurants and nightclubs mentioned shaped an earlier era, while Dino’s represents a further historic chapter in the late 1960s. Alongside its geographic location and contemporary artworks, names and cultural memories also contribute to North Bay Village’s distinct character.

Discover more destinations: Doral, Golden Beach, Country Walk, El Portal, Opa-locka, Ives Estates, Florida City, Naranja.

For the broader travel overview: Miami-Dade.