Miami Gardens, home to the Miami Dolphins, is a city located in north-central Miami-Dade County, mid-way between Fort Lauderdale and Miami. This suburban city in the semi-tropical state of Florida is the third largest city in the county with an estimated population of slightly over 100,000 residents.The city was reincorporated in May 2003 to Miami Gardens, named after one of the major roadways in the area, “Miami Garden’s Drive”.Miami Gardens is a wholesome, working middle class community with a diverse population of different communities and with the local landmarks, such as the Calder Casino and Gulfstream Park West Racetrack.
Some of the places worthy of visiting in Miami Gardens include, firstly, the Miami Stadium, previously known as the Dolphin Stadium and Sun Life Stadium. It is a $240 million massive structure and has a capacity of 65,326 seats. Five different Super Bowls have been hosted here. Other Bowls like the Orange Bowls and Shula Bowls have also been hosted here. Apart from football matches, The Miami Stadium has also played host to National League Championship Series and World Series baseball leagues. The stadium also had the once in a lifetime opportunity to host the Wrestle Mania XXVIII and occasionally host concerts, monster jams, and soccer matches.
The other main attraction of Miami Gardens is the Calder Casino and Gulfstream Park West Racetrack, which was established almost half a century back, in 1965 by Stephen A. Calder. The casino, however, was opened recently in 2010. The horse racing track is a one mile course consisting of mostly turf and some chute mixes. The stable has the capacity of 1850 stalls to hold the magnificent race horses and a capacity of 12,000 seats to allow the viewers to sit back and enjoy the races. The race track is accompanied by 220 acres of picturesque parcel. Calder also has a jockey colony, where diversity is embraced with jockeys belonging to different nationalities.
Within the city of Miami Gardens, the locals can obtain a whiff of fresh air at the Miami Carol City Park, Norwood Park, and Miami Gardens City Parks and Recreations. Often people get to enjoy the open space, BBQ grill facilities, play sports such as basketball, baseball, and tennis, and also go swimming in the pools. In the outskirts of the city one can find Miami Lakes Optimist Park and Amelia Earhart Park. Miami Lakes Optimist Park has the usual amenities of tennis court, soccer fields, playgrounds, etc. Amelia Earhart Park, on the other hand, is a massive 515 acre urban park with an eight-mile bike trail, skate boarding and fishing facilities, dog parks, disc golf course, and Bill Graham Farm Village.
When in Miami Gardens, one can stay in Hotel Roma Golden Glades Resort, Stadium hotel, or Roadway Inn Miami. Some of the best places to wine and dine include Arline’s Soul and Seafood Restaurant, Lorna’s Caribbean & American Restaurant, or Captain Crab’s Takeaway. The Calder casino and the Stadiums can also provide some good quality food. Most multinational fast food chains like Burger King, Wendy’s, Taco Bell, KFC, Subway, McDonalds, etc., can be found right around the corner. The Miami Opa Locka Executive Airport is nested right next to the city, making air route the easiest and fastest way to reach Miami Gardens.