On the back of the card
- Margaret Pace Park, at 1745 N Bayshore Drive, is Edgewater’s bayfront park; nearby street parking is managed by the Miami Parking Authority.
- The free Wynwood trolley stops at Margaret Pace Park, and Metromover’s Omni loop ends at the School Board station.
- Bayfront addresses should be checked against Miami-Dade’s storm surge planning zones before you sign.
Edgewater is the strip of the city between Biscayne Boulevard and the bay, north of downtown and the arts and entertainment area around Omni. It has filled with residential towers, many with long views across the water to Miami Beach, while keeping a few older low-rise streets between them. People often choose it as a slightly quieter alternative to Brickell, close to downtown, Wynwood and the Design District.
The park at its heart
Margaret Pace Park, at 1745 N Bayshore Drive, is Edgewater’s shared backyard on the bay. The City of Miami lists it in its parks directory, and street parking around it is run by the Miami Parking Authority, so residents with cars should plan on paid parking or a building garage. For people in the surrounding towers it is a natural place for a morning run, a walk with the dog or an evening on the water.
Getting around
Edgewater is well placed for transit without being a transit hub itself.
- Metromover’s Omni loop reaches the north end of downtown and ends at the School Board station, near the south edge of Edgewater. It is free.
- The free City of Miami Wynwood trolley stops at the School Board Metromover station and at Margaret Pace Park, so Wynwood is a short ride west. It runs Monday through Saturday from 6:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.
- The Biscayne trolley runs along the corridor between downtown, Brickell and the Design District, including Sundays from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
- Metrorail is farther away; most residents reach it through Metromover downtown.
The Metromover and trolley combination makes downtown errands easy without a car. For trips to Coral Gables or the airport, plan on a transfer to Metrorail. Fares are explained in Getting Around Miami Without a Car: Metrorail, Metromover and the Free Trolleys.
Nearby neighborhoods and historic districts
Edgewater sits between areas with very different characters. To the west is Wynwood, covered in Living in Wynwood: From Warehouses to Murals and New Housing. To the north, along Biscayne Boulevard, the City of Miami has designated the MiMo/BiBo Historic District. Farther north is the Morningside Historic District, another of the city’s ten local districts.
Morningside Park, at 750 NE 55th Terrace, is a larger bayfront park that Edgewater residents use too. The city lists a boat ramp open daily from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and a tennis center, with general park hours from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. For anyone with a small boat or kayak, that ramp is a real convenience.
Living on the bay: the water questions
Surge zone
Bayfront towers are high above the street, but the street, garage and lobby are not. Check the address on Miami-Dade’s storm surge planning zone map. The county’s zones, A through E, mark areas that could see a surge of a foot and a half or more, and evacuations are ordered by zone based on the forecast surge. Ask the building what happens during an evacuation order: are the elevators shut down, is there generator power, and where should cars go?
Flooding and insurance
If you buy, the seller must give you Florida’s flood disclosure at or before contract signing. It covers flooding the seller knows of, flood insurance claims and federal assistance. Read it alongside the condominium association’s own records. Because homeowners and condo unit policies do not include flood coverage, ask about a separate flood policy. Renters should ask whether the building or its parking has flooded.
Hurricane season
The Atlantic season runs June 1 through November 30, with activity peaking around September 10, according to the National Hurricane Center. Ask for the building’s written hurricane procedures when you tour, including what residents must do with balcony furniture before a storm.
Owning a unit
Owners who live in their Edgewater condo as a permanent residence can apply for the Florida homestead exemption. You need title and residence on January 1, and the application is due to the Miami-Dade Property Appraiser by March 1. After that, Florida’s Save Our Homes rule caps yearly increases in the home’s assessed value at 3 percent or the inflation rate, whichever is lower.
Tip: Ask to see the building’s most recent rules on short-term rentals and pets before you commit. In a tower, those rules shape daily life as much as the floor plan does.
Who it suits
Edgewater suits people who want water views and a park on the doorstep, quick access to downtown and Wynwood, and a calmer feel than Brickell. It suits less well if you need Metrorail at your door or want a house with a yard; for that, look at Morningside to the north or the neighborhoods in the south of the city.