The former moviehouse has been snazzily transformed into a multilevel dance palace complete with lots of balconies ideal for voyeurs, so many bars you can’t take three steps without sidling up to one, groovy ’60s-style psychedelic projections on the walls, and lots of thumping bass for the Power 96 crowd. The scene inside the Cameo nightclub at 1445 Washington Avenue.Ĭameo, 1445 Washington Ave., 532-0922: On South Beach, some nightclubs come and go with blazing speed (remember Hell? The Lizard Lounge? Impyrean?) and others, like the rock-steady Cameo, continue to pack them for eternity. On our visit, we didn’t recognize anybody but had a great time hanging out in the rear open-air patio, which has such a lilting tropical feel we would’ve sworn - after a couple of drinks - we were on some Caribbean island. The owners include Sean Penn and Simply Red singer Mick Hucknall, and their showbiz friends like to visit often, so it’s a good place for celebrity sightings. During the carnival-like atmosphere of the Sunday afternoon T-dances, Amnesia is representative of everything South Beach is known for.īash, 655 Washington Ave., 538-2274: This place sports one of the funkiest decors of any South Beach hang - even the bathrooms are splashed in vibrant, kaleidoscopic colors - but it’s the eternally diverse crowds and the little-bit-of- everything music mix that keep it hopping. On weekends, the place is overrun by fun-hungry tourist types and causeway crawlers. Dress nicely but comfortably, particularly on muggy nights. Since things are al fresco here, you won’t choke on second-hand smoke and you can carry on a conversation without having to bellow - though we’d hate to see what happens when it rains. Elegant Mediterranean architecture, one of the best light shows on the Beach, bleacher-type seating areas ideal for crowd-scanning, and comfortable couches and covered lounge areas on the second level for more intimate conversation. Nearby residents hate all the noise and are making some of their own to the city, but this seasonal club’s huge popularity indicates it won’t be quieting down anytime soon - at least until they close down for the summer (they’ll be out of action July 17-Oct.
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Club goers dance during one of the famed foam parties at the open-air club Amnesia, 136 Collins Ave., on July 14, 1995.Īmnesia, 136 Collins Ave., 531-5535: Since its opening last February, this sprawling, open-air dazzler has generated a lot of talk.