This morning my wife and I joined a group for a guided tour provided by the Miami Design Preservation League. I am sure that there are other tours, but only this one can be considered the most authentic. Afterall, the preservation of the Art Deco District of Miami Beach - all 800 Buildings - is due to the four decades of work done by this organization. It was an easy walking tour filled with insights on the history of this famous area and the beach community itself. There is a lot more to see, but the information offered the basics for us to continue up the beach to see the many other sites of Art Deco prominance.
Miami Beach is still going through a renaissance and the Art Deco district is filled with half completed renovations and ones that still have to be made. Still, the ones that are completed are great. The tour gave us an opportunity to go into the boutique hotel lobbies and get pointers on what to look for.
I understand that the location of the League is moving to new quarters and that their building on 10th and Ocean Drive is being rebuilt. I would check their site http://www.mdpl.org/ for more information.
We enjoyed the 90 minutes and also the people we met on the tour. But, do it in the morning, since the heat and humidity can be tiring. Bring a bottle of water!