I have been running this race since they started 3 years ago - I must say that this event keeps…read moregetting better and better- This year's route change was an upgrade to years past, even though it was really good to begin with, to give runners the opportunity to run over the most scenic causeways in Miami: The Mac Arthur and Julia Tuttle, starting and ending on Ocean Drive in South Beach...with a huge after party. So far this is probably the best endurance event in South Florida. Well organized and with a great course. It is also ran in the best time of the year and the weather is unbeatable.

I really, really, really liked running this race. The course was beautiful & literally on my…read moredoorstep. This year, the race began and ended on the always lovely Ocean Drive. I must admit when I was walking to the starting line it was rather humorous to see all the drunk people staggering about wondering why I was dressed in such silly clothing..... Anyhow, the race went south down and over the Mac Arthur Causeway (which is an awesome run in the am, especially when you don't have to worry about cars)... the little hill before the main land made me wish I had run it more often when training. Then we scooted on over past the Arsht Center and up 2nd street. It was nice to be able to really look around, since in the 2 years I've lived here I don't think I ever have looked around there! Then we turned the corner to cross the Julia Tuttle Causeway.... At this point (6 miles in) I think I had to turn up my headphones to drown out the jaws theme music that started playing when I saw the hill to get on the causeway! AND, I had to laugh because they chose to have photogs camp out near the top of the hill.... I'm sure there will be some hilarious photos from that (especially from all us flatlanders that live on the beach). Thankfully there was a water table at the bottom of the hill, SCORE! But, then there was another little hill looming 2 miles up the road, thankfully we had some time to recover. Then the zigzag past the golf course & big houses, to the always entertaining Washington Ave then...... I should have looked at the course map more carefully.....I turned the corner, was running to the beach & thought I would get there and be home free... 2 more blocks (13th to 11th), FAIL! Had to go north for a hot minute on Ocean then back down to 11th to finish with my legs feeling like lead. Thankfully Esther G had set up in the grass in the final stretch & gave me the final cheers (and videoed me looking like hell -- she may be willing to sell it to anyone wanting to blackmail me...) to drive me to the finish, nothing like running along the sand for the final stretch with people cheering! The finish line was way less crowded and cluttered than I thought it would be & the after events were cool. The live music & beer tent were my favorites! I think part of the reason I liked the race so much is because it wasn't wall to wall people the whole time. You could get into a running groove without worrying about someone taking you out from behind & it was a lot less traumatic to grab water from the tables. I think for first timers or beginning runners this is a good race to start at. It didn't quite have the same hype as the ING (also not 22,000 people at the MB race), but I really enjoyed it, got a personal record & a shiny new medal!

I just experienced the most blatant age discrimination in my entire life. The web site offered…read moregroup tennis open sign up on Sunday and there were only two of us assigned to the end court. The head tennis pro asked the young lady if she played and she said she hadn't played in a very long time. Then he walked up to me and I told him I never played a game and he asked me to leave. He said I couldn't play on weekends as it was for match play only. He never even did a skill assessment yet the young girl got one after was asked to depart because she was allowed to stay and get a lesson. All he saw was an over weight old lady. I could see it on his face and hear it in the dismissive way he spoke to me. As a matter of fact, I work with a ball machine and had he not embarrassed me by asking me to leave he may have learned that I was a competitive player. I was so upset. This got worse in the office where he made excuses for his behavior treating me like I was stupid. He implied that I was not truthful when I said the site offered beginners lessons. He was making a bad situation worse so it was best that I get away as quickly as possible. I was in tears.

Amazing energy! My kids can play over six hours in a row during camp and leave asking for more…read more.. Beautiful to witness how the coaches get the kids engaged with so many playful games. Thank you to the whole team at Neighborhood Tennis!

Laura is a first rate personal trainer based in South Miami. I went to her for running training and…read morehad me doing 5ks in short order.

Fantastic tennis school! The coaches are experienced and provide excellent training. The facilities…read moreare top-notch, and I've seen great improvement in my game. Highly recommend for all skill levels!

META is great. The…read moretennis program the coaches follow at META is structured and it produces measurable results. My daughter was ready to quit tennis right before I brought her to META; since META tennis is fun again and she has made tremendous progress. In her own words "Coach Vince speaks Sammy".

My daughter danced there because we liked someone who was really good who was teaching there. But…read morehe's gone, and, oh my gosh, the training is so sub par. This is not the place for serious training. And the director is just always telling the moms their kids need overpriced privates. Way overpriced. Poor training. Rude people.

Miss Maria is incredible! She is so creative and runs a great operation. She truly loves the…read morechildren and has taught my daughters discipline and grace.

Best swim instructors ever…read more Summary: Exceptional methods and results. Fabulous with highly sensitive and/or very cautious kids. Impeccably reliable/timely. Safety-focused. CPR certified. Built an incredible rapport with my little that makes grown ups work hard to earn her trust. Details: We have a lake and a pool in our backyard but put off lessons due to covid. By the time we finally got my then-3.5yr old in the pool without a puddle jumper, she wanted NOTHING to do with the experience. She's naturally very cautious and not a water baby at heart (didn't even like splash pads or the bath). We reached out to Tamara of Swim Me after reading glowing reviews but had very low expectations for success. She started with lower-risk activities like kicking her feet in the water and chatting. Over the course of several months (our family schedule was wonky), we've worked with two instructors, both of whom have an OT background and they have done an extraordinary job. A few things I specifically valued: they were on time, all the time. They focus on safety and teach it regularly in a fun/relevant way. They encouraged us to leave our pool vacuum in the pool along with anything else that's normally in it. If she, God forbid, falls in, they won't be foreign or hard-to-manage obstacles, she knows how to navigate them easily. Sometimes they even throw in extra things as a curveball just so she can figure them out in a SAFE environment. We went from terrified of a grave outcome if she found herself in water, and from screaming and crying any time she had to get in, to a kid who knows (and follows!) all the pool safety rules. She can land anywhere in the pool (which in 95% of it is over her head) and knows more than one way to get to air and back to dry land. Honestly, I got misty the first time I saw it. It's not just seeing her impressively kick and paddle from one side of the pool to the other (which she can do and brings great joy to us ), but knowing she is equipped for a myriad of scenarios. Now if you were to ask her, she'd just tell you that Ms. Beatrice is super fun and she loves their play time. I can't think of a better scenario: we know she is infinitely safer from a real danger, and she just thinks she has an epic playdate weekly. Bonus: she also loves the splash pads and the bath now which is a secondary win for mom.

I was basically born at this club! Best clay courts in Miami and an amazing staff with the best…read moretennis pros. It is a members only club, but definitely worth joining.

Lots of courts and in great condition. The new clubhouse is awesome!!!!read more

I only reached out to Brian based on a Yelp review stating Brian scheduled a few tennis lessons…read morewhile the reviewer was on a short visit to Miami. Brian's response time was not great. Maybe a week to hear back. Only way you can get a pickleball lesson from Brian is by signing up for a months-long commitment. Might be a great tennis resource, but if you're looking for a pickleball lesson, don't start here. Spoiler alert: it doesn't take several months to learn how to play Pickleball. Brian wasn't especially cordial, but he did offer a few other suggestions. Because it took him forever to respond, however, I had already gotten a great response from a few other places.

After being out of the tennis game for ten years or so, I decided it was time to get back in! I…read moresearched for tennis lessons around Miami and decided to give Backhand City a try. Brian offers novice and intermediate group classes throughout the week and a package of six sessions costs $225. Classes take place at Kirk Monroe Tennis Center in Coconut Grove in the evenings. The classes I attend start at 8:00 pm and last until 9:30 pm, with an optional warmup at 7:30 pm. Attendance varies but is usually anywhere from 4-8 people depending on the night. Overall, I've learned a ton the handful of times I've gone. Brian is very knowledgeable and passionate about the sport. My fellow classmates are super friendly and encouraging... I'm starting to progress and will hopefully be confident enough one day to take part in one of the tournaments he organizes. No matter where you are on your tennis journey, I'd recommend giving Backhand City a try if you're looking to fine tune your skills!