I visited The Koubek Center recently for a Miami Film Festival GEMS screening. The center is located in a residential area so may be a little tricky to find initially. Parking is quite limited so ensure some time to find some or to carpool/ride share. We found street parking but had to walk a few blocks to get inside due to the gates being closed and only triggered to open via cars. The actual theater inside is really nice, clean and quite updated. Great screen and sound system and comfy seats. Clean facilities and kind staff. I'd definitely return to catch another film here! read more

The Koubek Center - Cultural Center Near Me - Miami, Florida

NOTE: They do not rent to people anymore unless you're planning on dropping big money/ multiple day rentals. However, they will pretend they do in order to judge how much money they can get. The website makes no mention of these required minimum days or minimum $. I first contacted Koubek Center many months ago to inquire about a 4 hour rental of a classroom multiple months in advance. I didn't hear back from anyone until exactly 1 month later -- someone named Bianca who started the emailing explaining they are "swamped" and responding late to emails. This was fine and I inquired again about the rental. Over a month passed and nothing again. I tried calling but the director, Melissa, was never available and Bianca either doesn't work there anymore or was on vacation, I was told. Finally, after multiple more calls and emails where I'm basically begging to give them money for a service their website claims they offer, I was directed to a man named Antonio who told me he's "about to send an invoice." Yes invoice, not estimate. He never sends it and then ignores my calls for 4 days. Finally I give up and try going in person. Note that the multiple times I visited the Koubek Center -- none of the classrooms were being used. Including this visit. It was barren. I finally meet with Melissa who laments how overworked she is and that's why she's not answering phone calls or responding to emails. She claims she was "just about to tell me" (huh?) and tell me that she is no longer allowed to rent classrooms for only the minimum 4 hours. What? After 2 months of inquiries -- and two other people telling me it's available and even pretending to "send an invoice" to my email -- I'm finally told it's impossible. Which could have easily been done in the first email response. Except the truth is they only made it impossible after seeing a 4 hour rental (for any time -- I was flexible) really wouldn't be profitable for them, so they ignored all follow-up calls and emails. Honestly, if Melissa is so unbelievably swamped and overworked she can't send a single email or respond to a single phone call in 2 months, maybe they either need to hire someone else to this position who manages their time better. Don't bother dealing either this place. This spaces aren't even very nicely kept and the administration clearly uses immature passive tactics to avoid dealing with customers. It's frankly pathetic. read more

A coworker of mine does acting on the side, and well, she recently participated in a play called Romeo vs Julieta. It was for this aforementioned play that I went to The Koubek Center, and wow, I completely didn't even know this was here and I honestly feel I should have. My mother literally spent twenty years working across the street from there at a doctor's office. That aside, this cultural center has valet parking for $5, or well, at least it did when another coworker friend of mine and I went. Parking seemed tight in my opinion, but we had no issues getting in and out. They do only take cash though. They need to get with the modern times, but given this size of this place, you cannot ask for much. For what it is, the theater is small yet spacious. You're definitely not cramped watching a show, but don't be surprised if actors become part of the audience. It is what it is. The acoustics and sound were on point, the attendant up front where we got our tickets was nice enough, and I wouldn't mind going back and seeing another show. Would it be my first choice? Probably not, but I do know that I will have a good time there, so that's something to consider. read more

The Koubek Center - Romeo vs Julieta program and ticket. - Cultural Center Near Me - Miami, Florida

Went here for a theatre play. It has actually a very nice theatre. You can see the stage well, and hear all the words clearly. It is not a huge hall, but it is cozy and comfortable and it allows for an immersion in the play. I was a bit worried about the parking before going, because from the outside it doesn't look like much, but they actually have a $5 valet parking and works wonders. The ticket booth is small and right besides the entrance to the theatre, and it moves fast enough... you can get the tickets on Internet and pick them up there. The play was really good and fun. In all, I expect to come back for future presentations read more

The Koubek Center - Ticket and play program - Cultural Center Near Me - Miami, Florida

When the movie "Lovelace" was showing in Miami, I made it a point to watch it. As an indie film not backed with million in advertisement dollars, only a few theaters showed the somewhat controversial "Lovelace", one of those locations being the Koubek Center. I have never been to the Koubek Center but only heard of it sporadically here and there, and learned about it more recently when I was invited for the reopening of the newly furbished facilities. When I got to the Koubek Center I was very surprised. The grounds were simply gorgeous. I parked my car in the private parking lot and walked around. Well, I did more than that. I thoroughly explored the site. This MDC facility used to be a mansion and gardens, a sort of memorial build by the late John James Koubek to his wife, Rose Garibaldi Koubek. He was a real estate investor who became a benefactor and philanthropist, and who later gifted the mansion to the University of Miami to make it the home of the Cuban Cultural Center (now defunct), hosting it for decades. The mansion itself is enclosed by a fence, and surrounded by tall trees and lawns. The grounds are not large enough to be a estate, but large enough to house a gazebo among other things. Currently, the Mediterranean style mansion serves as offices and classrooms, theater, movie theater, museum, conference room, etc., but more importantly, it is the house to Teatro Prometeo, a Hispanic flavored theater troupe. At the time of this review, the center is housing The Tower Theater and its patrons. Since The Tower Theater is closed for renovations, a light schedule is en place to accommodate those who can't live without the schedule of movies featured at The Tower Theater. For this function, The Koubek Center has fitted the newly renovated theater with a medium sized screen. I do find the screen to be annoyingly small, but I am thinking of a large megaplex monster screen. For the showings that I have attended, everything has been perfectly fine, and I guess the small screen will do in the meantime. The sound, on the other hand, is really good, as well as the sitting. The Koubek Center also offers small yet important and serious theater plays. Also, they feature dance shows and music concerts. A word of caution: The Koubek Center is inclined to offer the more underground art scene, showcasing Hispanic authors and artists, and consequently, Latin American themes. It's definitely not Broadway, but it is very educational. Parking for the daytime functions is free, but there is a charge for night time showings. read more

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The Koubek Center, a former mansion, is a great place for getting exposure to cultural events. Located off of 27th Street in the Little Havana neighborhood, it is a cultural and historical landmark in South Florida, currently operated by Miami Dade College. Apparently, the mansion and grounds are available for touring, but when I came, it was close to night time, so I did not have a chance to do that, nor take any photographs. It looks beautiful though. I used to drive by all the time not knowing what this was, and frankly, it looks out of place considering the other nearby establishments, like a drug store and a Lincoln-Marti daycare. Parking at the Koubek Center, inside a gated lot on the back with a roaming security guard, was free, which was convenient. As I mentioned, this is a cultural center, hosting workshops, lectures, and the Art Cinema. Although most events may be geared toward the Hispanic and Cuban cultures, I came for The Big Read, which celebrated Asian cultures, the Indian culture, to be more specific. The Big Read this year featured events and activities inspired by The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri, including a flash mob-style Bhangra dance party, film screenings, book discussions, author presentations, Indian cooking demos and tastings, and more. Unfortunately, because all those interesting events took place during the week, I was unable to attend, but I was able to attend the last event of the series, which was a screening of "The Namesake" movie, and in addition, we got a free copy of the book. By the way, I highly recommend this movie, it's very realistic and offers a view into growing up Indian in America. The theater inside was comfortable, small, yet cozy. The screen was of a decent size, and there was a stage, which I assume is where book discussions are held. All the staff was polite and welcoming. It was a small, intimate event, and I enjoyed it. I felt as if I was part of a private, secret movie screening. I definitely would be open to watching more movies here, dance performances, whatever. I wish we had more indie films, it seems the indie films are only held in Boca Raton and Delray Beach, which is frustrating when you live in Miami. Considering we have an art museum now, I think it's time people got exposed to other cultures and indie films from other countries. I hope the Koubek Center listens, it'd make a great venue for hosting such films! read more