Ocean Drive - South Beach - TravBuddy

I know that almost anyone that comes to Miami Beach, the firest thing they try and hit is Ocean Drive, imagening that they will be rubbing sholders with stars, see movies being shot, and hot babes skating in bikinies. Though some of this does occour every once in a while, and the stars walk around South Beach as if they own it, its not an everyday thing.
Ocean Drive is a great street running from 5th Street (and this is the interesting part of Ocean Drive, as it starts down on 1st street) and runs up to 16th street. Its littered with many botique hotels, with really expensive restaurants, and bars. The hotels for the most part are actually fairly cheap, however, for the price you are not getting anything exceptional except for the location. The rooms for the most part are rundown, and you dont get much of a view. Restaurant wise its prettymuch the same as the hotels, though they are probably more expensive than staying at a hotel. Wildly expensive, you pay more to be sitting on Ocean Drive than to really eat something deliceous. On top of it, the seating is right on the sidewalk where its a constant crowd of people walking by, which I personally dont find pleasant at all. The bars on the other hand arent so bad, and there are a couple that just give you a great taste of South Beach, such as Mangos, which during the day is really great as its not so packed, and theres live music and dancing. The night its a bit more complicated as not only do you pay to get in, but its really packed and its pointless as you cant dance. Overall, Ocean Drive isnt exactly the place you should be going to spend your money and eat or even sleep. Walk past, check it out, enjoy the beach and the strip, but dont go overboard with spending your money there, as you can find AMAZING restaurants just off of Ocean Drive that are much cheaper.