But the area’s true gem lies across the road: Bal Harbour Shops. This year celebrating its 60th anniversary, this open-air-mall-turned-shopaholic’s-sanctum has been the ultimate port-of-call for rail-rummaging aesthetes for over half a century. It is here that its original developer Stanley Whitman convinced fashion tycoon Stanley Marcus to open up the first ever Neiman Marcus outside of Texas. Saks swiftly followed suit, and soon Cartier and Bulgari would cut the ribbon of their inaugural mall locations, with Louis Vuitton and Prada venturing outside of New York for the first time ever too. The precedent for glamour was set in stone, and to this day those tentpole purveyors of chic stand proud within its walls alongside the likes of Chanel, Fendi, Gucci, Miu Miu and many, many more. Think Bond Street with palm trees, tropical heat and even real-life turtles splashing around mini waterfalls. Divine!
Inside the oasis of style and finery at Bal Harbour Shops
DougCastanedo
Sounds like the ideal place to a while away a sun-drenched day, doesn’t it? And with ample eateries dotted between coveted couturiers, reenergising for round two of boutique-hopping has never been easier. Avenue 31’s Breton-striped parasols provide shelter and patisseries in the heart of the address; Carpaccio offers its namesake delicacy alongside lashings of decadent Italian delights; and Hillstone, with its dark lacquered wood and leather furnishings, oozes with slick Americana elegance with a vast fusion menu of sushi, steak and just about anything you can cook up on the grill. You won’t go hungry for food nor fashion when visiting Bal Harbour.