WowWee! This is my 100th Miami Life newsletter for The Three Tomatoes. Tennis is back in Miami.  The world’s top-ranked tennis pros will hold court at Hard Rock Stadium from March 17 – March 31, 2024. I can’t stop thinking about Rosa de la Cruz, 81, one of most active collectors of contemporary art in the country, who recently died.  Her private museum was one of the major attractions in the city. Renowned chef Michelle Bernstein and acclaimed restaurateur Jeffrey Chodorow will be bringing their extraordinary culinary talents to two private restaurants.

Reflections on my 100^th Newsletter

That was a fast two years. I got so involved in the activities of Miami that the pages on the calendar just whizzed by. That’s kind of scary when you are in your senior years. I wish I could slow it down. There is so much to do in Miami that I want to take advantage of everything yet to come, especially being able to wear white all year long. I’m still amazed when I travel to other areas of the country, and around the world, that I have to be concerned if white clothing is still acceptable after Labor Day.

Many people in the north make fun of Miami because they only remember it as a place where grandparents went to sit in rocking chairs for the rest of their lives. The Miami of today is just the opposite. Miami is for the young. This is not the place for the over 55 gated communities. Go to Boca, Delray, Boynton and Palm Beach for that. Miami is for those who want to mingle with a diversified group of people from every adult age group and from all walks of life. We talk worldwide business, the best international restaurants, shows, art, travel, cars, designer clothing and furniture, sports and dance.  Our minds are expanding, not resting.

I hate to sound so superior but the facts are the facts. When childhood friends come to visit me from 50 to 100 miles north, they always say that Miami is all about high energy. It’s like going from Long Island to Manhattan.  Not everyone likes to live in the hub of activity. They like the quiet. They like seeing the same people all the time and knowing what their daily routines are. Miami is like New York. All you have to do is look out your window or step outside and there are choices everywhere.

Miami Open is Back

Tennis is back in Miami! We may even go this year. We can take the Brightline train from downtown Miami to Aventura. Here’s a surprise. There are complimentary buses from the train station to the stadium and back again. That’s what I call smooth sailing. The world’s top-ranked tennis pros will hold court at Hard Rock Stadium from March 17 – March 31, 2024.

The 2024 Miami Open begins with Qualifying rounds from March 17-19, 2024. The initial “Q” round is only played on the outer courts and has no action inside the stadium. The first round begins Wednesday, March 20, with men’s and women’s matches kicking off at 11 a.m. The evening session starts at 7 p.m., and the tournament follows the same day/night session format until the finals on March 30 and 31. On Saturday, March 30, the women’s singles and men’s doubles finals will be played on the Stadium Court. On March 31, the men’s singles and women’s doubles finals take the stage. How is that for a mouthful.

Here’s everything you need to know about tennis this year in Miami. The biggest stars in tennis are returning to Miami for the 2024 Miami Open presented by Itau.

Miami Is In Mourning For Rosa de la Cruz, A Global Art Giant

I can’t stop thinking about Rosa de la Cruz, 81, one of most active collectors of contemporary art in the country.  She recently died following a long battle with an autoimmune disorder. It was a big shock to everyone who knew her. Her private museum was one of the major attractions in the city. Rosa and her husband Carlos were featured in most major news, design, art, real estate, and fashion magazines around the world. ArtNews listed them among the top 200 art collectors in the United States since 1998. They owned over a 1000 pieces of work. The de la Cruz Collection opened in 2009 and is housed in a 30,000 sq ft building, designed by John Marquette. at 23 NE 41st Street, Miami. The collection includes works by Isa Genzken, Christopher Wool, Felix Gonzalez-Torres, Mark Bradford, Peter Doig, Dan Colen, Nate Lowman.

Rosa was born in 1944 in Havana, Cuba, where she met her future husband. They married in 1962 and lived in Madrid and New York City before coming to Miami in 1975. They had five children, 17 grandchildren and six great grandchildren.

Carlos is the chairman of CC1 Companies, Inc., a privately held bottling and distribution empire that distributes Coca-Cola in Puerto Rico and other beverages throughout the Caribbean. Rosa served as the company’s director and treasurer. In 2001, Rosa founded and chaired The Moore Space, a nonprofit in the Design District that produced exhibitions, commissioned artists’ projects and offered educational programming until 2008.

The de la Cruz museum is closed right now. Speculation is that it will never open again.

You Heard It Here First

Renowned chef Michelle Bernstein and acclaimed restaurateur Jeffrey Chodorow will be bringing their extraordinary culinary talents to the new condo complex, Five Park Miami Beach. They will be operating two private restaurants for residents in the new tower which is situated on Fifth Street and Alton Road.

The main restaurant will be located on the sixth-floor amenity deck. Bernstein promises to feature a blend of Mediterranean selections with her Miami menu favorites. The super exclusive and gourmet restaurant will be on the 26th-floor Canopy Club.

Both restaurants will definitely offer Bernstein’s signature dishes like Moroccan spiced crab cakes and spaghetti cacio e pepe. (Warning, some restaurants serve this dish with so much pepper that your mouth will feel like it’s on fire. I suggest you first ask for a sample. You will thank me). Both dining areas will be designed with lush greenery and florals for the indoor and outdoor settings.

These residential restaurants will be a great experiment for all of Miami to watch. Most private restaurants, or beach clubs, in Miami have a difficult time sustaining themselves because a majority of residents are only in town five or six months a year. I would assume Bernstein and Chodorow know this already. Let’s see how the experts handle this challenge. We may learn a lot.