Miami Beach

Author: By Diego Ribadeneira, Globe Staff

Date: SUNDAY, February 8, 1998

Page: M1

Section: Travel

I decided to stroll a few blocks north to Lincoln Road, once considered among the most beautiful streets in the South. It fell on hard times in the 1980s, scarred by shuttered businesses and seedy bars.

But thanks to government intervention and civic mobilization, Lincoln Road has undergone a radiant rebirth, a comeback some have likened to New York's Soho or New Orleans's French Quarter. It should be a must stop on the itinerary of any visitor, especially art lovers. At the very least it is a welcome, quieter, and more cultured alternative to the high-octane energy coursing through Ocean Drive.

The Road, as the locals refer to it, a chunk of which is a pedestrian mall, brims with restaurants, funky stores, and diverse art galleries. Best of all, there's not a Gap in sight. Lincoln Road, which runs from Biscayne Bay to the Atlantic Ocean, is a welcome relief from the ``mallification'' of so many other commercial strips in America.

Even South Beach, for all its hip appeal, is being invaded by chain stores. And while tony restaurants and upscale boutiques have proliferated along Lincoln Road, small merchants and struggling artists have not been pushed out -- at least not yet. It all adds up to an eclectic melange of businesspeople, residents and visitors that makes Lincoln Road a great place to loiter.

The Road is the kind of place where a Jehovah's Witness meeting hall is just a few doors away from a gay nightclub featuring nude go-go dancers showering before the audience. More than 50 restaurants, everything from Thai to Cuban, line the road. More than 80 artists flex their creative muscles in the galleries on the Road, making Lincoln Road one of the nation's great art Meccas.

Lincoln Road, regarded as the northern border of south Florida's famed Art Deco district, was built in 1914 by developer Car Fisher as the centerpiece of Miami Beach. By the 1940s, it had evolved into one of the most elegant streets in America with stores like Bonwit Teller, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Lord and Taylor. It was the kind of street where men without jackets and ties were not welcome.

In the 1960s, legendary architect Morris Lapidus, who designed the Fountainbleau and Eden Roc hotels, turned Lincoln Road into one of the country's first pedestrian-only open-air malls. But the street fell on hard times in the 1970s, and most of the businesses that had made the Road such a hot destination left. Come nightfall, Lincoln Road was a dangerous place.

The renaissance began in the 1980s, led by artists seeking cheap places to live and work.

Then came the boutique owners, selling everything from ceramics to glassware, followed by an onslaught of restaurants seeking to cash in on the Road's new-found popularity among locals and tourists. Today, it's the kind of place where you could bump into Sylvester Stallone or a $500-a-night prostitute. It's truly egalitarian. Everyone is welcome.

A good place to start your day and take in the new Lincoln Road is the Van Dyke Cafe, housed in the Van Dyke Hotel, the tallest building on the street. A European bistro and one of the most popular hangouts on the Road, the Van Dyke features wonderful egg dishes, strong coffee, and prime outdoor seating. The Van Dyke, one of the region's most exquisite examples of Art Deco design, was in disrepair when it was bought in the 1980s. Several millions later, the 1924 building has been restored to its glorious past. The upper floors house a suites-only and very expensive hotel.

At the west end of the Road is Leah's Gallery, a converted old bank building, which offers a large array of antiques, including a selection of massive wood furniture. Heading east, there's Common Space, one of the many galleries on the Road that put on different exhibits.

Many of the artists in the neighborhood are supported by ArtCenter-South Florida, an artists' cooperative that moved onto Lincoln Road in 1985 during its dingy period. The cooperative now owns 49,000 square feet on Lincoln Road, providing an important and affordable haven for up-and-coming artists.

Continuing east -- note the lovely landscape, fountains, and sculptures along the middle of the Road that are part of a $16 million restoration -- you'll find Carlos Alves, featuring brightly colored ceramics, South Beach Style, full of contemporary furniture and home furnishings, and Lunatika, offering a dizzying selection of lamps and lighting.

For those into memorabilia, there is Dish, a store that sells commercial china and other wares from old hotels, restaurants, ships, and other such places. Not too far away, Britto Central, a large, privately-owned gallery, showcases the colorful work of the popular Brazilian artist, Romero Britto. Another gallery, the South Florida Art Center, featuring the work of a number of artists, is next door.

Be sure to stop into Books and Books, a fine independent bookstore that hosts regular readings by acclaimed authors.

Toward the eastern end of the Road, onlookers stare through the window at a rehearsal by the Miami City Ballet, which makes it home on Lincoln Road. Nearby, the internationally acclaimed New World Symphony, the training ground for rising musicians, can be seen at the Lincoln Theater, a magnificently restored Art Deco place that opened in 1936 as a movie house.

The west end of Lincoln Road boasts another terrifically restored Art Deco theater, the Colony, which usually runs film festivals and hosts live music.

Ready for dinner perhaps? Some suggestions: South Beach Brasserie, a beautiful room with high ceilings and a long wooden bar, offers Bistro-style food. It's owned by actor Michael Caine. Then there's Pacific Time, highlighting noveau Asian food and consistently ranked one of the best restaurants in America by various national magazines. Finally, there's Yucca, an upscale Cuban restaurant and one of the hottest spots in South Florida. This is where Albita, the Cuban singer who defected not long ago, regularly puts on a sultry performance that will have you dancing out the door.

And if you're still not worn out, then maybe you can head down to Ocean Drive.