Courtesy of Coral Morphologic

The Magic City. Vice City. Paradise Lost. The 305. Miami has a lot of nicknames and most locals love them. There is nothing short of cool in the four nicknames listed above -- vices, magic, numerology. These are all things that we enjoy.

But now there is a new name that's being pinned on the city in the sun, and it's one with a bit more of a natural vibe to it: The Coral City.

According to the aquaculturalists at Coral Morphologic, because Miami is built on dead coral, with buildings composed of fossilized coral facias and colonies of coral living around our shoreline, it only makes sense to rebrand the town as the Coral City. And how are they spreading the word about this initiative? By joining up with MIA Skate Shop, making coral printed decks, and throwing a top-shelf soiree at the every oceanographic Gramps in Wynwood.

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Joe, Henry, and Inez Stone alongside Dawn Hugh and John Shubin from HistoryMiami

Disco was invented in Miami. Well, Hialeah to be exact, at the humble 8-track studio above Henry Stone's record distribution office at 495 SE 10th Court.

George McCrae's "Rock Your Baby," written by Harry Wayne Casey (KC of KC and The Sunshine Band) was not the first disco song ever, but it was the first of the genre to sell over a million copies worldwide. It was disco's first real hit, and it has gone on to sell over 20 million physical copies around the world, a feat rarely matched by any artist. But that's just one of the thousands of albums released by Stone, a Bronx kid who has called Miami home since 1948, and who as a music distributor and manufacturer has sold hundreds of millions of records, massively influenced global popular culture, and been a confidant and friend to the greatest titans of the music industry.

Now, HistoryMiami is collecting his ephemera to preserve and document his cultural contributions for scholarly discourse and exhibition.

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TheLast2day/Wikimedia CC

South Florida's about to get a little freakier. Mindfreakier, that is.

Criss Angel -- magician, illusionist, guyliner aficionado, and doppelganger of Mystery from VH1's The Pick-Up Artist -- is headed to the Everglades for yet another dramatic stunt. It'll probably be like his other tricks, in that you won't know how he's doing it but it'll somehow make you hate him even more.

But it'll also be totally unlike his past stunts, for one reason: Dude could get eaten by gators.

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There are few cities in the United States that are as perfectly suited for motorcycle riding as Miami. Riding season lasts all year in South Florida; when most bikes up north go into the garage as their owners mournfully accept the onset of another bitter winter, the Magic City is at its most glorious on a motorcycle. There's nothing quite like tearing hell across the western arch of the Julia Tuttle at 2 a.m. and seeing Downtown sleeping over the waters of Biscayne Bay, or cruising down Old Cutler, ambling for miles and miles through a surreal tunnel of trees.

And yet, there is a conspicuous lack of motorcycle culture in Miami. Sure, we have our fair share of bikers, but the iron horse has never been a part of our city's image the way it has in other metropolitan areas like New York or Oakland. But that's beginning to change.

If you walk the streets of Wynwood on the right night, you may find yourself entranced by an array of vintage bikes -- some days, only a couple, other days, parked by the dozen. You might be inclined to ask yourself, "Where the hell did these come from?" The answer can be found at the south end of Wynwood, in a shop where four friends are building bikes under the moniker of 76hundred Custom Vintage Motorcycles.

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via Wikimedia CC

Paradise. That's what this city is. It may often be perverse or peculiar, but have no doubt: Miami is the paradisiacal metropolis of the south. And the beauty of this place won't be found within the pulsating walls of LIV or along the bustling, crowded sidewalk of the Corner. The sublime appeal of this town radiates from the trees and the sand and the mangrove-entwined waters -- from the natural fibers of Miami.

But as in all great cities, the expansion of Miami has made that natural beauty a bit harder to connect with. Enter the Miami-Dade County department of Parks, Recreation, and Open Spaces, who've have helped carve out pockets of earth, both small and large, in order to sustain a few fine spots where one can wander, relax, and enjoy the sense of serenity that comes with entering a peaceful, green space. And as the sun hangs higher and longer with each passing day, nobody should go without a few strolls through those spaces. So, for your strolling pleasure, here are ten of the best parks in the county of Miami-Dade.

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Courtesy of the ACLU

To call immigration reform an important issue might be the understatement of the 21st century -- particularly in a city like Miami, where the majority of our population is foreign-born.

Overpaid politicians have done little to deal to effect change -- surprise surprise. But with several amendments currently on the table, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) wanted to call attention to the cause. So, they commissioned an eye-catching, interactive mural in Wynwood by street artist Ruben Ubiera dubbed #IamHere.

The mural is a vibrant display of colors and faces -- eight faces of actual people negatively affected by immigration policies. The idea, according to the ACLU, is to show that this is far from a faceless issue, and affects millions of families across the country.

See also:
- 20 Arrested for Pretending to Be Cubans to Get Immigration Benefits
- Pepe Billete on Cinco de Mayo and Immigration: "Pobre Mexicanos, Se La Clavan Sin Vaselina"

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Photo by Bran F. Call

Leshaw House

The problem with hosting an artists' residency aboard a pool noodle in the middle of the ocean is that the sculptors are going to sink and the painters are going to whine about their canvas getting wet.

But if the Stiltsville Trust has its way, the seven remaining houses of the Stiltsville community perched amid Biscayne Bay will become the solution to that problem. The Stiltsville Trust's residency program is one of 66 proposals recently announced as finalists in the Miami Knight Arts Challenge, a list that includes projects by museums, movie houses, an opera company, and even a puppet parade.

See also:
- Miami Knight Arts Challenge Finalists: Wynwood Renovations, a Nigerian Film Festival, O Cinema Expansion
- Knight Arts Challenge Finalist MOCA Hopes to Celebrate "Nollywood"
- Arsht Center Awarded $250,000 to Develop a "Worldwide Destination" in Downtown Miami

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Each week, Miami dating expert Nikki Novo gives us advice on finding love in this hopeless place. Today: Chin up, Miami singles -- flying solo in the Magic City is actually pretty great.

The grass is always greener on the other side, right? Many times, couples want some freedom, and singles want a partner. But rather than wish our situation were different than what it is, let's see the good and acknowledge it. Why? Because none of us are going to receive great things until we recognize what we have. Think of it as shaking what the universe gave ya.

For those of you who consider being single a disease a death sentence, listen up: This time is so much greater than that. Give it the importance it deserves. Before you know it, you'll be trading in drinks at Nobu with friends for Friday nights at home, eating pizza, and watching another not-so-great movie on demand with your holey t-shirt-wearing significant other. Don't call me to reminisce about the good 'ole single days then!

Today's post is all about appreciating what you have, and taking advantage of this sacred time in your life. You're single, and that's pretty awesome. Just ask the married couple down the hall. And if you don't believe them, here are five reasons why your relationship status is something worth enjoying-- especially when you live in Miami.

See also:
- Dating in Miami: Six Things You're Doing All Wrong, According to Local Expert Nikki Novo
- Three Great Places to Meet Singles (When the Bar Scene Gets Old)

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It's no secret that downtown is Miami's burgeoning arts and culture mecca. Instead of the often touted (and often overpriced) Wynwood, our city center is rapidly stepping up to the plate and claiming its crown as a hub for all things art.

In keeping with this evolution, the Adrienne Arsht Center has just been awarded a hefty $250,000 grant from ArtPlace to establish an Office of Neighborhood Development. The new group will lead the development and planning of the surrounding neighborhoods.

The endeavor makes the Arsht Center one of the first performing arts venues in the nation to have an office dedicated to planning and developing its own neighborhood, aka, placemaking.

See also:
- O Cinema to Open Outdoor Movie Theater

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via HocCouture/Etsy

A new Miami Heat playoff series starts tonight, this time against the Indiana Pacers -- and dammit, you simply have nothing to wear. Sure, there's your Miami Heat baseball cap and your D-Wade jersey, both of which pair nicely with your Heat logo tattoo. But everyone in town has that stuff.

To really support your Miami Heat in these games, you need to be unique. You need to stand out like man capris on a 6'4" athlete. You need something new, something creative, something ... handmade.

Luckily, there's Etsy, a treasure trove of wacky DIY homages to the best team in the NBA. Read on for ten items perfect for the Miami Heat fan who has everything.

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