The Estates at Aqualina

With the opening of Brickell City Centre and construction underway for the Miami Worldcenter, it’s no surprise that development is booming in downtown Miami. But that growth is quickly expanding northward to Sunny Isles Beach where another project, The Estates at Acqualina, is on the verge of making major waves. Developers with The Trump Group are building on their already successful Acqualina Resort & Spa with this new high-rise luxury condominium project, which will be the first of its kind in the U.S. to feature lobbies designed by fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld–think details such as Roman-inspired etchings and a shimmering fountain surrounded by hammered-metal flooring. With the first phase anticipated to open in 2020, the project includes a South and North Tower, each holding 152 and 92 residences respectively, as well as Villa Acqualina, a residents-only amenity complex. To help us navigate this region, we turned to Michael Goldstein, president of sales at The Trump Group, for his insider tips on where to play, shop and eat.

9 a.m. Have breakfast alfresco at Aq by Acqualina where you can enjoy a cappuccino on the restaurant’s outdoor terrace overlooking the resort’s three oceanfront pools and beach. I love the fresh whole-wheat croissants and exotic fruit selection. The eggs Benedict is also delicious or you can splurge on the lavish breakfast buffet.

10 a.m. Afterward, take Acqualina’s house car to the Miami Design District where you can easily spend the entire day touring the shops and boutiques. Begin on Northeast 40th Street at Fendi Casa and meet Ricardo Britto, the director of interior design and projects. He is well-versed in the new contemporary collections from the line that you won’t want to miss.

12 p.m. Next, a visit to Ornare is due. Enjoy a glass of champagne while perusing various finishes and configurations for closets and kitchens, as well as custom furniture.

1 p.m. Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink is the perfect lunch spot. It’s one of my all-time favorite restaurants. I’m quite partial to the grilled skirt steak frites entree and the chocolate fudge cake with Irish cream gelato and malt caramel for dessert.

2 p.m. Take a trip to the Jonathan Adler boutique on Northeast Second Avenue for accessories, custom rugs and a great tabletop collection (a personal favorite of mine).

3 p.m. Next, let’s tour the Janus et Cie showroom for exquisite outdoor furniture. At the Estates, every unit will have large outdoor balconies featuring a sauna, summer kitchen and Jacuzzi, and the penthouses and single-family homes will have swimming pools; so, we’ll need to dress those areas with beautiful outdoor furnishings.

4 p.m. For our final stop, visit Simona’s for one-of-a-kind china and silverware by top designers. We are lucky to have this store so close to us in the Design District. I always make a trip to see the new styles.

6 p.m. Before making our way back to Acqualina, we’ll end the day with a light bite at Harry’s Pizzeria. Enjoy a cold beer and try my two favorite pizzas: the slow-roasted pork and the savory meatball.

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