Inside South Beach with Designer Todd Davis

Interior designer Todd Davis of Miami Beach-based Brown Davis Interiors has worked on some well-known dwellings such as the British embassy in Washington, D.C.; and Bill and Hillary Clinton’s homes in D.C. and Chappaqua. But to him, there’s no place like his sun-splashed ’hood of South Beach. His bayfront West Street condo on a high floor of the Waverly is walking distance from a host of his favorite haunts, which he shares with Drew Limsky in the summer 2017 issue of Elliman Magazine and here.     RECREATION Credit: Daniel Korzeniewski   One of the obvious perks of living in the Sunshine State is the warm weather. Davis takes full advantage of spending time outside by walking, instead of driving, around his neighborhood. He likes to take his dog, Brooke, a Thai Ridgeback on one of his favorite walks along the seawall to Lincoln Road to Meridien to Flamingo Park and then home. “Flamingo Park is great,” Davis says. “The tennis courts are world-class; there’s a dog park, soccer fields, and basketball courts; and the lap pool draws serious swimmers.”   CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS Davis also enjoys nearby cultural institutions like The Bass museum which is set to reopen this October after a $12 million renovation, and the Frank Gehry-designed New World Symphony, which offers both indoor and outdoor events.   DRINKS & DINING Smith & Wollensky’s coffee-and-cocoa-rubbed filet mignon with fiery, fried onions. For a waterfront locale within walking distance, Davis takes us “to South Pointe Park to have drinks at Smith & Wollensky and watch the sunset,” he says. With a recently renovated space, this 20-year Miami Beach mainstay draws locals and tourists alike. For an inland option, “Española Way is also a charming spot for cocktails, with great Spanish Mediterranean architecture,” Davis says. You’ll feel transported in time back to an Old World Spanish village as you stroll down this historic block between Washington and Pennsylvania Avenues. For dinner, he suggests Due Baci on Alton Road in Sunset Harbor for light, fresh Italian fare where you can dine inside in the air conditioning on those hotter nights, or al fresco on their patio in cooler weather. For hardier Italian Davis likes Macaluso’s; “They have a homestyle menu, and the meatballs are a staple,” he says.   Courtesy of the Faena Hotel   “I walk everywhere, unless I’m going to Soho Beach House or the Faena ,” says Davis. “Rob and I are founding members of Soho Beach House Miami Beach, and I love the simple, natural food on the rooftop. It’s great to have the designated beach area with chairs and umbrellas and lunch service on the sand.”   Ocho, a rooftop taqueria and plunge pool at Soho Beach House   On weekends, Davis often meets friends at The Standard Hotel to enjoy bottles of rosé in a low-key, hip, dog-friendly setting. “When I moved here in 2003, Miami Beach was only Lincoln Road,” says Davis. “Now we’re like New York with all these neighborhoods. We have South of Fifth, West Avenue, Sunset Harbor—all without ever having to leave South Beach.”   F ind your own version of South Beach luxury by searching our South Beach properties .