Legal drinking age limit: 21. Miami club age limit: none. The realities of Miami, Fla., force youth to grow up and mature at a faster pace than the norm. The club scene entices the youth of Miami and places them in situations beyond their maturity.
Walking up and down Collins Avenue and Ocean Drive, South Beach’s famous nightclub streets, posses of 16 to 19-year-olds wait behind velvet ropes at trendy clubs and lounges.
Miami has the right idea when it comes to the nightlife.
Age does not matter in Miami. Who needs a form of identification when you have the latest designer outfit and prefect tan body to go with it? Money, connections and image are everything. Boys pay their way in, ordering bottle service at a price tag starting at $600, while girls dress provocatively and flirt their way in.
Local Gabriella Tello said, “I will never forget standing outside of Mynt one night overhearing a conversation between a man and a bouncer. The man wanted to get in so he slipped the bouncer money and said he would buy bottles, but the bouncer’s response was no. The man’s friend who had already got in asked the bouncer why. His response was, because your friend is fat and ugly.” Clubs in Miami do not compare to bars. Exclusivity makes them desirable.
When The New York Times did a piece on Miami’s nightlife it concluded, “and heed the golden rule of South Beach – need we even mention it? -dress to impress.”
Typically locals and Europeans make up the nightclub crowd in Miami at Mynt, Suite, Mansion and Prive. Without knowing a bouncer or spending lots of money, clubgoers should not even attempt entry. Growing up in the Miami atmosphere one learns quickly that confidence is key. For example, a girl pretending to know a bouncer by giving him a kiss on the cheek means immediate access.
With pole dancers, bottle service and tables that support young dancers, the scene gets crazier as the night progresses. Nightlife in Miami by no means compares to that of Dallas. Seeing celebrities, being hit on by 30-year-old men and bums following to and from patrons’ cars challenges youth with situations most others never encounter.
Let us compare the lives of a typical Miami and Highland Park high school student. In Miami, they arrive to the club at 1 a.m., drink Dom Perignon and Grey Goose, dance to Techno music on tables, lie about their age, meet older people of the opposite sex leading to PDA (public displays of affection) and come home with the sunrise. Highland Park high school students have theme parties with classmates. School dances, football games and house parties are the highlight of their weekends.
According to Miami clubgoer Rochelle Marill, “Party hopping since age 16 has taught me the importance of having street smarts. Basically, you cannot trust anyone. If you set your purse down for one second it will be gone.”
Even though you can’t trust everyone, you quickly learn a sense of responsibility. Miami youths have a higher chance of surviving in a different country on their own and are less likely to be scammed than Dallas youths. Miami may not be the safest place in the U.S. but it’s the best present a parent can give: not growing up in a bubble.
When comparing these polar opposites, some may say Miami throws children into the real world while Highland Park shelters their youth. Others may believe Miami is unrealistic and Highland Park allows children to enjoy their childhood. However, an integral part of childhood involves preparation for independent life, and the Miami scene teaches many of its necessities.
About the writer:
Emily McKenzie is a sophomore CCPA major. She can be reached at [email protected].
