Where an active Miami lifestyle starts: parks, paths and five neighborhoods

Kennedy Park has an outdoor gym beside the bay. Margaret Pace Park adds tennis, basketball and walking trails in Edgewater. Brickell Backyard puts a public workout space below Metrorail. These three places give Miami residents ways to stay active without joining a private gym.

I cover five areas in the video below. The common thread is simple: public space can make a walk or workout part of a normal day, without a gym membership.

Coconut Grove: start at Kennedy Park

David T. Kennedy Park, at 2400 South Bayshore Drive, Miami, FL 33133, brings together bicycle paths, outdoor gym equipment, volleyball and a dog park. The city lists sunrise-to-sunset hours. It gives the Grove a public fitness base along the water, separate from the private gyms inside condo buildings.

For families closer to the village, Peacock Park at 2820 McFarlane Road, Miami, FL 33133, adds a playground, basketball and open waterfront space. These are two distinct stops, so the home’s exact location will shape which one becomes part of daily life.

Edgewater: public courts and a park plan

Margaret Pace Park, at 1745 North Bayshore Drive, Miami, FL 33132, has basketball, tennis, volleyball, walking trails and outdoor gym equipment. It is open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., according to Miami’s park directory. That mix lets residents switch between solo exercise and a game with friends.

The city’s upgrade plan starts with shore protection, revised walkways and water access. But its current project page says Phase I is funded for design only. New shoreline work and a kayak launch remain planned features, rather than completed additions.

Private projects offer a different choice. Melo Group’s Aria Reserve promotes a lap pool, tennis, fitness equipment and spa rooms on its official amenity pages. These belong to the residential project. They do not replace the public courts at Margaret Pace.

Brickell: a gym beneath the train

Brickell Backyard runs from the Miami River to Southwest 13th Street. Its Urban Gym sits between Southwest Seventh and Eighth streets and includes exercise equipment, a running track and a court for basketball or soccer. The first section opened in February 2021.

Miami-Dade lists the second section as open since April 2024. The final phase, built by NV2A Central Joint Venture, runs toward Dadeland South. The county still expects completion in 2026. For now, the open Brickell section is the clear starting point for a workout linked to rail transit.

Miami Beach and Pinecrest: two different rhythms

Miami Beach’s Beachwalk offers an oceanfront route for walking, running and cycling. The city says the wider paved path was completed in June 2022. It provides a different setting from the bayfront courts in Edgewater or the rail corridor in Brickell.

Pinecrest Gardens, at 11000 Red Road, Pinecrest, FL 33156, brings a food stop into the picture. Its farmers market gives residents a regular place to shop from local vendors. That suits a routine built around a weekly outing more than a dense urban walking route.

The Pinecrest Gardens market page also lists a free community yoga class from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m., sponsored by Baptist Health. It adds a scheduled group workout to the parks and paths covered here.