Sunset Harbour now has two public assets that change how residents use Miami Beach’s west side: a rebuilt waterfront park and a free weekday boat link to Miami. Nearby Belle Isle and the Sunset Islands share access to the same commercial district, but each offers a different place to call home.

Why Everyone in Miami Wants to Live Near Sunset Harbor — Joe Sells MiamiWatch the original tour and read the supporting guide with verified, practical context.Watch on YouTube

The appeal I explore in the video is the connection between these places. A bayfront condo, an island house and an apartment near Purdy Avenue can put the same park, shops and workouts within reach.

A public waterfront anchor

Maurice Gibb Memorial Park sits at 18th Street and Purdy Avenue. Miami Beach marks its redesign complete. New features include a music-themed playground, a dog park, fishing piers, a large bay overlook and shaded places to sit.

The work also raised the seawall and added drainage and native planting. Coastal Systems International is the listed architect and engineering firm; Lunacon Engineering Group is the contractor. The park combines recreation with work meant to better protect the shoreline.

That public space is useful whether you live beside the marina or come over from Belle Isle. It provides a place to walk the dog, bring children or sit by the bay without paying for a restaurant table.

What the water taxi actually connects

The free service uses the park dock at 1790 Purdy Avenue, Miami Beach, FL 33139. Its Miami stop is Venetian Marina and Yacht Club at 1635 North Bayshore Drive. Water Taxi of Miami Beach, LLC operates the route.

The city’s water taxi page currently lists weekday service about once an hour from 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., then every 30 minutes until 7:30 p.m. Its timetable shows a 20-minute crossing. There is no regular weekend service, and observed federal holidays are excluded unless the city says otherwise.

This is a link to the mainland’s bayfront near the Omni area. For someone working farther south, the trip still includes the walk or ride from the dock. The boat can replace a causeway crossing, but it is not a direct ride to every Downtown office.

The next grocery project

At 1901 Alton Road, Miami Beach, FL 33139, Crescent Heights lists a roughly 40,000-square-foot Whole Foods, Wells Fargo space and a three-story parking structure. A public plaza is part of the project.

The developer’s page gives no opening date. The existing Whole Foods at 1020 Alton Road remains listed on the grocer’s official website. That keeps the planned Sunset Harbour store separate from the store already serving South Beach.

Three nearby areas, different daily choices

Barry’s Miami Beach, at 1835 Purdy Avenue, Miami Beach, FL 33139, is one example of the commercial district’s fitness draw. It puts an established workout studio close to the public park and boat stop.

Belle Isle has a different anchor: The Standard Spa at 40 Island Avenue, Miami Beach, FL 33139. The hotel advertises spa services, a gym, dining and a membership program. Those are private facilities, with their own booking rules, rather than public amenities that come with an island address.

The Sunset Islands offer a house-focused option alongside this district. Belle Isle puts condo living along the Venetian Causeway. Sunset Harbour itself places residents closest to its commercial blocks. The shared shops do not make the housing choices the same.

The existing Whole Foods at 1020 Alton Road lists daily hours of 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. For now, that is the operating store; Crescent Heights has not posted a debut date for the larger project farther north.