The Underline is Miami's new green space for playing sports and walking.
Hanging out under the train tracks might not be your idea of a nice afternoon. But in the case of the new Miami Underline – a 10-mile, 120-acre urban park and trail, it is the ideal place. After seven years of planning and works, the first phase of the project, a section of just under a kilometer known as Brickell Backyard, is now open to the public.
Located just below the elevated subway system that runs through Miami from north to south (Metrorail), The Underline is a clear example of creative urban development. will offer different outdoor Recreational Activities, It will show public art and will provide advantages in terms of transport. "A lot of people don't think of The Underline as a transportation solution but connecting the city through a promenade that can be explored on foot, by bicycle, jogging or similar is, probably, the best way to reduce our dependency on the car", comments Meg Daly, CEO and President of Friends of The Underline, the non-profit organization overseeing the project.
The first section of The Underline advances along the banks of the Miami River
The more than 48 hectares of The Underline were abandoned spaces, covered by scattered brush, garbage and empty buildings. Now him newly opened section of Brickell Backyard, located just north of the Brickell Metrorail station, features a row of tables to play dominoes, a large community table with capacity for 50 people, outdoor ping-pong, a basketball court and a community space to practice yoga, film screenings and live music.
Yoga sessions at The Underline.
Also highlight the green spaces and pedestrian crossings that guide passers-by through the experience as the train passes overhead every so often. The endemic landscaping, which includes Fakahatchee grass turf (Tripsacum dactyloides) and scarlet sage, lines different pedestrian areas and gives space also to the butterflies.
Indigenous vegetation has been planted at The Underline.
This flourishing environment will attract not only visitors: local businesses are also enthusiastic. "The Underline is a great idea, full of benefits," says Paul Greenberg, co-founder of American Social, a popular Brickell bar and restaurant. "Connecting Miami through a 16-kilometer park it will make people walk more. And we hope this helps drive business along the Miami River and to unite neighbors and visitors".
Basketball Courts at The Underline
In addition to Brickell Backyard, there are eight other phases of construction that will be implemented in the coming months and years. The project is expected to be finished by 2025, with a final cost of 120 million dollars, one hundred of which are financed with public funds.
Tables to play dominoes in the new park The Underline.
Upon completion, The Underline will extend southwest along the Miami Metrorail line, from the Miami River in Brickell to the Dadeland South Station, passing through neighborhoods and hotspots like Vizcaya, Coconut Grove and the University of Miami, and offering locals and visitors a new way to tour the city and connect with it.
This article originally appeared on Condé Nast Traveler USA.