"Miami Vice" with actor Don Johnson became a hit television show, and around the same time a photographer ventured onto the top of one of Ocean Drive's Art Deco hotels for a Calvin Klein "Obsession" photo shoot. Both events helped renew interest in South Beach and it soon became the destination of choice for fashion shoots and films.

Sharon Stone, Sylvester Stallone, Wesley Snipes, Marisa Tomei, Angelica Houston, Arnold Schwarzenegger, James Woods, Jamie Lee Curtis, Whitney Houston, Kevin Costner and Sean Connery have all appeared in films shot in Miami in recent years. Fashion and commercial photo shoots are commonplace throughout South Beach.

During the day, models, vintage cars, Harleys, and rollerbladers of all ages parade past tourists who are relaxing and people watching from one of Ocean Drive's many outdoor cafes. By night, the clubs sizzle.