Amid the stunning rebirth of this new Brickell into a high-rise condo farm works a man who has poured drinks on the same block of real estate for 20 years.
Bartender Johnny Fernandez used to crack cheap beers and turn up whiskey bottles late into the night at iconic Tobacco Road. When the oldest bar in Miami closed its doors for good last year, Fernandez didn’t go far for a new job. He’s now just a few doors down at The River Oyster Bar.
In other words, he works on the corner of what might be the most chaotic intersection in downtown. Miami Avenue and Southeast Seventh Street is an active construction zone with the enormous Brickell City Centre going up all around Fernandez’s familiar haunts. To the north is the Miami River, and to the south is all of Brickell, or what might simply be called Miami’s construction district.
“It’s like a whole different world,” said Fernandez while topping off a popular local craft beer, M.I.A. IPA. “It’s New York with all the high-rises.”