Is Northwest North Miami Beach safe?
North Miami Beach, Florida · safety score updated nightly
Be careful — go in daylight and stay on the busier streets.
VibeLoco rates Northwest North Miami Beach as “Caution”.
Gogo's take on Northwest North Miami Beach
“Go with care. Northwest North Miami Beach is predominantly a working-class residential and commercial area that is safe enough for visitors during normal daytime and evening hours. However, standard urban precautions are recommended, particularly around major arterial strip malls and late at night.”
Local police regularly monitor the area for retail theft and opportunistic vehicle burglaries across shopping plaza parking lots.
About the area
Northwest North Miami Beach is a dense suburban pocket featuring mid-century single-family subdivisions and bustling commercial corridors along NE 163rd and 167th Streets. The neighborhood boasts a rich cultural blend, with notable Haitian-American, Hispanic, and West Indian influences reflected in its local eateries and markets.
- Suburban Commercial
- Culturally Diverse
- Car-Centric
- Working-Class
Walking and biking in Northwest North Miami Beach
Walk score: 58/100 · Bike score: 48/100
On-street bicycle lanes are limited along main roads, but cyclists can access the paved, multi-use Snake Creek Trail located just south of the neighborhood.
Reasons to go, and reasons to think twice
Pros
- Convenient access to major regional thoroughfares including I-95 and the Golden Glades Interchange
- Diverse selection of authentic Caribbean, Haitian, and international culinary spots
- Lower violent crime incidence compared to deeper inner-ring suburban zones to the west
Cons
- Higher rates of property crime and vehicle break-ins around major commercial corridors
- Moderate poverty rates and older housing stock with pockets of infrastructure wear
- Aggressive traffic and poor pedestrian conditions on multi-lane thoroughfares
Homelessness: Visible homelessness is low to moderate, with occasional individuals panhandling near major intersections along NE 163rd Street and around high-traffic bus stops.
What Northwest North Miami Beach is like at each time of day
- Morning · 5a – 11a
- Streets are lively with school commuters and local workers grabbing breakfast, feeling generally secure.
- Afternoon · 11a – 5p
- High commercial activity and vehicle traffic fill the strip malls with no notable safety concerns beyond traffic awareness.
- Evening · 5p – 10p
- Quiet in the residential blocks while restaurants stay busy; caution is advised along poorly illuminated side streets.
- Late night · 10p – 5a
- Activity winds down sharply and walking alone is discouraged due to an uptick in opportunistic property crime and loitering.
Transit, parking and getting around
Miami-Dade Transit provides service through Metrobus routes including the 9, 77, and 135, connecting riders directly to the Golden Glades Multimodal Station located about 2 miles to the southwest.
Free surface parking is widely available in strip mall lots, and residential side streets generally offer ample, unrestricted parking.
Things to do in Northwest North Miami Beach
- Sample authentic Haitian pastries and Caribbean staples along NE 163rd and 167th Streets
- Access the nearby Snake Creek Trail for an afternoon walk or jog
- Shop at the diverse local produce markets and international grocery stores
Local favorites
- Kebabji Grill · Middle Eastern Restaurant · 4.4★ (750)A popular strip-mall spot serving classic Lebanese dishes, shawarma, and fresh pita.
- Bamboo Garden Chinese Restaurant · Chinese Restaurant · 4.3★ (620)Longstanding local staple known for traditional Cantonese dishes and Caribbean-Chinese specialties.
- Piman Bouk Bakery · Haitian Bakery · 4.4★ (410)Neighborhood bakery famous for warm Haitian patties, fresh bread, and Caribbean pastries.
Scores are safety-driven — recent reported crime and local news plus Census income, poverty, housing, education, household and access data — refreshed nightly. Walk and bike scores are shown separately and do not affect the safety score. A guide, not a guarantee — conditions change street to street.