Boulevard of dreams

Biscayne Boulevard's traded crack dealers for retail healers: here's a a guide to your best bets.

By Maria Tettamanti

The only reason one used to head to Biscayne Boulevard -- now known as the Biscayne Corridor/Upper Eastside -- was to score drugs or perhaps a lady of the night (or both). Now, however, as young professionals move into surrounding condos and neighborhoods like Belle Meade and Morningside, Biscayne is slowly but surely becoming a destination for discriminating shoppers, offering everything from designer furniture to baby clothes. Here are some of our top picks.

U.D./Style Lab
The perfect one-stop shop for killer jeans, Tees, hats, books, CDs, jewelry, toys and gadgets. Get your hands on jewelry by Buddha to Buddha, clothing by Salvage, Maison Bibliotheque and Smet, Scensoir organic perfume and Uglydolls in this loft-like setting screaming, "cool."
5580 N.E. 4th Ct., Ste. 4; 305-756-1010; http://www.udstylelab.com/Welcome.html

Freckles
Laura Ashley dresses are so passé. Hip kids and babies love the looks of Ed Hardy, Diesel and Kissy Kiss. Yummy mummies, on the other hand, adore the chic diaper bags and nursery room décor.
6621 Biscayne Blvd.; 305-754-0570

Underdog Denim
Men don't have to schlep all the way to the Beach for blue jeans and Tees anymore thanks to Underdog Denim. Brands such as Anthony Vega, Diesel, Ed Hardy, Christian Audigier and Replay are now brimming on Biscayne.
6665 Biscayne Blvd; 305-756-5151; www.underdogdenim.com

Rebel
Hands down, it's Biscayne Corridor's most popular women's boutique. Label lovers can't get enough La Rok, Grimaldi, Black Halo, Mara Hoffman and Alice & Olivia finds. A high-end consignment and home decor store will be opening within Rebel in a couple of weeks -- so now you can go home with a dazzling dress, hot heels and a shabby-chic mirror for the living room. Fabulous.
6669 Biscayne Blvd.; 305-758-2369

HiHo Batik
Colorful, funky and one-of-a-kind, HiHo Batik is anything but bland. Owner Julia Silver is a preeminent batik specialist and her clothing, gifts and accessories are truly rare finds. Custom parties and classes are also in store.
6925 Biscayne Boulevard; 305-754-8890; www.hihobatik.com

Kore
Need a quick fashion fix? Head over to Kore for J Brand jeans, Vivio shirts, Encore jeans, Do & B tops and cute jewelry galore.
7925 Biscayne Boulevard; 305-759-0805

Divine Trash
Love the name. Love the store. Dig up antique furniture, paintings, art objects and vintage clothing in this hodgepodge of creative clutter. You will unearth anything but garbage at this extraordinary gem.
7244 Biscayne Blvd.; 305-751-1973

Transit Boutique
Located in the MiMo-style Vagabond Motel, this Euro-chic boutique offers the eponymous clothing line as well as other resort-perfect collections and Italian boots.
7301 Biscayne Blvd.; 305-754-2866

Mr. B. Custom Tailor
Possibly the best-kept secret on Biscayne, Mr. B. (short for Bellevue) is a Haitian sewing sensation with extremely affordable prices. Nimble with a thimble, Mr. B.'s turnaround rates are fast and furious!
7414 Biscayne Blvd.; 305-758-4180

Oyuki
Looking for indie fashion designers? You'll find a plethora of them at Oyuki. This high-end boutique boasts creative clothing by 2Mix, Carolina K, Raasta, Van Der Straeten and more. Discerning shoppers will be delighted.
7418 Biscayne Blvd.; 305-403-1500; www.oyukionline.com


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Oyuki boutique.