Not long ago, all the action in Miami seemed to happen in South Beach; visitors and locals had no reason to head to the neighborhoods to the north.

Today, it’s a different story: South Beach has remained a place to party, but it has little room for development and it can, at times, feel a little grungy. The beachfront alternatives to the north have become more appealing.

Two in particular — North Beach and Sunny Isles Beach — are burgeoning with new luxury residential buildings and more developed downtowns with restaurants and boutiques.

The next South Beaches these aren’t. Both are relaxing, quieter settings, compared with hectic South Beach. They also have fewer hotels and more condominiums, giving them a community feel.