Boasting the title of the first high-end hostel (no longer an oxymoron) in the USA, The Freehand isn’t so much raising the bar for hostels as it is taking that bar, training it to be an astronaut and firing it into space – lock, stock and bleedin’ barrel. Located inside the classic Art Deco India Creek hotel building and with interiors designed by Roman & Williams, this premium grade hostel hybrid has got all bases covered: handcrafted interiors, swimming pool, jungle courtyard, bocce courts, bike rental—the list is endless. They’ve even got themselves a perma-pop-up cocktail lounge, The Broken Shaker, which uses fresh ingredients from the on-site garden, and has rapidly earned a rep for being one of the best beverage-suppin’ spots in the city.

In a city inundated with hip hop, reggaeton and trance, a little classical music is a welcome escape. Perhaps attracted by the good weather, Grammy-winning conductor Michael Tilson Thomas founded his music academy and symphony here of all places.

With concerts by diverse composers October through May, his orchestra is comprised of students enrolled in a three-year fellowship program. The concept has been such a hit, the company plans to relocate to a nearby, state-of-the-art structure designed by Frank Gehry in the next couple years.