I toured the Miami neighborhood where Ken Griffin is moving Citadel, his $51 billion hedge fund. I can see why he chose it — ‘Wall Street South’ lives up to the hype.
Oct 12, 2022, 00:36 IST
Earlier this year, Citadel CEO Ken Griffin announced that the $51 billion hedge fund would be moving its global headquarters from Chicago to Miami — specifically to the city’s vibrant finance hub, Brickell.
Miami has become a hot destination in the finance world, with Brickell even earning the nickname “Wall Street South.”
I was born and raised in Miami, but Brickell is not an area I visit often. I headed over on a recent Monday afternoon to see how the neighborhood is shaping up.
I could see right away that 830 Brickell, where Citadel has leased 90,000 square feet of space, is still under construction. The building is scheduled to be complete by the end of the year.
Judging by the looks of it, it seems possible — but take that with a grain of salt, since I know nothing about construction outside of what I’ve learned from TV shows like “Fixer Upper.”
While Brickell Avenue, which is one avenue over, has more of a corporate feel, the area around 830 Brickell feels like more of a trendy residential area, with multiple places to explore and run errands post-work.
As I was getting my steps in, I saw several people dressed like they were heading to work out. On one block alone there is an Equinox, SWEAT440, and SoulCycle studio.
There’s no shortage of places to grab a quick bite to eat near the new headquarters. Walking around Mary Brickell Village, an open-air shopping center, I found everything from Subway, Moxies, and P.F. Changs to fun spots like Dolores But You Can Call Me Lolita.
Of course, given that I was in “Wall Street South,” I saw several steakhouses and upscale spots, some of which had a dress code.
Komodo is another hot spot in Brickell, albeit a pricey one. It was empty when I popped in because it’s not open for lunch.
You can grow up in Miami and still never get used to the heat — so to cool off I made my way to EAST Miami, a hotel across the street from 830 Brickell.
The hotel is home to the rooftop bar Sugar, which has some gorgeous views — including a direct view of Citadel’s new HQ. It’s a great after-work spot.
I hadn’t realized that EAST Miami is also connected to Brickell City Centre, another open-air shopping center, where you’ll find high end brands like Lululemon Athletica, Reiss, and BOSS.
It’s also home to Zara and Saks, plus a variety of restaurants and even a CMX dine-in movie theater.
Thankfully the center has an Apple store, which I popped into to buy something for an upcoming trip.
Many locals in Miami, myself included, shop for groceries at Publix. Brickell is home to two.
Residents and workers also have a CVS Pharmacy on both Brickell Ave and 8th St., plus a Walgreens on 13th St.
An MD Now Urgent Care at 13th St. SE and S. Miami Avenue caught my eye. If you live or work in Brickell, you won’t need to venture too far for medical attention.
Although it was relatively quiet that Monday afternoon, there were lots of young professionals in the area — and dogs. I saw plenty of pet owners taking their dogs out and even ran into one of my best friends and her pup.
Something I thought was cool and didn’t know existed is The Underline, a “linear park” that reminded me a bit of New York’s High Line.
Getting around Brickell on foot is easy if you don’t mind the heat. But if you prefer wheels and don’t have a car, then there are Citi Bike rentals and Helbiz scooters available in the area.
While Miami doesn’t have a subway system, the Metrorail stops in Brickell, and there are multiple Metromover stations around.
Citadel’s future headquarters are near the Tenth St./Promenade Station. I also spotted the Miami Trolley, which is free to ride, going by.
Though I won’t be moving to Brickell anytime soon, I found the vibrant area where Citadel is setting up shop to be extremely convenient. In real estate, they say “location, location, location,” and Brickell has become an appealing one for young professionals.
