Public Transportation in South Beach, along with Downtown and Brickell, is heavily used, and is a vital part of South Beach life. Although South Beach has no direct Metrorail stations, numerous Metrobus lines (operated by Miami-Dade Transit), connect to Downtown Miami and Metrorail (ie: the 'S' bus line). The 'South Beach Local' or 'SBL' is one of the most heavily-used lines in Miami, and connects all major points of South Beach to other major bus lines in the city.
The Airport-Beach Express (Route 150), operated by MDT, is a direct-service bus line that connects Miami International Airport to major points in South Beach. The ride costs $2.35, and runs every 30 minutes from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. seven days a week.[24]
South Beach, along with a handful of other neighborhoods in Miami (such as Downtown and Brickell), is one of the areas where a car-free lifestyle is commonplace. Many South Beach residents get around by foot, bicycle, motorcycle, bus or by taxi, as the neighborhood is very urban, and pedestrian-friendly. Automobile congestion in the area is frequent, so getting around in South Beach by car can often prove more difficult than simply walking. Recently, Miami Beach has begun bicycle initiaves promoting city-wide bike parking and bike lanes, that have made bicycling much more popular for residents and tourists. The Venetian Causeway for example, is a popular bicycle commuter route that connects South Beach to Downtown.
Lincoln Road, Ocean Drive, Washington Avenue, and Collins Avenue are popular shopping, eating, and entertainment streets for pedestrians. Lincoln Road is a pedestrian-only shopping street, and Collins Avenue around 5th Street, is mostly upscale retail.
Currently, a streetcar system, named 'Baylink' is in the planning stages. Baylink would connect South Beach to Downtown at Government Center Station via the MacArthur Causeway.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Residential neighborhoods
There are several residential neighborhoods in South Beach. The old stereotype of South Beach as a run-down retirement mecca for seniors is exploited in the Hollywood movie, "The Crew" which starred Richard Dreyfuss and Burt Reynolds. In its early existence, black people (African Americans and West Indians), many of whom helped build many of the original Art Deco buildings were not permitted to live on South Beach, or any part of Miami Beach for that matter. Also, during segregation, Jewish people were subjected to Jim Crow laws, and therefore they were not allowed to live north of Fifth Street, thus the area became known as SoFi (South of Fifth.) Many synagogues and yiddish theatres were built in the area during that time. Presently, the same area (SoFi) boasts many of the most affluent and exclusive condominium buildings ever to be built on Miami Beach. In fact SoFi, this relatively small area, now accounts for nearly 18% of the residential tax base for all of Miami Beach because of its high property values. The glittering glass towers of the area include the large resort-like condominium buildings such as Portofino Tower and sister buildings such as ICON (spearheaded by designer Philippe Starck), Murano at Portofino, Murano Grande at Portofino, The Apogee, and The Continuum buildings (I and II). Now, it also encompasses the area from the Atlantic ocean east to Biscayne Bay on the west, and from Fifth Street to the South Pointe Park. Although mostly residential, the area has some light commercial (mainly restaurants, a few hotels and the Miami Beach Marina complex). This area has several notable nightlife destinations, including Opium Garden, Privé, Nikki Beach Club, and Pearl. It also has several smaller, upscale bars and restaurants, including Joe's Stone Crabs, Smith & Wollensky's steak house, and China Grill. South Beach is also home to two schools in the area; Miami Beach High School and South Pointe Elementary.
Flamingo Park is a historic neighborhood directly north of Fifth and expands from Alton Road on the west to Washington Avenue on the east, with its northern boundary being Lincoln Road; it does not include Lenox. This area consists mainly of low rise art deco apartment buildings, catering to short-term, seasonal and permanent residents, with several Bed and Breakfast Inns. Commercial development is largely limited to Alton Road, Washington Avenue, and Lincoln Road. Presently, there is little notable nightlife, with the exception of Tantra at the corner of Espanola Way and Pennsylvania Ave. It is also home to Flamingo Park, one of South Beach's public parks, which includes recreational facilities such as swimming for adults and children, tennis, racketball and basketball courts, as well as a dog park.
Espanola Way Historic District, was the first historic district in Miami Beach, adopted in 1986. It is a mixed commercial/residential neighborhood extending along Espanola Way from Collins Avenue to Jefferson Avenue, and includes the famous Clay Hotel on the corner of Washington Avenue, where Desi Arnaz launched the famous rumba craze in the 1930s. The Espanola Way district abuts Flamingo Park, and is surrounded by the Flamingo Park District, and is often included when discussing the Flamingo Park Neighborhood.
Flamingo West is a neighborhood of single family homes that spans from north of the Park to Lincoln Road on Lennox and Michigan Avenues.
Collins Park is South Beach's most "up and coming" neighborhood, according to the Miami New Times. The newspaper cites the new Sanctuary Spa Resort, an updated public library, and several open projects as evidence for its claim. Collins Park is contained by 17th Street to the south, 23rd Street to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and Washington Avenue/Pinetree Drive to the west. It is directly across from the Miami Beach Convention Center. Collins Park consists mainly of low rise art deco buildings built in the 1930s and 1950s; it is also the location of the Bass Museum of Art. The area is currently undergoing gentrification, as many of the old apartments from the 1980s (many of which still have bars on their windows) are being purchased by major New York and South Florida real estate developers to be converted into condominiums.
Additionally, many high-rise buildings are located along Bay Road and West Avenue, and there are multifamily residences located north of Lincoln Road and east of Collins Park. The Flamingo, the world's largest apartment complex, is located on Bay Road.
Flamingo Park is a historic neighborhood directly north of Fifth and expands from Alton Road on the west to Washington Avenue on the east, with its northern boundary being Lincoln Road; it does not include Lenox. This area consists mainly of low rise art deco apartment buildings, catering to short-term, seasonal and permanent residents, with several Bed and Breakfast Inns. Commercial development is largely limited to Alton Road, Washington Avenue, and Lincoln Road. Presently, there is little notable nightlife, with the exception of Tantra at the corner of Espanola Way and Pennsylvania Ave. It is also home to Flamingo Park, one of South Beach's public parks, which includes recreational facilities such as swimming for adults and children, tennis, racketball and basketball courts, as well as a dog park.
Espanola Way Historic District, was the first historic district in Miami Beach, adopted in 1986. It is a mixed commercial/residential neighborhood extending along Espanola Way from Collins Avenue to Jefferson Avenue, and includes the famous Clay Hotel on the corner of Washington Avenue, where Desi Arnaz launched the famous rumba craze in the 1930s. The Espanola Way district abuts Flamingo Park, and is surrounded by the Flamingo Park District, and is often included when discussing the Flamingo Park Neighborhood.
Flamingo West is a neighborhood of single family homes that spans from north of the Park to Lincoln Road on Lennox and Michigan Avenues.
Collins Park is South Beach's most "up and coming" neighborhood, according to the Miami New Times. The newspaper cites the new Sanctuary Spa Resort, an updated public library, and several open projects as evidence for its claim. Collins Park is contained by 17th Street to the south, 23rd Street to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and Washington Avenue/Pinetree Drive to the west. It is directly across from the Miami Beach Convention Center. Collins Park consists mainly of low rise art deco buildings built in the 1930s and 1950s; it is also the location of the Bass Museum of Art. The area is currently undergoing gentrification, as many of the old apartments from the 1980s (many of which still have bars on their windows) are being purchased by major New York and South Florida real estate developers to be converted into condominiums.
Additionally, many high-rise buildings are located along Bay Road and West Avenue, and there are multifamily residences located north of Lincoln Road and east of Collins Park. The Flamingo, the world's largest apartment complex, is located on Bay Road.
Geography
South Beach is traversed by numerical streets which run east-west, starting with First Street and the largely pedestrianized Lincoln Road (between 16th and 17th). It also has 13 principal Roads and Avenues running north-south, which, from the Biscayne Bay side, are Bay Road, West Avenue, Alton Road, Lenox Avenue, Michigan Avenue, Jefferson Avenue, Meridian Avenue, Euclid Avenue, Pennsylvania Avenue, Drexel Avenue, Washington Avenue, Collins Avenue (Florida State Road A1A), and Ocean Drive. There are three smaller avenues (that do not run the entire length of the beach) in the Collins Park area, named Park, Liberty, and James. Most locals agree that South Beach's northern boundary runs along Dade Boulevard from Lincoln Road on the bay side of the island, and heads east-north-east until it connects with 23rd Street, which forms the northern boundary on the ocean side.
Today
In both daytime and at nightfall, the South Beach section of Miami Beach is a major entertainment destination with hundreds of nightclubs, restaurants, boutiques and hotels. The area is popular with both American and international tourists (mainly from Canada, Latin America, Europe, Israel, the Caribbean and within the United States), with some having permanent or second homes. The large number of European tourists also explains their influence on South Beach's lax and overall tolerance of the female monokini, aka topless sunbathing, despite it being a public beach.
The reflection of South Beach's residents is evident in the various European languages, as well as Semitic languages and many other languages spoken. In 2000, 55% of residents of the city of Miami Beach spoke Spanish as a first language, while English was the first language for 33% of the population. Portuguese (mainly Brazilian Portuguese) was spoken by 3% of residents, while French (including Canadian French) was spoken by 2%, German by 1.12%, Italian 0.99%, and Russian by 0.85% of the population. Owing to the area's large Jewish and Israeli community, Yiddish was spoken by 0.81% of resident, and Hebrew by 0.74%.[10]
Another unique aesthetic attribute of South Beach is the presence of several colorful and unique stands used by South Beach's lifeguards. After Hurricane Andrew, Architect William Lane donated his design services to the city and added new stops on design tours in the form of lifeguard towers. His towers instantly became symbols of the revived City of Miami Beach.
The gay community in Miami Beach has declined in number over the years[11]. By 2010 most LGBT populations moved up north into the Broward County area[12]. Anti-gay attacks and Miami Beach Police brutality against gay men[13] are a couple of most disturbing factors attributing to the exodus of LGBT culture, residents, and tourists. Ironically, the new gay friendly mayor of 2007, Matti Herrera Bower, came together with increased corruption and homophobia in the city's police department[14][15] [16]. Also, since the new mayor took office, an ordinance to close parks and beaches where gay men congregate was executed[17], which led to an ongoing harassment of single men in general[18]. As a result, Miami Beach male tourists regardless of sexual orientation have increasingly became targets for the Miami Beach Police Department which resulted in wrongful arrests and deaths[19].
In 2005, a local gay-friendly radio station, Party 93.1 FM changed its format from dance to rock. As a result, Issues Over the Rainbow, South Florida's only gay-oriented FM talk show was cancelled[20]. Gone along with the show - the station's sponsorships of the Miami Gay & Lesbian Film Festival; Care Resource's annual White Party gala to fight AIDS; and Winter Party, a five-day fundraiser in early March that benefits South Florida gay charities[21].
In February of 2010, ACLU announced that it will sue the city of Miami Beach for an ongoing targeting and arrests of gay men in public[22]. According to the ACLU, Miami Beach has a history of arresting gay men for simply looking “too gay”[23].
The reflection of South Beach's residents is evident in the various European languages, as well as Semitic languages and many other languages spoken. In 2000, 55% of residents of the city of Miami Beach spoke Spanish as a first language, while English was the first language for 33% of the population. Portuguese (mainly Brazilian Portuguese) was spoken by 3% of residents, while French (including Canadian French) was spoken by 2%, German by 1.12%, Italian 0.99%, and Russian by 0.85% of the population. Owing to the area's large Jewish and Israeli community, Yiddish was spoken by 0.81% of resident, and Hebrew by 0.74%.[10]
Another unique aesthetic attribute of South Beach is the presence of several colorful and unique stands used by South Beach's lifeguards. After Hurricane Andrew, Architect William Lane donated his design services to the city and added new stops on design tours in the form of lifeguard towers. His towers instantly became symbols of the revived City of Miami Beach.
The gay community in Miami Beach has declined in number over the years[11]. By 2010 most LGBT populations moved up north into the Broward County area[12]. Anti-gay attacks and Miami Beach Police brutality against gay men[13] are a couple of most disturbing factors attributing to the exodus of LGBT culture, residents, and tourists. Ironically, the new gay friendly mayor of 2007, Matti Herrera Bower, came together with increased corruption and homophobia in the city's police department[14][15] [16]. Also, since the new mayor took office, an ordinance to close parks and beaches where gay men congregate was executed[17], which led to an ongoing harassment of single men in general[18]. As a result, Miami Beach male tourists regardless of sexual orientation have increasingly became targets for the Miami Beach Police Department which resulted in wrongful arrests and deaths[19].
In 2005, a local gay-friendly radio station, Party 93.1 FM changed its format from dance to rock. As a result, Issues Over the Rainbow, South Florida's only gay-oriented FM talk show was cancelled[20]. Gone along with the show - the station's sponsorships of the Miami Gay & Lesbian Film Festival; Care Resource's annual White Party gala to fight AIDS; and Winter Party, a five-day fundraiser in early March that benefits South Florida gay charities[21].
In February of 2010, ACLU announced that it will sue the city of Miami Beach for an ongoing targeting and arrests of gay men in public[22]. According to the ACLU, Miami Beach has a history of arresting gay men for simply looking “too gay”[23].
History
South Beach started as farmland. In 1870, Henry and Charles Lum purchased 165 acres (67 ha) for coconut farming, and his daughter[clarification needed (Whose daughter?)] Taylor named it "South Beach". Charles Lum built the first house on the beach in 1886. In 1894, the Lum brothers left the island, leaving control of the plantation to John Collins, who came to South Beach two years later to survey the land. He used the land for farming purposes, discovering fresh water and extending his parcel from 14th Street to 67th in 1907.[citation needed]
In 1912, Miami businessmen the Lummus Brothers acquired 400 acres (160 ha) of Collins' land in an effort to build an oceanfront city of modest single family residences. In 1913 Collins started construction of a bridge from Miami to Miami Beach. Although some local residents invested in the bridge, Collins ran short of money before he could complete it.[1]
Carl G. Fisher, a successful entrepreneur who made millions in 1909 after selling a business to Union Carbide, came to the beach in 1913. His vision was to establish South Beach as a successful city independent of Miami. This was the same year that the restaurant Joe's Stone Crab opened. Fisher loaned $50,000 to Collins for his bridge, which was completed in June, 1913. the Collins Bridge was later replaced by the Venetian Causeway.[2]
On March 26, 1915, Collins, Lummus, and Fisher consolidated their efforts and incorporated the Town of Miami Beach. In 1920 the County Causeway (renamed MacArthur Causeway in 1942[3]) was completed.[4] The Lummus brothers sold their oceanfront property, between 6th and 14th Streets, to the city. To this day, this area is known as Lummus Park.[citation needed]
In 1920, the Miami Beach land boom began. South Beach's main streets (5th Street, Alton Road, Collins Avenue, Washington Avenue, and Ocean Drive) were all suitable for automobile traffic. The population was growing in the 1920s, and several millionaires such as Harvey Firestone, J.C. Penney, Harvey Stutz, Albert Champion, Frank Seiberling, and Rockwell LaGorce built homes on Miami Beach. President Warren G. Harding stayed at the Flamingo Hotel during this time, increasing interest in the area.[citation needed]
In the 1930s, an architectural revolution came to South Beach, bringing Art Deco, Streamline Moderne, and Nautical Moderne architecture to the Beach. South Beach claims to be the world's largest collection of Streamline Moderne Art Deco architecture. Napier, New Zealand, another notable Art Deco city, makes an interesting comparison with Miami Beach as it was rebuilt in the Ziggurat Art Deco style after being destroyed by an earthquake in 1931.[citation needed]
By 1940, the beach had a population of 28,000. After the December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, the Army Air Corps took command over Miami Beach.[citation needed]
In 1964, South Beach became even more famous when Jackie Gleason brought his weekly variety series, The Jackie Gleason Show to the area for taping, a rarity in the industry. Beginning in the late 1970s and continuing through the 1980s, South Beach was used as a retirement community with most of its ocean-front hotels and apartment buildings filled with elderly people living on small, fixed incomes. This period also saw the introduction of the "cocaine cowboys," drug dealers who used the area as a base for their illicit drug activities. Scarface, released in 1983, typifies this activity. In addition, television show Miami Vice used South Beach as a backdrop for much of its filming because of the area's raw and unique visual beauty. A somewhat recurring theme of early Miami Vice episodes was thugs and drug addicts barricading themselves in utterly run-down, almost ruin-like empty buildings. Only minor alterations had to be made for these scenes because many buildings in South Beach really were in such poor condition at the time.[citation needed]
While many of the unique Art Deco buildings, such as the New Yorker Hotel, were lost to developers in the years before 1980, the area was saved as a cohesive unit by Barbara Capitman and a group of activists who spearheaded the movement to place almost one square mile of South Beach on the National Register of Historic Places. The Miami Beach Architectural District was designated in 1979.[citation needed]
Before the days of Miami Vice, South Beach was considered a very poor area with a very high rate of crime. Today, it is considered one of the wealthiest and most prosperous commercial areas on the beach. Despite this, poverty and crime still exist in some isolated places surrounding the area.[5]
Natalie O'Neill of the Miami New Times said in 2009 "Until the 1980s, Miami Beach was a peculiar mix of criminals, Cubans, and little old ladies. Then the beautiful people moved in."[6] In the late 1980s, a renaissance began in South Beach, with an influx of fashion industry professionals moving into the area. In 1989 Irene Marie purchased the Sun Ray Apartments (famous for the chainsaw scene in Scarface) and opened Irene Marie Models - the first international full-service modeling agency in Florida. Many of the large New York based agencies soon followed. Photographers and designers from around the world were drawn to the undiscovered Art Deco oasis.[citation needed]
State of Florida records stated that four of the anti-homosexual hate crimes in Miami-Dade County in 2009 occurred in Miami Beach.[7][8] Around that time period many homosexuals moved from South Beach to Fort Lauderdale, which has a homosexual community. O'Neill stated "South Beach isn't the free-spirited haven of gayness it once was." Regarding the anti-homosexual hate violence, O'Neill said "It's surprising when you consider South Beach's heyday as a sparkling gay playground."[7] O'Neill said that the language of Florida's hate crime law is "vague" and that police officers "aren't adequately trained to notice and document the signs" and that therefore the true number of hate crimes is higher. Herb Sosa, president of Unity Coalition of Miami-Dade, said that "Police numbers don't match our numbers, and that's a problem."[6] Steve Rothaus of the Miami Herald criticized O'Neill's article, saying that the number of hate crimes reported in Miami Beach, four, was overstated by O'Neill.[8] O'Neill responded, saying that Rothaus did not take into consideration the under-reporting and the general feeling of alienation experienced by homosexuals that occurred in South Beach.[9]
In 1912, Miami businessmen the Lummus Brothers acquired 400 acres (160 ha) of Collins' land in an effort to build an oceanfront city of modest single family residences. In 1913 Collins started construction of a bridge from Miami to Miami Beach. Although some local residents invested in the bridge, Collins ran short of money before he could complete it.[1]
Carl G. Fisher, a successful entrepreneur who made millions in 1909 after selling a business to Union Carbide, came to the beach in 1913. His vision was to establish South Beach as a successful city independent of Miami. This was the same year that the restaurant Joe's Stone Crab opened. Fisher loaned $50,000 to Collins for his bridge, which was completed in June, 1913. the Collins Bridge was later replaced by the Venetian Causeway.[2]
On March 26, 1915, Collins, Lummus, and Fisher consolidated their efforts and incorporated the Town of Miami Beach. In 1920 the County Causeway (renamed MacArthur Causeway in 1942[3]) was completed.[4] The Lummus brothers sold their oceanfront property, between 6th and 14th Streets, to the city. To this day, this area is known as Lummus Park.[citation needed]
In 1920, the Miami Beach land boom began. South Beach's main streets (5th Street, Alton Road, Collins Avenue, Washington Avenue, and Ocean Drive) were all suitable for automobile traffic. The population was growing in the 1920s, and several millionaires such as Harvey Firestone, J.C. Penney, Harvey Stutz, Albert Champion, Frank Seiberling, and Rockwell LaGorce built homes on Miami Beach. President Warren G. Harding stayed at the Flamingo Hotel during this time, increasing interest in the area.[citation needed]
In the 1930s, an architectural revolution came to South Beach, bringing Art Deco, Streamline Moderne, and Nautical Moderne architecture to the Beach. South Beach claims to be the world's largest collection of Streamline Moderne Art Deco architecture. Napier, New Zealand, another notable Art Deco city, makes an interesting comparison with Miami Beach as it was rebuilt in the Ziggurat Art Deco style after being destroyed by an earthquake in 1931.[citation needed]
By 1940, the beach had a population of 28,000. After the December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, the Army Air Corps took command over Miami Beach.[citation needed]
In 1964, South Beach became even more famous when Jackie Gleason brought his weekly variety series, The Jackie Gleason Show to the area for taping, a rarity in the industry. Beginning in the late 1970s and continuing through the 1980s, South Beach was used as a retirement community with most of its ocean-front hotels and apartment buildings filled with elderly people living on small, fixed incomes. This period also saw the introduction of the "cocaine cowboys," drug dealers who used the area as a base for their illicit drug activities. Scarface, released in 1983, typifies this activity. In addition, television show Miami Vice used South Beach as a backdrop for much of its filming because of the area's raw and unique visual beauty. A somewhat recurring theme of early Miami Vice episodes was thugs and drug addicts barricading themselves in utterly run-down, almost ruin-like empty buildings. Only minor alterations had to be made for these scenes because many buildings in South Beach really were in such poor condition at the time.[citation needed]
While many of the unique Art Deco buildings, such as the New Yorker Hotel, were lost to developers in the years before 1980, the area was saved as a cohesive unit by Barbara Capitman and a group of activists who spearheaded the movement to place almost one square mile of South Beach on the National Register of Historic Places. The Miami Beach Architectural District was designated in 1979.[citation needed]
Before the days of Miami Vice, South Beach was considered a very poor area with a very high rate of crime. Today, it is considered one of the wealthiest and most prosperous commercial areas on the beach. Despite this, poverty and crime still exist in some isolated places surrounding the area.[5]
Natalie O'Neill of the Miami New Times said in 2009 "Until the 1980s, Miami Beach was a peculiar mix of criminals, Cubans, and little old ladies. Then the beautiful people moved in."[6] In the late 1980s, a renaissance began in South Beach, with an influx of fashion industry professionals moving into the area. In 1989 Irene Marie purchased the Sun Ray Apartments (famous for the chainsaw scene in Scarface) and opened Irene Marie Models - the first international full-service modeling agency in Florida. Many of the large New York based agencies soon followed. Photographers and designers from around the world were drawn to the undiscovered Art Deco oasis.[citation needed]
State of Florida records stated that four of the anti-homosexual hate crimes in Miami-Dade County in 2009 occurred in Miami Beach.[7][8] Around that time period many homosexuals moved from South Beach to Fort Lauderdale, which has a homosexual community. O'Neill stated "South Beach isn't the free-spirited haven of gayness it once was." Regarding the anti-homosexual hate violence, O'Neill said "It's surprising when you consider South Beach's heyday as a sparkling gay playground."[7] O'Neill said that the language of Florida's hate crime law is "vague" and that police officers "aren't adequately trained to notice and document the signs" and that therefore the true number of hate crimes is higher. Herb Sosa, president of Unity Coalition of Miami-Dade, said that "Police numbers don't match our numbers, and that's a problem."[6] Steve Rothaus of the Miami Herald criticized O'Neill's article, saying that the number of hate crimes reported in Miami Beach, four, was overstated by O'Neill.[8] O'Neill responded, saying that Rothaus did not take into consideration the under-reporting and the general feeling of alienation experienced by homosexuals that occurred in South Beach.[9]
South Beach
South Beach, also nicknamed SoBe, is a neighborhood in the city of Miami Beach, Florida, United States. It is the area south of Indian Creek and encompasses roughly the southernmost 23 blocks of the main barrier island that separates the Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay. This area was the first section of Miami Beach to be developed, starting in the 1910s, thanks to the development efforts of Carl G. Fisher, the Lummus Brothers, John S. Collins, and others. The area has gone through numerous artificial and natural changes over the years, including a booming regional economy, increased tourism, and the 1926 hurricane, which destroyed much of the area.
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