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South Beach, Also Nicknamed Sobe, Is A
South Beach, Also Nicknamed Sobe, Is A
South Beach, Also Nicknamed Sobe, Is A
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South Beach
South Beach, also nicknamed SoBe, is a
neighborhood in the city of Miami Beach, Florida, South Beach
United States, located due east of Miami city proper
Neighborhood of Miami Beach
between Biscayne Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. The
area encompasses Miami Beach south of Dade
Boulevard.
History
South Beach started as farmland. In 1870, Henry and Charles Lum
purchased 165 acres (67 ha) for coconut farming. 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.
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.[3]
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[4]) was
completed.[5] 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.
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, Harry C. Stutz,[6] 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.
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 mid 1960s and continuing
through the 1980s, South Beach was used as a retirement community with Barbara Capitman
Monument in Lummus Park
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. A somewhat recurring
theme of early Miami Vice episodes was thugs and drug addicts
barricading themselves in run-down or empty buildings. Only
minor alterations had to be made for these scenes because some
buildings in South Beach were in poor condition at the time.
While many of the unique Art Deco buildings, such as the New
Ocean Drive on Super Bowl XLI
Yorker Hotel, were lost to developers in the years before 1980, the
weekend 2007
area was saved as a cohesive unit by Barbara Baer 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.
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.[9]
In 2009, Natalie O'Neill of the Miami New Times said, "Until the 1980s, Miami Beach was a peculiar mix
of criminals, Cubans, and little old ladies. Then the beautiful people moved in."[10] 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 (captured in the chainsaw scene in Scarface) located
on Ocean Drive and opened Irene Marie Models.[11]
Thomas Kramer is credited with starting the construction boom in
South Beach, driving the gentrification of the area. It is now a
popular living destination for the wealthy. Condominium units in
the upscale high rises sell for millions. There are a number of vocal
critics of the developments. The high-rise and high-density
buildings are derided as a "concrete jungle". However, even critics
concede that the development has changed the area into a
pedestrian friendly, low-crime neighborhood.[12][13]
LGBT Community
South Beach is considered a hub of LGBT lifestyle. In the 80s and 90s, South Beach was the center of
Florida's gay life and nightlife. It is home to many hotels, clubs, and nightlife that caters to the LGBT
community. Ocean Drive is a hotspot to socialize and there is LGBT friendly shopping and cocktailing on
Lincoln Road. The World Erotic Art Museum on South Beach is considered a local favorite to visit.
South Beach is also the location of the Pride Parade and Pride Festival events during Pride Week of the
annual Miami Beach Pride celebration. Both of the events run through Ocean Drive from Fifth to 15th
Streets.[17] First started in 2009, Miami Beach Pride now draws over 130,000 people to South Beach every
year.
Controversy
In 2009, the ACLU began looking into instances of Miami Beach Police
targeting gay men for harassment.[18] In February 2010, ACLU announced
that it would sue the City of Miami Beach for an ongoing targeting and
arrests of gay men in public.[19] According to the ACLU, Miami Beach
police have a history of arresting gay men for simply looking "too gay".[20]
At the meeting with the local gay leaders, Miami Beach Police Chief
Carlos Noriega claimed that the incidents were isolated, and promised
increased diversity training for police officers. He also announced that a
captain, who is a lesbian, would soon be reassigned to internal affairs to Lifeguard stand at Lummus
handle complaints about police officers accused of harassing gays. Some Park
members of the committee were skeptical of Noriega's assertion that the
recent case wasn't indicative of a larger problem in the MBPD, and
provided examples of other cases.[21]
Geography
South Beach is traversed by numerical streets which run east–west,
starting with Biscayne Street, now popularly known as South
Pointe Drive, one block south of First Street and the largely Ocean Drive
pedestrianized Lincoln Road (running parallel between 16th and
17th streets). 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 (State Road A1A), and Ocean Drive. There are three
smaller avenues (that do not run the entire length of South 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 24th
Street, which forms the northern boundary on the ocean side.
Climate
Köppen-Geiger climate classification system classifies its climate as tropical monsoon (Am).
Climate data for South Beach
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high 75 75 79 82 84 88 90 90 88 84 81 77 83
°F (°C) (24) (24) (26) (28) (29) (31) (32) (32) (31) (29) (27) (25) (28)
Average low 59 61 64 68 72 75 75 77 75 72 66 61 69
°F (°C) (15) (16) (18) (20) (22) (24) (24) (25) (24) (22) (19) (16) (20)
Average
2.4 2.4 2.4 3.0 5.9 8.5 5.5 6.2 7.5 6.5 3.5 2.1 55.9
precipitation
(62) (61) (60) (77) (150) (215) (140) (157) (191) (166) (89) (54) (1,422)
inches (mm)
Average rainy
7 6 6 5 11 16 16 18 17 14 9 6 131
days
Mean daily
sunshine 7 8 9 10 10 9 10 9 9 8 7 7 9
hours
Source: Weather2Travel[22]
Parks
Collins Park - Collins Ave and 21st St
Flamingo Park- In between Michigan Ave and
Meridian Av from 11th St to Española Way
Lummus Park - Ocean Drive from 5th St to 14th St
Maurice Gibb Park - Purdy Ave and Dade Blvd
Miami Beach Golf Club - Alton Road and W 23rd St
South Pointe Park - Washington Ave and South
Pointe Dr
Washington Park - Washington Ave and 2nd St Jewish Museum of Florida on Washington
Avenue and 3rd Street
Transportation
South Beach, along with a handful of other neighborhoods in Greater 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, trolley, bus, or taxi as the neighborhood is very urban and pedestrian-
friendly. 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.
Automobile congestion in the area is frequent, so getting around in South Beach by car can often prove
more difficult than simply walking or bicycling. Recently, Miami Beach has begun bicycle initiatives
promoting citywide 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.
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 (e.g., Metrobus lines S and
120). The Miami International Airport can be reached quickly from several bus stops in South Beach via
the Airport-Beach Express (Metrobus line 150). That ride costs $2.35 and runs every 30 minutes from
6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. seven days a week.[23]
Various City of Miami Beach-operated trolley routes provide free rides throughout South Beach and
connect it to the other major areas of Miami Beach: South Beach Loop travels throughout South Beach,
Middle Beach Loop connects South Beach to Mid-Beach's main street (41st Street) via State Road A1A
and along 41st Street, and Collins Express connects South Beach to Mid-Beach and North Beach via State
Road A1A. Using Collins Express to connect to the North Beach Loop allows free travel from South
Beach to several areas of North Beach. All four trolley lines operate from 8 a.m. to midnight on Sunday
and from 6 a.m. to midnight the rest of the week.[24]
Education
Elementary schools
Public schools
Private schools
First Presbyterian International Christian School
Gordon Day School (Jewish)
Prima Casa Montessori School
High schools
Libraries
Miami-Dade Public Library
Miami Beach Regional Library
South Shore Library
Wolfsonian-FIU Library
Places of worship
Miami Beach Community Church
Pentecostal Church of God
Saint Frances De Sales Church
Temple Beth Shmuel
Lincoln Road
Lincoln Road is an open-air pedestrian mall, considered South Miami City Ballet building
Beach's premiere shopping area. While Lincoln Road was one time
rather downtrodden, it began a renaissance in the 1980s as an arts
and cultural center. With its unique boutique shops and restaurants, it has had "an esoteric chic that
maintains its trendy appeal."[27] It runs parallel in between 16th Street and 17th Street and spans the Beach
in an east–west direction. Lincoln Road was fully accessible to automobile traffic until the 1950s when
automobile access was limited from Alton Road to Biscayne Bay on the west end and Washington Avenue
to the beach on the east end of Lincoln Road with Lincoln Mall limited to pedestrians stretching from Alton
Road to Washington Avenue. Among the late 1990s restaurants on Lincoln Road was one owned by actor
Michael Caine, and managed by one of his daughters. The restaurant has since closed. The Miami Beach
Preservation Board approved the closure of automobile traffic on the westward part of Lincoln Mall, in
favor of the renovation of the SunTrust building including the development of the 1111 Lincoln Road
parking garage. Several other parking garages nearby greatly facilitate commerce.
Ocean Drive
Ocean Drive is the easternmost street in South Beach, and stems from South Pointe Drive to 15th Street,
running in a north–south direction. Ocean Drive is responsible for the South Beach aesthetic that most out-
of-town visitors expect. It is a popular tourist area. It is also home to several restaurants (including "A Fish
Called Avalon"," "Mango's," and the MTV-popularized "Clevelander") and is the site of Gianni Versace's
former ocean front mansion.
Collins Avenue
Collins Avenue runs parallel to Ocean Drive, one block west. It is also State Road A1A. Collins is home to
many historic Art Deco hotels, and several nightclubs to the north, including Mynt and Rokbar.
Española Way
Española Way, which runs from Collins Avenue to Pennsylvania Avenue, was conceived by N.B.T. Roney
(of Roney Plaza Hotel fame) in 1925 as "The Historic Spanish Village," modeled after the romantic
Mediterranean villages found in France and Spain. Today it consists of restaurants, bars, art galleries, and
quirky shops.
Alton Road
Alton Road is the main westside north–south street located 1-3 blocks from Biscayne Bay. On the part that
traverses South Beach, the road is host to many local businesses, including dry cleaners, small furniture
stores, small grocery markets, non-chain restaurants and fast food restaurants. It is mainly residential once it
crosses Michigan Avenue north of South Beach.
Washington Avenue
Washington Avenue is one of the best-known streets in South Beach. Running parallel with Ocean and
Collins, Washington is notorious for having some of the world's largest and most popular nightclubs, such
as Cameo and Mansion. During "season" the street is jammed with traffic until early in the morning (as late
as 6 am) every night of the week. In the 1990s explosion of South Beach as a nightclub venue, its nightclub
moguls included Ingrid Casares, whose investors included the singer Madonna. Washington Avenue is also
home to countless shops, hotels, and such noted architectural features as Temple Emanu-El.
The West Avenue Corridor extends from 5th Street north to 17th Street and is bounded by the east side of
Alton Road and Biscayne Bay. Development in the West Avenue Corridor began in the 1920s when three
grand hotels were built on the shores of Biscayne Bay: The Flamingo, The Fleetwood and the Floridian. Al
Capone and vacationing billionaires from the Golden Age made these hotels their winter hideaway. By the
1950s the hotels fell into ruin and tourists abandoned this side of South Beach for the oceanside.
All three properties, along with the rest of the Corridor, have since evolved into a middle-class, mixed use
residential neighborhood. Each passing decade saw the addition of new architectural styles that enhance the
diversity and appeal of the neighborhood. Amenities for residents and visitors include shopping, houses of
worship, cafes, restaurants, parks and gyms.
Today, the West Avenue Corridor is one of the most desirable places to live in Miami Beach. Vacationers,
homeowners and renters can find an abode to suit any style in this neighborhood that supports a
combination of single family homes, original art deco buildings, MiMo mid-rises and contemporary high
density high-rises.
The Corridor is home to almost 10,000 residents, over 40 different condominiums, several single family
homes and a number of rental buildings. The neighborhood has changed over the years. The recent Census
shows the neighborhood to be much younger and more year-round than in years past. It is highly walkable
since it is a quiet neighborhood and is close to many amenities - Flamingo Park, Lincoln Road, the ocean,
the nightlife of Ocean Drive and Washington Avenue, Whole Foods Market, Publix and many restaurants.
Located at 10th Street and West Avenue, The Shoppes at West Avenue, built almost 12 years ago by
Gumenick Properties, hosts a locus of business activity that complements the residential community. There
is a parking garage disguised by the architecture and on the ground level are shops such as Starbucks, one
of the most neighborly on the Beach, Oliver's Bistro, a local "joint" with a European flair overseen by the
welcoming and gracious owner, Hagen Taudt, a dry cleaner, the South Beach Animal Hospital, a spa,
Massage by Design and other businesses.
Adding the neighborhood's attractiveness is its proximity to the neighborhoods of South of Fifth, Sunset
Harbor, Belle Isle, the Venetian Islands and North Bay Road. In the South of Fifth community is the highly
rated South Pointe Elementary School, an "A" rated school boasting the highly coveted International
Baccalaureate® program.
One could say the Corridor has come full circle - the forefathers intentions were to create a magical lifestyle
in a tropical paradise, and the residents who now make their home along the Bay fulfill and continue that
lifestyle.
Gallery
Night architecture - Panorama - Looking Corner of 15th Street Lifeguard stand at
Ocean Drive North From South and Washington the South Pointe
Point Avenue Beach
In popular culture
Film
South Beach is the setting of the fictional Birdcage drag nightclub in the comedy film The
Birdcage (1996).[28]
Two films starring Will Smith and Martin Lawrence, Bad Boys (1995) and Bad Boys II (2003),
were set in and around Miami and South Beach.[29]
The Last Resort is a 2018 documentary about South Beach in the 1960s, 70s and
80s.[30][31]
Television
South Beach was infamously referenced by NBA superstar LeBron James in his 2010 TV
special The Decision when he announced that he was "taking his talents to South Beach"
by joining the Miami Heat over staying with his hometown Cleveland Cavaliers, which he
eventually returned to in 2014. The quote became a punch line for critics.[32][33]
South Beach Tow was a reality TV show about a towing company operating in Miami Beach
that aired on TruTV from 2011 to 2014.
See also
Mid-Beach
North Beach
References
Notes
Bibliography
City of Miami. "Miami Beach Gay Pride is an extraordinary two-day event" (https://web.archiv
e.org/web/20150316065209/https://www.miamibeachgaypride.com/). Miamibeachgaypride.
LGBT Creativity. Archived from the original (https://www.miamibeachgaypride.com) on 2015-
03-16. Retrieved 20 March 2015.
Crandell, Ben; Sentinel, Sun. "Chaz Bono to lead Miami Beach Gay Pride parade" (http://arti
cles.sun-sentinel.com/2012-04-04/entertainment/sfl-chaz-bono-to-lead-miami-beach-gay-pri
de-parade-20120404_1_grand-marshal-chaz-parade). articles.sun-sentinel. Retrieved
20 March 2015.
City of Miami. "2015 Major Sponsors" (https://web.archive.org/web/20121030235327/http://m
iamibeachgaypride.com/sponsors). Miamibeachgaypride. Archived from the original (https://
www.miamibeachgaypride.com/sponsors) on 30 October 2012. Retrieved 20 March 2015.
Rothaus, Steve. "Miami Beach Gay Pride to honor two 'Legacy couples,' each together more
than 50 years" (http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/gay-south-florida/article1
0541195.html). Miami Herald. Retrieved 20 March 2015.
Florida, DK Eyewitness Travel Guides, 2004, pg. 67
Muir, Helen. (1953) Miami, U.S.A. Coconut Grove, Florida: Hurricane House Publishers
Saving South Beach. Stofik, M. Barron. 2005. University Press of Florida.
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