Greater Miami & the Beaches

Sun splashed, lush and architecturally stunning.

Miami moves to a Latin beat. Florida's show case city, home to some 2 million people, although definitely a part of the United States it has a culture and commercial life which is strongly influenced by Latin America. This is not surprising since more then half of the population is Hispanic from origin.

Over half a million Miamians have come from Cuba alone which is the result of numerous migrations since Fidel Castro's communist regime took power in 1959. The Cuban influence is especially strong in Little Havana, one of the colorful neighborhoods that make up the Greater Miami and the beaches.

Each neighborhood has its own distinctive character, Coral Gables, a carefully planned community which dates back to the 1920s is one of the oldest and most elegant. Then there is Coconut Grove, a hippy colony which turned into a yuppie neighborhood, Key Biscayne and its parkland, Brickell Avenue, the business and financial district and Miami Beach with its elegant Art Deco district and wild uninhibited nightlife. The "Beach" as locals call it has gained notoriety in recent years, not least because it is frequented by publicity seeking celebrities such a Madonna and Sylvester Stallone. Shortening names is a Miami Trait. In local parlance Coral Gables is "the Gables", Coconut Grove is "the Grove", South Beach is "SoBe" and so on. Learning the "language" will quickly endear you to the locals and so will a basic knowledge of Spanish. South West 8th Street, the main artery of Little Havana is commonly referred to as Calle Ocho.

All Miami's streets run from east to west and avenues run from north to south. Miami is laid out on a grid system stretching back from the shores of Biscayne Bay. The two main thoroughfares are Flagler Street and North Miami Avenue and from their intersection, it is easy to get oriented. The layout of Miami was carefully planned and looking at the downtown area today, with its tree lined boulevards, shopping malls and soaring glass and steel office towers, it seems hard to imagine that a mere century ago there was nothing there. In the 1800s, Southern Florida was impenetrable swampland choked by mangroves and dense tropical vegetation.

Miami was put on the map by Julia Tuttle, a far thinking window from Cleveland. Mrs. Tuttle, sensing the potential of Miami's Tropical climate and ocean location she persuaded railroad baron Henry Flagler to bring his trains south. The wilderness was cleared and Miami opened for business on July 28, 1896. By the 1920s, Miami had become a chic holiday resort. Thousands of vacationers, mostly from northern regions and cooler climates, started to congregate in the south to bask in the sun or seek their fortunes in real estate. Many of Miami's ritzier neighborhoods were established during this era. Miami Beach was built from almost nothing. Carl Fisher, an ambitious developer, dredged Biscayne Bay and brought in landfill to create what has become one of America's most opulent vacation area's.

Miami's popularity as a tourism resort continues to grow and with year round temperatures averaging just over 75 degrees Fahrenheit (24C), great restaurants, hundreds of hotels and beaches kissed by ocean breezes, it couldn't be otherwise. The city attracts some 12 million visitors annually. Miami however has had its share of hardship. In August 1992, hurricane Andrew, the fiercest storm in Florida history, roared through the southern part of the State, causing billions in damage and leaving a quarter of a million people homeless. Incredibly only a few of the Major tourist attractions were damaged and those that were are rebuilt and re-opened. Hurricane Andrew did the most damage to residential and business areas. Since then Miami has bounced back, more determined than ever to forge into the future as a leading business center, major cruise port, tourist venue and gateway to South America.

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