900 Collins Avenue is a historic coral rock house in the heart of South Beach. It looks like a…read moresandcastle in the middle of the Art Deco buildings of Collins Avenue. The house is known as the Avery/Coral Rock house. It was built in 1916 by Avery Smith who lived in the home with his family until 1931. Smith ran the ferry service from the mainland to the beaches before the causeways were built which allowed for the first tourists to get to the beach. Avery Smith sold the home to Isadore Roth whose son Dr. Edward Roth, was the first physician practicing in Miami Beach. He ran his practice in the house until the 1970's. After that it was always used as a home until 1990 when it was turned into a fishing club. In 2007 a developer purchased the property and allowed it to deteriorate for the next four years. He bribed three city officials with money and goods to allow him to bulldoze the property which he started to do. The three city officials were arrested for taking bribes in connection with the destruction of the home. By 2011 all that remained was a shell of the house. Preservationists fought to have the house restored. The Miami Beach Historic Preservation Board approved a design and the house was reconstructed using the original coral but this time it was linked to a retail store that is leased. Located only one block from the beaches and Ocean Drive the house is currently for sale and being advertised as a restaurant location. The exterior of the house has been rebuilt but the interior is still under construction. There is a historic marker on the front of the house.

In front of the building that houses the Miami Design Preservation League's Art Deco Museum is this…read morehistoric marker that is part of the Historical Marker Program, one of the Division of Historical Resources' most popular and valued public history programs. The markers raise awareness of Florida's cultural history while enhancing the enjoyment of historic sites for residents and tourists. The blue historic markers tell the stories of the people and places that were important to Florida's history and they can be found in front of schools, roads, archaeological sites, battlefields, cemeteries, churches, historic districts, forts, and historic buildings like this one. Historic marker F-1001 was installed in 2018 by the City of Miami Beach and the Florida Department of State. This marker honors Barbara Baer Capitman (1920-1990). The history of South Beach dates back to 1910 when Carl Fisher began to transform the community into a world class resort destination. In the 1920's during Florida's land boom years, many hotels and mansions were built. The 1930's and 40's were the height of the art deco design movement inspired by Paris and many of the hotels were built in this style. By the 1970's South Beach was run down by neglect and salt water damage. Things were so bad that the movie Scarface used to South Beach to stand in for a drug infested ghetto neighborhood. Barbara Baer Capitman and a group of activists banded together to preserve the Art Deco buildings of South Beach. Capitman founded the Miami Design Preservation League in 1976 with Leonard Horowitz which started a movement to place one square mile of South Beach on the National Register of Historic Places. Their efforts enabled 800 of the historic Art Deco buildings to be saved. Formerly run down hotels on Ocean Drive were refreshed in pastel colors chosen by Horowitz. In the late 1980's South Beach had a resurgence. Models and the fashion industry moved in. Barbara Baer Capitman saved the Art Deco treasures of South Beach by taking a local movement to save important architecture and spreading it nationally and internationally. Her impact on South Beach can not be understated. An area that once had people thinking twice about driving through became home to the wealthy. Today it is walking friendly and generally low crime. You can find a bronze bust of a 19 year old Barbara Baer Capitman next door in Lummus Park.

Lemon City is an unincorporated area that predates Miami. It was established right after the Civil…read moreWar. Lemon City was a farming community that sprang up in the1850's, 26 years before the founding of Miami. The community took their name from the unusually sweet lemon trees that grew in the area. By the time Miami was incorporated, Lemon City already had a population of 300 people. Lemon City had the areas oldest school, the Lemon City School, and the first library, the Lemon City Library. Lemon City was segregated with Black families living in three neighborhoods, Nazarine, Boles Town, and Knightsville. The exact boundaries of Lemon City have been lost to time since it was never incorporated. During the 1980's many Haitian immigrants made what was once Lemon City their home. The area has now been designated as Little Haiti which upset some of the descendants of the pioneers of Lemon City who thought the name change was insulting to their history. To be more inclusive of all of the history of the area, 10 historical signs marking the history of Lemon City were erected by the Mayor's office. Markers were placed at the Lemon City Train Station, Lemon City Pharmacy, Lemon City Library, and here at the neighborhood that used to be Lemon City Nazarene. The neighborhood of Nazarene was bounded by Northeast Seventy-First Street to the north, Northeast Third Avenue to the east, and Northeast Second Avenue to the west. The name Nazarene was taken from the bible and it was pronounced Naz'ree. Nazarene was part pineland and part prairie, and it included a muddy low lying area called a slough (slew). This area was platted by a white farmer named Louis W. Pierce in 1900. Pierce owned a lot of land in Lemon City and he needed a place for his Bahamian workers to live. In the mid-20th century due to a variety of factors, many residents shifted to other places in Miami. The Lemon City African American cemetery located in Nazarene was lost during this time. It was rediscovered in 2009 and it also has a historic marker. As a a fan of history, I love discovering Florida's historic markers. The ones located in Lemon City have taught me the story of the former slaves and Bahamian pioneers who built Miami. Lemon City was swallowed up by the northern edge of the City of Miami in the early 1900s. Thanks to people like historian Dr. Pinkney and Miami Mayors Miami Mayor Tomas Regalado and Francis Suarez there are historical markers to make sure the history of Lemon City does not disappear like it's boundaries.

Nestled in the heart of South Beach is a street filled with European charm. The idea of a Spanish…read moreVillage was conceived by NBT Romney and William Whitman in 1925. It's a two block corridor between Washington and Pennsylvania Avenues designed to look like the Mediterranean villages of Spain and France. In the 1920's Espanola Way was where the wealthy went to dine and dance. It was also a gathering place for the gangsters of the time. Al Capone used known to have used the Clay hotel for gambling. By the 1970's Espanola Way had become dilapidated like all of the South Beach Art Deco district surrounding it. In the 1980's Linda Polanski purchased the south side of Espanola Way. Her restoration efforts of the area along with the Clay Hotel attracted the attention of the producer of the T.V. show Miami Vice who filmed 12 episodes of the show on Espanola Way, including the first and last. Music videos, advertisements, and movies like the Bird Cage would go on to be filmed there. Today Espanola Way is lined with restaurant with outdoor seating, art galleries, and shops. Popular restaurants include Havana 1957 serving Cuban cuisine and Mare Mio Restaurant, an Italian eatery. As you walk down the street the waiters and hostesses call out aggressively for your business. Hey lady, come back! With so many choices it was a bit overwhelming. We were also looking for a Happy Hour with food, not just drink specials. In retrospect we should have just ordered some small plates. With everyone pushing so hard to get your attention it was hard to look over the menus. I fell in love with the street and plan to go back when it's cooler and I can study the restaurants a bit online. The main problem with this area is the lack of parking. We were able to snag a spot in summer in late afternoon. That is not the case on the weekends and I am sure not when it is in season. It will be worth the extra effort to come though as this a very unique and charming area of Miami.

After WWI during the roaring 20's, Florida experienced an economic boom known as the land boom…read moreyears. During this time in 1922 the Bay Shore Investment Company was founded by James Hilliard Nunnally, owner of the Atlanta Nunnally Candy Company. The company developed a large tract of land on the bay called Bayshore. Since Bayshore was outside city limits, the Bayshore Investment Company had to provide their own water, gas, electricity, telephone, street lights, and sewers. To meets the needs of Bayshore and Lemon City the company built the Bayshore Water Pump House located in the Palm Grove Historic District. The building was made out of oolitic limestone and Dade slash pine. Unique architectural details of the building include an arched, recessed cathedral entrance with heavy wooden doors and large iron-strap hinges The pump house contained an 8,000-gallon tank that could provide up to 32,000 gallons of water a day. In 1925 the City of Miami annexed Bayshore and the pump house was no longer needed. By 1990 the building was being considered for demolition. Over the years it has been a music venue, church, and a beauty salon. Through the efforts of the City of Miami, Dade Heritage Trust the pump house was historically designated by the City of Miami in 2012, ensuring its preservation. Today the pump house is a restaurant called ZOI. Historic marker F-1062 was erected in front of the pump house in 2019 by The City of Miami Mayor Tomas Regalado and the City of Miami in Coordination with Alexander Adams, and the Florida Department of State.

The Art Deco Welcome Center is the starting point for exploring Miami Beach's famous Art Deco…read moreHistoric District. Inside, you'll find information about the architecture, history, and guided walking tours of the area. The building itself is a beautiful example of the pastel Art Deco style that defines South Beach. It's a great place to stop if you want to understand the story behind the iconic buildings around Ocean Drive.

Villa Vecchia means old villa in Italian. This historic mansion was built by architect L.M…read more Barrettduring during Florida's land boom years in 1928 as a winter residence for Byron De Witt Miller. Esq, the President of F.W. Woolworth Company. Villa Vecchia is located on millionaire's row on Pinetree Drive in Miami Beach. The nearly 2 acre property is on the widest part of the Indian Creek Waterway. There is a waterfront dock that can accommodate a 100 foot yacht. The main house is 18,000 square feet with 13 bedrooms including a Marie Antionette Bedroom and a Napoleon Bedroom. The grand master suite overlooks Indian Creek. The 150-guest grand ballroom inspired by Versailles has hosted many famous world leaders including Benjamin Netanyahu, Dr. Henry Kissinger, Margaret Thatcher, Mikhail Gorbachev, and President Bill Clinton and luxury designers Emilio Pucci, Zuhair Murad, David Yurman, Luca Orlandi of Luca Luca. The ballroom is an exact replica, only smaller in size, of the ballroom at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach. Other notable features of the house include a mahogany paneled library, a formal dining room with 18th century furniture and a fireplace, servants quarters, a six car garage, a gentleman's all wooden library, and a gourmet kitchen with high-end appliances and stone floors. The home has been fully restored with custom crown molding, chandeliers, archways, wide windows, murals and terrazzo and hardwood floors. Also on the property is a two-bedroom guest house with a living room and kitchen, and a detached gym with steam room. The mansion has been used in the film Iron Man III and in Telemundo telenovelas. It was listed for 20 million dollars in 2012 and last sold for 15 million in 2019. It is currently off the market but there are many pictures of the interior online and you can get a quick peek through the massive mahogany gate.

The history of South Beach dates back to 1910 when carl Fisher began to transform the community…read moreinto a world class resort destination. In the 1920's during Florida's land boom years, many hotels and mansions were built. The 1930's and 40's were the height of the art deco design movement and many of the hotels were built in this style. By the 1970's South Beach was run down by neglect and salt water damage. Things were so bad that the movie Scarface used to South Beach to stand in for a drug infested ghetto neighborhood. At this point in the history if South Beach in steps Barbara Baer Capitman (1920-1990) and a group of activists to save the day. Capitman founded the Miami Design Preservation League in 1976 which started a movement to place one square mile of South Beach on the National Register of Historic Places. Their efforts enabled many of the historic Art Deco buildings to be saved. In the late 1980's South Beach had a resurgence. Models and the fashion industry moved in. An area that once had people thinking twice about driving through became home to the wealthy. Today it is walking friendly and generally low crime. You can find this bronze bust of a 19 year old Barbara Baer Capitman in Lummus Park. The bust was created from a sculpture of Capitman made by her mother, artist Myrtle Bachrach Baer in 1939. Now Barbra forever looks on all that she saved that makes South Beach the iconic landmark it is today. Stop by and say hello to her as you head down world famous Ocean Drive.

This is a lovely tribute and memorial set right along the beach strip of South Beach. As you walk…read morealong Ocean Drive and admire all the fantastic original Art Deco architecture, it's worth taking a moment to stop here and thank the woman who single-handedly was responsible for leading the effort to preserve this historic district against the developers wrecking ball back in the 1970s. This is from a cast made by her own mother in 1940 and then dedicated in 1976 by the city. It's one of the few spots along Ocean Drive where you can mix a few minutes of history with world class Mojito's from the bars on the other side of the street