When the 20 acre Vizcaya Park opened in June of 2012, it had the first building in the city…read morecertified as a Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) "green" building. The 7,500 square foot community center has a computer lab, game room, and community room. The community center offers a variety of classes and programs, including after school programs, summer camps, educational programs and recreational classes such as dance, karate, drama and chess. The rooms are also available for residents to rent for birthday parties, baby showers, and other activities. In addition to a welcoming community center, the park has many other amenities that will appeal to a wide range of people, These include two full sized basketball courts, a soccer/football field, covered playground, four picnic pavilions with BBQ grills, walking trail, and splash pad. I found Vizcaya Park to be well-maintained, with clean facilities and well-kept grounds. It was designed to be a true community park, bringing people together for leisure, celebrations, play, and classes. Whether you're looking to host an event, enjoy outdoor sports, or spend time with family, Vizcaya Park provides is a great recreational resource for the Vizcaya neighborhood of Miramar.

A big open space right down the end of a one way street. It is a big open space of a park. Thery…read morehad a few cabanas, big fields and a kids play area. Not a park I would visit again to be honest.

This fountain moved to its current location where Palm Avenue, East 17th Street, Curtiss and Bright…read moredrive meet since 2005. But before the current Hialeah entrance plaza was created, this was the fountain located at the entrance of Hialeah once you cross over the Parker Lift Bridge. I am a Hialeah native, and I remember always seeing this fountain for decades. I never agreed with how this fountain was moved to this location. It is a large fountain that at one point was very beautiful. They put it in a traffic circle and you can see the result. It is not taken care off. There are marks where vehicles almost took it out. It is shameful that such an important part of the cities history is ignored, taken for granted and not looked after. Heck you cannot find anything about this fountain that has been in use for decades. The City of Hialeah should be ashamed that they have it looking like this. Just sad to see it like this.

Hialeah Entrance Plaza is one of the landmarks in the City of Hialeah. I have to say when it was…read morefirst restored in 2005 (for a whopping $411,000), I didn't like it. It grew on me as time progressed and I always had a bit of a love/hate relationship with it. Then again that exemplifies my whole experience being a born and bred Hialeahan. Hialeah's motto is the "city of progress", but being born and raised here I can tell you that the city and its people can get a bad rap from the rest of the county, state and heck even sometimes the rest of the country. Sometimes to be fair to the detractors, rightly so, other times very unfairly. Its to the point that the city is mocked as the land of "agua, fango y factorias", or water, mud and factories. There have been times where I have been judged for being from Hialeah. Its a working class/poor area of Miami-Dade County, heavily minority, with a large percentage of its residents who do not speak English. Still, I was born and raised in Hialeah and it has shaped who I am and who I became. In the end, this structure shows Hialeah is more than what its detractors say it is. It is beautiful, well maintained, with a cascading fountain. As an aside, one of my fondest memories of this place was when back in September 10, 2009 some high school student spiked the fountain with soap just before rush hour. I laughed so hard right on my way to work! Like to the story: https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/hialeah-fountain-throwing-a-suds-party/2051397/?amp=1 I took pictures myself that I found which are attached. Ahhh sweet memories!

It's not the Arc de Triomphe but it is the monument that serves as the entrance way to Hialeah. In…read morethe 1980s and 1990s, a coral rock fountain on a grassy patch at SE Fourth Street and Okeechobee was all that stood here. In 2005 the city built the that pale yellow Mediterranean style building that features two sentry towers and a stone fountain on the ground floor at a cost of a $411,848.56. In 2011 the Miami New times listed it as "the worst public works projects in Miami-Dade, where bureaucrats and elected officials take pride in wasting millions in taxpayer dollars on crap residents have little-to-no use for." They site the lack of parking, no sidewalk, and the inability to climb up to the top although there is a staircase on the inside. On occasion pranksters will fill the fountain with soap causing the suds to spill out onto the roadway. Although the New Times may have a point that the fountain was an expensive cost to tax payer, it's final price tag came in twice as much as it's budget, I still like it. It fits nicely in with the Mediterranean Revival theme that was popular in the 1920's when Hialeah was founded. It would however be better if it was more accessible for public use like the entrance ways to Coral Gables.

Overtown was incorporated as a colored neighborhood in 1896 during segregation. It was the place…read morewhere Henry Flagler's black railroad workers lived while building the infrastructure of Miami. Overtown is the second oldest neighborhood in Miami. During the 1920's, it was home to D.A. Dorsey, one of the first black millionaires in the south. After WWII it became the epicenter of black culture and was known as the Broadway of the South. Many famous entertainers stayed here when performing in Miami like Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, and Nat King Cole. In the 1950's the area suffered an economic decline and in the 1960's many residents were displaced by the construction of I-95. Almost 40 percent of the people live in poverty but the area has some exciting things happening like Marcus Samuelson opening the second location of his hugely successful Harlem restaurant, Red Rooster. St. Agnes Episcopal Church is a historic church in Overtown. It is one of Miami's oldest and largest churches. St. Agnes was organized in 1898 when Reverend James O. S. Huntington, a visiting Episcopalian Father Superior, learned that the Anglican Bahamians who had come to the Biscayne Bay area to work had no place to worship. The first service was held in a home near Flagler Street. In 1901, the Bahamian worshippers built the first St. Agnes' church building on a large corner lot donated by Henry Flagler at NW 3rd Avenue and NW 8th Street. St. Agnes' was chosen as the name because the majority of them had been members of the Saint Agnes Parish in New Providence on Blue Hill Road. Eventually the congregation grew so large that they outgrew the building. In the 1940s, St. Agnes was the third largest African-American Episcopal congregation in the nation. In 1929 Reverend John E. Culmer joined the church and worked to complete the building of the St Agnes Church building that exists today. A foundation was laid at a larger lot at NW 3rd Avenue and NW 18th Street. The building was designed by Harold Hastings Mundy, a prominent Miami architect in the early part of the twentieth century. He was known for the Spanish Colonial influence in his buildings. He also designed e Miami-Edison Senior High School and the Coconut Grove Public School. The outside of the building has elements of Gothic Revival and Mission. The roof was rounded instead of gabled in order to better protect it from storms. After becoming distraught over the tuberculosis deaths of several of his young parishioners, Rev. Culmer began a mission to improve conditions in Overtown. He brought the issue to the Greater Miami Negro Civic League and volunteered to serve as chairman of the league's fact-finding committee. By the early 1930s he had won the support of the editor of the Miami Herald, who published a series of columns on the unhealthy conditions in the community. St. Agnes' Episcopal Church was designated a historical site in 2003. You can still worship at St Agnes today.

Sad to see - it looks tired, unkept and pretty sad. This is what I discovered about this place -…read more Constructed to house one of Miami's oldest African-American congregations, this church building reflects a mix of architectural styles, including Neo-Classical and Mission style elements. The interior ornamentation is particularly noteworthy and includes an ornately carved marble altar from the congregation's original church and detailed ceiling. Although the building foundation was laid in 1923, a variety of setbacks delayed its construction, and the first service in the new sanctuary of St. Agnes' Episcopal Church was held in 1930. St. Agnes' Episcopal Church has served the religious and humanitarian needs of Miami's African-American community for many years, and it remains an active center in the Overtown area.

I'm visiting Miami from Bangor, Maine, and was heartbroken to find two baby chicks trapped in a…read morestorm drain. Nearby, their mother and six other chicks were anxiously waiting for them -- pacing, peeping, clearly distressed. I called the police, who kindly transferred me to the fire department, but the dispatcher made me feel silly for caring and dismissed the situation entirely. Where I come from, helping vulnerable animals is part of who we are as a community. It was painful to see such little empathy shown here, especially with a frightened family of birds hoping for help. I truly hope Miami's emergency services can embrace more compassion for all living creatures.

Miami has always been a very popular vacation spot in the world. There is so much to do and see…read more The restaurants, the shopping, the cruise ships, South Beach, Coconut Grove, Wynwood, the nightclubs, the Design District, the Miami Heat arena, Bayside Markrtplace, Little Havana, Zoo Miani, and Miami Beach. I could name many more attractions! You should visit once in your lifetime. We loved it so much that we moved here in 2006. It is like Paradise to us. Except for the horrible traffic in the morning and late afternoon! The only reason I took 1 star away.

This building is located in Hollywood's historic business district which was designed by Hollywood…read morefounder Joseph Young in 1921. Many of it's original design features remain. The Wellons & McGowan building is part of the city of Hollywood's Historical Landmark Plaque Tour sponsored by the Hollywood Historical Society and the Community Redevelopment Agency. This building is stop number 14 of 17 stops. During the 1930s Wellons & McGowan held a license for slot machines which they operated at this address. When the slot machines closed the building housed Breedings liquor store. Today it is a Full Life vitamin store. Hollywood Blvd. is home to several historical buildings and it is fun to look at all of the buildings and try to guess which are historic as you look for the plaques. Parking is difficult to find in the area but if you look closely you can find a lot just off of the boulevard.

Stop #4 on our self-guided Hollywood history mini tour --…read more This location and marker shows the location where two gentlemen named Wellons and McGowan had a license for slot machines at this address. The gambling boom in Florida began in 1935 when the state legalized slot machines. There were over 12,000 of them and most were located in South Florida. Machines were everywhere. They were an important source of revenue for their cities... including for Hollywood. They were outlawed in 1937; however, the then Broward Sheriff allowed slots and casinos to thrive into the 1930s and 40s. I tried to find some background information on either of these men, but was unsuccessful. After their enterprise here, the building housed a liquor store. Today, it is occupied by a convenience store which was listed for sale in April, 2019.

From the experiences I have heard and read online about the living hell that consulates are in…read moreorder to obtain a visa, I was quite hesitant and nervous upon arriving. The building where the consulate is located is beautiful. The security guard is terribly rude, but at least you don't have to deal with him much. The people who assist you and interview you inside the consulate are friendly, courteous, understanding, and welcoming. I did not feel ridiculed or offended by anything they said or by the way they acted. Overall, I think the experience could not have gone better. Also, make sure to bring cash since everything must be paid in cash.

This community center is a hidden gem tucked behind the Publix is West Miramar. I've heard of…read moreSunset Lakes Community Center but I never actually came all the way out here until I enrolled my daughter in a volleyball clinic. This community center has everything you could want for its local community. This development is fairly new, less than 5 years old and already is a great facility to the surrounding area. Been here a month and already I have met parents from Miami Lakes, Pembroke Pines, and Weston who come here specifically for their quality programs and awesome staff/coaches. This community center has all things athletics Volleyball, soccer, indoor/outdoor basketball, weightlifting, aerobics classes, karate, and a senior center full of activities to occupy your time. You need to pay in order to use the gym which technically speaking is just as competitive to pay a regular gym member at LA Fitness. All sports and activities are open to everyone not just Miramar residents. The staff is very friendly and very helpful. Any questions regarding summer camps, sports, or events everyone is very knowledgeable and extremely helpful. Even the maintenance man takes pride on how clean and how great this facility is. Very much appreciated by everyone.

Susie B.W. 8/28/2023 all that Ms Shanais V. had said in 2018 is accurate and even better now! Safe…read morelocation and lots of fun for the kids and adults year-round. In fact, it is also a voting precinct with very sociable, respectful ladies with good senses of humor - it is always a treat to check in and vote there. The building is next to the Miramar Police Station for the west side of town on SW 186 Ave., and Fire Station 100 (which fronts SW 184 Ave.), as well as very close (steps) to a church and 2 schools. A small subdivision which is part of Sunset Lakes HOA, consists of townhouses, some with garages, and you can't beat the location next door to the Shoppes of Sunset Lakes - Publix, Wells Fargo, Montessori, 7-11 gas station with carwash, fantastic vet - Dr. Schooley - nail salon, barber shop, dry cleaner, take out Chinese, Matteli's (small but great to have Italian food back in our area), large Sushi place also with very nice outdoor seating, State Farm, judo studio, and sorry cannot remember all the places there! And a fairly new (small) mini park due north of the elementary school on SW 184 Ave.(eventually we will have shade, but not in my lifetime :). NO, I am not a Realtor or agent or employee for the City of Miramar - just a homeowner since early 2001 and hope people will not only take advantage of all the Sunset Lakes Community Center has to offer, but also the general Sunset Lakes Shoppes and all that is special about our area. PS - Super Walmart 2 mi north on SW 184 Ave., and Super Target and Memorial Miramar and GINORMOUS Regional park with many sports activities, Olympic sized pool, just 2 mi east on Miramar Pkwy, etc etc PLUS great entertainment of all kinds at the Regional park. My only wish is that we could donate foodstuffs etc during the year to the Community Center for people who may be in need. Thanks for listening to this "old woman." I believe we still have a Senior Center, but I take care of my husband, who lives at Home Depot and Publix!