Before the 20th century
In 1895, a record freeze enveloped most of the north of Florida, where Henry Flagler's railroads were disgorging thousands of rich and powerful northerners who were coming to stay at his hotels and resorts. The freeze wiped out citrus crops and sent vacationers scurrying. Legend has it that Julia Tuttle (who owned large tracts of property in Miami and had approached Flagler with the offer of partnership in exchange for the extension of his railroad to Miami, which he'd refused) went into her garden, snipped off some flowers and sent them to Flagler - who hightailed it down to Miami to see for himself.
What he saw was a tropical paradise. Flagler and Tuttle came to terms, and Flagler announced the extension of his railroad. At that, thousands of people whose livelihoods had been wiped out by the big freeze, including citrus growers and service industry workers like doctors and merchants, began heading down to Miami in anticipation of the boom that was to come. The passenger train service to Miami began 22 April 1896; in that year the city of Miami incorporated and development kicked off.
Modern history
The early 20th century saw Miami still riding a wave of prosperity. It peaked during WWI, when the US military established an aviation training facility there. After WWI, the first fully-fledged Miami boom (1923-25) was fuelled not just by the area's idyllic beachfront location and perfect weather, but also by gambling and the fact that it never really took to the idea of prohibition - though it was illegal, liquor flowed freely throughout the entire Prohibition era.
But the boom was cut short by a devastating hurricane, which was immediately followed by statewide recession and national depression. In the mid-1930s, a mini-boom saw the construction of Miami Beach's famous Art Deco buildings, and this reasonably prosperous period continued until 1942, when a German U-Boat sank an American tanker off Florida's coast. The ensuing freak-out created a full-scale conversion of South Florida into a massive military base, training facility and staging area.
After WWII, many of Miami's trainee soldiers returned and settled, and the city maintained its pre-war prosperity. In the 1950s, Miami Beach had another boom, as the area began to be known as the 'Cuba of America': punters and gangsters, enticed by Miami's gambling as well as its proximity to the fun, sun and fast times of Batista-run Cuba, moved in en masse. After the Castro coup in Cuba in 1959 Miami's Cuban population swelled.
In 1965, the two 'freedom flights' that ran every day between Miami and Havana disgorged over 100,000 Cuban refugees. Tension built up between Cubans and the town's African Americans, who were relegated to an area north of downtown known as Colored Town. Riots broke out and acts of gang-style violence occurred. In the late 1970s, Fidel Castro opened the floodgates, allowing anyone who wanted to leave Cuba access to the docks at Mariel. The largest flotilla ever launched for non-military purposes set sail in practically anything that would float to cover the 145km (90mi) between Cuba and Florida. The Mariel Boatlift, as it was called, brought 150,000 Cubans to Florida (including 25,000 prisoners and mental patients), and the resulting economic, logistical and infrastructural strain on South Florida only added to still-simmering racial tensions. The situation exploded on 17 May 1980, when four white police officers, being tried on charges that they beat a black suspect to death while he was in custody, were acquitted by an all-white jury. When the verdict was announced, fierce race riots broke out all over Miami, lasting for three days.
In the roaring 1980s, the Miami area gained prominence as the major East Coast entry port for drug dealers, their product and the unbelievable sums of money that went along with them. A plethora of businesses and buildings sprung up all over Miami, and the downtown was completely remodelled. But this was still a city being reborn while in the grip of drug smugglers: shootouts and gangland slayings by cocaine cowboys were common. The police, Coast Guard, Drug Enforcement Agency, Border Patrol and FBI were in a spin trying to keep track of it all. And then it happened: Miami Vice.
The show, about two narcotics detectives clad in outrageously expensive designer pastels driving around in a Ferrari and million-dollar cigarette boats, was responsible for Miami Beach coming to international attention in the mid-1980s. The show's slick look, soundtrack and music video montages glamorized the rich life in South Florida, and before long people were coming down to see it. By the late 1980s, Miami Beach had risen to international standards of Fabulousness. Celebrities were moving in, photo shoots from all over the world were being shot there and the Art-Deco district was going through a renovation that turned the city into a showpiece.
Recent history
Miami rode the peak of a boom during most of the 1990s, sprouting a hot club culture in South Beach. Since then, there has been the election of a beloved new Mayor, Manuel (Manny) Diaz, the constant emergence of new hotels and nightspots, and unending construction of high-rise condos. Hurricane Andrew (1992) barely affected the tourist industry, which is the city's backbone. Despite highly publicized crimes against tourists in 1993, Miami is now the third most popular American city for international tourists, after Los Angeles and New York. Its revival as a popular destination was largely due to a highly visible anti-crime campaign that saw tourist-related crimes decrease by 80% between 1992 and 1998. Still, incidents like the murder of Gianni Versace in 1997 and the ruckus over Elian Gonzales, the young Cuban boy who was rescued from the sea after his mother drowned trying to bring him to Florida, managed to rock the city's self-image.
Today, Miami feels like a city on the edge. Political changes in Latin America continue to have repercussions in this most Latin of cities - as former mayor Manny Diaz liked to say, 'When Venezuela or Argentina sneezes, Miami catches a cold.' Economically, as housing prices soar and families move to more distant suburbs like Kendall, it seems Miami will either become a town split between patricians and poverty, or a first-class city that lets its own citizens in on the good life it promises to the rest of the world.
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The Setai
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A meticulously replicated Art Deco landmark,
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Miami, though renowned more for the dance-all-night, blade-all-day types of exertion, offers lots of options for the more serious sports freak. Kayakers, part-time pilots and divers of both sky and sea will find plenty of options just a little way out of town.
Top Attractions
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Holocaust Memorial
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Monkey Jungle
South Miami
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Black Heritage Museum
Deering
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Freedom Tower
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A Perfect Day
By Kim Grant
Ouch. What did I drink last night? An ashtray, based off the taste of my mouth. Best get some caffeine to stave off the hangover, and fresh Florida orange juice to wash off the tongue, at Puerto Sagua in South Beach. Then I believe I'll sleep on the beach...What? Oh, you want a full top day. Well, assuming my head is clear, after a swim I might stroll past some Deco hotels and visit the Wolfsonian-FIU to put their design in cultural context. I'll sip a coffee and browse the shelves in Books and Books on Lincoln Road, and then roll up Collins Ave in my station wagon, listening to '80s music and imagining I'm in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. I'll hang a left onto Arthur Godfrey Rd, Miami Beach's Jewish main street, because its lunch time and I want a chopped liver sandwich, stat. Except the deli, while delicious, doesn't help my stomach. So I head over Julia Tuttle Causeway and into Little Haiti to stop at a botanica to visit a vodou doctor. I don't know if his medicine helps me, but the colors and smells of this neighborhood always lift my spirits. As evening sets in I have a great meal at Michy's on Biscayne Blvd, then drive into Downtown to catch live shows at PS 14 and Transit Lounge. As last call rings out, the sun is rising and I'm craving a Colombian hot dog topped with mayonnaise and God-knows-what-else, plus a refajo (beer with red soda) at great, late-night diner La Moon. Then it's back over AIA, cranking out the '80s again as the sun rises, to sleep the next day off - another perfect itinerary, come to think of it.
South Florida's warm weather was the only reason anyone ever thought of inhabiting the area in the first place. Ideal conditions on Miami Beach exist between December and May, when temperatures average between 15°C (60°F) and 30°C (85°F), and rainfall is scant. Summer is very hot and humid, with thunderstorms rolling in during the late afternoon. June is the rainiest month, August the hottest, and hurricanes hit from July through September. Because of the humidity, Miami heat can often feel a lot hotter than the temperature reading suggests, but ocean breezes help clear the sultry air.
Average weather
Main Currency
Currency: US Dollar (USD)
Symbol: US$
| average room cost | average meal cost | |
|---|---|---|
| High: | 270+ | |
| Mid: | 125-270 | 13-24 |
| Low: | 0-125 | 0-12 |
Transport
Getting around
Downtown Miami's driverles Metromover - a one-car train/bus that glides over the city - is a strange creature. But using it to sightsee feels safer than pounding the occasionally crumbling pavement. Plus it's free! Other options include the Metrorail and regional Tri-Rail, plus the local bus system.
Getting there and away
Miami has two airports, Miami International Airport (MIA) and Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport (FLL). MIA is closer to town and has more connections; it's one of the busiest airports in the US. If you're coming in by land, you'll find plenty of Amtrak and Greyhound options, or you could drive (preferably through the awesome Florida panhandle).
Health & Legal Requirements
Dangers and annoyances
Miami has about double the national murder rate and three times the national aggravated assault rate. Although criminals don't tend to target strangers, it's best to keep your wits about you, especially in Overtown, Liberty City and Little Haiti. Dangers run from aggressive vagrants to calculating muggers. Try not to walk around alone at night in these neighborhoods.
In Downtown Miami, use particular caution near Overtown, the Greyhound station and around causeways, bridges and overpasses where homeless people and some refugees have set up shantytowns. The main danger in Miami Beach is drunk tourists.
Natural dangers include strong sun (have high SPF sunscreen), mosquitoes (use a spray-on repellent) and hurricanes (between June and November). There's a hurricane hotline (305 229 4483), which gives information on all the things you need to make a decision about if and when you leave.
fast facts
| Full name | Miami |
|---|---|
| Currency | US Dollar, USD (US$) |
| Population | 370000 |
| Languages |
English (essential) Native American languages (other) Spanish (other) |
| Time zone(s) | GMT/UTC: -5 |
| Voltage | 110V |
| Hertz | 60Hz |
| Plugs |
Japanese-style plug with two parallel flat blades American-style plug with two parallel flat blades above a circular grounding pin |
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