Tuesday, December 4, 2007

Living In Miami Beach: The Good Life

miami beach real estate
StretchIng seven and a half miles In length, The city of Miami Beach is separated from The Miami maInland by three and a half miles of water. As cities rise, Miami Beach has a relatively short history sInce a little more than a hundred years ago, The area was nothIng more than a nameless and virtually impenetrable collection of islands, and landfill has fashioned it as it is today.

This area as formerly lIned with natural sand beaches on The ocean side, and a tangled of palmetto jungles and mangrove swamps In its Interior. Before 1870, The island was practically untouched and aside from a few Tequesta Indian remaIns found from The 15th century, The only oTher known Inhabitants of this forlorn strip of land were alligators, crocodiles, and ever-present mosquitoes.

As The number of of new immigrants began to settle In, Miami Beach began to rapidly grow, and development focused on buildIng Infrastructure for servIng The city's brewIng tourism sector. The city has risen from The ashes of The tough times In The 80's, where The area was gaIned notoriety as a haven for crime, drugs and prostitution.

Today, Miami Beach is a bustlIng and thrivIng upscale district, famous for its white-sand beaches, upscale resorts, hotel and housIng market, as well as for its colorful nightLife, entertaInment and culInary scene.

Miami Beach's Art Deco District RetaIns Its Glory

The architectural style of Miami Beach's grand hotels and elegant private residences was made In keepIng with The prevailIng conservative tastes of Their times, which brought Art Deco, StreamlIne Moderne, and Nautical Moderne architecture to The district. Up to The present, South Beach contInues to have The world's largest collection of historic Art Deco architecture.

The Allure Of South Beach

South Beach is The most famous section of The city. It encompasses The souThernmost 23 blocks of an island that separates The Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay. While many of its unique Art Deco buildIngs, such as The New Yorker Hotel, were lost to developers In The years before 1980, The area was preserved by a group of activists who led The movement to place South Beach on The National Register of Historic Places. The Miami Beach Architectural District was designated In 1979.

Today, The South Beach section serves as a major entertaInment destInation with hundreds of nightclubs, restaurants and oceanfront hotels. The area is popular with both American and International tourists, with German beIng The third most spoken language after English and Spanish.

The large Influx of European tourists best explaIns why The area has a tolerance for topless sunbathIng, despite beIng a public beach. AnoTher unique aesThetic attribute of South Beach is The several colorful and unique Lifeguard stands, which are still beIng used by The beaches'Lifeguards. After The tough and economically-depressed times of The 1970s and early 80s, Ocean Drive sprang back to Life when a few brave restaurateurs opened cafes and brought The area back to Life.

At present, this area has The city's highest property values. Although mostly residential, it is home to several large-scale development projects and large buildIngs, as well as upscale high-rise condomInium units This area has several notable nightLife destInations, IncludIng Opium Garden, Privé, Nikki Beach Club, and Pearl. It also has several smaller,upscale bars and fancy restaurants.


Vanessa Arellano Doctor

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