History of South Beach

In 1870 South Beach was bought by Charles and Henry Lum, who bought 165 acres of land and planned to create a coconut farm there. In 1886 they built the first house there, however they left the area in 1894, and the running of the plantation passed to John Collins. Together with the Lummus Brothers and Carl G. Fisher, Collins proceeded to develop the area from around 1910 onwards, planning a city of moderately sized family homes along the ocean, and in March 1915 their creation enveloped the town of Miami Beach. In 1918 The County Causeway, later re-named the MacArthur Causeway, was constructed to improve the access to Miami Beach from the mainland.

The main streets of Miami Beach in 1920 were Collins Avenue, Ocean Drive, 5th Street and Washington Avenue, and these became suitable for motor vehicles at around this time, which facilitated the beginning of the Beach Land boom. Miami Beach became a hugely popular spot for real estate investment, with people such as President Warren G. Harding gracing the Flamingo Hotel with his custom, and J.C. Penney and Harvey Firestone making their homes in the area.

The architecture which is now particular to the area dates from the 1930s, much of the earlier structures having been destroyed or severely damaged in the 1926 hurricane. Rebuilding was swift and art deco in style, and these days you can hire a guide to take you on an Art Deco District Tour, and these days South Beach has the world's biggest collection of Streamline Moderne Art Deco buildings. Over time more and more people moved to the area, and SoBe's population continued to grow, reaching 28,000 by 1940.

In 1966 the entertainment industry was shocked by Jackie Gleason's decision to take his weekly variety show to South Beach. This move made the area even better known, and over the following two decades many older people chose to make their retirement homes there. Many senior citizens on fixed incomes came to populate the apartment buildings and hotels along the ocean front.

Florida as a whole was also experiencing a rise in crime, poverty and drug related problems at this time, and the television show Miami Vice was shot at South Beach in the 1980s. By this time, however, the area was beginning to turn this situation around, and the fashion industry had begun to take a hold in SoBe. Many models began to make their homes in the area, and today their numbers are estimated at around 1,500. It's hardly surprising that it should be such a magnet for the fashion industry, its climate and scenic beauty making it fabulous for photo shoot locations.

South Beach today is an extremely vibrant place, alive with the youth of not just America, but Europe too, and full of night life, famous people

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