From uninhabited sandbar and mangroves in the 1900s to glamorous beach resort and thriving city by the 1910s, the transformation of Miami Beach is staggering. Due to the efforts of several entrepreneurial farmers and real estate developers, a small resort community was established, which was connected to the young city of Miami across Biscayne Bay by a wooden bridge in 1913 (later replaced by the Venetian Causeway). Incorporated in 1915 as Ocean Beach, its name changed to Miami Beach a year later. The burgeoning district of beachside hotels and casinos became the height of glamour after the First World War and into the 1920s.
Now: Miami Beach, Florida
The onset of the Great Depression and a major hurricane, which hit the barrier island in 1926, had a devastating effect on Miami Beach’s tourism industry. But it bounced back in the 1930s with many developments taking place around South Beach. By the 1980s, the city had fallen on bad times as it lost its allure to a younger generation and crime soared. Thanks to a campaign to preserve the pastel-hued buildings of Ocean Drive’s Art Deco District, the city gained new kitsch and hip credentials. Now awash with upscale restaurants, design hotels and lavish residences, Miami Beach is a go-to spot once again.
#history #floridahistory #explore
Leave a Reply