Who says being a hundred years old should be boring? If you are considering on visiting Miami this week then you are in for luck as Miami is officially a hundred (100) years old this year. This milestone is certainly a feat, especially after all the changes and the years it has seen from natural disasters to economic meltdowns, Miami Beach is still stunning as ever. With the celebration spearheaded by Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levin on March 26, 2015, visitors and residents alike will surely find this once in a lifetime event something to talk about for years to come.
What makes Miami Beach a standout place?
Geographically, Miami Beach is a combination of both natural and man-made landmass. Some of these are also composed of mangroves and are often uninhabitable, but are a beauty to look at. However, Miami Beach’s standout points are its white-sand beaches, easy access to crystal clear waters and a variety of fruit and palm trees. Before these were not officially a part of Miami until it was incorporated as a town on March 26, 1915 under the name of Miami Beach. On 1917, it was then made into a city and the rest is history.
Miami before it became the place we all known did not look like this before.
It started off as a place envisioned by father and son Henry and Charles Lum to be a safe refuge for shipwreck victims. They purchased the land in 1870 for 25 cents per acre and erected the Biscayne House of Refuge. It was one located at 72nd Street though it is no longer there. There were also failed entrepreneurial attempts in making coconut plantations in the area but on John S. Collins’ mango and avocados flourished in the early 1900s.
Soon Carl Graham Fisher and the Lummus Brothers cleared the land connected it to the mainland. Here they erected several resorts, many of which still survive until today. These include Brown’s Hotel, Roney Plaza Hotel and Nautilus South Beach Hotel. Many more followed, after which lead to Miami Beach prospering, but it did not last long when Miami was struck by the 1926 hurricane. But despite of that Miami Beach picked it up, especially during the forties and fifties. Famous names such as Jackie Gleason and Al Capone once roamed the streets of Miami during these times. In the 1960’s Miami saw itself occupied with Cuban and Haitians refugees. More and more immigrants swept in during the war years, but Miami continued to create amazing things. Creative minds found themselves flourishing in the city and in the most recent years had the city starting in films such as Ace Venture, Miami Vice and Scarface.
It did not take long for Miami to regain its reputation of being the hottest tourist destination. From having pin up models likes Bunny Yeager pose in its beaches to being the host of events such as White Party Week and Winter Party Festival paved the way for Miami’s popularity. Furthermore, Miami’s Art Deco scene served a historical and cultural purpose that lured in the interest of history-lovers. In 1979, the Art Deco District was added into National Register of Historic Places where in one can take a 90-minute Art Deco Walking Tours under the watchful eye of the Miami Design Preservation League.