Miami Beach is located on a long island between Biscayne Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. The city area stretches from the southern tip to 87. road, therefore, does not cover the whole island. Surfside and Bal Harbor are located just north of the same island, as are the islands of Indian Creek and Miami on the other side of the bay. The sea level has risen by 23 cm since about 1920.

The climate is tropical and therefore warm all year round. Statistically, it rains at an average of 40% of the days in the summer months, albeit in the short term. Daily temperatures range from May to October at an average temperature of 31°C. In the coldest months between December and February, the heat is still pleasant, with average daily temperatures of 24 °C. In summer, the high humidity of the air causes the perceived temperatures to be well above the actual temperature.

beginning

The first building on the island was built by the United States Life-Saving Service (which later became the United States Coast Guard) in 1876 to accommodate shipwreck at the current 72 levels. street. In the 1880s, Ezra Osborn and Elnathan Field built a coconut plantation, which was uneconomical and soon had to be abandoned. One of the investors in this project was the entrepreneur John S. Collins, who later had more success with the cultivation of avocados and mangoes.

At the same time, with the beginning of the railway age and the creation of Miami in 1896 on the other side of Biscayne Bay, the port was developed, during which the construction of the Government Cut in 1905, an ocean-Bay channel, separated the newly formed island of Fisher Island in the south from the main island.

In the early twentieth century, the Collins business family, the Lummus brothers (two bankers from Miami), and the Indianapolis-born entrepreneur Carl G. Fisher the potential of Miami Beach as a tourist destination. On June 12, 1913, Miami's ferry connection to the island was replaced by the 2.5 mile long Collins Bridge, which was the longest wooden bridge in the world at its opening. In 1915, the Brown’s Hotel (112 Ocean Drive) was the first hotel on the island to be built, which still exists today. At that time, large parts of the land mass still consisted of mangrove swamps, the draining of which was a long task in the following years. In 1926, the Collins Bridge was replaced by the Venetian Causeway, which crosses the 1920 artificial Venetian Islands.

Since the foundation of the city

devastation in 1926

The city of Miami Beach was founded on 26 March 1915 and was officially registered as a city in 1917. In the 1920's, Carl Fisher pushed the city's development as a winter residence for wealthy industrialists from the North and Midwest of the US. In addition to the construction of five other hotels, the island's shores were built on the west side and several artificial islands were laid up in the Bay. These include Star Island, Palm Island and Hibiscus Island, the Sunset Islands, the Normandy Isle and most of the Venetian Islands.

The Miami Hurricane of 1926, as in all of South Florida, brought an abrupt end to the city's prosperous development. However, in the 1930s, the place became a popular tourist destination. During this time, investors also built the famous Art Deco district. In the decades following World War II, Miami Beach's population grew several times as a result of the influx from both the north and the entire region. In addition, a large number of Cubans in exile came after the Cuban Revolution in 1959.

From 1959 to 1971 the Miss Universe competition took place in Miami Beach. In 1964 the first historic boxing match between Cassius Clay and Sonny Liston was held in Miami Beach. In 1968, the Republican Party and in 1972 the Democratic Party held their nomination party meetings in Miami Beach, where the presidential candidates Richard Nixon (1968-1972) and George McGovern (1972) were nominated.

South Beach, the southern part of Miami Beach, until 23. Street is one of the most popular areas in the city today. Although bathing is not allowed in the USA, it is officially tolerated. The Miami Vice series contributed significantly to South Beach's high profile. Other famous films shot here were Scarface and The Birdcage.

After the collapse of the real estate bubble in 2007, the market recovered significantly. Prices for new exclusive properties in Miami Beach exceed $10 million. The number of tourists has also risen to new highs in recent years.

religions

There are two churches in Miami Beach at the moment, the Miami Beach Community Church and the St. John Baptist Cathedral. (status: 2007). In the vicinity of the 41. Street is a very popular Jewish life with the shops and synagogues.

Miami Beach is home to the Miami Beach Holocaust Memorial.

Demographic data

Beach in South Beach

According to the 2010 census, the then 87,779 inhabitants were distributed to 67,499 households. The population density was 4823 inhabitants/km². 87.4% of the population were white, 4.4% African-American, 0.3% Indian and 1.9% Asian Americans. 3.5 % indicated ethnicity and 2.7 % ethnicity. 53.0% of the population consisted of Hispanics or Latinos.

In 2010, children under the age of 18 and 23.4% of households lived in 15.0% of all households with at least 65 years of age. 38.9% of households were family households (consisting of married couples with or without offspring or one parent with offspring). The average size of a household was 1.84 people and the average family size was 2.70.

14.1% of the population were under 20 years of age, 35.3% were between 20 and 39 years old, 29.2% were between 40 and 59 years old and 21.3% were at least 60 years old. The mean age was 40 years. 52.4% of the population were male and 47.6% female.

The average annual income was $42,411, with 15.0% of the population living below the poverty line.

In 2000, English was the mother tongue of 32.75% of the population, Spanish was 54.89% and 12.36% had a different mother tongue.

former mayor Matti Herrera Bower

The city has a Council Manager Government. The city is governed by the mayor and four members of the city council. The term of office of the Mayor shall be two years, with a maximum of three consecutive terms. The members of the city council are elected for four years with a maximum of two terms. From 2013 to 2017, the mayor was Philip Levine. He was re-elected for a further two years after a two-year term in 2015. The topics of the campaign were the traffic situation, rebuilding the Convention Center, improving North Beach and adapting to rising sea levels. The acting mayor is Dan Gelber. The administration will be carried out by a Chief Municipal Director, who will be appointed by the City Council and Mayor.

town twinning

Miami Beach has town twinning

Art Déco District

The Art Deco district in South Beach

In the Art Deco District of Miami Beach, after Napier (New Zealand), you will find the largest continuous area of houses in this style. Most of the buildings date back to the 1930s and 1940s. They were built on the southern tip of Miami Beach, to the north of Dade Boulevard, and should be demolished in the meantime. Protests by citizens' initiatives have prevented this. These unique architectural jewels are located in an area of about 2.5 km², which was set up by the Miami Design Preservation League and other monuments. The Art Deco District was declared in 1979 as the Miami Beach Architectural District as the U.S. historic district. The area lies between the Atlantic Ocean, the 5th road, Alton Road and Collins Canal. It comprises 960 historic buildings.

The Ocean Drive, the Miami Beach's shopping mile, runs directly through the Art Deco district. Many of the Art Deco buildings are now used as hotels. There are also many Art Deco buildings outside the district.

LGBT scene

The Musical Wild Side Story 1973 in Miami Beach with Cuban drag amateurs

In the 1970s the Miami region was considered a particularly attractive destination for gays. In contemporary gay literature, the Cubans in exile are considered to be a decisive factor, "the result is [because of the Cubans in exile] more gay places than ever and a hotter Miami for gay men". In addition to the general scene, a specific Cuban subculture with its own underground clubs was created, which only occasionally became visible to the city or even to tourists. One example was the 1973 Camp Travestie Musical Wild Side Story, which was discussed in the local mainstream media. In the 1980s and 1990s, Miami Beach continued to develop its distinctive gay and lesbian scene. Over the scene, the South Beach townscape has been refurbished and new shops have been created. Various personalities from the scene are also involved in local politics.

There are a number of trendy bars and organizations in the city, as well as various community events. The inauguration of gay-friendly Mayor Matti Bower strengthened the scene, which was previously in short-lived decline in the 2000s. Previously, police harassment temporarily disturbed the image of a homosexual city. In February 2010, the American Civil Liberties Union declared that it would file a lawsuit against the city on the basis of ongoing police repression. According to them, the police are known for imprisoning gay men simply because of their appearance. The city's police chief declared the incidents to be isolated, but promised to work to improve the situation. In January 2010, the city enacted a law that strengthened the previously existing protection of the LGBT population and made local policy one of the most progressive in terms of tolerance.

Although Miami Beach has been an attraction for homosexuals since the 1980s, it was only in April 2009 that a gay pride event was held for the first time.

music and art

New World Center

The New World Symphony Orchestra, headed by conductor Michael Tilson Thomas, was founded in 1987 in Miami Beach. In 2011, it moved into the New World Center, designed by Frank Gehry.

In December, the famous art exhibition Art Basel Miami Beach takes place, one of the largest in the United States. The main event is held annually in the Art Deco District; in addition, several small actions will take place across the Miami metropolitan area. There is also the annual Miami Beach Festival of the Arts, which has been running since 1974, and the multimedia art festival Sleepless Night. The World Erotic Art Museum Miami is an international art museum for erotic art in Miami Beach.

structures

1111 Lincoln Road

The following objects are listed in the National Register of Historic Places:

The 1111 Lincoln Road car park was opened in 2010 and was designed by the renowned Swiss architectural firm Herzog & de Meuron.

Parks and sports

There is a wide range of different city parks as well as several sports facilities, as well as playgrounds and camping possibilities. Sports facilities include volleyball, indoors, tennis, soccer, baseball, football, basketball, football, golf and swimming. In March 2011, Miami Beach was one of the few cities in the United States to launch a public bike rental service. The deco bikes are found in many places in the Art Deco district.

Regular events

• Art Basel Miami Beach
• Gay Pride Miami Beach
• Miami Beach Festival
• Sleepless Nights
• Art-Deco Weekend (annual in January)
• Miami International Boat Show
• Miami Music Week and Winter Music Conference

The main types of employment are:

• Education, health and social affairs (14.7%)
• Trade and retail (10.5%)
• Future technologies, management and administration (14.2%)
• arts, entertainment, food and restaurants (19.7%)

traffic

Interstate 195 (Julia Tuttle Causeway) to Miami Beach

Miami Beach is connected to the mainland by four crossings of the Biscayne Bay. They run at 5. (MacArthur Causeway), 17. (Venetian Causeway), 41. (Julia Tuttle Causeway, SR 112) and 71. (John F. Kennedy Causeway). The Florida State Road 907 runs within the city area. Miami International Airport is about 20 km west of the city. Miami Beach is part of the Miami-Dade Transit bus network.

Public bodies

• Mount Sinai Medical Center (one of the largest hospitals in Miami-Dade County)
• Three public libraries (largest on 22nd Street and Collins Avenue)
• Jewish Museum of Florida

education

The following schools are available in Miami Beach:

• Biscayne Elementary School, about 1150 students
• North Beach Elementary School, about 1150 students
• Treasure Island Elementary School, about 1,100 students
• Fienberg-Fisher Elementary School, about 800 students
• Miami Beach Senior High School, about 2600 students
• South Pointe Elementary
• Nautilus Middle School

Florida International University has a campus in Miami Beach.

The crime rate was 616 points in 2010 (US average: 266 points) in the high range. There were eight murders, 39 rapes, 352 robberies, 465 assaults, 1192 burglaries, 6957 thefts, 594 car theft and nine arson cases.