Miami is rich with culture, packed with partygoers, and flooded with beauty. The area flourished with early Native American settlers long before Europeans arrived in the early 1500s. The city has had over half a millennium to develop its unique and wonderful traditions and reputation. The United States purchased the land from Spain in 1819, and the city earned its name in 1896.
Miami's history has been bumpy, with many challenges disrupting the area's growth. One of the more notable hiccups was the Mafia's entry in the 1920s. By 1936, the Mafia presence had gotten so out of hand that the FBI decided it needed a new field office in Miami to deal with the caseload of public crime and corruption scandals. Several organized crime groups are said to operate here, even today. Meyer Lansky, famously known as "The Mob's Accountant," was a major figure in the Italian-Jewish Mob and spent his last days here after fleeing countless international crimes.
When Fidel Castro came to power in Cuba in 1959, people flooded from that country to the Florida coast. Today, the Cuban-American population in the city sits at over 1.2 million. Immigrants from Haiti, Nicaragua and the Caribbean also make up a large portion of Florida's largest city. That culture, seeded deep within Miami's roots, shines today.
Real estate developers transformed the city into the hot night-life retreat it is today in the early 1900s, with clubs, hotels, and shops lining the highways just by the coast. After a hurricane destroyed much of the area just before the Great Depression, the rebuilding efforts brought forth the Art Deco District. That area boasts the largest concentration of visual arts architecture in the entire country, with over 800 historic buildings packed into the same space. Miami Beach and South Beach both flourished after the hurricane, with the former bringing in over 15 million tourists a year.
The Wynwood Arts District is another gorgeous area, with murals lining the boutiques, restaurants and bars in the area, and an outdoor museum showcasing world-famous street artists. Wynwood is also home to Miami Fashion Week. Miami Swim Week is also hosted here annually.
The lights of nightclubs and the shimmer of smiling faces brighten the South Beach neighborhood year-round. The area is also used to host major events like the Food Network's annual Food and Wine Festival. That tradition has been going on for two decades and is attended by about 50,000 people yearly. The five-day event brings in world-renowned chefs, wine and liquor producers, and celebrity chefs who show off their talent for a good cause: the proceeds go to the Florida International University Chaplin School of Hospitality and Tourism Management.
Coconut Grove, another historic area, is recognized as the oldest continuously-inhabited neighborhood in Miami-Dade County. The history dates back to before Miami was an incorporated city. Today, it's an upscale, modern, foliage-line cityscape with entertainment to welcome people of all ages.
The constant sunshine coupled with a cool ocean breeze is ideal weather for people but not so much for our properties. That, and the damage caused by the occasional tropical storm or hurricane, can make buying a house a risky proposition. To ease your mind, contact Your Home Inspector Guys and buy with confidence.