Route 2: Ft. Lauderdale – Miami Downtown

One of the most popular tourist cities in South Florida. More than 560 hotels are located along the coast of Fort Lauderdale, which accommodates more than 10 million visitors a year. The city got its name in honor of Lieutenant Lauderdale, who led one of the three forts during the war with the Indians. The city was founded just over 100 years ago and started to develop in the early 1920s.

Hollywood was founded in 1925 by Joseph W. Young.  He considered it the Eastern extension of Hollywood City in California. According to his plan, there should have been luxurious hotels, white sandy beaches, and pristine golf courses. Due to the effects of several hurricanes, the death of the founder, and the Great Depression altered these plans.

Hallandale was founded at the end of the 19th century. Like many other cities in Florida, it owes its appearance to Henry Flagler, founder of the railway and hotel chains, that helped Florida to receive unprecedented popularity. Henry hired Holland Luther to find a suitable place for the organization of the settlement, somewhere along the path of the railway. Luther found such a place and opened there the first retail outlet. For several decades he has been living in the settlement of only 12 families and the city was developing very slowly. Only in 1927, it was established as an urban settlement with 15,000 residents. Now Hallandale has more than 35,000 inhabitants.

Golden Beach is one of the wealthiest cities on the East Coast.  The average price of a home here averages around 2MM.  Some notable residents include Bill Gates, Eric Clapton, and Ricky Martin. The city is most known for the small police department as they have a handful amount of officers patrolling speed on Collins Avenue.  The long-standing joke is that several bicyclists are caught speeding and ticketed for going over the 35 MPH strictly enforced speed limit.

Sunny Isles is known for its tall condominiums that stretch along the Northern section of Miami Beach.  Construction of the skyline only began in the early 2000s. Until then, the city was only occupied by small and inexpensive motels and inns.  Unfortunately, the Federal Aviation Administration limits the height of new construction due to the close proximity of the Opa-Locka Executive Airport.  If not for the location of the airport, these buildings would be greater in height compared to some buildings in New York City.  Currently, the tallest structure in Sunny Isles is Muse, which stands at 649 feet (198 meters) above sea level.

The main event of our tour is Indian Creek Island. It is located on The Intracoastal Waterway just south of Oleta Park. This elite island, with 41 private buildings, is home to the 8^th highest average income in the United States.  Julio and Enrique Iglesias and other known executives and celebrities are known to own homes on the island, which also comes with an exclusive golf and country club membership.

Miami Downtown is the heart and historical center of Miami-Dade County and perhaps all of South Florida. The first settlers appeared here in the early 19th century with active assistance from founder, Henry Flagler.  With the construction of the city and Eastern Railways, Miami Downtown serves about 200,000 people a day today.  The city has the 3^rd largest population density in the United States after New York and Chicago.

Downtown Miami has a unique mass transport system known as The Metromover.  This free transit system includes three routes and 22 stations.  There are more than 70 high-rise buildings (up to 120 meters or 400 feet). The tallest one is the 64-story Four Seasons Hotel (240 meters or 789 feet). It is likely that this superiority in construction will not last for a long time, as there is already permission from the FAA for raising of the 320-meter building (above 1,000 feet).

Miami Downtown

The Port of Miami is known throughout the world as “The Capital of World Cruises” and “Freight Gates of America.” For the past 20 years, it has been the world’s number one cruise and shipping port, serving 4 million people a year. Due to high demand and overflow, South Florida added another port called Port Everglades which is in Fort Lauderdale. This landmark is also included in our tour.  The Port of Miami is home to major cruise lines such as Carnival, Royal Caribbean, and Norwegian.

Fisher Island is one of the most private and exclusive islands in South Florida. For a long time, the island was owned by the famous Vanderbilt Family for over 60 years.  After the Vanderbilt’s sold, the island was passed down from family to family.  It was even used by Former President Richard Nixon after he was forced to resign from office.  It was then sold to a group of developers in which it became a public island.  Despite the fact that the island is no longer private, access to the island remains exclusive.  You must have a written invitation to board a ferry in order to reach the island. Fisher Island retains its elitism and accessibility today. According to the latest population census, there are only 132 people residents on the island. One notable fact is that in 1905, The United States Government created a navigable marine channel between South Beach and the present Fisher Island to provide direct entry into the Port of Miami. The waterway was given the name of what is now known as Government Cut.

South Beach is a popular destination for a large number of tourists and locals. It is known for its popular nightclubs, restaurants, boutiques, and hotels.  It is also popular among European citizens, who own properties here. South Beach is a multi-cultural and multilingual destination with numerous museums and parks. Many festivals, concerts, and other popular events take place on South Beach each year.