Miami Beach Tutors

About Miami Beach

Probably the iconic picture that comes to your mind when you think of Florida, Miami Beach is a resort city that resides along the coast of the Sunshine State. Palm trees, pristine sand, and postcard worthy views, Miami Beach is loved by residents and tourists alike.

For those who find architecture fascinating, you’ll be excited to hear that Miami Beach is home to an Art Deco Historic District, which is the largest collection of Art Deco architecture in the world. Styles including Mediterranean, Streamline Moderne, and Art Deco are all included in this District, which is listed on the natural Register of Historic Places.

Miami Beach’s origins date back to the late 1800s, when Henry and Charles Lum purchased uninhabited oceanfront land that is now Miami Beach for less than a dollar an acre. On it was soon built a refuge house, with the purpose of providing food, water, and housing for shipwreck survivors.

As civilized society developed on the mainland, Miami Beach began to develop as well. Avocados were planted and grew with success. The railroad arrived to the city of Miami, nearby. Things were changing, and the idea of Miami Beach turning into a resort city was tossed around as an idea. Land was cleared, crops were planted, and a bridge was built – a very long bridge, indeed. A two and a half mile wooden bridge was constructed to connect the island to the mainland, and it was the world’s longest wooden bridge at the time. Once the bridge made access to Miami Beach much easier (before the bridge, everyone had to take the ferry, which wasn’t very convenient), Miami Beach saw its first real estate boom.

With a tropical monsoon climate, Miami Beach is known for hot, humid summers and warm, dry winters. If you don’t count the Florida Keys, Miami Beach holds the record for the warmers winter weather in the mainland United States. Even though getting hit directly by hurricanes is not a common occurrence (there have only been two direct hits in recorded history), Miami Beach does see a fair amount of indirect hurricane contact.

Thanks in part to its dense, urban population and pedestrian-friendly streets, Miami Beach is a very hospitable town to bicycling. Many Miami Beach residents get around on bike, and now thanks to a public bicycle sharing system (Decobike), it will be even easier to get around (and not be stranded if you miss the bus!).