South East Florida Communities » North Miami Beach.
North Miami Beach, whose motto is "where people care," strives to offer its citizens a small-town feel in a large metropolitan setting.
The city covers 5.2 square miles, stretching from Interstate 95 on the west, the Intracoastal Waterway on the east, the city of North Miami on the south and unincorporated Miami-Dade County on the north.
Drive around North Miami Beach and you'll see a mix of houses, condominiums and storefront businesses, but few tall buildings. The city has more than 40,000 residents who represent a wide array of ethnic and racial groups.
The city has a well-established Jewish community, served by several synagogues and the busy Michael-Ann Russell Jewish Community Center. But other groups make North Miami Beach their home as well. Northeast 163rd Street, one of the city's main thoroughfares, is dotted with Chinese markets, Jamaican bakeries and Italian markets.
The city-run Lafe Allen Memorial Library also caters to the diverse community, with materials in English, Spanish, French, Chinese and Creole.
City officials point to several community activities that help promote the small-town feeling, including hosting a block party every month at different locations so people to come out and meet their neighbors.
The city administration has also defined 12 regions around town, and at least once a year elected officials and city department heads go there and meet with residents to bring government closer to the people.
Even the police department encourages citizen participation. Since 1979, the department has sponsored a Citizens Patrol, made up of trained volunteers who drive around the city and perform such functions as reporting suspicious activity, issuing parking tickets and looking out for speeders.
The city was born Oct. 4, 1926, when one of its founding fathers, Coast Guard Capt. William H. Fulford, chose the name Fulford. In 1931, after beach property was annexed, the name was changed to North Miami Beach.
Assistant City Manager Kevin Klopp says that North Miami Beach, once known as a "retirement community," is seeing a transition toward younger residents. The median age has fallen from 37.1 in 1990 to 34.4 in 2001.
To assist younger families, the city has set up after-school programs for children up to high school age, summer camps and day-care facilities.
Residents and families can also enjoy the city's Uleta, Victor and Washington Park swimming pools as well as the city's eight parks.
The city is home to the Arthur I. Snyder Tennis Complex, which offers memberships to adult leagues and clinics.
There are also two huge recreational areas nearby that offer an oasis from from urban life. One is Greynolds Park, a 265-acre county park on the banks of the Oleta River. The park has an abundance of wildlife including turtles, foxes and the rare West Indian manatee.
The second is the Oleta River State Recreation Area. Located on Biscayne Bay, this 993-acre park is the largest urban park in the state, and offers miles of bicycle and canoe trails, a sandy swimming beach, shaded picnic pavilions and a fishing pier.
The city's location is conveniently situated between downtown Miami and downtown Fort Lauderdale. According to the 2000 census, the median household income is $31,377.
City officials work to keep areas looking good through the Proud Neighborhood Capital Improvement Bond, approved in 2000. Mayor Mishcon says it allows the city to assess and upgrade the infrastructure of all its neighborhoods. Improvements include new sidewalks, landscaping and trees.
North Miami Beach has several attractions for both residents and visitors. The North Miami Beach Performing Arts Theater on Northeast 19th Avenue is a 990-seat facility that hosts productions ranging from nationally acclaimed dance and ballet performances to children's programming. The theater was completely renovated in 1994.
Patriotism is always on display at All Wars Memorial Park, near Northeast 16th Avenue. The park contains three memorials: to the victims of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, to the soldiers killed in the 1983 bombing of the Marine barracks in Beirut and to all war veterans.
Near the park is another popular attraction, The Cloisters of the Ancient Spanish Monastery. The structure and attached chapel of the Episcopal Church of St. Bernard de Clairvaux were originally part of a monastery built in Spain during the period of 1133-1141. The two buildings were dismantled stone by stone in the 1920s and shipped overseas to be reconstructed in the United States.
Miami Herald
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