[...]... Greater Miami and the Florida Keys Yes, you can say them in the same breath But you can't experience them in the same day, or even really compare them as the same destination in any way Where the Keys are laid-back and carefree, Miami is fast-paced and energetic Though both were geographically isolated from the rest of the country in the early years of the 20th century, Miami has "opened up" and developed... time, the country was in the grips of the Great Depression and the Keys were not immune Key West went bankrupt Like Miami, though, the Keys made a comeback with the construction of the Overseas Highway in 1938, which followed the same route as the railroad to Key West and opened the region to tourism And once the tourists began arriving after World War II, the Keys' future was assured By 1942, there... prices on merchandise ranging from electronics and jewelry to clothing and sporting goods Nearby is Gusman Center, which hosts the annual Miami Film Festival, and the MetroDade Cultural Center, home to the Miami Art Museum, the Historical Museum of Southern Florida and the Miami- Dade Public Library Hotels and fine dining abound to serve the business traveler as well as the holiday crowd The international... with landscapes created by nature and the famous Cape Florida lighthouse perched at the very edge of the island, recalling the days of old Miami Beach Mention Miami and the first thing that usually comes to mind is an image of the world-famous beach, with mile after mile of sparkling waters, golden sands, tanned tourists, celebrity-studded hotels, and neon-lit nightlife The images are glitzy and glamorous,... millionaire; the Lyric Theater, where the greats of the jazz world used to perform; and the Greater Bethel AME Church, a focal point for Civil Rights and spiritual uplift Overtown is also the locale of the Miami Arena Little Havana Just west of downtown Miami is Little Havana, an area of modest homes and shops where those who fled Communist Cuba have re-created a bit of their beloved homeland The streets are alive. .. museums and book fairs, and especially its festivals, are also seasoned with this potent tropical brew Taste and enjoy! Miami Today The first human inhabitants of South Florida were the Native American ancestors of the Calusa and Tequesta Indians who migrated here and established permanent villages at the mouth of the Miami River Then came the trickle that was soon to develop into a tidal wave: the arrival... via the Panama Canal Introduction the Keys, while a profitable pineapple industry flourished in the Upper Keys during the late 1880s and early 1890s The 1870 Key Largo Census listed about 60 people The 1900s In 1912, the Florida Overseas Railroad to Key West – dubbed the railroad that went to sea” – was completed Unfortunately, the Keys' boom was swept away with the railroad in a 1935 hurricane At the. .. founding father of Greater Miami Overtown Located on the northern end of downtown Miami, Overtown was the center of the thriving AfricanAmerican community in the 1920s, then went into an inner-city decline It is now in the midst of a rebirth and a new pride The Overtown Historic Village incorporates, in a few blocks, the highlights of the area’s history Here you’ll find the house of D.A Dorsey, Miami s... day at the beach and a night on the town; a culinary tour of the world and an exploration of fascinating cultures and history; shopping sojourns that lead from the biggest malls down to the smallest roadside stands; and wildlife expeditions that lead to a "river of grass" and below the waves to the only living coral reef in the continental US It's all here in the place where major highways end and adventures... both Miami and the Keys: Henry Flagler In a prescient move in 1896, the Standard Oil executive extended his Florida East Coast Railroad to Miami, paving the way for the development of tourism, which would become Miami' s dominant industry by the mid-1900s HENRY FLAGLER Henry Flagler originally intended for Palm Beach to be the terminus of his Florida East Coast Railroad, but severe freezes in 1894 and . 278 Introduction W elcome to Miami and the Keys, a subtropical oasis of fun-in -the- sun excitement on the south - ern tip of the Florida peninsula. Get ready for a day at the beach and a night on the town; a culinary. grass" and below the waves to the only living coral reef in the continental US. It's all here in the place where major highways end and adventures begin – Greater Miami and the Florida Keys. Yes,. with the railroad in a 1935 hurricane. At the same time, the country was in the grips of the Great Depression and the Keys were not immune. Key West went bankrupt. Like Miami, though, the Keys