Greater Downtown Miami is the prestigious cultural, financial, and commercial center of South Florida, tracing its history back to the 19th century. It consists of the following areas:
- Wynwood/Edgewater
- Historic Overtown
- Media & Entertainment District
- Park West
- Central Business District (CBD)
- Brickell
- West Brickell
- South Brickell.
Greater Downtown Miami lies between the Julia Tuttle Causeway south to the Rickenbacker Causeway, and Interstate 95 east to Biscayne Bay. Brickell Avenue and Biscayne Boulevard are the main north-south roads, and Flagler Street is the main east-west road. In recent years, the area has grown to become the fastest-growing area in Miami.
The Wynwood / Edgewater area is a historical and centrally located neighborhood that includes the subdivisions of the Miami Fashion District, the Wynwood Art District, and its newest subdivision, Midtown. It is roughly divided by I-395 to the south, I-195 to the north, I-95 to the west and Biscayne Boulevard to the east. It is historically the home of Miami’s Puerto Rican community and the Wynwood Arts District that is the new collection of office and condo/apartment buildings dubbed “Midtown.” Wynwood is also referred to as “Little San Juan”, and commonly known as “El Barrio” as many Puerto Ricans began immigrating to this Miami neighborhood from the island and northeastern cities in the 1950s. Puerto Rican-owned restaurants, shops, markets and other businesses align the streets of Wynwood. The Wynwood Art District is a section of Wynwood that contains over 70 galleries, museums and collections. It is roughly bounded by NW 36th Street (north), NW 20th Street (south), I-95 (west) and NE 1st Avenue (east).
The Historic Overtown area is one of the oldest neighborhoods in Miami. In 1896 the City of Miami was incorporated when Henry Flagler, who was building the railroad, needed a place for workers to live. Tourists of all races and locals alike enjoyed the vibrant life of the area. Overtown was a place known for its nightly entertainment, exotic restaurants and active churches. Celebrities such as Count Basie, Ella Fitzgerald, Cab Calloway, Josephine Baker, Billie Holiday, Nat King Cole, Aretha Franklin and many other artists performed year round at the Sir John Hotel, Mary Elizabeth Hotel, the Lyric Theater and other Overtown establishments. In addition, many prominent Blacks such as W. E. B. Du Bois, Zora Neale Hurston, Joe Louis and Jackie Robinson stayed in Overtown when vacationing in Miami.
The Media & Entertainment District area, or better known as Omni, is a neighborhood in the City of Miami, Florida, United States. It lies between the enclaves of Wynwood and Edgewater. It is bounded by Northeast 24th Street to the north, Interstate-395 to the south, by either the Florida East Coast Railway or Northeast 2nd Avenue to the west, and either Biscayne Bay or Northeast 4th Avenue to the east. As the name suggests, it is home to the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, the Miami Herald, the Miami New Times and the Omni International Mall. It is also one of the venues that hosts the annual Miami International Boat Show.
The Park West area is the neighborhood just west of Bicentennial Park, east of NW 1st Ave, south of I-195, and north of NE 6th St. Park West is primarily known for its nightclubs, and in recent years has been the talk of much revitalization and project proposals for the revitalization of the area.
The Central Business District (CBD) area, better known by locals as simply just “Downtown,” is the historic center of Miami, and what is traditionally called “Downtown.” Downtown is bound by NE 6th St to the north, Biscayne Bay to the east, the Miami River to the west and south. Within this area, is where the majority of Miami’s historic buildings are, the main shopping street, Flagler Street, museums, libraries, offices, schools and colleges, as well as the vast majority of local, county, state and federal government offices and courthouses.
The Brickell area is south of the Miami River, and is a mixed luxury residential neighborhood as well as Miami’s major financial district along Brickell Avenue, also known as “Millionaire’s Row.” Brickell (including West Brickell and South Brickell) lies between Miami River on the north, Rickenbacker Causeway on the south, Interstate 95 on the west and Biscayne Bay in the east. It is an area that is being defined not only by natural boarders, but also by its residents, neighborhood feel and internationally acclaimed prestige. Referred to as the “Wall Street of the South”, Brickell is home to the largest concentration of international banks in the United States, mostly along Brickell Avenue and Miami Avenue, home to many popular Miami restaurants, shops and places of entertainment. A few hundred feet east of the northeastern side of Brickell is Brickell Key, a gated island of upscale, high-rise residential and hotel towers. Today, the Brickell and Downtown Miami neighborhoods are the fastest-growing neighborhoods in Miami.
Greater Downtown Miami’s population is estimated to total approximately 71,000 persons and is projected to increase to over 81,000 by 2014, according the May 2010 “Population & Demographic Profile” report prepared for the Miami Downtown Development Authority by Goodkin Consulting and Focus Real Estate Advisors. The Brickell area had a total population of 13,584 according to the 2,000 Census. For 2010, the same area is estimated to have a total population of 28,500, whereas the 2014 projected population for the Brickell area is 33,500. These population projections show that the Brickell area will not only have sufficient occupants for the existing unit inventory, but it will experience a housing shortage due to the fact that, other than SkyPalace at Mary Brickell Village, there are no other residential developments planned at this point for the Brickell area in the near future.
