South Miami, Florida


South Miami is a city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States, in the Miami metropolitan area. The population was 11,657 at the 2010 census and as of 2019, according to the U.S. Census Bureau was 11,911.
South Miami's central business district is directly served by the Miami Metrorail at the South Miami station on Sunset Drive, connecting the suburb to downtown Kendall, Downtown Miami, and the Miami Intermodal Center at Miami International Airport.

History

South Florida had been roamed by Native Americans, probably for centuries, before white pioneers advanced through Little Hunting Ground to Big Hunting Ground.
Wilson Alexander Larkins was 36 years old when he, his wife and five children, and their livestock arrived in Fort Dallas in 1896. He purchased property west of Red Road and Sunset Drive, where he built a home and barn. He also built the first general store east of that area in 1898 at what is known today as '"Cartagena Plaza" or "Cocoplum Circle", and as the community grew, he established a post office in the community. Larkins became the first Postmaster, a role he held for sixteen years; he named the area Manila, but the majority of the settlers, who began building homes around his store, preferred the name of "Larkins" in his honor.
A depot was placed along the Florida East Coast Railway in 1904, and in the same year, John Moses Dowling built the first house within what is now South Miami city limits. His son-in-law opened the first store on the west side of the tracks, called the White Palace Grocery.
Other prominent historic families have historic buildings and streets named for them, such as Dorn Avenue and the Shelley Building, among others. Harold W. Dorn and his brother Robert moved to the area in 1910; their primary interest was growing mango and avocado. Mary E. Dorn was the first president of the Cocoplum Thimble Club, the first Women's club in Larkins. In 1925, the Dorn brothers built the Riviera Theatre at 5700 South Dixie Highway; in 1934, Charles T. Fuchs moved his Holsum Bakery from Homestead to South Miami on the land where the Riviera Theatre had been.
The first African-American to purchase land in the Larkins area was Marshall Williamson, who moved there from Madison, Florida. He built his home at 6500 SW 60th Avenue and allowed it to be used for church services even before the construction was completed. In 1916, he
donated land for the St. John's AME Church, one of Larkins's first churches and the first church in the black community; it is located at 6461 SW 59th Place. Later, Williamson also donated land for the J. R. E. Lee School. Because of his generosity, the black neighborhood became known as Madison Square, after Williamson's hometown. Williamson died in 1972. Named after him is Marshall Williamson Park, at 6125 SW 68 Street.
In 1926, area residents wanted to incorporate their area, and because of the booming city to the north of them, they chose the name of "Town of South Miami". The original town boundaries were Red Road on the east, Kendall Drive to the south, Palmetto Road to the west, and Bird Road and Miller Drive to the north. The year 1926 also saw the first street lighting and the first incoming class of freshmen at the newly chartered University of Miami campus, which abuts the city of South Miami eastern boundary along Red Road. Also founded with a university theme that same year was the Cambridge Lawns neighborhood of South Miami, situated just from the university campus. The neighborhood's Cambridge Lawns Historic District, some 30 homes in the Tudor Revival and Mediterranean revival style completed in 1928, were granted historic recognition by the City of South Miami in 2005.
Also in 1926, South Miami received extensive damage from the 1926 Miami hurricane. The Town's leaders asked Congress to "relieve the people of their income tax for the current year," but federal assistance was not forthcoming. The Florida East Coast Railway station burned down, leaving the town without a station for many years. Residents suffered storm damage again from Hurricane Andrew in 1992 and from Hurricane Bonnie.
On June 25, 1927, W. A. Forster was sworn in as South Miami's first Mayor.
In 1933, the original six square miles of South Miami were reduced to just over three miles due to an effort to reduce municipal responsibilities. The city's size was reduced again in 1937, and many of the northern city residents sued to get out of the city. This is why the city of South Miami has the most irregular boundaries of any city in Miami-Dade County today.
Of mid-century South Miami, local historian Donna Shelley writes:
Construction of the current City Hall building was approved by referendum in 1955. Designed by architect Henry George Fink, the governmental seat on Sunset Drive was dedicated in October 1956 by Mayor Paul U. Tevis.
Jack Block was elected Mayor of the city in 1968, and was thereafter re-elected every two years until 1984 when, as he told interviewer Gregory W. Bush, "I started to not enjoy it as much." In that interview, for the University of Miami Oral History Program, he gave snapshots of South Miami history when he told Bush,
In 1990, Catherine McCann was elected as South Miami's first female Mayor, and was re-elected in 1992. She was responsible for the clean-up of South Miami after Hurricane Andrew; the Miami Herald wrote, "She had an encyclopedic knowledge of the South Miami city charter. She pushed for affordable housing and responsible development."
In 2000, South Miami joined other municipalities in the country in forming city partnerships to help foster cultural and economic development between cities around the world. South Miami is a member of Sister Cities International and formed relationships with the cities of Grand Turk in Turks and Caicos Islands and Basseterre in Saint Kitts and Nevis.
According to reporting by SOMI Magazine during early October 2018, "n August 21, 2018, in the City of South Miami Commission Chambers the forging of a 'Sister-City' between the City of South Miami, Florida, and the Municipio de Medellin, Colombia, was formalized."

Geography

South Miami is located at .
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of, all land.

Surrounding areas

As of 2010, there were 5,174 households, out of which 9.2% were vacant. In 2000, 26.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.4% were married couples living together, 15.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.7% were non-families. 30.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 3.15.
In 2000, the city population was spread out, with 22.7% under the age of 18, 8.2% from 18 to 24, 31.8% from 25 to 44, 23.7% from 45 to 64, and 13.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.4 males.
In 2000, the median income for a household in the city was $42,488, and the median income for a family was $57,791. Males had a median income of $37,250 versus $29,772 for females. The per capita income for the city was $24,526. About 8.9% of families and 17.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.0% of those under age 18 and 13.4% of those age 65 or over.
As of 2000, speakers of English as a first language accounted for 59.69% of residents, while Spanish speakers consisted of 37.45%, and speakers of French as the mother tongue made up 1.26% of the population.
As of 2000, South Miami had the twenty-sixth highest percentage of Cuban residents in the US, with 19.58% of the populace, while it had the fortieth highest percentage of Nicaraguan residents in the US, at 1.04% of the city's population It's also home to the ninety-third highest percentage of Colombians, which was 1.77% of all residents

Economy

The South Miami business community is served by , with offices at 6410 S.W. 80 Street
in South Miami, and by the .
The Consulate-General of Mexico in Miami is located at 5975 Southwest 72nd Street in South Miami.
The nine-acre property site of the Holsum Bakery was for decades afterward known as the Bakery Center to the local residents, and various businesses came and went on that site long after Holsum was gone.
A large complex called, in fact, the Bakery Center, a $35 million project, was proposed in 1982. It was built and opened in 1985, but it was not popular and was demolished in 1996. South Miami residents complained about the architecture, which seemed closed from pedestrians, elitist, and far too tall for a town that liked small, homey buildings and mom-and-pop shops. Perhaps the one admired feature was on the outside: an enormous mural by Richard Haas. The investors were never able to find enough small businesses to rent all available spaces in the monolithic building. The consistently successful business, an IMAX theater, was undervalued and closed.
In the 1990s, a large shopping mall called The Shops at Sunset Place was built on the site a retail/entertainment center with a wide, welcoming entrance. The mall had many anchor stores, including Barnes & Noble, The Gap, Urban Outfitters, Victoria's Secret, an AMC Theatres site with 24 movie theaters, and restaurants like Johnny Rockets; but several have closed. Food is available from restaurants, and it is a popular teenage hangout.
In 2015, The Shops at Sunset Place was acquired for $110.2 million by the joint venture of , Coconut Grove-based Grass River Property, and Miami Beach-based Comras Co. The mall is, thus, under new management and has been seeking to redevelop the site with plans for a new hotel and other improvements.

Transportation

South Miami is served by Metrobus throughout the area, and by the Miami Metrorail at:
The City provides a free shuttle service with nine designated stops on a two-mile loop within the City's downtown area during specified hours on Tuesdays to Saturdays.

Culture

South Miami is known for more than its leafy residential neighborhoods; the city has numerous parks and a vibrant Downtown filled with historic buildings, restaurants and unique shops. Much of South Miami stretches down U.S. 1, along which it features a wide variety of retail stores and restaurants on long-owned real estate or in newer shopping plazas. The South Miami Branch library of the Miami-Dade Public Library System is open 5 days a week and offers a large children's room, as well as an extensive collection of DVDs and large-print books.

Music

offers late-night live music, as now closed-down The Irish Times Pub & Eatery used to. The major mall of South Miami, The Shops at Sunset Place, has hosted "National Talent Search TV Showcase Miami Auditions."

Parks

South Miami has a number of parks, including:
In 2017, the City of South Miami adopted a , which is a long-range planning document that is meant to help shape the direction, development and delivery of the City's parks and recreation system over an 8- to 10-year period from adoption. According to the City of South Miami's website, "he purpose of this plan is to advance the mission and vision of the Parks and Recreation Department to further the establishment of a high quality parks system and maximize the effectiveness of the department and its resources."

Media

South Miami is served by the Miami market for local radio and television. The three newspapers are as follows: the hyperlocal "", a part of the chain; the Miami Herald, which publishes a weekly zoned section serving South Miami and adjacent communities; and the weekly Miami New Times. Long-time South Miami resident John Edward Smith publishes SOMI Magazin every two months, which its "About SOMI" web page states "balances home town interest while promoting the many businesses located in the South Miami Town Center."

Cuisine

South Miami has a diverse offering in its restaurants. Dara Smith and Olee Fowler wrote in January of 2020, "Not historically top of mind as one of the city's major food destinations, South Miami's culinary scene is slowly taking shape. From fine dining to fast casual, can't miss food and drink spots."
There are many Japanese restaurants with sushi bars; the popular but troubled Kyojin Japanese Buffet is now closed. In a strip mall on U.S. Route 1, it was located just a few doors away from the former site of one of South Miami's top most popular family-owned businesses, Sunrise City Liquors, which for decades had been owned by Fred Salazar and co-managed by his son, Adam Salazar. To serve the community, they kept late hours and offered cheerful chat and good advice about liquors, beers, and wines. Italian restaurants are also easy to find, such as Macaluso's & Co. an Italian-American Market and . Cuban restaurants include Casa Cuba and the Mojita Grill.
The , a family-friendly eatery with outdoor seating and a separate pool-hall room for live music and large-screen sports TV channels, offers a variety of American and ethnic foods; so does the popular Two Chefs Restaurant, and the Whisk is rated #1 by the TripAdvisor site. One can also find French dining at the Cafe Bonjour on U.S. Route 1. There are popular lamb and duck meals alongside the steak and chicken at the , served up by its French chefs. Le Royal French Bakery, which used to offer fresh breads, pastries, and other treats and received high marks from the Miami New Times has closed. There is Cuban cuisine at and Portuguese cuisine at the . offers Mediterranean / Lebanese food, while Marhaba Mediterranean Cuisine is in the heart of downtown South Miami, just north of the Shops at Sunset Place mall. To stroll through downtown South Miami, in fact, is to stroll past dozens of restaurants of all kinds, and even the pocket-sized ones can be excellent.

Education

serves South Miami.
South Miami is also home to the Miami Conservatory. Founded in 1949, it is Miami's oldest and best known ballet school.

Government

Structure

South Miami uses a city manager form of government. The Commission sets the policies and the City Manager acts as the chief executive. Commissioners are elected to four-year terms and the Mayor is elected to a two-year term. The Mayor heads the meeting and previously made appointments, with approval by the Commission, to various city boards; however this provision was modified to give all commissioners the right to appoint with consent of the board on February 9, 2010. Elections are held on the second Tuesday in February in even numbered years for the Mayor and half of the Commissioners. The Commissioner receiving the most votes is also given the title of Vice Mayor for the first two years of the term. The next election is scheduled for 2022.
South Miami City Government as of February 2020
South Miami City Government as of February 2012
Elections Results for February 11, 2020
Mayor of South Miami
Bruce B. Baldwin 75
Horace G. Feliu 496
Mark Lago 484
Sally B. Philips 739
Lina Sierra 380
Commissioner Group II
Cindy Franz 312
Levy Kelly 610
Josh Liebman 1,136
Commissioner Group III
Bob Welsh 1,552
Charter Amendment
Amend Charter Auditor Term Limit
Yes 1,145
No 907
Also, on February 12, 2020, Bob Welsh was appointed as the Vice Mayor until the next City elections in February 2022.

Past election results

Elections Results for February 9, 2010
Mayor of South Miami

Horace G. Feliu' 634
Philip K. Stoddard 910
Commissioner Group I

Levy Kelly 484
Valerie Newman' 914
Commissioner Group IV

Javier Baños 301
Walter A. Harris 806
Janet Launcelott 383
Charter Amendment

Changing the process by which members of boards and committees are chosen:
Yes 1037
No 346
Also, Valerie Newman was appointed as the Vice Mayor until February 14, 2012, because she was elected with the most votes in the 2010 election.

South Miami Hospital

, located at 62nd Avenue and U.S. Route 1, opened in 1960 as a 100-bed hospital and currently serves 467 beds. It is one of seven hospitals in the Baptist Health South Florida system. The hospital was recognized as a Magnet Hospital for Nursing Excellence in 2004 and again in 2008, by the American Nurses Credentialing Center. It was also on Solucient's list of top 100 hospitals in the country and earned the Florida Governor's Sterling Award in 2010. It was named the No. 1 hospital in South Florida by U.S. News & World Report in 2012, and ranked No. 42 in the country in geriatrics and No. 47 in orthopedics. The Hospital features an addiction treatment program, a cardiac catheterization lab, a diabetes program and a full oncology department as well as the Center for Robotic Surgery, the Center for Women and Infants, South Miami Heart Center and a Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. The Hospital earned $35.5 million in 2012.