MIAMI/PALM BEACH Itineraries of contemporary design Architecture/Local designers/ Museums/ Art galleries/ Markets/ Restaurants/ Rooftops/ Iconic stores Notes:
Design Cities guides have all the points of interest linked to their official sites and location on Google Maps. At the beginning of the guide you can find a link with a complete map with all the points geolocated and in the main part, they have been classified according to their category. The concept behind this guide is to include places selected according to their interest focused on contemporary design. Many traditional or classic attractions have not been included because we understand that there is plenty of tourist information about them. Changes in the places at times of Covid will be evaluated and duly updated once we find out whether they are temporary or permanent. It is advisable to check the websites of these places before going there, in case that there are special opening days or times.
Miami A Little bit of history The history of Miami has been set by its lavish nature and mixture of cultures. This combination has resulted in a vibrant and lively city, accustomed to being in contact with nature and open to cultural exchange. Before the arrival of the Europeans, the place was inhabited by people of Tequesta. Between the 16th and the 18th century, the Spanish tried to settle Jesuit Missions in the region but they were never able to fulfill this project. The Spanish kept control of Florida since their arrival in 1513 until 1821, being the British in charge only once at the end of the 18th century. The United States took over in 1821 when the Spanish sold the place to them for the sum of five million dollars. At the beginning of the 19th century, the first permanent settlements appeared, with some farmers and fortune hunters who settled down near Miami River. However, the Seminole Wars wreaked havoc on the place. At the end of the 19th century, only a handful of families lived in the place of Miami, near Miami River and in Lemon City (currently Little Haiti) and Coconut Grove. The Seminole Wars ravaged the area of Florida and the population of the state was severely reduced. Some entrepreneurs foresaw the potential of Miami as heaven on Earth, with its lavish vegetation and virgin coasts, and they invested in real estate projects. The urban development seemed to be unstoppable in the 1920s, when the housing prices increased four times in a period of five years. The speculation over the land came to a stop with the destructive hurricane of the year 1926 which left not only dead people, but at least 25,000 homeless and caused damages for several million dollars. This caused that Miami entered into a deep economic recession three years before the rest of the country did. Nevertheless, it didn’t stay like this for long and it overcame the recession towards the year 1929, before the rest of the nation, mainly due to the aviation industry. During the depression, Pan American Airways began the modern era of aviation with the Flying Clippers of Miami Dinner Key. Even then, Pan American Airways publicized Miami as the