The City of North Bay Village is a three-island community situated in northeast Miami-Dade County between the cities of Miami and Miami Beach. The three islands - North Bay Island, Harbor Island and Treasure Island - are linked by the John F. Kennedy (79th Street) Causeway, which extends across Biscayne Bay from Miami to Miami Beach. The City has excellent access to major airports, beaches and downtown Miami.

Prior to 1940, most of what is now North Bay Village lay beneath the waters of Biscayne Bay. The only dry land was Broadcast Key, a five-acre island from which pioneer radio station WIOD began broadcasting in 1926. Today, television station WSVN-TV maintains its headquarters at the same site, now joined with Treasure Island. (see map below)

During the mid 1940’s, dredging and filling created Harbor Island and Treasure Island. Harbor Island is composed primarily of multi-family buildings. Treasure Island, whose street names were drawn from Robert Louis Stevenson’s novel Treasure Island, is a mixture of single family dwellings on the westerly end and condominiums on the eastern end.  During its early years, North Bay Village was primarily a haven for winter residents. The City became widely known for its popular restaurants and nightclubs, which attracted celebrities like Frank Sinatra and Judy Garland. Most of today’s residents live here year-round.

For out-of-town guests, North Bay Village has the recently remodeled Best Western. The Best Western On the Bay Inn and Marina is located on Treasure Island. Both the Inn and Shuckers Dockside restaurant offer a Key West ambiance in the middle of Biscayne Bay. There are several restaurants to choose from, in and around North Bay Village. Two that come to mind are the Oggi Caffe and the restaurant Barchetta On the Bay .

For people who want to move to North Bay Village, there are many apartments, condominiums and  single-family homes to choose from. Currently there are 382 condos for sale in North Bay Village. 317 for sale under $500,000, 56 for sale between $500k and a million, and 9 for sale above one milion. There are 26 single family homes for sale, 10 of which are waterfront. The waterfront homes start at $1.3 milllion. The non-waterfront homes range in price from $270K to $580K. There are 143 rentals with an average price of $1700.

On my way to my new favorite area of town, Biscayne Park, I couldn’t help but notice the flags floating from the lampposts. What did these flags say?

“MIMO Biscayne Blvd Historic District”.

I knew what MIMO was – Miami Modern – a post WWII style of architecture that expressed the optimism and prosperity of the times. I was also aware that this style of architecture made flamboyant use of materials such as; concrete, stone, glass mosaic tile, aluminum and plastic laminates. But what I didn’t realize was that these historic buildings were slowly disappearing.  How sad that would be!

Once upon a time Collins Avenue from the Carillon Hotel (Canyon Ranch) to the Diplomat Hotel in Hollywood (Westin) was resplendent with MIMO architecture.  Few of these exist in their original form (if at all) today.

On Biscayne Boulevard, approximately 16 out of the over 20 motels that were built in this style still exist. I’m very happy to know that the City of Miami designated this area historic and hopefully the following preservation incentives will be enough to encourage maintenance and longevity of these buildings.

Preservation Incentives

“The historic district designation will further enhance the stability of the neighborhood. Design review of new construction that may be built in the neighborhood will assist in maintaining aesthetic harmony. Further, for residents as well as income producing property owners, Miami-Dade County allows an ad valorem tax exemption for the rehabilitation of historic structures.

If a nomination to the National Register of Historic Places were written for all or part of this proposed district, upon listing, the depreciable buildings would become eligible for a 20% Investment Tax Credit. The credit is applied against the owners’ income tax liability when a “substantial” rehabilitation of a building is undertaken. “

But here is what two of the residents had to say:

1) “I am a 7-year resident of BP (my husband has lived here 40+ years) and mother of three, I can’t agree more about our village’s uniqueness and charm. After having owned homes in both Miami Shores and Keystone Point, living here I actually know MANY of my neighbors and several other residents. We see each other on the street, know each other’s names, wave hello, go to each other’s parties and we notice if there is strange activity at someone’s home. We visit and cook for each other when babies are born and family falls ill. Residents email each other and get involved to maintain this community’s charm and strive to improve whatever possible. Many residents communicate frequently with our police and commission, and we are HEARD. This is all very common here — not just unique to my personal experience but unique to the Biscayne Park experience. Add to that the foliage and wildlife you mention (beautiful birds, lizards, turtles, iguanas) and the result is a small o asis in the midst of Miami’s chaos. It’s great, we love living here. Thank you for recognizing BP!”

2) “We have actually had some really amazing sales lately- one house just closed for $850,000 on the canal- this is even more than peak of the market… but the house was beautiful and special. We have really affordable homes as well- and many have beamed ceilings, fireplaces etc.” One real estate agent, “has a listing here- a super cool house- too cool as it is not moving at the price point- but all it takes is one person! In these days of bad press- we welcome the good mentions- Biscayne park has a lot of quiet money hidden behind average homes- so they want to keep the area secure and quaint-we do have our less affluent folks as well- and we all work together! The premiere street here is Griffing Boulevard- with many hidden cul de sacs all over the park- some of the cul de sacs are 2 acres big! Call me if you need any info on the Park.”

The Ed Burke Recreation Center offers both residents and non-residents many activities and events. Here are a few things they have to offer:

• Clubs and classes include a Needlework Club, Civic Club, Sewing Guild, Yoga classes, and Aikido (self-defense) Club.
• Children both resident and non-resident can be part of after-school camp and youth day camp.
• Youth Athletic programs are offered in baseball and flag football.
• Adults can join in on field trips to the Homestead Vegetable Farms/Knaus Berry Farm Bakery, the Actors Playhouse Theatre in Coral Gables and the Festival Flea Market in Pompano.

Biscayne Park real estate is mostly modest Spanish Mediterranean homes with a few multi-family dwellings mixed in. Because there are no condos or high-rises the village is able to maintain its charm. So how is Biscayne Park doing is this volatile real estate market? Not bad! 17 residential properties sold in the last 12 months at an average sold price of $295,000 (remember the area is just .6 sq. mi.). Check out my charts below:

It is a beautiful out-of-the-way village, with no thru-traffic!

I’m casting my vote with the New Times!

“Biscayne” comes from an Indian term for “favorite path of the rising moon”

• This is a very typical breezy afternoon: Click here to view the embedded video. Miami Beach Weather

Degrees in Fahrenheit

Copyright © 2003 countrystudies.us

It was no surprise when I had another fabulous time at one of Michael Capponi’s special events. This one was his 36th birthday party. A 1,000 plus guests donning glamorous 1940’s costumes, a backdrop of antique airplanes and the clear starry sky made for a night I won’t soon forget. Couples twirled around the dance floor (tarmac) to the sounds of big band music but the costumes were what made it really fun.

Everyone was so inventive, but I went the extra mile going as: Jessica Rabbit of “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” fame.

Check out the Press Release for all the local VIPs in attendance and the charitable organizations this prodigious event benefited.