Miami Beach
Miami Beach is a city which was incorporated on March 26, 1915. Miami Beach City is referred and recognized by many under the name Miami, even though it is a separate municipality, which would make Miami and Miami Beach as actually two cities separate and distinct from each other. As a 2000 census revealed, Miami Beach City has a total population of 87, 933. More than half of the City population was foreign born. Miami Beach has been considered by many Americans as one of America’s preeminent beach resort for nearly a century.
Miami Beach as a City has its own Mayor and 6 Commissioners who share equal votes in formulating laws and ordinances for the City. The Mayor has a term of only two years while the Commissioners have terms of 4 years. However, while the Commissioners can serve for only two consecutive terms, the Mayor has a term limit of three consecutive terms. In terms of function, the Mayor runs and heads Commission meetings and has veto power over legislation.
Miami Beach City is a world recognized Art Deco center because of its famed Art Deco Historic District which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places The Art Deco District of Miami Beach has the largest existing structures in the world composed of Art Deco architecture of hotels, apartments and other structures constructed between 1923 and 1943. This Art Deco District includes Mediterranean and Streamline Moderne in its designs that add color and grandeur to the art Deco Historic District of Miami Beach City. This district is located and bounded by the Atlantic Ocean on the East, Lenox Court on the West, 6th Street on the South and Dade Boulevard going along the Collins canal to its North. Barbara Capitman, a former interior designer, was the moving person in the preservation of the Art Deco District’s architectural heritage. Her efforts were rewarded with a street named after her.
One of the more popular areas of Miami Beach is its South Beach or simply called the SoBe. This area is a stretch starting from the 1st Street to the 25th Street. Formerly, this stretch of Miami Beach is a crime area with abandoned and dilapidated buildings. However, with the coming of business investors into the area, it has now been converted into one of the richest commercial districts of the city. Signs of poverty still linger in some areas. Criminality has markedly reduced with the crime rate controlled to a minimum. The City of Miami Beach and Miami City are both on the right road to progress by all indications.
