Historic Art Deco District, South Beach

Art Deco District, South Beach

Miami Beach's Art Deco District, in the South Beach area, contains hundreds of 1920s and 30s buildings, many with the architectural details highlighted in pastel colours.

Stucco Decoration
Early examples of art deco design included elaborate stucco decoration, but the later streamline moderne style was simpler, and often included nautical elements. South Beach is said to have the world's largest collection of streamline moderne architecture.

Ocean Drive Hotels
Start out on Ocean Drive, which has lots of art deco buildings, including hotels such as the Breakwater, the Clevelander, the Tides, the Leslie, the Carlyle and the Cardozo (listed in order, going north from 9th Street). The Cardozo is owned by Cuban-American singer Gloria Estefan and her husband, Emilio.

Beach Patrol Headquarters
Don't miss the Beach Patrol Headquarters, at 12th Street on the opposite side of Lummus Park from Ocean Drive's restaurant and hotel strip.

Art Deco Welcome Center and Walking Tours
In the Art Deco Welcome Center at 10th Street, you can get information about the district and perhaps book a walking tour.

My wife and I went on one years ago, when we'd just moved to Miami Beach, and we both enjoyed it, even though normally we hate tours. The guide took us inside some of the buildings, which we wouldn't have entered if we'd been doing a self-guided tour.

Collins Avenue Art Deco Buildings
Then stroll along Collins Avenue, particularly the stretch to the south of Lincoln Road, just a block away from Ocean Drive, where you can see many more art deco buildings, for example the Essex House Hotel at 10th Street.

Lincoln Road Theatres
However, you will find other architectural gems all over South Beach, for example the Lincoln Theatre, and the Colony Theatre, both on Lincoln Road.

Although the pedestrianized Lincoln Road is one of South Beach's main thoroughfares, sometimes you'll find beautiful art deco buildings tucked away off the beaten track, in otherwise nondescript areas.

Deco District On National Register of Historic Places
The South Beach Art Deco District is on the US National Register of Historic Places, listed as Miami Beach Architectural District.

Even though its boundaries are the ocean to the east, Alton Road to the west, 23rd Street and the Collins Canal (by Dade Boulevard) to the north and 6th Street to the south, there are many examples of art deco architecture elsewhere, including the South Pointe area, to the south of 5th Street.

Art Deco Buildings in Mid-Beach and North Beach
South Beach is the district that most people visit to see art deco buildings when they come to Miami Beach, but there are many interesting buildings elsewhere, including the Mid-Beach and North Beach areas.

So if you're staying in one of these areas, once you've seen the Art Deco District take a look nearer to your hotel. In fact, if you're staying in a small hotel, it's quite likely an art deco building.

Staying in Art Deco Hotels
It's easy enough to find art deco hotels in Miami Beach, but bear in mind that the rooms are usually smaller than in modern American hotels.

Also, those in South Beach are often, although not always, located in noisy areas, so ask if there is loud music in or near the hotel or a lot of late-night traffic before booking.

Demolition of Art Deco Buildings
Back in the 1970s South Beach was a crime-ridden area full of decaying art deco buildings, which developers would have liked to demolish and replace with the tower blocks like those further north in Miami Beach.

But thanks to Barbara Capitman, who with Leonard Horowitz founded the Miami Design Preservation League, many buildings were saved. Both have streets name in their honour.

Art Deco Buildings Not Original Colours
Originally South Beach's art deco buildings were mainly a drab off-white or beige.

It was Leonard Horowitz who came up with the idea of using bright pink, lavender and turquoise for the architectural features when restoring Friedman's Pharmacy, and now virtually all art deco buildings in the Art Deco District have similar colour schemes.