Greater Downtown Miami
Downtown Miami is the urban city center of Miami, Florida, United States. The city's greater downtown region consists of the Central Business District, Brickell, the Historic District, Government Center, the Arts & Entertainment District, and Park West. It is divided by the Miami River and is bordered by Midtown Miami's Edgewater, and Wynwood sections to its north, Biscayne Bay to its east, the Health District and Overtown to its west, and Coconut Grove to its south.
Downtown Miami is the core of the Miami metropolitan area, the nation's sixth-largest and world's 65th-largest metropolitan area with a population of 6.158 million people.
Within Downtown Miami, Brickell Avenue and Biscayne Boulevard are the main north–south roads, and Flagler Street is the main east–west road. The Downtown Miami perimeters are defined by the Miami Downtown Development Authority as the area east of Interstate 95 between Rickenbacker Causeway to the south and the Julia Tuttle Causeway, which connects Miami and Miami Beach, to the north.
The area is a cultural, financial, and commercial center of the Miami metropolitan area, tracing its present-day history back to the 19th century. In recent years, Downtown Miami has the third greatest concentration of high-rises in the United States and is home to many major museums, parks, education centers, banks, company headquarters, courthouses, government offices, theaters, shops and many of the oldest buildings in the city.
History
Downtown Miami is the historic heart of Miami. Along with Coconut Grove, Downtown Miami is the oldest settled area of Miami, with early pioneer settlement dating to the early 19th century. Urban development began in the 1890s with the construction of the Florida East Coast Railway by Standard Oil industrialist Henry Flagler down to Miami at the insistence of Julia Tuttle. Flagler, along with developers such as William Brickell and George E. Merrick helped bring developer interest to the city with the construction of hotels, resorts, homes, and the extension of Flagler's rail line. Flagler Street, originating in Downtown, is a major east–west road in Miami named after the tycoon; the Julia Tuttle Causeway, crossing Biscayne Bay just north of Downtown in Edgewater, is named in honor of Tuttle.As of 2009, there are approximately 71,000 year-round residents in Greater Downtown, with close to 200,000 populating the Downtown area during the daytime, making Downtown Miami one of the most populous downtowns in the U.S. after New York City and Chicago. With recent mass construction of high-rise residential buildings and office towers, Downtown has experienced large growth, with new shops, bars, parks, and restaurants opening up, attracting many new residents.
Along with Brickell, Downtown has grown from 40,000 residents in 2000, to over 70,000 in 2009, making it one of the fastest-growing areas in Florida. It was estimated in February 2010, that about 550 new residents move to the Downtown area every month. As of 2009, over 190,000 office employees work in Downtown and Brickell.
Downtown is served by the Miami Metrorail at Historic Overtown/Lyric Theatre, Government Center, and Brickell stations, accessible from Broward and Palm Beach counties via Tri-Rail transfer station. The Metro connects to the Downtown Metromover, which encompasses 22 stations on the clockwise Inner loop and counterclockwise Brickell and Omni branch loops. Government Center station is Downtown's main station and allows for transfers to all Metromover loops, Metrorail trains, and Metrobus lines at the Stephen P. Clark Government Center.
Neighborhoods
Downtown Miami is centered on the Central Business District, best known by locals as simply "Downtown". Although distinct neighborhoods with different characters, all the following neighborhoods are often labeled under the umbrella term of "Downtown Miami":Central business district ("downtown")
The Central Business District, often referred to locally as simply "Downtown", is the historic center of Miami. The CBD is bound by Northeast Sixth Street to the north, Biscayne Bay to the east, and the Miami River to the west and south. The majority of Miami's historic buildings are located in this district, including Flagler Street, museums, libraries, offices, schools, the vast majority of local, county, state and federal government offices and courthouses, and Miami's Historic District and Government Center.The CBD is directly served by the Miami Metrorail at Government Center Station and by 13 Metromover stations on the Downtown, Brickell, and Omni Loops.
Miami Jewelry District
The Miami Jewelry District is a sub-neighborhood within the Central Business District historically known for its numerous jewelry stores, jewelers and gem dealers. It is where a variety of jeweled products are sold and is one of the three jewelry districts in the United States. It comprises four city blocks, bounded by North Miami Avenue, Northeast Second Avenue, East Flagler Street and Northeast Second Streets. Shoppers can find designer jewelry, precious stones, and gold and silver items at street level in various retail jewelry stores. The Jewelry District can be accessed by public transportation through the Metromover and Metrorail.Brickell
is south of the Miami River, and is a mixed upper-class residential neighborhood as well as Miami's major financial district along Brickell Avenue. The Shops at Mary Brickell Village, Brickell City Center, and Simpson Park are located within Brickell. Brickell is directly served by the Miami Metrorail at Brickell Station, and by five Metromover stations on the Brickell Loop.Arts and Entertainment District
The Arts & Entertainment District is an urban neighborhood with numerous hotels, and high-rise residential buildings. The neighborhood's former name Omni comes from the Omni International Mall on Biscayne Boulevard. The district borders Biscayne Bay the east, NE 2nd Ave to the west, NE 21st St to the north and I-395 to the south. Pace Park, Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, and the Miami Herald headquarters are located within the district. The Arts & Entertainment District is served by the Miami Metrorail at: Government Center Station, and by two Metromover stations on the Omni Loop.Park West
Park West is the neighborhood just west of Museum Park, east of NW 1st Ave, south of I-195, and north of NE 6th St. Park West was primarily known for its nightclubs, and in recent years has been the talk of much revitalization and project proposals for the revitalization of the area. By the end of 2015 most of the nightclubs along the former club row west of the MetroMover from the Freedom Tower station to the Eleventh Street Station have been demolished to make way for planned construction of Miami World Center.Park West is directly served by the Miami Metrorail at: Historic Overtown/Lyric Theatre Station, and by three Metromover stations on the Omni Loop.
Demographics
As of 2010, the population of Downtown Miami was 65,696 people, with a population density of 27,487 per square mile. In the 2010 US Census, the racial makeup of Downtown was 57.6% Hispanic of any race, 30.8% White, 7.2% Black, and 2.9% Asian. The zip codes for Brickell include 33129, 33130, and 33131. The area covers.In 2000, Downtown had a population of 39,176 residents, with 15,333 households in 1990 with an average of 2.2 residents per household, 17,130 households in 2000 with a household average of 2.1, and 33,600 households in 2009 with a household average of 2.0 residents. By 2014, the population of Downtown is expected to grow to 85,000 with 42,400 households. The median household income was $29,396 in 2000 and $40,180 in 2009.
The zip codes for Downtown include 33128, 33130, 33131, and 33132. The area covers. As of 2000, there were 6,451 males and 4,792 females. The median age for males were 34.5 years old, while the median age for females were 35.8 years old. The average household size had 1.9 people, while the average family size had 2.8 members. The percentage of married-couple families among all households was 25.5%, while the percentage of married-couple families with children was 8.5%, and the percentage of single-mother households among all households was 5.8%. 15.3% of the population was in correctional institutions. 1.6% of the population was in other group homes. The percentage of never-married males 15 years old and over was 27.6%, while the percentage of never-married females 15 years old and over was 13.9%.
As of 2000, the percentage of people that speak English not well or not at all made up 23.1% of the population. The percentage of residents born in Florida was 26.9%, the percentage of people born in another U.S. state was 25.0%, and the percentage of native residents but born outside the U.S. was 6.4%, while the percentage of foreign born residents was 41.7%.
2009 Census projections indicate that the area's residential base has increased from 40,000 to 71,000 since 2000, with an expected Downtown population of 85,000 by 2014. As of 2006, 189,164 residents live in the immediate Downtown/Brickell area.
Transportation
Public transportation in the Downtown area is used more than in any other part of Miami and is a vital part of Downtown life. Metrorail, Miami's heavy rail system, makes three stops in Downtown on both the green and orange lines at the Historic Overtown/Lyric Theatre Station, Government Center Station, and the Brickell Station. In addition to Metrorail, the automated Metromover train system runs three lines with 22 stations throughout Downtown. The Metromover is a free service and stations can be found at roughly every two blocks in Downtown and Brickell.Downtown Miami is served by Metrobus throughout the area, the Miami Metrorail, and the Metromover:
Metrorail:
- Government Center
- Brickell
- Historic Overtown/Lyric Theatre
- Downtown/Inner Loop
- Omni Loop
- Brickell Loop
As an urban and pedestrian-friendly area with an extensive public transit network, Downtown is one of the areas in Miami where a car-free lifestyle is commonplace. Many Downtown residents get around by foot, bicycle, Metromover or by taxi. The Metromover is a popular alternative to walking in the area, especially on rainy, hot or cold days, as the Metromover is free, and stations are located roughly every two blocks throughout the area.
Recently, the City of Miami, along with the Downtown Development Authority, has begun bicycle initiatives promoting citywide bike parking and bike lanes, that have made bicycling much more popular for residents. Bike lanes and bike sharrows are currently planned for the majority of Downtown streets to be painted by the end of 2010. Venetian Causeway is a popular bicycle commuter route that connects South Beach to Downtown. The Rickenbacker Causeway is very popular on weekends for recreational bicyclists, and often, bicycles can outnumber cars on the causeway.