Downtown Miami covers the Central Business District of Miami. It starts at the Julia Tuttle Causeway in the north and includes the Brickell Financial District, the Historic District, the Government Center, Arts & Entertainment District and Park West. The Miami River separates the neighborhood northwards, while it borders the Bisycayne Bay to the east. The neighborhood’s southern limit stops at the Rickenbacker Causeway while the Civic Center and Overtown mark the westwards limits. The main roads are Brickell Avenue and Biscayne Boulevard, for an area of about 3.8 square miles.
Downtown Miami is the historical part of the city, founded in the 19th century. The arrival of the railway in the area brought progress and abundance to this part of Miami. Local entrepreneurs Henry Flagler, as well as William Brickell and George E. Merrick were among the first developers. Seeing the potential of the region, they not only built homes, but also hotels, resorts and luxury condos. Through the years, the area has known waves of change and it is now one of the city’s most populated areas, with roughly 70,000 people.
These different eras are reflected in the diverse architecture and luxury condos of Downtown Miami, which spans Art Deco, Mediterranean Revival and many other genres. There are in fact 3 historic districts in Downtown, with over 60 buildings dating from 1896 to 1939. It’s therefore unsurprising that some of the biggest names of contemporary architecture have shaped the area’s newest edifices. Among these famous names are Pritzker Prize winners such as British-Iraqi Zaha Hadid, France’s Jean Nouvel, Canadian-born Frank Gehry and Swiss tandem Herzog & de Meuron.
