Miami Springs, Florida
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Miami Springs, Florida |
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| Nickname: "Tree City, USA" | |
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| Coordinates: | |
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| Country | United States |
| State | Florida |
| County | Miami-Dade |
| Mayor | Billy Bain |
| Area | |
| - City | 3.0 mi² - 7.7 km² |
| - Land | 2.9 mi² - 7.6 km² |
| - Water | 0.04 mi² - 0.1 km² |
| Elevation | 2 m (33 ft) |
| Population | |
| - City (2004) | 13,422 |
| - Density | 1,800/km² |
| - Metro | 5,422,200 |
| Time zone | EST (UTC-5) |
| - Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| Website: www.miamisprings-fl.gov | |
Miami Springs is a city located in Miami-Dade County, Florida. The city was founded by Glenn Hammond Curtiss, "The Father of Naval Aviation", and James Bright, during the famous "land boom" of the 1920s and was originally named Country Club Estates. It, along with other Miami neighborhoods such as Coral Gables, Florida and Opa-locka, Florida, formed some of the first planned communities in the state. Like its counterparts, the city had an intended theme which in its case, was to reflect Mexican architecture and ambience. Shortly prior to incorporation in 1926, the city was renamed after a spring located in the area which served most of Miami with fresh water until the mid-1990s. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 13,422 [1].
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[edit] Geography
Miami Springs is located at (25.819725, -80.291071)GR1.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 7.7 km² (3.0 mi²). 7.6 km² (2.9 mi²) of it is land and 0.1 km² (0.04 mi²) of it (1.34%) is water.
Roughly speaking the core of Miami Springs (excluding the more recently annexed areas) is roughly shaped as a triangle with three definable sides. Northwest 36th Street forms most of the southern boundary whilst the Miami River canal forms the northern/eastern boundary. Finally, the Ludlam Canal and Florida East Coast Railroad Yard delimit the western boundary.
[edit] Demographics
As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 13,712 people, 5,090 households, and 3,517 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,800.8/km² (4,666.8/mi²). There were 5,286 housing units at an average density of 694.2/km² (1,799.0/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 90.81% White, 2.04% African American, 0.22% Native American, 1.19% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 3.04% from other races, and 2.66% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 59.60% of the population.
There were 5,090 households out of which 33.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.0% were married couples living together, 12.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.9% were non-families. 24.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.16.
In the city the population was spread out with 22.9% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 31.2% from 25 to 44, 23.2% from 45 to 64, and 15.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 92.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $50,000, and the median income for a family was $56,892. Males had a median income of $37,176 versus $30,823 for females. The per capita income for the city was $22,963. About 6.9% of families and 9.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.8% of those under age 18 and 8.6% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] History
Miami Springs was founded by an aviation pioneer, and thus, the fate of the city has always been intertwined with the aviation industry, particularly since Miami International Airport (MIA) is located just south of the city on the southern border of NW 36th Street. The airline industry brought many residents from airline crew bases, as well as employment opportunities at the airport, which brought much prosperity to the city. This dependence, however, left the city vulnerable. The sudden 1991 collapses of both Eastern Airlines and Pan American World Airways left many Miami Springs residents unemployed and unable to afford living in the neighborhood. Given that the businesses in Miami Springs had always relied upon the large disposable incomes of the employees of the large airline carriers, the bankruptcy of both corporations in the same year created a chain reaction, eventually causing many small businesses to close their doors. Despite the closure of the airlines, from a residential standpoint, Miami Springs remained strong. The city is often seen as blessedly isolated from the perceived turbulence of the rest of Miami-Dade County. This has continued to provide ample replacements for the older residents who are lost over time. Nonetheless the legacy of the airline closures remains. Residential mileage taxation rates hover near the state mandated maximum because continued weakness in the commercial sector makes it an insufficient source of tax revenue.
[edit] City Politics
A focal point of Miami Springs' politics has always been the issue of zoning and future development. The fundamental debate manifests itself in the debates over: annexation of unincorporated county land, downtown revitalization, the future of the golf course, and the prospect of permitting the construction of higher density housing. There is generally a fairly stable faction of citizens who are ardent supporters of the status quo and bitterly oppose most changes. Since the closure of Pan Am and Eastern periodic attempts have been made to "revitalize" commerce in Miami Springs, and in particular the downtown area long the Circle and Westward Drive. In recent years the sitting mayor was ousted because of the strong reaction to his proposed development plans.
It should be stressed that in Miami Springs, personal relationships with city leaders can often be more important to a voter's decision than specific policy preferences. The Cavalier family for instance, dominated the mayoralty through two generations and when the patriarch of the family was not running for office citizens would still ask him for advice on voting. But with the polarization of Miami Springs' politics, city issues and in particular issues related to zoning and development, are much more important in motivating voters than traditional loyalties.
In terms of overall tone, city politics can be very truculent. While partisan politics are nonexistent at the city level (by law and by custom) and factions are indistinct, many citizens become very passionate about city issues. City council meetings also provide a sometimes heated forum for public debate and in one case a city resident was brought to tears while debating exactly how the Recreational Center pool should or should not be tiled.
In general, however, there is a high degree of accountability in city politics and to all appearances, through many years and through many city administrations, a minimum of corruption. City officials who poorly communicate with the city residents tend to enjoy very short tenures in office.
[edit] Significant Historical Landmarks
Curtiss Mansion is a Pueblo style home that belonged to city founder Glenn Curtiss. After suffering the ravages of two fires in which arson was suspected, it is now little more than a burned out shell. The walls are extremely unstable and have to be propped up by large boards which are leaned against them. The gutted building continues to be the focal point of smouldering debate over the future of the site. Efforts aimed at the restoration of the Curtiss Mansion stretch back before the disastorous fires but a lack of sufficient funding has always caused even the most ardent community activism to come to nothing.
Fair Havens Nursing Home is one of the oldest buildings in Miami Springs and is built in the pueblo style favored during the initial development. Before becoming a nursing home, the building served as a hotel and at another point as a sanitarium in accordance with the beliefs of John Harvey Kellogg.
[edit] Education
The city of Miami Springs is served by a sizeable number of public and private educational institutions. The city is part of the Miami-Dade County Public Schools System (M-DCPS), and all public schools under this system follow guidelines set forth by the Florida Department of Education. Miami Springs is served publicly by:
- Miami Springs High School
- Miami Springs Middle School
- Miami Springs Elementary School
- Springview Elementary School.
Due to remnants of old school busing policies to intergrate schools with higher populations of one specific ethnic group, some students living in Eastern Miami Springs also attend Lorah Park Elementary School, which is located in a predominantly African-American neighborhood; the policy called for students to be bused from nearby areas with high populations of racially diverse students found in low numbers at certain schools. This change coincided with the closing of Glenn Curtiss Elementary School in the East of the city converting that school into an office complex which now serves as the Headquarters for the Region 3 division of the M-DCPS school district.
Private education in Miami Springs is largely provided by local religious institutions. Blessed Trinity Catholic Schoolis located in nearby Virginia Gardens, Florida, and provides K-8 education. All Angels Episcopal Church operates All Angels Academy for children of a similar age group, as does Grace Lutheran Church with its Grace Lutheran Learning Center. High School aged children who do not wish to attend public school may seek secondary education outside of Miami Springs. Additionally a number of private daycare centers serve as education providers for pre-school students. Of note in this respect is the New Beavers Kiddie Kollegewhich has been in operation for well over a decade in the same location.
[edit] External links
- City of Miami Springs
- Miamisprings.com unofficial site
- Maps and aerial photos
- Street map from Google Maps, or Yahoo! Maps, or Windows Live Local
- Satellite image from Google Maps, Windows Live Local, WikiMapia
- Topographic map from TopoZone
- Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA
