South of Fifth - Miami Beach Episode 1
*If using a cell phone, hold phone horizontally for better view of photos
We were first introduced to the area when we relocated to Miami in 1996. The late-night sounds of Latin music, Flamenco Pop and club music blasting from area nightspots gave us the feeling that we were there to party and have a good time. The ocean breeze and colorful florescent lights were intoxicating. Anyone who lived here in the late nineties will remember foam parties at Amnesia (now Story Night Club) Pearl Champagne Lounge and Nikki Beach. Fast forward two decades and we are discovering life in South Beach in the early morning hours.
In this article we focus on South of Fifth also known as SoFi. The area, below 5th Street, is surrounded by water on three sides and features a 1.7 mile boardwalk with breathtaking views along the water.
South of Fifth was not always as fashionable as it is today. Prior to 1913, most of the land in Miami Beach was owned by agriculturist John Collins who used it to grow coconuts and avocado. Realizing its potential for tourism, he partnered with Developer Carl G. Fisher and Miami bankers John and James Lummus to build a wooden bridge from Miami to Miami Beach that was completed in 1913. This bridge was later upgraded and renamed Venetian Causeway.(2) The easy access across the Bay started a real estate boom leading to the 1915 incorporation of Miami Beach. In the same year, Miami Beach’s first hotel, The Browns was built on 112 Ocean Drive, now home to famous Prime 112 Steak House. (13) Most of the land in Miami Beach was under the control of three major developers: John Collins, the Lummus Brothers and Carl Fisher. The Lummus Brothers owned and developed the area south of Fifth Street.
Due to the anti-Semitic sentiments of the time, most new hotels and restaurants advertised that they catered to “Gentiles Only” and new homes were not sold to members of the Jewish faith. The Lummus brothers who developed the section south of Fifth Street did not adhere to these practices and therefore attracted many Jewish newcomers to the area. It wasn’t until after World War II when Jewish builders were able to buy and develop homes in Miami Beach north of Fifth Street.
We began our day with a yoga class on the beach at 3rd street by the lifeguard station. (3,4) In 1998, a newly certified yoga instructor by the name of October Rose began her day practicing yoga at that location. Over time, she was joined by local beach lovers and before she knew it, she was leading yoga classes every morning and evening. The word spread, local teachers offered to assist, and 3rd Street Beach Yoga was born. In 2008 she left, but the classes continued and take place at 7 AM and 5 PM November to March and 7 AM and 6 PM April to October. The first time we attended a class, it was taught by instructor Benjamin Smielowitz. His classes are attended by people of all levels including entire families. Seeing the sun rise, listening to the waves breaking and stretching every muscle in your body is a great way to end the week or begin the weekend. Benjamin is there every Monday and Friday. Classes are by donation.
A serious breakfast appetite can develop in a full hour yoga class and fortunately, there are plenty of breakfast spots and cafés in the area. We opted to pack a picnic basket at home and have breakfast at South Point Park (5). The Park is at the southernmost tip of Miami Beach right along Government Cut with wonderful views of Downtown, Fisher Islandand the Atlantic Ocean. Prior to Covid, and hopefully soon to begin again, this location is the best spot to watch Cruise ships departing the port of Miami every Friday to Monday between 3 PM and 5 PM.(7) We lay our yoga mats with the picnic rug right by water, relax over breakfast and enjoy people-watching. If you are staying in a hotel, you can pick up a sandwich or croissant and coffee at one of the many cafés in the area. Another great spot to have a picnic is on the boardwalk slightly north of Monty’s Sunset South Beach between 2nd and 3rd streets (6).
Last week we joined Howard Brayer on a walking tour in the neighborhood. Howard is a volunteer in the Jewish Museum of Florida and an activist with the Miami Design Preservation League (MDPL). He possesses a great knowledge of Miami Beach and conducts walking tours of different themes, Art Deco, scandals, Mediterranean, Gay, Jewish, and more. Through his Jewish roots, Howard provided a great insight into different periods in the neighborhood South of Fifth Street.
We met at the Jewish Museum of Florida, the original home of Congregation Beth Jacob. It opened in 1929 on 311 Washington Avenue. As the congregation grew, a new sanctuary was built next door in 1936. It was designed by Art Deco architect Henry Hohauser and features 80 stained-glass windows, a copper dome and a marble Bimah. The two buildings are connected by the Beth Myerson Gallery. With the change in the area demographics and the decline in membership in the 80’s the synagogue closed. In 1995 the Jewish Museum of Florida was founded and became part of Florida International University in 2012 with the purpose of telling the story of 250 years of Florida Jewish History. The Museum’s core exhibit is Mosaic, Jewish Life in Florida. It also hosts several temporary exhibits throughout the year. During Covid many of the exhibits were transformed into Virtual 3D that can be visited through the Museum’s website. (8)
Our next stop was Joe’s Stone Crab that opened in 1920 by Joe Weiss, a Hungarian Jewish immigrant, who moved to Miami in 1913 and worked as a cook across the street for five years until opening his own restaurant on 213 Biscayne Avenue (later renamed South Point Drive). It was the first Jewish owned business in Miami Beach. The restaurant is still owned and operated by the family and in 2019 it was the highest grossing independently owned restaurant in the US with $38.4M in revenue.(9)
On our way to the next stop, we passed by Victory Gardens at 226 Collins Ave. The community garden has 60 plots and is dedicated to the memory of the men and women who were stationed in training camps in Miami Beach during WWII. Its artistic fence has ceramic tiles with paintings replicating famous postcards of soldiers in Miami Beach during the war. (10,11)
Nemo Hotel on 100 Collins Avenue was built in 1921 with Mediterranean Revival style by New Yorkers Sam Magid and Harry and Joseph Goodkowsky.(12) It was the first Kosher hotel in Miami Beach and catered to the Jewish community which was restricted to the area in the 30’s and 40’s. The hotel deteriorated in the 1960’s and 1970’s and was reputedly a crack house in the 80s. In the early 90’s as the Miami Beach Revival movement gained momentum, the building was purchased by Myles Chefetz, a New York attorney and restauranteur, who opened Nemo’s Restaurant followed by other South of Fifth landmark restaurants such as Big Pink, Prime 112 (on the ground level of Browns Hotel(13)) and Prime Italian. Nemo’s restaurant closed and reopened as Prime Fish. The above restaurants are great for celebrity spotting.
We continued three blocks north from Browns Hotels to Ocean Five Hotel on 436 Ocean Drive.(14) The Hotel’s façade, pastel colors highlighting the Art Deco design was introduced to Miami Beach in the early 80’s by Leonard Horowitz co-founder of the Miami Design Preservation League. The pastel painted Art Deco buildings gained national attention attracting TV productions and fashion shoots using the buildings as backdrop.
Our last stop for the day, leaving plenty more for future visits, was the Fifth Street Gym on 1019 5th Street.(15,16) The boxing gym opened in the early 50’s by Chris and Angelo Dundee and became famous as some if its fighters won major titles. Most notable was Cassius Clay (later known as Muhammad Ali) who trained here for the fight against Sonny Liston in 1964 in which he won the world heavyweight championship at what is now Hall D of the Miami Beach Convention Center. The site was frequented by many celebrities of the time who came to see their favorite boxers train. Frank Sinatra, Jackie Gleason and the Beatles were all spotted taking pictures with their heroes. The original building was torn down in 1993. In 2010 Dino Spencer, a protégé and trainee of Angelo Dundee reopened the gym on Fifth Street with his partner Tom Tsatas and in 2019 returned to the original address. The gym certainly has the charm of a Rocky-style training facility. Currently, Miami residents are entitled to one free training session with valid Identification.
We urge our readers to walk around South of Fifth at leisure, pay attention to the Bauhaus and Art Deco architecture styles that were popular in the 1920’s – 1940’s and how it evolved into the modern South Beach architecture we see today.
Important Links
3rd Street Beach Yoga - To connect with Benjamin Smielowitz - lightrailyoga@gmail.com
Florida Jewish Museum - To join Howard on a walking tour or to invite him for a private walking tour you may call him at 202.812.0044 or hbindc@iclould.com
Fifth Street Gym – 305.763.8110
Discovering South Florida one Backyard at a time