Elements of Urbanism: Downtown Miami
(http://photos.metrojacksonville.com/photos/1104720277_JnLBF-M.jpg)
Metro Jacksonville visits Florida's most rapidly growing urban center: Downtown Miami.
Full Article
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2010-dec-elements-of-urbanism-downtown-miami
Great article! Here's a link to a new multi million dollar project that just broke ground in downtown Miami.
http://bizjournals.com/southflorida/news/2010/11/30/infrastructure-works-begins-on-miami.html
QuoteIn the 1980s and 1990s, various crises struck South Florida, among them...the Elián González uproar.
LOL. Really?
Quote from: tpot on December 01, 2010, 07:32:24 AM
Great article! Here's a link to a new multi million dollar project that just broke ground in downtown Miami.
http://bizjournals.com/southflorida/news/2010/11/30/infrastructure-works-begins-on-miami.html
I've never understood why a bunch of OKIES in the prairie can build "the Smithsonian of the West", a science musuem, naval museum, aviation museum, railroad museum, photography museum, zoo, 45th infantry division museum, golf course, theater complex and top rated horse racing facilities that cover acres of ground in the NW part of OKC (same size as Jax)... And Jacksonville has a shoebox science AND history museum, a fountain and NOTHING ELSE... The Zoo is nice but it's location sucks and would better serve K-line OR Evergreen OR some other ocean shipping corporation. The Cummer is sweet but not walkable from the other places...
AND hell's bells, we haven't even got to talk about OKC's DOWNTOWN canal district/Myriad Gardens right smack in the middle of downtown, with dozens more "GOTTA SEE'S".
Why Jacksonville? Just Why?OCKLAWAHAOSU RULES
My dad lived in the Atlantis...did you by any chance grab a photo of it?
Also, Ock, I have heard from people that the Canal area of OKC is highly overrated. The only thing that OKC makes me jealous of is the new Devon Energy Tower going up (850 ft of pure beauty). OKC is a rather poor, imo desolate metro that is just now seeing vast improvement. They definitely have more visionary leadership and a great corporate partner in Devon, but they have A LOT less to work with.
I agree Ock. Our Museum system is underdeveloped, unpublicized, and scattered around the city. As a result, I doubt many people know about many of the attractions we do have.
According to Wikipedia, the Zoo takes up 110 acres. Due to the sprawled out nature and inefficient land uses of Jacksonville, I doubt you'd be able to find that much space within the city for such a use. It's sad that our leaders didn't have the foresight back then to put the zoo in a better location, but we're now stuck with what we've got.
We need to develop and expand our existing cultural resources, like MOSH, The Cummer, MOCA, Our pitiful naval museum, Tree Hill, The Arboretum, The Zoo, The Marine Research Institute, The Ritz, The Manuscript Museum, The Jax History Museum....Etc, as well as our massive park system. We also need to raise awareness and publicity for the separate entities, but also develop some sort of cohesive element or unifying organization for them all. Once that happens, we can start to add more elements.
Some amazing developments have gone on down to our South. Nice skyline and all. I dont really see a problem with our zoo, its pretty nice.
Jacksonville Zoo: 110 acres, 2,000 animals. Local and maybe regional draw.
San Diego Zoo: 107 Acres, 4,000 animals. National and international draw.
Just saying...
Our zoo tops Miami's and Atlanta's in my opinion. You can also arrive by boat. I wouldn't say the zoo is underpublicized or underattended. There are so many people in this city that heavily support the zoo. Zoo is closing in on a million people annual attendance, and there are tons of fundraisers and a very active board. There are also tons of events at the zoo each year (my mother helps run the Root Ball there and my father has run the Diabetes Walk there once or twice).
Also, the Cummer is equally supported in this community. JMOCA is so-so, but is getting there I hope.
Where I agree is that these places are spread out from each other and some of the items on the list need some love (but we just don't have as many wealthy people to support them all as S FL). I think each can serve as an anchor for their respective areas, though. The zoo certainly brings three quarters of a million people to that part of the Northside each year (and that's tickets sold, I don't think that counts special private functions and freebies).
Someone recently pointed out to me that after the current crop of 50+ year olds is gone from Jacksonville, who is going to support the Symphony? Who is going to support the Cummer? Etc. It had me a little worried because 20-35 year olds aren't as into such things, but I think taste for the Symphony and fine art come with age, so I guess we'll see.
At any rate, there is a lot more money here to support such ventures than OKC, which is why I still think we are well ahead of them even with their Canal district.
We should be happy with the progress the zoo has made and is making. They are heading in the right direction. Not much in Jacksonville is going to be a national or international draw-maybe golf courses or the annual FLA/GA.
Quote from: Captain Zissou on December 01, 2010, 12:14:17 PM
Jacksonville Zoo: 110 acres, 2,000 animals. Local and maybe regional draw.
San Diego Zoo: 107 Acres, 4,000 animals. National and international draw.
Just saying...
It costs a pretty penny to get new animals because you have to support these animals and build habitats for them. To double the amount of animals we have in a short time would be impossible. San Diego Zoo is in San Diego, which is also half the draw. If our zoo were in San Diego, you can expect our attendance to most likely more than double with what we currently have, not only because it would be serving a metro of over 3 million people and Tijuana, but because of the higher tourist numbers.
Miami's MetroZoo is pretty dismal for being a zoo in a major metropolitan/cosmopolitan city in a tropical climate. What we do with our zoo is a heck of a lot more than what Miami does with its, and don't forget the former curator of the Lincoln Park Zoo came to our zoo and turned it around. We have a good guy in their now, too.
Edit: moved my quote to the more relevant Miami Design District thread.
Never been to Miami's zoo, but I have heard the same things. I've been to San Diego's wild life animal park and its nothing to write home about. Going to San Diego in March will make sure I check their zoo out on that trip. Miami and San Diego both have more reason to visit their cities than ours. Not that were big on tourism anyway.
Well, let's not forget that we actually can compete with Miami in their zoo/garden/wildlife category. We have a better zoo and they have Fairchild, a better arboretum. We have the Alligator Farm which doubles as another zoo and they have Jungle Island. We have a game preserve (private) in Nassau County and they have something similar. We have the nearby Okeefonokee Swamp and they have the Everglades. We have Big and Little Talbot/Timucuan/Guana and they have Key Biscayne.
Quote from: simms3 on December 01, 2010, 12:46:52 PM
Well, let's not forget that we actually can compete with Miami in their zoo/garden/wildlife category. We have a better zoo and they have Fairchild, a better arboretum. We have the Alligator Farm which doubles as another zoo and they have Jungle Island. We have a game preserve (private) in Nassau County and they have something similar. We have the nearby Okeefonokee Swamp and they have the Everglades. We have Big and Little Talbot/Timucuan/Guana and they have Key Biscayne.
Located in the same county as Miami (among many others)The Everglades is not as remote to Miamians as Okeefenokee Swamp is to Duval.
On the other hand,Osceola National Forest ,hany to Duval has increased considerably in size during the past decade and between Osceola and here we are ringed with Jennings State Forest,new state forest in Nassau and more,much evolving via the Northeast Florida Timberland Project.
We can never be too smug regarding Miami however- Biscayne bay.....
A certain conservation legacy emerged early on with the creation of Crandon Park- a first in many regards that comprises half of key Biscayne.
The Everglades complex creates a certain sprawl buffer lacking in Northeast Florida.Proposals to leap frog this boundary with a Jet Port and general urban expansion in the Big Cypress resulted in the creation of the Big Cypress preserve.The Everglades wilderness public lands system extensive and continuing to expand
^^Developers have been attempting to breech the Urban Development Boundry almost since the day it was created. They had a mighty ally in Jeb Bush, and I suspect Rick Scott will be just as accomodating.
Forget the zoo; relative to Jacksonville, where, oh where are the people, and the manhattanizaton of Jacksonville?
Heck, I'd be happy having a bunch of low rise buildings full of people and businesses replace all the empty lots downtown. I believe since the bust a lot of those expensive high rises are pretty empty. I think plotting a bunch of high rises in a city where vacancy rates are already high would be a mistake. If anything we should learn from Miami's mistakes and avoid overbuilding.
It was either tall vacant buildings or surface parking lots, not historic preservation. With that said, I'll take the buildings that came from Miami's boom over preservation of surface parking. While many developers did lose their shirts, it will be easier to fill existing infrastructure (foreclosed property is more affordable to the end user) than waiting for the market to return so that its financially feasible to building walkable development from scratch.
High rises are definitely better than vacant lots, but I guess what I was trying to say is that there is no demand in our city to be able to support a bunch of towers. We can't have a "Manhattanization" of our skyline if there is no demand. I would be happy just to see existing building stock better utilized and some low-rise development fill these empty spaces downtown. A great city isn't necessarily a tall city.
Definately agree. Building wise, I would take a Savannah, Charleston or DC over a high rise city anyday.
Offbeat Miami: The Miami Modern District or MiMo
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
MIAMI (AP) â€" For travelers looking for respite from South Beach clubs and the oh-so chic Design District, the offbeat Miami Modern District â€" also known as MiMo â€" offers a welcome change of pace.
No Segway tours here. This is the real Miami, a place to pass a lazy afternoon by the bay, peruse independent boutiques and enjoy some surprisingly delicious local bistros â€" including celebrity chef Michelle Bernstein's flagship restaurant, Michy's.
The stretch along Route 1, which recently received a historic designation, lies just north of midtown, dividing Biscayne Bay's hidden residential neighborhoods from Miami's Little Haiti corridor. MiMo is easily distinguished by a string of 1950s-era or Mid-century Modern motels along Biscayne Boulevard, and by the original, kitschy, three-story sign of the Coppertone Girl and her dog on a building overlooking the traffic at 7300 Biscayne Blvd. The hotels flourished in the 1950s as affordable, family friendly lodging before the advent of freeways â€" so too did the first franchised Playboy Club (now defunct) which flouted segregation rules in the waning years of Jim Crow.
Then, like much of Miami, the neighborhood fell into disrepair. But today, MiMo (pronounced Mee-mo) is once more on the rise â€" though, as in the days of old, it's helpful to have car to explore the area.
"People come here because they want a real experience....We're not trendy. We're not trying to be something we're not," said Bernstein, a guest judge on the Bravo TV's "Top Chef," who, like many MiMo business owners, lives in the 'hood. (Full disclosure: so does this reporter.) Bernstein, a Miami native, was first attracted to MiMo, part of Miami's broader Upper East Side, as an untouristy place to experiment with her menu. But the crowds kept coming, so she stayed, even as she opened other restaurants in more upscale neighborhoods.
MiMo is still a mix of naughty and nice. A couple of the hotels, like the New Yorker at 6500 Biscayne Blvd., have been revamped in the sleek style of their 1950's heyday and are drawing young, European budget travelers. But calling the area family friendly is a stretch; midnight police sirens aren't uncommon.
Still, it's fine for day-trippers with families, who can start the morning just outside MiMo's northern border at Yiya's Gourmet Cuban Bakery and Cafe, 646 NE 79th St. An outdoor mural by Miami graffiti artist Daniel Fila, of a seagull stealing a woman's bread, makes it easy to spot. Enjoy a cafe con leche and sugar-dusted vanilla croissant or a guava cheese Danish and chat with the super-friendly staff.
Then head for the sun. Off the southeast end of MiMo is Morningside Park, where shaded benches offer tranquil views of the bay. Turn east off of Biscayne Boulevard at 58th Street and ask the guard at the gate for directions to the park. During the winter, kids will enjoy the covered playground and a mini-nature walk through mangroves. In the summer, you can rent kayaks and visit one of a handful of the bay's uninhabited islands. Also fun for families, bayside Legion Park at 64th Street features two sets of playground equipment beneath giant mango and banyan trees.
Feeling the need to sweat indoors? Try a boxing class at Biscayne Boxing & Fitness Club at 7200 Biscayne Blvd., or a pole dancing class and a massage up the street at IronFlower Fitness, which doubles as one of several neighborhood hair and nail salons.
Unlike South Beach's Lincoln Road, when it comes to shopping, MiMo boasts a bevy of locally owned stores, ideal for fashionistas on a budget.
On the west side of Biscayne at 72nd Street, there's the vintage store Divine Trash. Two blocks north, award-winning designer Julian Chang creates samples for his international line of women's wear. Next door, The Consignment Bar displays Gucci and Hermes beneath a ceiling of rose printed-paper and crystal chandeliers. Consignment Bar co-owner Ilissa Whitehead, who opened the store earlier this year, said she wanted to support the neighborhood in which she lives.
"There's a long way to go, but MiMo is undiscovered. It's eclectic, and things are changing a lot," she said.
On the east side next to Legion Park, Rebel features trendy Miami styles and aromatherapy candles. A giant bowl of Legos means mom can try on that little black sheath in peace. Just south at Pet Mode, patrons can browse sequined doggy sweaters while their pooches get their nails polished pink.
For the kiddies, there's the hipster children's consignment shop LoudGirl Exchange at 75th Street, which lets the wee ones play with toys while their parents shop and take in works by local artists.
And for the artistically inclined, Tyler Galleries offers quality antiques, while Broadway Art & Framing showcases new artists. Other art galleries regularly sprout and fade.
The boulevard comes alive weekend nights with inexpensive valet parking at a host of restaurants. Bernstein, together with her husband David Martinez, helped jump-start the MiMo revival in 2005 with their casually elegant Michy's at 6927 Biscayne Blvd. Its bright orange and blue decor and mismatched flowered chairs were inspired by Bernstein's childhood Barbie doll houses. Michy's white gazpacho and crispy duck confit regularly draw locals, downtown theatergoers and even New York snow birds. Meanwhile, the patio oasis and Moroccan-inspired bar of UVAS Restaurant and Lounge at 69th Street provide one of the neighborhood's liveliest happy hours.
Michael Bloise, formerly of South Beach's four-star Wish restaurant, has just opened the inexpensive American Noodle Bar where patrons can choose among ingredients like brown sugar ginger sauce and braised oxtail. MiMo also boasts several sushi restaurants, and the Greek Anise Waterfront Taverna, just off Biscayne at 78th Street. Hungering for crepes? There's Le Cafe Bistro, tucked into the corner of a strip mall at 72nd Street, which doubles as a gallery with live music.
Around the corner on 79th Street, at the gay- (and everyone-) friendly Magnum Lounge, it doesn't take much for customers to gather around the piano for show tunes.
Then there's Red Light, a hip eatery at 7700 Biscayne Blvd., archly named for the neighborhood's late night â€" and early morning â€" inhabitants. New Orleans' chef Kris Wessel uses local ingredients to whip up dishes like citrus steamed mussels, green tomatoes and crunchy plantain chips. The riverside locale offers patrons rare city views of old Miami nature, as well as a glimpse of the neighborhood's remaining corner strip club ... just like old times.
___
If You Go...
MiMo: http://mimoboulevard.org/
Miami Modern/Biscayne Boulevard Historic District runs 50th to 77th street on Biscayne Boulevard.
I guess our Downtown/City has gotten this message yet.
http://www.cooltownstudios.com/2010/06/10/the-new-urban-workplace