Miami
Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...
town
A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world.
Origin and use
The word "town" shares an ori ...
and former
census-designated place
A census-designated place (CDP) is a concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only.
CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counterparts of incorporated places, such ...
in
Miami-Dade County
Miami-Dade County is a county located in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Florida. The county had a population of 2,701,767 as of the 2020 census, making it the most populous county in Florida and the seventh-most populous county in ...
,
Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
, United States. US Census, 31,628 people live in Miami Lakes.
History
The development was constructed by Sengra (now the Graham Companies) beginning in 1962 on land formerly owned by
Florida State Senator
The Florida Senate is the upper house of the Florida Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Florida, the Florida House of Representatives being the lower house. Article III, Section 1 of the Constitution of Florida, adopte ...
Ernest "Cap" Graham. The Grahams stated for many years that it would be a 30-year development, but they are still developing to this day.
The original Miami Lakes development, east of the
Palmetto Expressway
Palmetto (meaning "little palm") may refer to:
Palms
Several small palms in the Arecaceae (palm tree) family:
*in the genus ''Sabal'':
**Bermuda palmetto, ''Sabal bermudana''
**Birmingham palmetto, ''Sabal'' 'Birmingham'
**Dwarf, or bush palme ...
, was master-planned by Lester Collins with curving tree-shaded roadways and numerous curving lakes, which are unusual compared to most surrounding areas with their treeless streets on a square grid and rectangular lakes. This original development, which is on the east side of the more recently designated Town of Miami Lakes, has neighborhood shopping centers, tot-lot parks, and a town center named Main Street. A significant portion of Miami Lakes is still owned by the Grahams, mostly apartment buildings, shopping centers, office buildings, and undeveloped land. The town is an early model of the
New Urbanism
New Urbanism is an urban design movement which promotes environmentally friendly habits by creating walkable neighbourhoods containing a wide range of housing and job types. It arose in the United States in the early 1980s, and has gradually inf ...
movement with shopping and services located within walking distance of residences as well as narrow, walkable streets and plenty of neighborhood parks.
When it was incorporated in December 2000, the Town of Miami Lakes became the 31st municipality in Miami-Dade County. Known as one of the youngest cities in the County, Miami Lakes is home to approximately 30,000 residents and more than 1,100 businesses.
The Master Plan began over 50 years ago when the Graham family began the development of what was their dairy farm. Unlike many cities and towns created during the early 1960s, the Grahams decided to create a master plan for the city that would allow decades of growth, construction, and changing market conditions. Lester Collins, former Dean of the Harvard School of Architecture, was enlisted to create a Master Plan for the area that would become the center of Miami Lakes. Collins laid the foundation for an integrated community, including residential, commercial, industrial, and mixed uses.
Former U.S. Senator
Bob Graham
Daniel Robert "Bob" Graham (born November 9, 1936) is an American lawyer, author, and politician who served as the 38th governor of Florida from 1979 to 1987 and a United States senator from Florida from 1987 to 2005. He is a member of the Dem ...
, the younger half-brother of family patriarch William "Bill" Graham, is one of the owners, and
Katharine Graham
Katharine Meyer Graham (June 16, 1917 – July 17, 2001) was an American newspaper publisher. She led her family's newspaper, ''The Washington Post'', from 1963 to 1991. Graham presided over the paper as it reported on the Watergate scandal, whi ...
, the late publisher of the ''Washington Post'', had a share by marriage. On December 5, 2000, Miami Lakes voted to become an incorporated town.
Geography
Miami Lakes is located at .
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...
, the CDP has a total area of . of it is land and of it (6.73%) is water.
Demographics
2020 census
As of the
2020 United States census
The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to of ...
, there were 30,467 people, 10,570 households, and 7,491 families residing in the town.
2010 census
, there were 8,248 households, out of which 4.2% were vacant. In 2000, 37.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.6% were married couples living together, 12.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.9% were non-families. 20.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.75 and the average family size was 3.21.
2000 census
In 2000, the population was spread out, with 25.1% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 34.9% from 25 to 44, 22.7% from 45 to 64, and 10.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.4 males.
-2013, the median income for a household in the town was $63,754 and the median income for a family was $68,431. Males had a median income of $45,759 versus $31,656 for females. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population.
Per capita i ...
for the town was $28,867. About 3.8% of families and 4.9% of the population were below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including 4.1% of those under age 18 and 5.2% of those age 65 or over.
As of 2000, speakers of
Spanish
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries
**Spanish cuisine
Other places
* Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...
as a first language accounted for 72.41%, while
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
made up 24.65%,
Portuguese
Portuguese may refer to:
* anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal
** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods
** Portuguese language, a Romance language
*** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language
** Portu ...
Colombia
Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Car ...
n residents in the US, at 4.43% of the town's population, and the twelfth highest percentage of
Cuba
Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...
n residents in the US, at 42.28% of its population. It also had the ninety-sixth most Dominicans in the US, at 1.65%, while it had the thirty-ninth highest percentage of
Nicaragua
Nicaragua (; ), officially the Republic of Nicaragua (), is the largest country in Central America, bordered by Honduras to the north, the Caribbean to the east, Costa Rica to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Managua is the cou ...
ns, at 1.07% of all residents. Miami Lake's
Venezuela
Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...
n community had the eighteenth highest percentage of residents, which was at 1.06% (tying with several other US places, such as
Tamiami, Florida
Tamiami is a census-designated place (CDP) in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The population was 55,271 at the 2010 census.
Name
The name ''Tamiami'' is a portmanteau of the phrase "Tampa to Miami". The Tamiami Trail, a roadway that ...
.)
Government
Since its incorporation in 2000, the Town of Miami Lakes operates under a council-manager form of government. The council-manager system combines the strong leadership of elected officials with the strong managerial experience of an appointed town manager.
The mayor's seat is elected at-large for a four-year term. As defined in the town's charter, the mayor shall preside at meetings of the council and be a voting member of the council. The town council is vested with all legislative powers of the town. The council consists of the mayor and six members.
Current council members are:
* Mayor – Manny Cid
* Councilmember Seat 1 – Tony Fernandez
* Councilmember Seat 2 – Ray Garcia
* Councilmember Seat 3 – Marilyn Ruano
* Councilmember Seat 4 – Josh Dieguez
* Councilmember Seat 5 – Luis Collazo
* Councilmember Seat 6 – Carlos O. Alvarez * Current Vice-Mayor
The Town of Miami Lakes held a grand opening and ribbon-cutting for its new town hall on April 23, 2013, located at the east end of Main Street.
On October 5, 2010,
Nelson Hernandez
Nelson may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Nelson'' (1918 film), a historical film directed by Maurice Elvey
* ''Nelson'' (1926 film), a historical film directed by Walter Summers
* ''Nelson'' (opera), an opera by Lennox Berkeley to a lib ...
became the youngest council member elected to the Miami Lakes Town Council at the age of 24 since the town incorporated in 2000.
The
Miami-Dade Police Department
The Miami-Dade Police Department (MDPD), formerly known as the Metro-Dade Police Department (1981–1997), Dade County Public Safety Department (1957–1981), and the Dade County Sheriff's Office (1836–1957), is a county police department ser ...
is under contract with the Town of Miami Lakes to perform law enforcement functions within the Town.
The
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue
The Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Department (MDFR) provides fire protection and emergency medical services to the unincorporated parts of Miami-Dade County, Florida, along with 30 municipalities located within the county. In all the department is resp ...
operates Station 1 Miami Lakes & Station 64 Miami Lakes West.Stations & Units "
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue
The Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Department (MDFR) provides fire protection and emergency medical services to the unincorporated parts of Miami-Dade County, Florida, along with 30 municipalities located within the county. In all the department is resp ...
. Retrieved on September 16, 2012.
Economy
Several companies are headquartered in the Town of Miami Lakes, including BankUnited, N.A.; one of the largest banking institutions in the United States.
Potamkin Auto Group, The Graham Companies, Fine Art Lamps, Pacer, New Generation Computing, South Florida ENT Associates, Inktel, Isaco Interanational, Safari, 1st Financial, American Bancshares Mortgage, LLC, National Molding, Lotspeich and Oliva Cigar.
Education
Public schools
Miami-Dade County Public Schools
Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) is a public school district serving Miami-Dade County in the U.S. state of Florida. Founded in 1885, it is the largest school district in Florida and the Southeastern United States, and, , the fourth la ...
serves Miami Lakes.
K–8 schools
*
Bob Graham Education Center
Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) is a public school district serving Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County in the U.S. state of Florida. Founded in 1885, it is the largest school district in Florida and the Southeastern United S ...
*
Miami Lakes K-8 Center
Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...
Middle schools
*
Miami Lakes Middle School
Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) is a public school district serving Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County in the U.S. state of Florida. Founded in 1885, it is the largest school district in Florida and the Southeastern United S ...
High schools
*
Barbara Goleman Senior High School
Barbara Goleman Senior High School is a secondary school located at 14100 NW 89th Ave in Miami Lakes, Florida; its principal is Manuel Sanchez. Goleman is part of Miami-Dade County Public Schools Region I, and is school number 7751.
The school i ...
*
Hialeah-Miami Lakes Senior High School
, motto_translation = ''Work Conquers All''
, streetaddress = 7977 West 12th Avenue
, city = Hialeah
, state = Florida
, zipcode = 33014
, country = United States
, coordinates =
, type = Pub ...
Magnet schools
*
Miami Lakes Educational Center
Miami Lakes Educational Center (MLEC), is a vocational-technical training center in Miami Lakes, Florida. It is part of the Miami-Dade County Public Schools system and one of only three area vocational-technical training centers. It is one of two ...
The Town of Miami Lakes has 100+ Parks, Mini Parks, Tot Lots, Greenways and Trails located throughout, including Miami Lakes Optimist Park, Royal Oaks Park, Town of Miami Lakes Youth Center and Veterans Park.
Cultural institutions
Veterans Memorial
The Town of Miami Lakes has a unique indoor Veterans Memorial located at the Royal Oaks Park Community Center. The memorial is a 50-foot-long mural that features a combination of two digitized paintings of military scenes throughout U.S. history, wood carvings, stained glass, and hand-made glass mosaics molded from leaves of Miami Lakes' trees. The centerpiece of the artwork consists of the seals from each of the US military service branches and the POW/MIA seal. The memorial was inaugurated on Memorial Day of 2011. The artists are Alfred Darmanin and Michelle Stecco.
The Veterans Memorial titled "V is for Veterans" was unveiled in front of Miami Lakes Town Hall on Sept. 4, 2014. The artwork was created by Stephanie Jaffe Werner.
Public libraries
* Miami Lakes Branch Library
Places of worship
*Hope at Miami Lakes Methodist Church
*Our Lady of the Lakes Catholic Church
Theaters and performance arts
*Main Street Players is a local performing arts space producing live theatrical events using community talent and volunteers.
Festivals and events
*Festival of Lights
*Miami Lakes Cars for a Cure
*Miami Lakes Farmers Market
*Miami Lakes Food and Wine Festival
*Miami Lakes Jingle Bell Jog
*Nightmare on Montrose
*Veterans Day Parade; the longest running Veterans Day Parade in all of Miami-Dade County.
Sports
Miami Lakes United Soccer Club
Media
The Miami Laker serves as the community newspaper for the Town of Miami Lakes and surrounding areas in northwest Miami-Dade County.
Notable people
*
Humberto Brenes
Humberto Brenes (; born May 8, 1951) is a Costa Rican professional poker player. Brenes currently resides in Miami Lakes, Florida with his wife (Patricia) and three children (José Humberto, Roberto, Jessica).
Brenes began his gambling career ...
, professional poker player
*
Adrian Cárdenas
Adrian Cárdenas Rubio (born October 10, 1987) is a former American professional baseball second baseman.
Background
Cárdenas' father Juan first attempted to defect from Cuba in 1966 at age 17. He hid on a boat docked at Matanzas Bay, but was ...
, professional baseball second baseman
*
Harry P. Cain
Harry Pulliam Cain (January 10, 1906 – March 3, 1979) was an American politician who served as a United States Senator from Washington who served as a Republican from 1946 to 1953. Cain is mainly remembered for his conservative and often highl ...
, politician who served as a United States Senator from Washington who served as a Republican from 1946 to 1953
*
Harry Wayne Casey
Harry Wayne Casey (born January 31, 1951), better known by his stage name KC, is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is best known for his band, KC and the Sunshine Band, as a producer of several hits for other art ...
, musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer
*
Gwen Graham
Gwendolyn Graham (born January 31, 1963) is an American lawyer and politician who served as the U.S. representative for from 2015 to 2017. She is the daughter of Bob Graham, the former United States senator and governor of Florida. A Democrat, ...
, lawyer and politician who served as the U.S. representative for Florida's 2nd congressional district from 2015 to 2017
*
Don Shula
Donald Francis Shula (January 4, 1930 – May 4, 2020) was an American football defensive back and coach who served as a head coach in the National Football League (NFL) from 1963 to 1995. The head coach of the Miami Dolphins for most of his ca ...
, football defensive back and coach
* Sara Sidner, correspondent for CNN and CNN International based at CNN's Los Angeles bureau