Miami Beach, FL

Miami Beach is a city located in Miami-Dade County, Florida. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 204,596. The city is bordered to the north by North Miami Beach and to the east by Biscayne Bay. To the south it is bordered by Key Biscayne and to the west by Miami Beach proper.

The history of Miami Beach can be traced back to 1825 when Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León landed on what is now known as Biscayne Bay and claimed it for Spain. In 1836, American merchant John W. Simonton purchased land on what was then called "The Strand" from Ponce de Leon for $100 per acre ($4,000 per ha). He renamed it " Miami" after his home town in Ohio. In 1839, Simonton built a small trading post at the mouth of Biscayne Bay and began selling goods to trappers and hunters who passed through on their way north or south.

In 1853, Henry Flagler laid out a plan for a railroad that would run from Jacksonville to Key West passing through Miami Beach. However, due to financial difficulties he was never able to bring this project about. In 1865, Flagler's business partner John Sullivant Metcalfe bought out his interest in the railroad project and moved his headquarters from Jacksonville to Miami Beach where he developed Metcalfe Island into an exclusive resort community known as Coconut Grove.

In 1870-1871 construction began on two hotels - The Royal Palm Hotel (now The Ritz-Carlton) and The Adelphi Hotel (now The Fontainebleau). These were followed in 1873 by construction of two more hotels - The Washington Hotel (now The Breakers) and The Royal Palm Hotel (now Trump International).

By 1880 there were approximately 1,000 residents living in what was then called " Miami". In 1886 Henry Flagler's son William developed South Florida as a winter resort destination with development including building of hotels such as Stranahan's Island Resort (later renamed Delray Beach), Bal Harbour Resort (later renamed Bal Harbour), Venetian Isles Resort (later renamed Golden Sands), Coral Gables Inn & Club (later renamed University Park), Kravis' Palace at Palm Beaches Estates (later renamed Kravis' Palace at Worth Avenue), Shoreham Towers at Bal Harbor Shores Estates/Beach Club Estates/Country Club Estates/ Boca Raton Place/Bal Harbour Shores Estates/South Pointe Towers/Coral Way Towers/Bay Point Towers; all designed by architect Addison Mizner who also designed many other resorts throughout Florida including Vero Beach Resort which opened in 1888; Cypress Gardens which opened in 1889; Winter Garden Theatre which opened in 1890; Mizner Park which opened in 1896; Hollywood Casino which opened in 1976; among others."

By 1895 there were approximately 10,000 residents living in what was then called " Miami". That year saw construction begin on one of downtown Miami's most iconic buildings - the Bank United Center which was designed by architect Cesar Pelli who also designed many other buildings throughout downtown including One World Trade Center which opened in 2001."

By 1920 there were approximately 50,000 residents living in what was then called " Miami". That year saw development begin on another iconic building - Ocean Drive which ran along Biscayne Bay from Lincoln Road eastward past MacArthur Causeway all the way down to Government Cut where it intersected Collins Avenue near today's Museum Park."

By 1925 there were approximately 100,000 residents living in what was then called " Miami". That year saw development begin on another iconic building - Art Deco style Fontainebleau hotel designed by architect Wallace Harrison who also designed several other Art Deco style hotels throughout Florida including Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel which opened later that year."

By 1940 there were approximately 250,000 residents living in what was then called " Miami". That year saw development begin on another iconic building - modernistic Sun Life Building designed by architects Philip Johnson & Edward Durell Stone who also designed several other modernistic buildings throughout New York City including Rockefeller Center."

By 1960 there were over 1 million residents living in what had then been designated as Greater Miami Area comprising both Miami-Dade County plus portions of Broward County totaling over 2 million people making it one of America's largest metropolitan areas outside of major cities like New York City or Chicago."

During this time period developers continued developing new residential communities such as Sunny Isles beach ("Sunny Isles"), Aventura ("Aventura"), Coral Gables ("Coral Gables"), Weston ("Weston"), Hialeah (" Hialeah"), Homestead (" Homestead") among others."

Today Greater Miami Area comprises over 5 million people making it one of America's largest metropolitan areas outside major cities like New York City or Chicago."