Known as the MiMo District to locals, this up and coming neighborhood, rich in architecture, history and art is one of Miami’s most fashionable communities. Spanning 27 blocks, between 50th and 77th Streets on Biscayne Boulevard, the MiMo District includes seven subdivisions including Magnolia Park, Bay Point, Morningside, Bayside, Belle Meade, Shorecrest and Palm Grove. Of these seven subdivisions, Belle Meade, Bay Point and Morningside offer three residential communities with single-family homes lending homage to 1920s architecture. Located on the easternmost edge of the MiMo District are a kaleidoscope of high-rise office buildings, new-concept hotels, savvy restaurants and apartment buildings with expansive views of Biscayne Bay.
A feast of architecture and culture hailing from the 1920s to present day, the palm-tree lined streets in the MiMo District are decorated with an array of wildly cool exterior décor. Originally an integral part of Miami’s architectural boom after World War II, the MiMo District has seen touches of 1920s Mediterranean Revival architecture to 1930s Art Deco style aesthetics (representative of the era’s love affair with national optimism and the cult of the automobile). Known as an architectural and historic gem, the MiMo District is now experiencing its revival, with many of the buildings restored with new contemporary elements. Populated with retro boutiques and clothing stores, trending eateries and bars and groovy entertainment venues, locals can enter a time capsule with a modern identity.
One of the most imaginative areas of the MiMo District that’s representative of the neighborhood’s renewal is Miami Ironside. A mix-use urban center developed by Ofer Mizrahi, Miami Ironside is a vibrant stretch of over 60 showrooms, studios, galleries, furniture shops and independent retailers. A carpet of Rainbow Eucalyptus trees and South Florida native honeybee and butterfly patches pattern the pathways that harmoniously link the area’s cafes and galleries including the Limited Edition Caffe and Ironside Pizza. The galleries that are intertwined in-between include Rimonim Gallery, Galleria Ca’ d’Oro, Smith Davidson Gallery, Riitta Klint Studio and GG Art Work. But of all the kinetic art, culture and entertainment, the Vagabond Hotel is the neighborhood’s golden jewel. An oasis of feel-good vibes, creative cocktails and laidback-lux gastronomy, guests can wander through the Vagabond Pool Bar and sip on sumptuous spirits or enjoy decadent dishes from Gregory’s Diner, serving up classic mid-century American eats all day. The MiMo District is in proximity to Miami International Airport, Port of Miami and Virgin MiamiCentral. Situated in between a vast number of whimsical communities, residents can take a short drive to Wynwood, Miami Design District, Midtown, Edgewater, Downtown Miami, Miami Beach, Surfside or Bal Harbor and enjoy a series of high-end open-air shopping malls, luxurious restaurants and hotels and world-class galleries. Award winning and nationally ranked public and private schools are located nearby offering students advanced placement courses, rigorous college preparatory programs and after school clubs and athletic teams. Miami Country Day School, Cushman School, Morningside Montessori School, Tangerine Montessori, Phyllis R. Miller, Toussaint L'ouverture Elementary School and Design & Architecture Senior High School are each located both inside the MiMo District and outside the community within close driving range.
Quaint Residential Neighborhoods
From sweeping uninterrupted views of the Atlantic Ocean to lush tropical flora, the properties located in the MiMo District present everything from charming cottages to exceptional estates. Bell Meade, one of the most prodigious gated communities in the neighborhood offers residents complete privacy with secure perimeters and one entrance point situated east of Biscayne Boulevard on North East 76th Street. Pedestrian friendly, well-manicured streets make for the perfect family friendly environment, free for bike riding and roller blading. Located on the northernmost side of the MiMo District, this plush community consists of approximately 390 single family homes, 90 of which are waterfront properties surrounding the waterways along the Little River and Belle Meade Boulevard. Prices in Bell Meade range from $500,000 to $6,000,000. Allowing for spacious interiors, residents can enjoy expansive living spaces with overall sizes ranging from 1,500 to 12,300 square feet.
A smaller community then Belle Meade, the nearby Bay Point consists of 250 single family homes. A private residential neighborhood running from North East 41st Street to North East 50th Street, bound by Biscayne Bay and Biscayne Boulevard on the west, Bay Point offers residents approximately 90 waterfront homes that manifest the traditional Miami lifestyle with views of the Sabal waterway and Sabal Lake. Reflecting an architectural mood from the 1940s and 1950s, property owners can find an array of estates that fulfill a mid-century modern style, spanning across an average of 13,000 square feet. Catering to permanent residents to seasonal vacation owners, Bay Point is home to collection of young families, business tycoons and oftentimes Hollywood starlets including Grammy Award artist Willy Chirino, Miami Marlins star pitcher, Livan Hernandez, Enrique Iglesias and Anna Kournikova. Due to several high-profile residents, the streets are maintained by a roaming safety patrol and security gate officers.
However, of all three communities, the most historic residential neighborhood that bears the entrancing mood of the MiMo District is Morningside. Located between North East 50th Terrace and North East 60th Street, Morningside is a quaint and quiet community that contains a profusion of Mediterranean Revival, Art Deco and vernacular style properties that lend homage to the area’s former architectural diversity. Initially founded during the 1920s, Morningside was known to locals as Bay Shore and prospered with wealth. Enduring complicated times in the 1960s and 1970s, Morningside recently experienced a modern restoration with an influx of affluent residents, donned the first historic district to experience gentrification. Brilliantly laid out Oak Tree-lined boulevards speak to the exclusive community’s character with lush twists and turns. Morningside is one of Miami's only remaining boom-era suburbs.