Key Biscayne is a village in
Miami-Dade CountyMiami-Dade County is a county located in the southeastern part of the state of Florida. The United States Census Bureau estimates that the county population was 2,387,170 in 2007, making it the most populous county in Florida and the ninth most populous county in the United States...
,
FloridaFlorida is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the north. It was the 27th state admitted to the United States...
,
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
on the island of
Key BiscayneKey Biscayne is an island located in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States, between the Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay. It is the southernmost of the barrier islands along the Atlantic coast of Florida, and lies south of Miami Beach and southeast of Miami...
. The population was 10,507 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 10,324.
Key Biscayne is located on the island of Key Biscayne and lies south of Miami Beach and east of Miami. The Village is connected to Miami via the
Rickenbacker CausewayThe Rickenbacker Causeway connects the city of Miami, Florida, USA to the barrier islands of Virginia Key and Key Biscayne across Biscayne Bay.....
, originally built in 1947. Because of its low elevation and direct exposure to the Atlantic Ocean, it is usually among the first Miami areas to be
evacuateEmergency evacuation is the immediate and rapid movement of people away from the threat or actual occurrence of a hazard. Examples range from the small scale evacuation of a building due to a bomb threat or fire to the large scale evacuation of a district because of a flood, bombardment or...
d before an oncoming hurricane.
Geography
Key Biscayne is located at (25.690329, -80.165118).
According to the
United States Census BureauThe United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data. As part of the United States Department of Commerce, the Census Bureau serves as the leading source of quality data about...
, the village has a total area of 3.6 km² (1.4 mi²). 3.3 km² (1.3 mi²) of it is land and 0.3 km² (0.1 mi²) of it (8.63%) is water.
The Village is bordered on the north by
Crandon ParkCrandon Park is a park owned and operated by Miami-Dade County, Florida. It occupies the northern part of the island of Key Biscayne, lying between the Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay. It is connected to the mainland in Miami via the Rickenbacker Causeway. The park is more than 800 acres in size,...
, Miami-Dade County park, on the south by
Bill Baggs Cape Florida State ParkBill Baggs Cape Florida State Park occupies approximately the southern third of the island of Key Biscayne, at coordinates . The park is home to the Cape Florida Light, the oldest standing structure in Miami-Dade County...
, on the east by the
Atlantic OceanThe Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about 106.4 million square kilometres , it covers approximately one-fifth of the Earth's surface and about one-quarter of its water surface area. The first part of its name refers to the Atlas of Greek...
and on the west by
Biscayne BayBiscayne Bay is a lagoon that is approximately 35 miles long and up to 8 miles wide located on the Atlantic coast of south Florida. It is usually divided for purposes of discussion and analysis into three parts, North Bay, Central Bay and South Bay.North Bay lies between Miami Beach barrier...
.
History
While there had been earlier schemes to develop a town on Key Biscayne, it wasn't until the opening of the four-mile (6 km) long
Rickenbacker CausewayThe Rickenbacker Causeway connects the city of Miami, Florida, USA to the barrier islands of Virginia Key and Key Biscayne across Biscayne Bay.....
from Miami to
Virginia KeyVirginia Key in an island in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. It is mostly within the city limits of Miami. The portion to the southwest of the Rickenbacker Causeway containing the Miami Seaquarium is in the unincorporated county. It is in Biscayne Bay between Key Biscayne and the...
and on to Key Biscayne in 1947 that the island was opened up to large scale residential development. The northern two-thirds of the island had been operated as the largest
coconutThe Coconut Palm is a member of the family Arecaceae . It is the only species in the genus Cocos, and is a large palm, growing to 30 m tall, with pinnate leaves 4–6 m long, pinnae 60–90 cm long; old leaves break away cleanly leaving the trunk smooth. The term coconut refers to the seed of the...
plantation in the continental United States during the first half of the 20th century. In 1940 the
MathesonWilliam John Matheson was an American industrialist, born in Wisconsin but educated in Scotland. Having learned, while in Scotland, about recent breakthroughs in the development of aniline dyes, Matheson became an early importer and distributor of such dyes from Germany...
family donated over of their land to Dade County for a public park (Crandon Park) in exchange for a commitment that the county would build a causeway to the island. The remaining Matheson property, stretching across the middle of the island, was then sold off to developers. Starting in 1951, the Mackle Construction Company offered new homes on the island for US$9,540, with just US$500 down. A U.S. Post Office contract branch was opened, the Community Church started holding services in an old coconut-husking shed, and the Key Biscayne Elementary School opened in 1952.
The southern third of Key Biscayne, which included Cape Florida, was owned by
James DeeringJames Deering was an industrialist and early developer of Miami, Florida and the builder of Villa Vizcaya, an Italian Renaissance-style estate in Miami facing Biscayne Bay, complete with sculpted gardens. He used it as a winter home from 1916 to the time of his death...
and, after his death, by his brother Charles, for 35 years. In 1948 José Manuel Áleman, a
CubaThe Republic of Cuba is an island country in the Caribbean. It consists of the island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city. Cuba is home to over 11 million people and is...
n politician in exile, bought the Cape Florida property from the Deering estate. After Áleman died in 1951, his widow, Elena Santeiro Garcia, added to her Cape Florida property by buying an ocean-to-bay strip that had been part of the Matheson property. This strip included a canal that had been dug by William Matheson in the 1920s, and which extended from the bay across most of the island. The land north of this canal was developed as part of what is now the Village of Key Biscayne. Garcia sold the Cape Florida property in 1966 to the state of Florida. This land became Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park, which opened January 1, 1967.
President
Richard NixonRichard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States and is the only president to resign the office. He was also the 36th Vice President of the United States ....
purchased the first of his three waterfront homes, forming a compound known as the
Florida White HouseThe Florida White House was an informal name for a compound in Key Biscayne, Florida used by U.S. President Richard Nixon.-History:...
, in 1969 to be close to his close friend and confidant,
Bebe RebozoCharles Gregory "Bebe" Rebozo was a Florida banker who gained fame for being a close friend and confidant of President Richard Nixon....
and industrialist
Robert AbplanalpRobert Henry Abplanalp was an American inventor who invented the aerosol valve, the founder of Precision Valve Corporation and a political activist....
(inventor of the modern spray can valve). Bebe Rebozo, owner of the Key Biscayne Bank, was indicted for laundering a $100,000 donation from
Howard HughesHoward Robard Hughes, Jr. was an American aviator, engineer, industrialist, film producer, film director, philanthropist, and one of the wealthiest people in the world. He gained fame in the late 1920s as a maverick film producer, making big budget and often controversial films like Hell's Angels,...
to the Nixon election campaign. President Kennedy and Nixon met for the first time after the 1960 Election loss by Nixon in an oceanfront villa at the old Key Biscayne Hotel. Plans for the Watergate break-in at
DemocraticThe Democratic Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. It is the oldest political party in continuous operation in the United States and it is one of the oldest parties in the world. In the U.S...
headquarters were discussed at the Key Biscayne Nixon compound and, as the Watergate scandal unfolded, Nixon spent more time in seclusion there. Nixon visited Key Biscayne more than 50 times between 1969 and 1973. The U.S. Department of Defense spent $400,000 constructing a helicopter landing pad in
Biscayne BayBiscayne Bay is a lagoon that is approximately 35 miles long and up to 8 miles wide located on the Atlantic coast of south Florida. It is usually divided for purposes of discussion and analysis into three parts, North Bay, Central Bay and South Bay.North Bay lies between Miami Beach barrier...
adjacent to the Nixon compound and when Nixon sold his property, including the helicopter pad, there were public accusations that he enriched himself at taxpayer expense.
The area was incorporated as a new municipality in 1991 - the first new city in Miami-Dade County in over fifty years. Rafael Conte was elected the first mayor along with members of the founding Village Council including Clifford Brody, Mortimer Fried, Michael Hill, Luis Lauredo, Joe Rasco, and Raymond Sullivan. The municipality's first manager was C. Samuel Kissinger and the first clerk was Guido Inguanzo. The incorporation of the Village provided local control over taxes and future development.
In 1992,
Hurricane AndrewHurricane Andrew was the last and third most powerful of three Category 5 hurricanes to make landfall in the United States during the 20th century, after the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935 and Hurricane Camille in 1969. Andrew caused 65 deaths....
flooded some homes and businesses on Key Biscayne but the eye wall passed over uninhabited Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park which received the brunt of the storm. The storm damage was a blessing for the park because it destroyed all the non-native vegetation that the state had been trying to eradicate. Federal and State funding allowed the replanting with native vegetation making the park a showplace natural area. In recent years the construction of several large resort hotels, condominium complexes and shopping centers on the island as the once bucolic island life continued to accelerate at a frenetic pace. The Village has its own fire, police and a newly expanded public elementary and middle school. The tax rate remains the lowest of any municipality in Miami-Dade County. The Village has just completed a new civic center including fire, police and administration buildings and a well appointed recreation and community center with indoor multi use courts, outdoor swimming pool and a renowned musical theater program.
Key Biscayne increasingly caters to an elite population of business moguls, high-income professionals, and a significant influx of Latin American tourists and part-time residents fleeing political and economic instability in their home countries.
Demographics
As of the
censusA "census" is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population.In other words every 10 years...next one would be in 2010 The term is used mostly in connection with...
of 2000, there were 10,507 people, 4,259 households, and 2,900 families residing in the village. The
population densityPopulation density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans. It is a key term used in geography....
was 3,169.4/km² (8,225.0/mi²). There were 6,378 housing units at an average density of 1,923.9/km² (4,992.8/mi²). The racial makeup of the village was 95.46% White (48.1% were Non-Hispanic White,) 0.46% African American, 0.14% Native American, 0.92% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 1.49% from
other racesRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.52% from two or more races. 49.79% of the population are
HispanicHispanic is a term that historically denoted a relationship to the ancient Hispania . During the modern era, it took on a more limited meaning, relating to the contemporary nation of Spain....
or
LatinoThe demonyms Latino and Latina , are defined in English language dictionaries as:* "a person of Latin-American or Spanish-speaking descent."* "A Latin American."...
of any race.
There were 4,259 households out of which 32.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.0% were
married couplesMarriage is a social union or legal contract between individuals that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged by a variety of ways, depending on the culture or demographic...
living together, 7.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.9% were non-families. 27.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 2.99.
In the village the population was spread out with 24.2% under the age of 18, 4.6% from 18 to 24, 29.6% from 25 to 44, 26.0% from 45 to 64, and 15.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 88.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.8 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $86,599, and the median income for a family was $107,610. Males had a median income of $86,322 versus $46,765 for females. The
per capita incomePer capita income means how much each individual receives, in monetary terms, of the yearly income generated in the country. This is what each citizen is to receive if the yearly national income is divided equally among everyone. Per capita income is usually reported in units of currency per year...
for the village was $54,213.
As of 2000, speakers of
SpanishSpanish or Castilian is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that originated in northern Spain and gradually spread in the Kingdom of Castile, evolving into the principal language of government and trade in the Iberian peninsula...
as a
first languageA first language is the language a human being learns from birth...
accounted 59.73% of residents, while
EnglishEnglish is a West Germanic language that developed in England during the Anglo-Saxon era. As a result of the military, economic, scientific, political, and cultural influence of the British Empire during the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries, and of the United States since the mid 20th century,...
made up 30.83%,
PortuguesePortuguese is a Romance language that originated in what is now Galicia and northern Portugal. It is derived from the Latin spoken by the romanized Pre-Roman peoples of the Iberian Peninsula around 2000 years ago...
was at 2.83%,
FrenchFrench is a Romance language globally spoken by about 65 million people as a first language , by 50 million as a second language, and by about another 200 million people as an acquired foreign language, with significant speakers in 57 countries. Most native speakers of the language live in France,...
at 2.67%,
ItalianItalian is a Romance language spoken by about 60 million people in Italy, and by a total of around 70 million in the world. In Switzerland, Italian is one of four official languages. It is also the official language of San Marino, as well as the primary language of Vatican City...
consisted of 1.66%, and
GermanGerman is a West Germanic language, thus related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. It is one of the world's major languages and the most widely spoken first language in the European Union. Around the world, German is spoken by approximately 105 million native speakers and also by...
was the mother tongue of 1.46% of the population.
As of 2000, Key Biscayne had the thirty-first highest percentage of
CubaThe Republic of Cuba is an island country in the Caribbean. It consists of the island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city. Cuba is home to over 11 million people and is...
n residents in the US, with 15.53% of the populace. It had the eleventh highest percentage of
ColombiaColombia , officially the Republic of Colombia , is a constitutional republic in northwestern South America. Colombia is bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the northwest by Panama; and to the west by the Pacific Ocean...
n residents in the US, at 7.07% of the village's population, and the fourteenth highest percentage of
PeruPeru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean.Peruvian territory was home to the Norte Chico...
vian residents in the US, at 2.48% of its population (tied with
Glen Cove, New YorkGlen Cove is a city in Nassau County, New York on the North Shore of Long Island. As of the United States 2000 Census, the city population was 26,622. The Mayor is Mr. Ralph V. Suozzi, cousin of current County Executive Thomas Suozzi. Part of the early 20th century Gold Coast of the North Shore,...
.) It also had the fourth most
VenezuelaVenezuela , officially titled Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It is a continental mainland with numerous islands located off its coastline in the Caribbean Sea...
ns in the US, at 2.36%, while it had the twenty-first highest percentage of
BrazilBrazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is a country in South America. It is the fifth largest country by geographical area, occupying nearly half of South America, the fifth most populous country, and the fourth most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Atlantic Ocean...
ians, at 1.50% of all residents (tied with
Sunny Isles BeachSunny Isles Beach is a city located on a barrier island in northeast Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The City is bounded by the Atlantic Ocean on the east and the Intracoastal Waterway on the west. The population was 15,315 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the...
and five other areas.) Key Biscayne's
NicaraguaNicaragua officially the Republic of Nicaragua , is a representative democratic republic. It is the largest country in Central America with an area of 130,373 km
2. The country is bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The Pacific Ocean lies to the west of...
n community had the forty-second highest percentage of residents, which was at 1.02% of the US population.
Controversy Over Hotels and Condominiums On Key Biscayne
As noted above, the construction of hotels and several condominium complexes in Key Biscayne caused the population to soar. In 2007, voters approved an amendment to the village charter requiring that future land use changes be approved by voters. In 2008, the village council, saying that requiring community voting on zoning changes infringed on its responsibility, submitted another proposal to revise the charter. But on November 4, 2008, voters overwhelmingly rejected the council's proposed change, defeating the amendment by a more than two-to-one margin.
The controversy over density in the village is related the to the fate of the Sonesta hotel property on the eastern side of the island.
There are several large condominium and hotel complexes on Key Biscayne, including
- The Ritz-Carlton Hotel
- The Grand Bay
- The Ocean Club
- The Key Colony
Located adjacent to the Atlantic Ocean, the Key Colony complex is a gated community of four independently-operated condominiums located on Key Biscayne, Florida. The four buildings, Botanica, EmeraldBay, Tidemark, and Oceansound, were constructed in the 1970's and '80s and are one of the larger...
complex of four buildings, Botanica, EmaraldBay, Oceansound, and Tidemark. The Botanica building has some units that allow short-term rentals
- The Towers of Key Biscayne
Other Information
- Key Biscayne was also the Florida home of former U.S. president
President is a title held by many leaders of organizations, companies, trade unions, universities, and countries. Etymologically, a "president" is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
Richard NixonRichard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States and is the only president to resign the office. He was also the 36th Vice President of the United States ....
during his stay in office.
- There is now an annual Key Biscayne "regatta" similar to the Columbus Day regatta at Elliot Key where several dozen boats meet at the sandbar for a day of drinking.
- Key Biscayne also hosts the Tennis Center at Crandon Park
The 13,300-seat Stadium Court is the centerpiece of the Tennis Center at Crandon Park facility, home of the Sony Ericsson Open in Key Biscayne, Florida since 1987. The Sony Ericsson Open uses 12 courts in competition courts, plus six practice courts...
, home to the Sony Ericsson OpenThe Sony Ericsson Open is an annual tennis tournament for men and women held in Key Biscayne, Florida. The event is an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event on the men's tour and a Premier Mandatory event on the women's tour. The tournament is played on hard courts at the Tennis Center at Crandon Park...
Tennis Tournament, and a golf course, along with many amenities for water sports and fishing.
External links