Miami Gardens, Florida
Encyclopedia
Miami Gardens is a Miami suburban city
located in Miami-Dade County
, Florida
. The city name comes from one of the major roadways through the area, Miami Gardens Drive. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the newly created city had a population of 107,167, and it is the largest city in Florida that has a majority of black American population.
in the late 1960s, many middle
and upper income
African American
and West Indian American families migrated
from Miami neighborhoods such as Liberty City to what became Miami Gardens (then called "Norland" or "Norwood") as restrictive covenant
s fell into disuse and mostly lower income blacks moved to the inner city
neighborhoods surrounding Liberty Square
and Edison Courts
.
Miami Gardens was incorporated on May 13, 2003. The city's neighborhoods of Andover
, Bunche Park
, Carol City
, Lake Lucerne
, Norland, Opa-Locka North
, and Scott Lake
were previously unincorporated area
s within Miami-Dade County
.
In 2007, Mayor Shirley Gibson said that the city would no longer allow any low income housing developments; many residents blamed the developments for spreading crime and recreational drugs throughout the city. Around that time the city's tax revenue
s dropped to being the third lowest in Miami-Dade County.
, Bunche Park
, Carol City
, Lake Lucerne
, Norwood, Opa-Locka North
, and Scott Lake
. For more in-depth demographic data on these neighborhoods, their U.S. Census 2000 is available.
As of the 2010, the population was 107,167 and there were 34,284 households, 6.0% of which were vacant. As of 2003, there were 23,661 families residing in the city.
As of 2007, the age distribution was 7.25% under the age of 5, 8.8% from 5 to 9, 9.7% from 10 to 14, 16.9% from 15 to 24, and 13.2% 25 to 34, 14.3% 35 to 44, 12.5% 45 to 54, 8.7% 55 to 64 and 8.7% who are 65 years of age or older. The population is 47% male and 53% female. Family households made up 95.6%, while 4.4% were non-family households. The average household size was 3.39 members, and the city covered 20 square miles.
Bunche Park and Carol City had high percentages of various ethnic group
s, such as African-Americans and black residents
, Bahamians
, British West Indians
, Colombian
s, Cubans
, Dominicans
, Haiti
ans, Jamaica
ns and Nicaragua
ns.
, who play in Sun Life Stadium on land that was part of the Lake Lucerne
CDP
. Sun Life Stadium also hosts the annual Orange Bowl college football
game and is the home field for the University of Miami
Hurricanes football
team. Calder Race Course
is also located in the city. The Antioch Mission Baptist Church of Carol City
is a megachurch
with over 7,500 members, active in the community.
serves Miami Gardens. Miami Norland High School and Miami Carol City High School
are located in Miami Gardens.
and Florida Memorial University
are in Miami Gardens.
(Miramar
)Broward County
(Miramar
)
Broward County
City
A city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...
located in Miami-Dade County
Miami-Dade County, Florida
Miami-Dade County is a county located in the southeastern part of the state of Florida. As of 2010 U.S. Census, the county had a population of 2,496,435, making it the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. The city name comes from one of the major roadways through the area, Miami Gardens Drive. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the newly created city had a population of 107,167, and it is the largest city in Florida that has a majority of black American population.
History
In the wake of the construction of I-95Interstate 95 in Florida
Interstate 95 is the main Interstate Highway on the east coast of the United States; it serves the Atlantic coast of Florida. It begins at a partial interchange with U.S. Highway 1 just south of downtown Miami, and heads north past Daytona Beach and Jacksonville to the Georgia state line at the St...
in the late 1960s, many middle
Middle class
The middle class is any class of people in the middle of a societal hierarchy. In Weberian socio-economic terms, the middle class is the broad group of people in contemporary society who fall socio-economically between the working class and upper class....
and upper income
Upper class
In social science, the "upper class" is the group of people at the top of a social hierarchy. Members of an upper class may have great power over the allocation of resources and governmental policy in their area.- Historical meaning :...
African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
and West Indian American families migrated
Black flight
Black flight is a term applied to the out-migration of African Americans from predominantly black or mixed inner-city areas in the United States to suburbs and outlying edge cities of newer home construction...
from Miami neighborhoods such as Liberty City to what became Miami Gardens (then called "Norland" or "Norwood") as restrictive covenant
Restrictive covenant
A restrictive covenant is a type of real covenant, a legal obligation imposed in a deed by the seller upon the buyer of real estate to do or not to do something. Such restrictions frequently "run with the land" and are enforceable on subsequent buyers of the property...
s fell into disuse and mostly lower income blacks moved to the inner city
Inner city
The inner city is the central area of a major city or metropolis. In the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and Ireland, the term is often applied to the lower-income residential districts in the city centre and nearby areas...
neighborhoods surrounding Liberty Square
Liberty Square
Liberty Square is one of seven "themed lands" and is exclusive to the Magic Kingdom, a theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. Themed after colonial America, replicas of both the Liberty Bell and Liberty Tree can be seen here. One of the most popular attractions in...
and Edison Courts
Edison Courts
Edison Courts, is a Miami-Dade 345-unit public housing apartment complex just west of the Little Haiti neighborhood of Miami, Florida. Edison Courts is bound at the south by Nort 62nd Street/Martin Luther King, Jr...
.
Miami Gardens was incorporated on May 13, 2003. The city's neighborhoods of Andover
Andover, Florida
Andover was a census-designated place in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The population was 8,489 at the 2000 census.In 2003 this CDP was incorporated into the city of Miami Gardens, and now serves as one of its neighborhoods.-Geography:...
, Bunche Park
Bunche Park, Florida
Bunche Park was a census-designated place in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The population was 3,972 at the 2000 census. The community is named after Ralph Bunche, a very prominent leader in civil rights...
, Carol City
Carol City, Florida
Carol City is a former census-designated place in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The population was 59,443 at the 2000 census.Originally called "Coral City" by developers, pressure from the city of Coral Gables forced a name change to Carol City...
, Lake Lucerne
Lake Lucerne, Florida
Lake Lucerne is a former census-designated place in Miami-Dade County, Florida, near the Broward County border. The population was 9,132 at the 2000 census....
, Norland, Opa-Locka North
Opa-locka North, Florida
Opa-locka North is a former census-designated place in Miami-Dade County, Florida, just north of the city of Opa-Locka. The population was 6,224 at the 2000 census....
, and Scott Lake
Scott Lake, Florida
Scott Lake was a census-designated place in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The population was 14,401 at the 2000 census.In 2003 this CDP was incorporated into the city of Miami Gardens.-Geography:...
were previously unincorporated area
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
s within Miami-Dade County
Miami-Dade County, Florida
Miami-Dade County is a county located in the southeastern part of the state of Florida. As of 2010 U.S. Census, the county had a population of 2,496,435, making it the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States...
.
In 2007, Mayor Shirley Gibson said that the city would no longer allow any low income housing developments; many residents blamed the developments for spreading crime and recreational drugs throughout the city. Around that time the city's tax revenue
Tax revenue
Tax revenue is the income that is gained by governments through taxation.Just as there are different types of tax, the form in which tax revenue is collected also differs; furthermore, the agency that collects the tax may not be part of central government, but may be an alternative third-party...
s dropped to being the third lowest in Miami-Dade County.
Demographics
The city was incorporated in 2003 but many of the CDPs comprising the current city of Miami Gardens were only partially incorporated. They now make up the neighborhoods of AndoverAndover, Florida
Andover was a census-designated place in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The population was 8,489 at the 2000 census.In 2003 this CDP was incorporated into the city of Miami Gardens, and now serves as one of its neighborhoods.-Geography:...
, Bunche Park
Bunche Park, Florida
Bunche Park was a census-designated place in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The population was 3,972 at the 2000 census. The community is named after Ralph Bunche, a very prominent leader in civil rights...
, Carol City
Carol City, Florida
Carol City is a former census-designated place in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The population was 59,443 at the 2000 census.Originally called "Coral City" by developers, pressure from the city of Coral Gables forced a name change to Carol City...
, Lake Lucerne
Lake Lucerne, Florida
Lake Lucerne is a former census-designated place in Miami-Dade County, Florida, near the Broward County border. The population was 9,132 at the 2000 census....
, Norwood, Opa-Locka North
Opa-locka North, Florida
Opa-locka North is a former census-designated place in Miami-Dade County, Florida, just north of the city of Opa-Locka. The population was 6,224 at the 2000 census....
, and Scott Lake
Scott Lake, Florida
Scott Lake was a census-designated place in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The population was 14,401 at the 2000 census.In 2003 this CDP was incorporated into the city of Miami Gardens.-Geography:...
. For more in-depth demographic data on these neighborhoods, their U.S. Census 2000 is available.
As of the 2010, the population was 107,167 and there were 34,284 households, 6.0% of which were vacant. As of 2003, there were 23,661 families residing in the city.
| Miami Gardens Demographics | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 Census United States Census, 2010 The Twenty-third United States Census, known as Census 2010 or the 2010 Census, is the current national census of the United States. National Census Day was April 1, 2010 and is the reference date used in enumerating individuals... |
Miami Gardens | Miami-Dade County | Florida |
| Total population | 107,167 | 2,496,435 | 18,801,310 |
| Population, percent change, 2000 to 2010 | N/A | ||
| Population density | 5,878.4/sq mi | 1,315.5/sq mi | 350.6/sq mi |
| White or Caucasian (including White Hispanic) | 18.3% | 73.8% | 75.0% |
| (Non-Hispanic White or Caucasian Non-Hispanic Whites Non-Hispanic Whites or White, Not Hispanic or Latino are people in the United States, as defined by the Census Bureau, who are of the White race and are not of Hispanic or Latino origin/ethnicity. Hence the designation is exclusive in the sense that it defines who is not included as opposed to who is... ) |
2.6% | 15.4% | 57.9% |
| Black or African-American | 76.3% | 18.9% | 16.0% |
| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) | 22.0% | 65.0% | 22.5% |
| Asian | 0.6% | 1.5% | 2.4% |
| Native American or Native Alaskan | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.4% |
| Pacific Islander or Native Hawaiian | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| Two or more races (Multiracial) Multiracial American Multiracial Americans, US residents who identify themselves as of "two or more races", were numbered at around 9 million, or 2.9% of the population, in the census of 2010. However there is considerable evidence that the real number is far higher. Prior to the mid-20th century many people hid their... |
2.2% | 2.4% | 2.5% |
| Some Other Race | 2.4% | 3.2% | 3.6% |
As of 2007, the age distribution was 7.25% under the age of 5, 8.8% from 5 to 9, 9.7% from 10 to 14, 16.9% from 15 to 24, and 13.2% 25 to 34, 14.3% 35 to 44, 12.5% 45 to 54, 8.7% 55 to 64 and 8.7% who are 65 years of age or older. The population is 47% male and 53% female. Family households made up 95.6%, while 4.4% were non-family households. The average household size was 3.39 members, and the city covered 20 square miles.
Bunche Park and Carol City had high percentages of various ethnic group
Ethnic group
An ethnic group is a group of people whose members identify with each other, through a common heritage, often consisting of a common language, a common culture and/or an ideology that stresses common ancestry or endogamy...
s, such as African-Americans and black residents
Black people
The term black people is used in systems of racial classification for humans of a dark skinned phenotype, relative to other racial groups.Different societies apply different criteria regarding who is classified as "black", and often social variables such as class, socio-economic status also plays a...
, Bahamians
The Bahamas
The Bahamas , officially the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, is a nation consisting of 29 islands, 661 cays, and 2,387 islets . It is located in the Atlantic Ocean north of Cuba and Hispaniola , northwest of the Turks and Caicos Islands, and southeast of the United States...
, British West Indians
British West Indies
The British West Indies was a term used to describe the islands in and around the Caribbean that were part of the British Empire The term was sometimes used to include British Honduras and British Guiana, even though these territories are not geographically part of the Caribbean...
, Colombian
Colombian people
Colombian people are from a multiethnic Spanish speaking nation in South America called Colombia. Colombians are predominantly Roman Catholic and are a mixture of Europeans, Africans, and Amerindians.-Demography:...
s, Cubans
Cuban American
A Cuban American is a United States citizen who traces his or her "national origin" to Cuba. Cuban Americans are also considered native born Americans with Cuban parents or Cuban-born persons who were raised and educated in US...
, Dominicans
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
, Haiti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
ans, Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
ns and Nicaragua
Nicaragua
Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
ns.
Community centers
Miami Gardens is home to the Miami DolphinsMiami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, who play in Sun Life Stadium on land that was part of the Lake Lucerne
Lake Lucerne, Florida
Lake Lucerne is a former census-designated place in Miami-Dade County, Florida, near the Broward County border. The population was 9,132 at the 2000 census....
CDP
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
. Sun Life Stadium also hosts the annual Orange Bowl college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
game and is the home field for the University of Miami
University of Miami
The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...
Hurricanes football
Miami Hurricanes football
The Miami Hurricanes football program competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference of the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision for the University of Miami. The program began in 1926 and has won five AP national championships...
team. Calder Race Course
Calder Race Course
Calder Casino & Race Course is a casino and horse racetrack in Miami Gardens, Florida in the United States.-History:In the mid-1960s, real estate developer Stephen A. Calder envisioned summertime racing in Florida; in 1965, on the advice of Mr. Calder, the Florida Legislature approved a bill...
is also located in the city. The Antioch Mission Baptist Church of Carol City
Antioch Mission Baptist Church of Carol City
The Antioch Mission Baptist Church of Carol City is a Baptist megachurch in Miami Gardens, a suburb of Miami, Florida, USA that provides a blend of traditional and contemporary worship.The senior pastor is Arthur Jackson, III....
is a megachurch
Megachurch
A megachurch is a church having 2,000 or more in average weekend attendance. The Hartford Institute's database lists more than 1,300 such Protestant churches in the United States. According to that data, approximately 50 churches on the list have attendance ranging from 10,000 to 47,000...
with over 7,500 members, active in the community.
Government
Miami Gardens is governed by a seven member City Council. Members include Shirley Gibson (mayor since 2003), and six Council members, four of whom are elected from districts and two who are elected city wide. The Mayor recommends, and the City Council hires, the City Manager, City Attorney and the City Clerk. The City Manager, Danny O. Crew, is responsible for the day-to-day management of all City employees and the City's $116 million annual budget. The City Manager is assisted in his duties by three Assistant City Managers. Currently the City has 530 FTE employees. On December 16, 2007, the City initiated its own police department fielding 156 sworn officers and 40 civilian staff. Previously, the City had contracted with Miami-Dade County for patrol services.Public schools
Miami-Dade County Public SchoolsMiami-Dade County Public Schools
Miami-Dade County Public Schools is a public school district serving Miami-Dade County, Florida. Founded in 1885, it is the largest school district in Florida and the Southeastern United States, and the fourth largest in the United States, with a student enrollment of 380,006 as of July 5, 2010...
serves Miami Gardens. Miami Norland High School and Miami Carol City High School
Miami Carol City High School
Miami Carol City Senior High School is a secondary school located at 3422 N.W. 187th Streetin Miami Gardens, Florida, United States; its principal is Nelson Izquierdo. The school is part of the Miami-Dade County Public Schools system. The school serves students from area of Miami...
are located in Miami Gardens.
Colleges and universities
St. Thomas UniversitySt. Thomas University (Florida)
St. Thomas University is a private Roman Catholic university in the Miami, Florida, United States suburb of Miami Gardens.-History:The University traces its roots to the Universidad Católica de Santo Tomás de Villanueva, founded in 1946 in Havana, Cuba, named after Saint Thomas of Villanova, by...
and Florida Memorial University
Florida Memorial University
Florida Memorial University is a private coeducational four-year university in Miami Gardens, Florida. One of the 39 member institutions of the United Negro College Fund, and a historically Black, Baptist-related institution which is ranked second in Florida and ninth in the United States for...
are in Miami Gardens.
Public libraries
Miami-Dade Public Library System operates the North Dade Regional Library. The library opened in September 1979.Surrounding areas
Broward CountyBroward County, Florida
-2000 Census:As of the census of 2000, there were 1,623,018 people, 654,445 households, and 411,645 families residing in the county. The population density was 1,346 people per square mile . There were 741,043 housing units at an average density of 615 per square mile...
(Miramar
Miramar, Florida
Miramar is a city in Broward County, Florida, United States. The city was named after the Miramar district of Havana, Cuba. As of the 2010 census, the population was 122,041...
)Broward County
Broward County, Florida
-2000 Census:As of the census of 2000, there were 1,623,018 people, 654,445 households, and 411,645 families residing in the county. The population density was 1,346 people per square mile . There were 741,043 housing units at an average density of 615 per square mile...
(Miramar
Miramar, Florida
Miramar is a city in Broward County, Florida, United States. The city was named after the Miramar district of Havana, Cuba. As of the 2010 census, the population was 122,041...
)
Broward CountyBroward County, Florida
-2000 Census:As of the census of 2000, there were 1,623,018 people, 654,445 households, and 411,645 families residing in the county. The population density was 1,346 people per square mile . There were 741,043 housing units at an average density of 615 per square mile...
- Country ClubCountry Club, FloridaCountry Club is a census-designated place and an unincorporated suburban community located in northwest Miami-Dade County, Florida. The population was 36,310 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Country Club is located at ....
, Miami LakesMiami Lakes, FloridaMiami Lakes is a Miami suburban incorporated town and former census-designated place in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The population was 22,676 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S...
Ives EstatesIves Estates, FloridaIves Estates is a census-designated place in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The population was 17,586 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Ives Estates is located at ....
, OjusOjus, FloridaOjus is a census-designated place and formerly incorporated town in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The population was 16,642 at the 2000 census. Ojus borders Aventura to the east, I-95 to the west, North Miami Beach to the south and Broward County to the north...
, North Miami BeachNorth Miami Beach, FloridaNorth Miami Beach is a Miami suburban city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. Originally named Fulford in 1926 after Captain William H. Fulford of the United States Coast Guard, the city was incorporated in 1927 as Fulford, but was renamed North Miami Beach in 1931. The population was...
, Unincorporated Miami-Dade CountyMiami-Dade County, FloridaMiami-Dade County is a county located in the southeastern part of the state of Florida. As of 2010 U.S. Census, the county had a population of 2,496,435, making it the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States...
Miami LakesMiami Lakes, FloridaMiami Lakes is a Miami suburban incorporated town and former census-designated place in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The population was 22,676 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S...
Unincorporated Miami-Dade CountyMiami-Dade County, FloridaMiami-Dade County is a county located in the southeastern part of the state of Florida. As of 2010 U.S. Census, the county had a population of 2,496,435, making it the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States...
Unincorporated Miami-Dade CountyMiami-Dade County, FloridaMiami-Dade County is a county located in the southeastern part of the state of Florida. As of 2010 U.S. Census, the county had a population of 2,496,435, making it the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States...
, North Miami BeachNorth Miami Beach, FloridaNorth Miami Beach is a Miami suburban city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. Originally named Fulford in 1926 after Captain William H. Fulford of the United States Coast Guard, the city was incorporated in 1927 as Fulford, but was renamed North Miami Beach in 1931. The population was...
External links
- City of Miami Gardens official website
- Miami-Dade County