Lost Miami Beach

Miami Beach has been "America's Playground" for a century. Still one of the world's most popular resorts, its 1930s Art Deco architecture placed this picturesque city on the National Register of Historic Places. Yet a whole generation of earlier buildings was erased from the landscape and mostly forgotten: the house of refuge for shipwrecked sailors, the oceanfront mansions of Millionaires' Row, entrepreneur Carl Fisher's five grand hotels, the Community Theatre, the Miami Beach Garden and more. Join historian Carolyn Klepser as she rediscovers through words and pictures the lost treasures of Miami Beach and recounts the changes that sparked a renowned preservation movement.

This history details the tumultuous lives of Miami Beach’s mid-twentieth century jet set, and features archival photos. From roughly 1930 to 1960, Miami Beach attracted an exclusive colony of socialites, who mixed with Hollywood celebrities and dignitaries, such as Winston Churchill, as effortlessly as tonic mixes with gin. Elizabeth Taylor announced her ill-fated engagement to the son of a former ambassador in Miami Beach. Other movie stars, such as Veronica Lake, were filmed in the enclave. Beautiful model Bab Beckwith, the first Orange Bowl Parade queen, dated John F. Kennedy while he was in Miami in 1944. Speedboat king Gar Wood bought his mistress a $100,000 bayfront home and then sued to force her to vacate the property. A tumultuous affair between John Jacob Astor VI and Lucille Stiglich led to the young model serving time in the Miami Beach jail. Deborah C. Pollack delves into an era filled with excitement, style, humor and panache.

Miami architecture is world renowned, but many historic treasures have been forgotten. The Richmond Naval Air Station was a blimp base destroyed by hurricane in 1945. A Cold War missile base lies covered in graffiti. Homestead's old Aerojet complex was originally used in the testing and construction of experimental rockets but was slowly demolished as part of a project to revitalize the Everglades. The Miami Marine Stadium was declared unsafe after Hurricane Andrew in 1992 and stands abandoned today. Author and "Abandoned Florida" blogger David Bulit revives the history and secrets of the Magic City's vanishing gems.

Miami Beach began its rise to the top of the world's resort scene when Carl Fisher, builder of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, arrived prior to 1920. The lure of "The World's Playground" was impossible to ignore for many, as hotels and restaurants flourished, even through the Great Depression. The images in this volume evoke poignant memories of Miami Beach's great past, almost inevitable downturn, and return to life with the discovery of South Beach and a renewed interest in art deco. Among the vintage views, most of which have never before been published, are early Lincoln Road and Washington Avenue; Miami Beach High School; Parham's; Junior's; Wolfies; Pumperniks; the first hotel on Miami Beach, Brown's; the Roney Plaza; the Fontainebleau; and, of course, the people who helped create this modern paradise.

Detailed and timely information on accommodations, restaurants, and local attractions highlight these updated travel guides, which feature all-new covers, a two-color interior design, symbols to indicate budget options, must-see ratings, multi-day itineraries, Smart Travel Tips, helpful bulleted maps, tips on transportation, guidelines for shopping excursions, and other valuable features. Original.

Tucked around a corner or soaking up the spotlight, Miami's restaurants defend an international reputation for superb cuisine and service. The constant buzz of new arrivals to the city's glamorous food scene often obscures the memory of the celebrated culinary institutions that have closed their doors. Here author Seth Bramson recounts the life--and the often untimely passing--of coffee shops, steakhouses and every level, kind and type of restaurant in between. This joyous look at bygone eateries serves up course after course of beloved fare, from the likes of Jahn's in Coral Gables to Red Diamond in Miami, Pumpernik's on Miami Beach and Rascal House in Sunny Isles.