STUDENT BIO
My name is Tammy Gomez and I am a Junior at Florida International University, and also, part of the Honors College. I was born in Guayaquil, Ecuador, and I just moved to Miami for Fall 2021. My favorite hobby is to play tennis and I also love to hang out with friends. I am majoring in International Business my plan is once I finish my Bachelor’s degree get a little of job experience and then, start my Master’s Degree.
GEOGRAPHY
Screenshot of Google Maps of Brickell
Brickell is an urban neighborhood in the city of Miami and is part of Miami-Dade County. Its zip code is 33130 and its area code just like any other of Miami is 305 or 786. Brickell is located from the South of the Miami River, right next to Biscayne Bay and it extends south to SW 26th Road, where you will find the Rickenbacker Causeway which connects Miami to the barrier islands of Virginia Keys and Biscayne Bay. Brickell Key is a small gated artificial island that is also included in this neighborhood and is right south of Downtown Miami. Brickell is also considered the financial district because it’s the center for Miami’s banking, investments, and financial sectors.
One of the main characteristics of this neighborhood is its similarity with Manhattan, New York, due to its buildings. In the west of Brickell, you will find low and mid-rise buildings, however, if you go to the east you will find high-rise buildings and condominiums. Here is the Brickell Avenue where the “Millionaire’s Row” takes place. These includes beautiful and expensive skyscrapers which makes the area very luxurious. The area of Brickell is 1.19 square miles. Many people often think that Brickell is a city, but it is not, Brickell is a neighborhood in the city of Miami.
HISTORY
Miami’s earliest inhabitants were the Tequesta, they lived in South Florida for more than two thousand years, however, we don’t know much about them. But even though we don’t know much about their culture, they for sure lived in Miami and something that proves this is the Miami Circle (where a Tequesta hut used to be located here). The Miami Circle continues to exist, but another proof that the Tequesta lived here in Brickell, is the Tequesta Indian burial mound, but this was taken down due to construction. (McCaughan)
Portrait of Mary and William Brickell by Albury & District Historical
One of the first pioneers who came to Miami were the homesteaders and one of these families were the Brickells. William and Mary Brickell and their kids bought a part of land in Miami, which is what we call Brickell and this is why its named after them. Their real estate went from Brickell all the way to the South of Coconut Grove. (McCaughan)
When Henry Flagger constructed his railroad in 1896 Julia Tuttle, who owned extensive land in North Miami, and the Brickells reached an agreement with Flagger to extend his railroad so Miami can be included. This extension of the railroad was perfect for the Brickells and Julia Tuttle because now their land gained much more value than what they had before the railroad. After these negotiations, Mary Brickell was in charge of the family’s negotiations and business, so she could improve the land for development and this is how the Brickells became wealthy. (McCaughan)
DEMOGRAPHICS
Since Brickell is a neighborhood and not a city there is no census data. The demographics of Brickell according to Miami Matters estimate that the population in this neighborhood is of 23,361 people. The percent change of the population from 2010 to 2021 is 52.18%. The population by race goes as follow: White 19,789 (84.71%), Black/African American 898 (3.84%), American Indian/Alaskan Native 54 (0.23%), Asian 1076 (4.61%), Native Hawaiian/ Pacific Islander 6 (0.03%), some other race 848 (3.63%), 2+ races 690 (2.95%). Population by ethnicity goes as follow: Hispanic/Latino 12,844 (54.98%), and Non-Hispanic/Latino 10,517 (45.02%). Population by age group goes as follows: 0-9 1898 (8.12%). 10-17 1,482 (6.35%), 18-24 1067 (4.57), 25-54 14,694 (62.9%), 55-84 4040 (17.3%), 85+ 180 (0.77%). Population by sex: Male 12,064 (51.64%), and female 11,297 (48.36%). There are 13,345 households with 4,613 families, and the median income is $96,162. There is a great percentage of people with higher education: Master’s Deegree 4,561 (24.11%), and Bachelor’s Degree 7,222 (38.18%).
Interview with a current resident:
Rodrigo Santander is a 20-year-old man who is a Sophomore at FIU and his major is international business. Rodrigo is from Caracas, Venezuela, and moved to Brickell six years ago. Rodrigo lives in a building in the South of Brickell.
How would you describe Brickell?
“Brickell is an amazing neighborhood which is a sector that has a lot of potential for development. It’s a very alive place to live because there are a lot of places to go. During the day is used mostly the financial sector of the city. It is near Miami Beach and Wynwood which is amazing, because it is in the middle of everything and you have plenty of things to do”
What do you like about Brickell?
I like that there are a lot of places very near that I can walk to and I don’t need a car unlike many other places in Miami where you need a car or you just couldn’t go anywhere. I also like Brickell’s night life, people from different parts of Miami like to visit Brickell because Brickell is very well-known because of it.
What would you want to change about Brickell?
I think that I would change how much traffic there is because most of the times there is a lot of traffic and this is because of the Brickell avenue bridge and every time a boat comes, the bridge opens and cars cannot go through. The bridge connects Brickell Avenue with Biscayne Boulevard. I think the worst hour for traffic is at 6pm.
Overall, do you like living in Brickell?
Yes, I do. No matter how much traffic there is, I wouldn’t move anywhere else because I like the vibe of this neighborhood.
LANDMARKS
Tequesta Family
Photo of the Tequesta Family monument by Wikimedia Commons
The Tequesta family is a bronze monument in honor of the Tequesta Indians. This monument is located in Brickell Bridge Avenue. It was created by the sculptor Manuel Carbonell in 1995. The sculpture is a 53-foot pillar that shows the life of the Tequesta Indians and on top of it a 17 ft sculpture of a Tequesta warrior and his family.
Miami Circle
Photo of the Miami Circle by Eminetra
The Miami Circle is an archeological site and national historic landmark located in downtown Miami. It is believed that the Miami Circle was created 2000 years ago, but it was just discovered in 1998. The Miami Circle is a 38 ft in diameter circle carved in limestone bedrock. The Tequesta tribe built the Miami Circle and as we don’t know much about the Tequesta Indians, we believe that they had a monument here and it was possibly their capital.
Brickell Mausoleum
The Brickell Mausoleum is a burial of the Brickell family and is located in the Brickell Park. This mausoleum is part of the U.S National Register of Historic Places. This mausoleum is so important because is the only monument constructed that is directly connected to this family. Here used to be the remains of William Brickell, his wife, and his daughter. In 1950s, the remains were removed and placed in the Woodlawn Cemetery. Nowadays, the mausoleum is empty.
GREEN
Even though Brickell’s main characteristic is to be a neighborhood filled with buildings, it has green areas too. A couple of parks that you can find in Brickell are: Brickell Park, Allen Morris Brickell Park, and Brickell Key Park.
Brickell Park
Photo of Brickell park by Panorama
The Brickell park is located in Brickell, just up north Miami’s First Presbyterian Church. Due to research and excavations, we know that this was a place where the Tequesta used as burials 500 years B.C until 750 A.D approximately. Back in the 19th century when the Brickell family created this neighborhood, they owned this part of land, but they give it to Miami so Miami can create a city park, and that’s why it is a public park.
Allen Morris Brickell Park
Photo taken and edited by The Allen Morris Company
Allen Morris Brickell park is a little different than most of the parks because it doesn’t have grass. However, there are lots of plants that gives you the feeling as if you were in an oasis. You can sit in one of the many benches that this park possess and appreciate the nature that surrounds you in this park. It is located on the 10th street of Brickell near Perricones and Mary Brickell Village.
Brickell Key Park
Photograph by Shutterstock
This beautiful park is located in the south tip of Brickell key. This park is very famous for its view. Either if you come here during the day or at night is a good spot to appreciate the view of Miami. People that live on the island usually come to run or jog here. It has a beautiful waterfront where tourists love to take pictures.
TRANSPORTATION
Photo retrieved from Miami Greater Miami & Miami Beach
Transportation in Miami is hard. Most of the times is a must to have a car in order to move throughout the city. However, if you live in Brickell, you can take the Metro Mover line which is free and will take you to different places in downtown Miami and Brickell. Also, you can take the Metrorail system that can take you from the airport to Brickell, Downtown Miami, Coral Gables, and more neighborhoods of Miami.
On the other hand, if you don’t want to take public transportation, but don’t want to walk either, you can rent a scooter which are everywhere around Brickell.
FOOD
Where are the best and authentic places to eat. Select three to highlight.
Cantina La Veinte
Photo of Cantina La Veinte retrieved from World Red Eye.
Cantina La Veinte is a very famous restaurant because of its specialty in Mexican food where you can dine in or just pick up your food. This restaurant is located in 495 Brickell Avenue. It has an outdoor patio, and it also has a space inside, so you can pick wherever you want to eat. In the outdoor patio there’s a more relaxed environment with livee music. On the other hand, in the first floor (in the first floor), you will find a bar, and you need to make a reservation if you want to have dinner here.
Komodo
Photo of Komodo’s Peking duck retrieved from Spike’s Peeks: The art of Travel
Komodo is located in 801 Brickell Ave. This is a high-end restaurant with its specialty in Asian food. Komodo is well-known for its special dish called “Peking duck”. I haven’t tried it myself, but I have friends who have tried it and they said that it’s delicious. Also, at midnight, Komodo has a space for the restaurant to turn into a club and people can get up and dance, so this restaurant is considered as part of Miami’s night life too.
Casa Tua Cucina
Photo of Casa Tua’s dish retrieved from MIAbites Food Blog.
This authentic Italian restaurant is located inside Brickell City Center. It’s very famous because of its centric location and because it is inside a shopping mall. If you are a fan of Italian cucine, you need visit to this restaurant and try one of their specialties. It’s a little expensive, but worth it!
BUSINESSES
Candela
All photos taken and edited by Tammy Gomez // by CC.4
Candela Bar Brickell is, exactly as the name says, a bar in Brickell. It is located in Mary Brickell Village and it is very popular for young adults to go to dance and have fun. It usually opens at five and you can order food if you want, but people usually go after midnight. You need to be 21+ years old and depending on the day you have to pay at the entrance a cover to get in.
Brickell City Centre
Photo taken and edited by Juan Montero
Brickell City Centre is a shopping mall both indoors and outdoors. It has very well-known restaurants like Casa Tua and Tacology, and very well-known clothes stores like Hugo Boss and Zara. Brickell City Centre is located in 701 South Miami Ave. Tourists like to come here and take pictures of the city.
EAST Miami
Photo retrieved from taste in Hotels.
EAST Miami is a 4-star hotel located in Brickell City Center. It has four pools, great outdoor spaces with an amazing view from the rooftop. This famous hotel costs $250 per night at the moment. However, prices are constantly changing. So, if you have the chance to stay at this totel, I would recommend it because it has an excellent service, but most importantly is its location in the heart of Miami.
SUMMARY
Brickell is a great neighborhood with a great vibe. Its buildings are what distinguishes Brickell from other neighborhoods like Coral Gables or Doral. This neighborhood is well-known worldwide and is a must to visit if you are in Miami. The only issue that people have about Brickell is its traffic. However, this doesn’t stop people from visiting this amazing neighborhood. I would recommend Brickell for young people who likes to go out and enjoys Miami’s night life. Either if you go during the day or at night you will find great places to visit to have a good time.
CITATIONS
Mary Brickell Park – Historicpreservationmiami.com. http://www.historicpreservationmiami.com/pdfs/Mary_Brickell_Pk_Dsg_Rpt_FINAL.pdf.
McCaughan, Sean. “The History of Brickell: Miami’s Manhattan.” The BIG BUBBLE Miami, 10 October 2018, thebigbubblemiami.com/2018/10/09/the-history-of-brickell-miamis-manhattan/
Straley, Steven Cody. “Mary Brickell Park.” Clio: Your Guide to History. May 29, 2017. https://www.theclio.com/entry/41166
“2021 Demographics.” Miami Matters, http://www.miamidadematters.org/demographicdata?id=10486.
“Metrorail.” Miami-Dade County, https://www.miamidade.gov/global/transportation/metrorail.page.
“Tequesta Monument.” Carbonell Sculptures, https://bronzemonumentalsculpturesbycarbonell.com/monumental-sculptures/tequesta-monument-detail.html.
Time Out Miami. “Brickell Key Park.” Time Out Miami, 29 Oct. 2018, https://www.timeout.com/miami/things-to-do/brickell-key-park.
“What to Explore in Brickell.” The New Tropic, 5 Feb. 2017, https://thenewtropic.com/what-to-explore-in-brickell/.
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