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History of Miami Beach

Bob Vila gives the viewer a brief history of Miami Beach from its humble beginnings in plantation farming in the 1880s to its rise as a tourist Mecca and elite winter destination in the 1920s. Miami has grown from the farm envisioned by Quaker farmer John Collins into the playground for the rich and famous imagined by developer Carl Fisher. Bob takes a waterfront tour of Miami and looks north from South Beach along Biscayne Bay past the soaring skyscrapers and million dollar condominiums being built today to the mid-rise residential structures of the 60s and 70s.

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History of Miami Beach Now Playing

History of Miami Beach

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Discussing Architectural Ideas for the Miami Condo

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The View from Island Avenue, Miami

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History of Miami Beach

computer-generated transcript - may not be 100% accurate

" The story of development in Miami Beach is this is an interest they want -- obviously it's linked to building bridges the first American businessman that was attracted to this area. It was a Quaker farmer from New Jersey John Collins. He bought most of the land up in the 1890s he hired a work force to clear clear up demand grows and all the jungle vegetation that was on here. And he wanted to grow mangoes and avocados. Which were then called alligator pears. He had a sober hardworking view of the possibilities for the place that didn't go beyond growing exotic fruit. It wasn't really until after 1913. When an Indiana entrepreneur named Carl Fisher came down here that. Collins even bothered to finish a bridge connecting Miami Beach to the mainland."

" Fisher saw Miami beach's potential as a tourist Mecca. It was a big land boom here back in the twenties and he invested his fortune and hopes in Miami Beach as America's playground. And this has been going on for nearly a century. Many of the houses that we see on some of these keys date back to the twenties the Spanish style mansions but many others have been built in the Georgian style Bermuda style. And all of them are certainly exclusive multimillion dollar properties. The area that we're looking at is actually south beach the western side of south beach really all the art Deco buildings are on the ocean but this is on the intra coastal side where you're seeing a lot of these high rise buildings with multimillion dollar condominiums being put up. And as you look. Towards the north. You'll see. Buildings that were put up perhaps in the eighties and then in the seventies and there's a kind of a prayer are upriver or a ten story proportions and many of these were put up in the sixties it."

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Winterize Your Home

Here's another great tip from BobVila.com. While you were having fun in the sun this summer, it was no vacation for your house. Sun, wind and rain can cause as much wear and tear as snow and ice. A fall checklist will tip you off to some problems before they become nasty mid-winter surprises. Check your house from top to bottom. Start by inspecting the roof with binoculars: Are your shingles worn or failing? Check the attic for signs of leaks around the skylights or vents, chimneys, and have your chimney cleaned once a year. Clear out your gutters and check for leaks there, too. Drain your outside hose spigots if you live where pipes can freeze. Switch your screens for storm windows, and seal any drafty windows and doors. The same goes for paint and siding: make sure you caulk or repair those gaps around windows, doors, trim and vents, and replace any siding that is failing. In the basement, check for dampness on the floor and walls, test your sump pump, flush your water heater and check for any signs of leakage. Clean your dryer vent regularly. Make sure that paints or any flammable materials are stored away from heat sources in a closed metal cabinet. And make that appointment to have your heating system serviced yearly. Do the top-to-bottom check this fall, and you ll avoid expensive surprises this winter! Find out more at BobVila.com: The ultimate home improvement web site! BobVila.com 2008

Snowblower Types

Here's another great tip from BobVila.com. Whether you call it a snowblower or a snow thrower, before you shell out for one this winter, make sure you re getting the one you need. If you consistently get more than six inches of snow or your driveway is a long one, you ll need a gasoline-powered snowblower. There are two types: single-stage and two-stage. Two-stage models are the most expensive, from $500 to $2,500. But if you re clearing unpaved areas and heavy snow you ll need them because they have an auger, which collects the snow, and a separate impeller, which throws it. Some models have great features like headlights, one-handed operation and electric, rather than recoil, start mechanisms, so you don t have to yank any cords. Some even have independent-clutch wheels that allow for easy pivoting without going into reverse. These can all come in handy when you ve got a lot of ground to cover. Electric models are less expensive, ranging from $100 to $400. They re lighter and easier to maneuver, and they don t make as much noise or create as much air pollution as gasoline-powered models. If all you ve got is a small, paved driveway and some walkways to clear and they re within a hundred feet of your house, an electric snowblower will serve your needs in snowfalls of up to six inches. It ll also save you gasoline and maintenance hassles without taking up much storage space. Find out more at BobVila.com: The ultimate home improvement web site! BobVila.com 2008