Wynwood
The Wynwood neighborhood, a local arts mecca and one of Miami’s hippest neighborhoods, was once known as the “golden gate” for Hispanic immigrants. A melting pot of Puerto Ricans, Cubans, Haitians, African-Americans, Nicaraguans and Dominicans that had been crippled by a bad image and a deteriorating economy. In the 1950s, Wynwood — originally spelled Wyndwood — was home to non-Hispanic white professionals and several factories including Coca-Cola and Garrett Construction. Jobs were plentiful. In the 1960s came Interstate 95, an addition often associated with the slow pattern of deterioration in the community. It was followed by an exodus of the middle class. During the 1970s, Wynwood’s garment district thrived as one of Miami’s most popular tourist attractions, drawing thousands of shoppers — many from South America. But problems with Latin economies, burgeoning crime, and riots of the 1980s took a toll on business. In the past decade, as the Design District to the north becomes prohibitively expensive, Wynwood’s lower rents and ample warehouses started attracting the art crowd and developers.
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