The City of Sunny Isles Beach

Throughout its 85-year history, the less than two square-mile stretch of sandy Miami coastline known as Sunny Isles Beach has been considered one of the most popular vacation getaways in all of South Florida.

Starting as a single resort in the 1920’s, the Sunny Isles strip of Collins Avenue became dotted with charming Mimo motels in the 50’s and 60’s, as Miami’s first tourist boom hit big. Everyone from the average Joe to John Lennon of the Beatles was bringing their families to enjoy a season of sun and surf on the beautiful Sunny Isles shore.

Transforming the Skyline

In the past decade however, the face of Sunny Isles Beach has changed drastically. This change has coincided with a shift in Miami’s largest industry- which in recent years has moved from tourism to real estate. The same reasons that brought vacationers twenty years ago are now bringing real estate buyers to Miami by the thousands every year. As a result, Sunny Isles Beach has now become a hub for oceanfront realty investment.

Although officially incorporated in 1997, Sunny Isles Beach had already begun its transformation years before. In fact, some of the first condominium developments of the Miami real estate market, such as Winston Towers and Arlen House, called Sunny Isles home. The success of these first ventures- and their continuing success even today- is what has driven Sunny Isles Beach to be one of the most highly sought-after strips of oceanfront in the history of Miami’s real estate development.

Spirit of the Sun & Sand

Through it all however, this small City of Sand and Sun has kept its spirit- and maintained much of its original charm. Local fishing enthusiasts still stand along the rails of the Newport Fishing Pier- constructed in 1936- to cast their lines. The famed Rascal House Restaurant & Deli still serves hundreds of hungry patrons daily as it’s done for over 55 years.

While the beach side of Collins Avenue has become lined with upscale condos and exclusive beach clubs, the other side of the Avenue maintains the casual and relaxed atmosphere that made Sunny Isles Beach what it is today. Stylish boutiques and restaurants fill outdoor shopping plazas such as the RK Shopping Plaza right at the center of Sunny Isles strip. With an exciting array of both new and old retailers, such as the famed Wings beachwear company added in 2003, Sunny Isles Beach boasts some of the best casual-wear shopping in all of Miami

For buyers with a more active lifestyle, Sunny Isles is the perfect location to indulge your inner-athlete. While many of the condos offer their own private beach access, there are also a large number of points of public access. Sunny Isles also has an impressive collection of both oceanfront and inland public parks. Three parks already in existence offer between them: beach volleyball, onshore fishing, a mutli-purpose play field, numerous children’s play areas, any and all ocean water sports, picnic areas, and both boardwalk and fitness trail exercise. In addition, three new tracts of land have also been purchased for future parks, and building plans include a baseball field, a 2-story community center, and a gymnasium.

A Community Together

Perhaps one of the most attractive features of the Sunny Isles Beach community is the community itself. Even though the city lies right at the heart of Miami-Dade/Ft. Lauderdale metroplex, its small size lends itself to a strong feeling of community.

The city council works tirelessly to ensure its citizens have everything they need and want in their local area. Any needs community members have can be addressed at a single location, at the new centrally located Sunny Isles Beach Government Center, which includes all government offices, as well as the police department, fire department, local library, and post office. Additionally, the city maintains a free shuttle service that goes throughout Sunny Isles to make sure all residents have easy access to anything they want to reach within the city limits.

The Sunny Isles Beach community also takes advantage of any opportunity to come together, relax, and celebrate. The city’s full calendar of community events includes both in-city gatherings and outer excursions, including: local festivals, movie nights at Senator Gwen Margolis Park, Marlins games, theater performances, and live concerts. Intramural sports teams are also organized regularly and community games take place year-round at the Margolis Park play field.

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To find out more about what Sunny Isles Beach has to offer interested buyers, please use the links on this page, or look at individual communities and properties in located Sunny Isles by using the links on the left sidebar.