Community Background Report

Miami Shores Village

County

Miami-Dade

Boundaries

See interactive map

Community Type

Municipality

History

What is now known as Miami Shores Village was originally the community of Biscayne, founded by William H Gleason and William H. Hunt in the 1870s. Biscayne’s popularity began to wane until 1892 when the first county road was built connecting Lantana to Lemon City. The post office reopened. A railroad depot and school followed, along with a myriad of agricultural businesses. In 1924, the Shoreland Co. purchased the land from various growers to create Miami Shores, “America’s Mediterranean”. The original plans included four miles of inland waterways and a causeway to Miami Beach. These plans were halted by the Hurricane of 1926 and the Shoreland Company’s bankruptcy in 1927. The following year, the New Miami Shores Corporation bought the Shoreland holdings. In 1932, Miami Shores Village was incorporated under the leadership of Roy H. Hawkins, the new company’s general manager. Most of Miami Shores, including all municipal buildings, filled in during the 1960s and early 1970s. The Village is home to many historic sites. Out of the 108 places listed in the National Register of Historic Places in Miami-Dade County, 25 are in Miami Shores.

Community Dynamics

Miami Shores Village occupies 2.5 square miles of land in North Miami-Dade County. Miami Shores Village is located just north of the Village of El Portal and the City of Miami. According to the 2015 American Community Survey 5-year estimate data, the population of the Village was 10,784 residents. The community is mainly composed of single-family homes that exhibit the distinct architectural style of the Mediterranean Revival. As of 2015, the median household income for the Village was $97,500 and the median home price was $397,800.

In 1989, Miami Shores Village received recognition as a Tree City USA. Residents of Miami Shores enjoy a number of activities in the neighborhood. Many of these activities take place at the Village’s privately owned country club. Residents also have access to the Miami Shores Aquatic Center and the Shores Center for Performing Arts. The Village offers several programs that are geared towards the children who reside in Miami Shores. Barry University, the largest Catholic university in the Southeast United States, is located in heart of Miami Shores.

From 1986 to 1994, Miami Shores limited public access to residential areas by closing off throughways, creating cul-de-sacs. Proponents of the practice cited the barriers as useful in limiting crime, and opponents criticized the gated community as segregationist. The barriers have remained as permanent fixtures.

Business Landscape

Miami Shores is primarily a bedroom community for those working in Greater Miami, and also has a sizeable retired population. The Village is mostly single-family residential, with very few multi-family units and only two small commercial areas along Northeast 2nd Avenue and Biscayne Boulevard. Based upon the 2025 comprehensive plan for the Village, it will stay that way. Miami Shores hosts Barry University, the Miami Shores Public Library, and six public, charter and private schools. The Village has a relatively large recreational space, which hosts the Miami Shores Country Club and the Aquatic Center.

Transportation Characteristics

From 2014 to 2018, the Village spent a total of $850,000 on roadway surfacing, and $365,000 on other improvements, including repairing sidewalks, the N.E. 96th Street medians, street signage, street drainage, etc. The busiest street is Biscayne Boulevard. Other major streets with four lanes are N.E. 6th Avenue, N. Miami Avenue, N.E. 2ndAvenue, and N.E. 103rd Street. The Village has very limited areas for commercial use, including Biscayne Boulevard, and N.E. 2nd Avenue. The Village mindfully routes its traffic onto the major streets and away from its single-family residential areas by using traffic barricades. There is a network of facilities for bicycles and pedestrians.