Part of Greater Miami FL real estate, Hialeah Florida is the fifth largest city in the state with a population over 200,000. It is located in a central transportation hub between properties in Biscayne Bay and the Everglades. Bordering areas include Miami Lakes, Opa-locka, Westview, West Little River, Gladeview, Brownsville, Miami, Miami Springs, Medley, Hialeah Gardens, and unincorporated Miami-Dade County.
Hialeah homes and communities reflect its historic past and strong ethnic immigration trends. Whether extracted from the Muskogee origins (haiyakpo and hili meaning pretty prairie) or the Seminole origins (hialeah meaning upland prairie), both tribes most probably docked their canoes here to trade with settlers.
In 1921, pioneer aviator Glenn Curtiss and Missouri cattleman James H. Bright determined to capitalize on the pretty prairie. The real estate developers brought in tour buses, introducing outsiders to the beautiful area. Curtiss and Bright opened Hialeah Park (aka 'Grand Dame'), a 220-acre park that for decades was considered to be the grandest of thoroughbred horse-racing parks. Its majestic Mediterranean-style architecture made it the focus of the community. Hialeah incorporated with a population of 1,500 in 1925.
During the Roaring Twenties, Hialeah Park received more media coverage than any venue ever had before. Other significant entertainment in the community included the Spanish sport of jai-alai, greyhound racing, and silent movies. Due to its well-known pink flamingoes, Hialeah Park is now an Audubon Bird Sanctuary and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The racetrack is no longer in business, however.
Unfortunately, the hurricane of 1926 tempered development. As an aside, in 1937 Amelia Earhart took off from this city in her attempted solo flight around the world.
However, the community remained a playground for the wealthy until Cuba exiles arrived in 1959. At that time, the community became an 'affordable Eden' for the working class. Over the next few decades, waves of immigrants, including boat people, produced a diverse community that is proud of its ethnicity and family oriented neighborhoods.
Generally considered to be one of the nation's most economically successful immigrant enclaves, Hialeah is a growing industrial city. Industries include printing and the production of metal and plastic goods. Miami International Airport is a major employer.
For more information, please contact us.