Right in the heart of Ocean Drive — smack dab in the middle of the Art Deco District — sits this building. With pastel flashes of color surrounding it, this 12-bedroom, 13-bathroom Mediterranean Revival home, in all its cream-colored glory is probably the most famous building on the strip. It’s certainly the most photographed. What is it? It’s Casa Casuarina, of course.
Casa Casurina was built in 1935 and features a gorgeous oolitic limestone entryway and stairs, and a Cuban barrel tile roof (each tile of which is rumored to have been molded on the thighs of beautiful Cuban maidens). A replica of the home in the Dominican Republic in which Christopher Columbus’ eldest son lived (La Casa del Cordon), Casa Casuarina is also where Versace took his last breath. He was gunned down on the front steps of this building by Andrew Cunanan in 1997.
Gianni Versace purchased the building in 1992 for $2.9 million and renovated it substantially. Peter Loftin, a telecommunications billionaire, purchased it in 2000 for approximately $19 million and is converting it into an “invitation only B&B” (for around $2500/night). Alternatively, the entire house is available for private events — at a cost of $10,000 a night.
I’m sad to announce that flashing my Gadling Press Pass did NOT grant me access to the interior. Sorry. But you can take a sneak peak at the home’s elegant appointments here.
My wife and I have have spent plenty of time in Miami over the past two years — but always as a day-trip. Recently, we decided to pack our bags and head to the Magic City for a weekend.
So what exactly is “Art Deco”? It’s a style of architecture that developed during the early 1900s that usually combines straight lines, symmetry, and geometric shapes. In its hey-day, it was viewed as decorative, elegant, and modern. Today, it’s super-fanciful, and almost over-the-top ornate. A prime example of Art Deco is the Clevelander, one of South beach’s most famous landmarks and a fairly hip nightspot — if you don’t mind a bunch of college-aged kids.
When we arrived in South Beach, we headed to the Miami Design Preservation League. Though I don’t usually enjoy organized tours much, I signed up for one of theirs. I was curious to learn something about the history of this whimsical area, generally, and something about Art Deco, specifically. At $20 per person, the price of tour is money well-spent, as the volunteers are both knowledgeable and passionate about the subject.
Come with me, as I give you an abbreviated, virtual tour:
We arrived at the MDPL just in time for the 10:30 tour.
Adjacent to Lummus Park Beach…
…our guide explained that South Beach’s Art Deco District is the oldest 20th Century architectural historic district in the nation. Before we even left the MDPL’s property, we turned and saw the Edison Hotel. Note the clean, symmetrical lines.
From there, we walked by the Beach Patrol.
Still in use today, the Beach patrol Building was built in 1938. Evidently, it was designed to make people who couldn’t afford to go on an ocean liner feel like they were somewhere tropical and faraway. Obviously, you can’t miss the Patrol’s nautical theme. Portholes figure prominently in lots of Art Deco.
Rounding the corner, we headed back to the Clevelander. Built in 1938, the Rattner family sold the building in the 1980s for $800,000. In 2001, it was sold again for $16 million. Of course, the pool had been added and the building upgraded, but still…
Walking north, we passed the Congress Hotel. See the “eyebrows” above the windows? These are important components of Art Deco. At the time, they were incorporated to keep out the rain — and the sun. Of course, there was no A/C in the area at that time. In this picture, you can see how symmetrical the building is. Have you also begun to get the sense of the importance of the “rule of threes” in the architectural style?
Built in 1937, the Victor has no eyebrows, but you can see that symmetry and straight lines are still important in the design. Originally, the Victor was NOT connected to the left-hand building. Interestingly, there’s a pool above the entryway between the two buildings. If you look very, very closely, you can see the topless woman sunning herself, just to left of the largest palm tree. Not that I was looking…
Today, there’s a semi-circle ballroom/lounge attached to the right-hand-side of the Victor.
A little north of the Victor is the Tides. Built in 1936, this is, reportedly J Lo’s favorite place to brunch. She wasn’t there this morning, though. Around the entryway, you can make out the oolitic limestone that designers favored during this period. Of course, oolitic limestone is not used today, as it’s harvested from the ocean and damages the environment. See the portholes?
Very square and symmetrical, the Leslie is next. Note the Zigaruts, which are the vertical “racing stripes” that shoot skyward. These are used to hide unsightly roof lines. Lots of Art Deco buildings incorporate these.
Next up: the Carlyle. Though still Art Deco-y, you can see how by 1941, architects were steering away from straight lines and were incorporating curved lines into their buildings. See the sweeping eyebrows? Note that the “rule of threes” is still adhered to, though.
Recognize the Carlyle? It was featured in The Birdcage.
What about this building? It was featured in There’s Something About Mary. Can you tell how Art Deco is getting softer and curvier? This is the Cordoza Hotel, owned by Gloria Estefan. (BTW, the blond in the lower right corner of the image is our guide.)
Another angle.
And moving on…
…we pass the Cavalier…
… and come to the Winter Haven, at one time owned by Al Capone.
Note the classic elements of Art Deco design in the building: the threes, the straight lines, the Zigaruts (modified, apparently, to look like waves).
We decided to go inside and have a look around.
Completely restored, the Winter Haven looks very much like it did when it was built in 1938.
Back outside, we noticed that even the beach’s bathrooms look Art Deco.
Of course, there were more buildings to see on the tour, and I’ll show them to you, but this — by and large — marks the end of the strip of “classic” Art Deco buildings.
As I mentioned, this tour is highly recommended, as you learn all sorts of interesting tid-bits. For example:
The phrase “Art Deco” was used first in 1966.
Up until the 1980s, Art Deco buildings were not painted bright pastels. When Michael Mann was shooting Miami Vice, he thought the scenery would have more pop if the buildings were brightly colored. Consequently, he told property owners that if they painted their exteriors, the buildings would be on TV. They obliged, and the rest is history. Today, South Beach is the second-most-visited part of Florida — right behind Disney. Who knows what the area would look like if Mann hadn’t spoken up?
The Map Network is a killer application that puts interesting, relevant information on maps and presents them in an unbelievably easy-to-use, interactive format. In addition to mapping destinations like San Francisco, the Network also maps events, like the 2007 Consumer Electronics Show. (Okay, so the map is still a map of Vegas, but it’s tailored to the interests of CES attendees.)
The maps in the Network allow users to zoom in and out, place markers, and print. But the maps also have gobs of data embedded in them, and by clicking a box, the map will zoom out, re-center, and zoom in on your selections. It’s all very Google Earth-ish, though not quite as tricky. For example, in under 60 seconds, I learned that the next time I head to South Beach, I can visit the Wolfsonian Museum, have dinner at 8½, enjoy after-dinner drinks at Club Deep, and rest my weary, sun-soaked head at the Anglers Boutique Resort — all just three blocks from the beach, and without any driving, since the map clearly shows that those places are all within easy walking distance.
Though the entire planet hasn’t been mapped yet, several dozen US destinations have been mapped. Also, bear in mind that USA Today’s City Guides have been mashed with the maps, so there’s actually lots more information on the Network than appears at first glance.
There was a tremendous out of activity going on here at Gadling this week. There were mentions of huge music festivals; silly hitchhiker’s auctioning off their names and enough Valentine’s suggestions to eliminate any and all excuses. We understand that you may have missed something in the frenzy and so now it is time to catch-up. Here are some picks hand plucked by me that are worth viewing once more.
5. How Was the NFL Experience?: Those of use who were either snowed in or couldn’t get closer than our television sets to experience some of the NFL Superbowl action down in Miami for some reason or another, can now check out Willy’s play-by-play coverage for the NFL Experience. The event wasn’t exactly the big game, but sports lovers may find this one inspiring enough to experience it on their own next year.
3. Army of Bjork: Round of sound to Erik for giving Bjork some additional play with this video found on Travelistic. I never knew of this event until recently which looks to be held annually in Brooklyn so for all the other Bjork fans and people-watchers I hope that this one comes in handy.
2. How to Buy An Island: C’mon, who doesn’t want their own little chunk of land off a beautiful turquoise ocean? If I had the dough I’d surely grab my own tropical island or two. If you’re a bit closer to making it a reality than I am check out this easy two step plan to get one.
1. Backing up your Travel Journal: Always looking for a plan B, C, or Q to backing up your photos and precious travel works? Neil points worry-warts and smart-thinkers alike to a nice cheap gadget that can back up your goodies in addition to other back up methods. I’ve never heard of this one, but it sounds worth a try.
After leaving the NFL Experience, we headed to Miami’s fashionable South Beach. In honor of the Superbowl, the City shut down several miles of Ocean Avenue, so visitors could enjoy the trendy area without worrying that oncoming traffic might slam into them. Thoughtful, eh?
When we arrived in Miami, the first thing we did was drive around for nearly 2 hours looking for a parking space. It was a total mess — cars were everywhere. We finally found a spot in a public lot a few blocks north of Ocean Avenue. We pulled in, got our things, and tried to feed the meter. Unfortunately, the meter was broken and wouldn’t accept any coins. What to do? Should we continue driving and look for another spot with a working meter? Or should we risk it, hoping we wouldn’t get ticketed — or towed? We decided to chance it. I thought that if I shoved a coin in the mouth of the meter, the Parking Meter person would realize the problem and forgive me.
So off we went. Walking along the beach, we made our way to Ocean Avenue.
The first thing we noticed was all the people. From the hotels, bars, and restaurants on the west side of the street, spilling across Ocean Avenue and onto the park on the east side of the street, there were people everywhere.
Some of the people were working…
…some of the people were prostletyzing…
…but most of the people were just relaxing and enjoying themselves.
We wandered around for a while, checking out the art deco buildings. We also stopped — like everyone else! — to imagine what kind of kickin’ party must be going on inside the Versace Mansion, which had clearly been rented out for the weekend. The Versace mansion is the only private residence on Ocean Avenue, and probably the most famous stop along this hallowed trail.
Of course, there were some particapants who didn’t look all that happy to be in the middle of this seething mass of humanity.
While others seemed very happy to be outside, in the fresh air, surrounded by people.
Generally speaking, though, everyone was excited for the Big Game — including us. Drinks were flowing. People were smiling. The air was thick with anticipation.
Finally, just before sunset, we returned to the parking lot. Was my car still there? Yes. had I received a ticket? Nope. Maybe the Parking Lot Gods were smiling down upon me, forgiving me for those two hours I had spent earlier, driving aimlessly, searching for a spot.