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Florida City - 3 bedroom and 3 baths, family kitchen with eating area and large entertainment room. The kitchen has loads of dark maple cabinetry for storage, walk in pantry, five burner gas stove, island with veggie sink and loads of granite. The master suite has large walk in closet and bath has a large soaking tub, over-sized shower and 2 vanity sinks. View More Listings -->
Renting an Apartment in Florida City
Florida City is a city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The
population was 7,843 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by
the U.S. Census Bureau is 8,363.
The city lies to the west of, and is contiguous with, Homestead. Both cities
suffered catastrophic damage in August 1992, when Hurricane Andrew struck South
Florida.
The city originated as a land promotion named Detroit. There were no buildings
in the area when the first thirty families arrived in 1910, and they had to stay
in Homestead until their houses could be built. The name was changed to Florida
City when the town incorporated in 1914. It has a small historic area, but much
of the city is hotels and other tourist facilities.
The city is at the eastern end of the only road running through the Everglades
National Park, which terminates at Flamingo. Florida City is the southernmost
city in the United States which is not on an island. It is also the last stop on
the mainland north of the Florida Keys.
Florida City is situated mostly atop a limestone ridge called the Miami Rock
Ridge that extends south from present day North Miami Beach to a location in
Everglades National Park. The ridge, consisting of Miami Limestone, serves as
the higher ground within the community. The ridge extended from northeast to
southwest across the city. The old location of the Florida East Coast Railway
track marks the approximate boundary of the location of the limestone ridge
south of Davis Parkway. The range of elevation of the ridge is from 5 to 8 feet
above sea level.
Prior to settlement, the ridge was vegetated by South Florida Slash Pine trees,
which were alternatively known as "Dade County Pine" (Pinus elliottii var. densa).
(Remnants of these pines can be seen today in local parks and in Everglades
National Park at the Long Pine Key picnic area.) These pine rocklands were
crushed by equipment and converted to farmland during the 1900s. Tomatoes,
squash, and other truck crops were grown in the area during the winter months
and packed at the Florida City State Farmers' Market near Krome Avenue and Palm
Drive, driving the local economy throughout the 1900s.
East of the natural ridge was a broad area of marshlands surrounding the area.
Old timers of Florida City called these coastal glades the "East Glade". This
was an extension of Everglades that extended from areas west and south of
Florida City to its east. East of the East Glade, marshlands gave way to
mangrove swamp prior to reaching Biscayne Bay. Soils in the East Glade primarily
consisted of a limey soil called Biscayne Marl.
Development schemes in the East Glade led to the construction of canals in the
early 1900s. This led to a lowering of water tables. Although development the
East Glade was not extensive prior to the 1980s, agricultural development did
occur. Potatoes were the primary crop grown in the East Glade prior to the
construction of extensive housing developments within the areas annexed by the
City of Homestead in the late 1970s. Potatoes were mostly harvested from
February to March.
Florida City was historically dissected by a slough. Sloughs were commonly found
crossing the limestone ridge at a roughly perpendicular angle from Miami to
Florida City. Florida City's slough (officially called "Long Slough" or "Long
Glade Slough") entered the city near Redland Road and Lucy Street, and extended
across the city to the southeast to a location near today's NW 3rd Street and NW
3rd Avenue. East of that point, the slough entered the East Glade.
Long Slough was a slow flowing body of water that originated in the Everglades
just south of the Homestead General Airport. As canals were constructed in the
1900s, and especially the 1960s, the slough was drained and became a low valley
in the limestone ridge. Roadways (such as Redland Road near West Homestead
Elementary School, NW 6th Avenue north of Davis Parkway, and NW 3rd Avenue about
fifty feet north of NW 3rd Street) had culverts constructed under them to allow
water to pass through the slough. NW 4th Street east of NW 5th Avenue dead ended
near the approximate location where a fictional NW 4th Avenue would intersect
that street. During the late 1980s the street was constructed to reach NW 3rd
Avenue since water in the slough had been drained away. Eventually fill was
added to the slough and it was destroyed.
Extensive filling operations were conducted in Long Slough near NW 3rd Avenue in
the late 1970s. Fill was obtained as waste rock from a nearby rock cutting
operation (utilizing Key Largo Limestone, a local coral rock) and was allowed to
be dumped in the location by the landowners. Today, this portion of Long Slough
serves as a housing development.
An additional natural feature existed along Davis Parkway, extending into the
Florida City Camper Park. This feature was a live oak/tropical hammock. The
under story of the hammock was cleared for the camper park, but much of the
hammock remained undisturbed to the south of Davis Parkway and NW 1st Road prior
to the late 1970s.
Florida City today serves as the southern terminus of the Florida Turnpike.
Motels and eateries are located along US 1 prior to taking the highway south
into the Florida Keys. Along with serving as the mainland entrance to the
Florida Keys, Florida City also serves as the gateway to the main section of
Everglades National Park.