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A Brief History of Miami - Part 3
A Brief History of Miami - Part 3
Miami Today
From its humble beginnings, Miami has developed into a great city with a fine University, and many cultural and educational institutions. Glistening skyscrapers have appeared, and many more are being constructed. In fact Miami has the most buildings over 500 ft, under construction, in the United States. It is still growing, and is the 45th largest city in the US. It has many wonderful shopping malls, and is an important cultural and financial centre.
One of its most fascinating buildings is the Bank of America Tower in downtown Miami, which is 47 storeys high, and soars to 625 ft (191m). It is a dramatic building, with 3 glass tiers, but it is notable for its amazing night time illuminations, which boast multiple colour schemes. These change according to certain holidays and seasons. St Patrick’s Day, for example, finds it lit up in green, whilst Valentine’s Day sees it a bright pink. Of course, American Independence Day sees it lit up in red white and blue, whilst Columbus Day finds it illuminated in red white and green, like the Italian flag. It can even be decorated with snowflakes in the Christmas season. The tower has luxurious interiors, which abound with marble and gold, and there is even the world’s only elevated metro station.
The Port of Miami, which is home to one of the largest collections of cruise ships in the world, and which attracts many million vacationers, continues to expand and is the largest cruise ship port in the world. Miami International Airport is one of the busiest in the world, with over 35 million passengers a year passing through its terminals. It is a major hub and the single largest gateway for American Airlines, being the third largest international port of entry in the US for foreign passengers.
Miami is also home to many famous people who are drawn to this cosmopolitan city which has such a wonderful climate. From Sylvester Stallone, to Billy Joel, Shakira to Ricky Martin, Madonna to Cher, Julio Iglesias to Matt Damon, Gloria Esterfan to the Bee Gees, Nicolas Cage to Whitney Houston, Miami is the playground of some of the most famous celebrities in the world. But it is also the headquarters of many important national and multi-national corporations, such as American Airlines. Carnival Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, Burger King, Bacardi, Sony, FedEx and Microsoft.
Miami has been the backdrop to many movies – including the James Bond films ‘Goldfinger, ’ ‘Casino Royale, ’ and ‘Thunderball’ as well as ‘There is Something about Mary, ’ ‘Bad Boys’ and ‘Bad Boys II, ’ and of course ‘Miami Vice. ’ The popular sitcom, ‘Golden Girls’ was also based in Miami Beach, as was ‘Nip/Tuck’ and ‘CSI Miami. ’ It is also the centre for many Latin American films and TV productions.
Of course, tourism is at the heart of Miami and its districts. Not only does it have stunning beaches, but the Art Deco district of South Beach attracts people from all over the United States and the world. There are miles of golden sands, fascinating buildings, museums, a marina and many shopping malls.
If you are lucky enough to have time to visit Miami you will find it a fascinating and diverse place. Whenever we fly into Miami we are always held spellbound by the stunning coastline, with its intracoastal waterways and golden beaches spread out below. As we make our final approach we often pass over the Port of Miami, and if we are lucky we can see the glistening white liners, waiting to sail off to the Caribbean. But flying out of Miami at night is truly magical – with its sparkling city lights below, it looks like a giant twinkling tapestry. As the aircraft soars high into the sky, the panorama below is breathtaking. No wonder people return again and again.
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