Miami Undiscovered

Meet the man behind the South Beach pastels!

Leonard Eugene Lazar Horowitz was a young furniture designer from New York, who created window displays for Bloomingdale’s and studied architecture. When Horowitz was 29, his father cut him off financially as he was never completely accepting of the fact that Leonard was openly gay. This prompted him to move to South Beach to live with his mother.

In Miami, he met Barbara Baer Capitman. They both shared a passion for preservation, design and Art Deco buildings. Horowitz helped Capitman co-found the Miami Design Preservation League in 1976, which became the oldest Art Deco society in the world. They got to work on getting South Beach into the National Register of Historic Places.

Wanting to save the beachfront from aging structures and to highlight its Art Deco buildings’ unique designs, he created a pastel color palette to be used for painting South Beach’s weathered, forgotten buildings. Horowitz said, “…I’ll do the frosting on the cake…”

Horowitz then tested out these colors on Friedman’s Bakery on the corner of 7th and Washington Avenue. The initial reactions were not too positive. “I hate that building, it looks like a whorehouse”, was often heard. But building by building, Leonard won over the neighborhood. And in November 1982, Friedman’s Bakery was featured on the cover of Progressive Architecture magazine.

“I formulated my palette on the basis of sunset, sunrise, the summer and winter oceans and the sand on the beach,” he said. Horowitz’s tropical colors attracted international attention, as Art Deco building after building were restored in his pastel palette.

As a result, South Beach became a popular backdrop for photo and model shoots as well as TV shows like Miami Vice. In 1985, the Breakwater hotel was chosen by photographer Bruce Weber, for an iconic photo shoot and commercial for Calvin Klein’s perfume “Obsession”.

In 2018, the new LGBTQ crosswalk was designed on the corner of 12th Street and Ocean Drive inspired by Leonard Horowitz’s color palette and is now part of the DNA of the Art Deco District.

Sadly, four years later in May 1989, Horowitz died at age 43. A bunch of Leonard’s friends got together and went out on a boat along Ocean Drive and scattered his ashes in the ocean, looking at the Art Deco hotels on Ocean Drive. His love for Art Deco is why South Beach looks the way it does today.

✨️Get the best travel tips, must-see sights, unique hidden gems, secret locations that most tourists miss, complete with helpful maps and itineraries.

You can gain lifetime access to the comprehensive Undiscovered Miami Travel Guide, including future updates, for just U$D10 and enjoy Miami like a true local unlocking a richer and more authentic travel experience!✨️

Head over to our Miami Guide at:
https://www.rexby.com/SobeachTours/miamibeach/things-to-do

Discover one of Miami's Best Hidden Gems: Stiltsville!

A collection of colorful wooden houses built on pillars above the waters of Biscayne Bay! These homes have a wild history which includes gambling and intense partying during prohibition.

📍 BOOTLEGGERS & RUMRUNNERS

In the 1920's and 30's these houses on the water, served as an outpost for smugglers during prohibition. The first of a string of iconic houses was built by the legendary “Crawfish Eddy”, who used the sale of beer and fishing supplies - at that time legal one mile offshore - as a front for a gambling operation. Crawfish Eddy's shack also became a hideaway for those wanting to stay off the radar of local law enforcement.

📍 SPEAKEASIES & GENTLEMEN'S CLUBS

By the 1940’s Stiltsville had established invite-only speakeasies and gentlemen’s clubs like the Calvert and Quarterdeck clubs catering to Miami’s affluent elite. The Calvert Club quickly became a major destination for jet-setters visiting Miami. Even Florida’s governor, LeRoy Collins, spent time in Stiltsville in the 1950’s along with local politicians who frequented the houses.

📍 THE ILLICIT BIKINI CLUB

During its heyday in the 1950’s and 60’s there were about 27 houses in Stiltsville, the Shangri-La and Bikini clubs were popular watering holes. A local con man, Harry Churchville, grounded a 150’ yacht along Stiltsville, called it the Bikini Club, and began offering $1 memberships and free booze to bikini-clad women topped off by n**e sunbathing on the upper deck of the yacht. Churchville sold illegal liquor and was known to poach lobster out of season to supply his club.

📍 MIAMI VICE

By the early 1990’s there were 14 Stiltsville houses remaining in the shallows of Biscayne Bay, passed down through the generations by family members but now under the jurisdiction of the Biscayne National Park. Hurricane Andrew in 1992 reduced the Stiltsville houses to the 7 that remain today. The houses have been featured in films and TV shows including Miami Vice.

The only boat tour companies licensed to take visitors to Stiltsville are:

📌 Ocean Force Adventures, https://oceanforceadventures.com
📌 Biscayne National Park Institute - Stiltsville Tour, https://www.biscaynenationalparkinstitute.org/stiltsville-guided-tour-from-coconut-grove
📌 History Miami Museum - Stiltsville Cruise, https://historymiami.org/events
📌 Island Queen Private Charter, https://islandqueencruises.com/private-charters/private-cruises/stiltsville-cruises

✨️Start planning your Miami adventure today with the Undiscovered Miami Travel Guide!

This guide is designed to help visitors experience Miami beyond the usual tourist spots. It’s a curated collection of experiences that go beyond the typical attractions. Get the best travel tips, must-see sights, unique hidden gems, secret locations that most tourists miss, complete with helpful maps and itineraries.

You can gain lifetime access to the comprehensive Undiscovered Miami Travel Guide, including future updates, for just U$D10. This one-time purchase will provide you with ongoing access to the best of Miami. It’s a fantastic way to get in the know and enjoy Miami like a true local unlocking a richer and more authentic travel experience!✨️

Head over to our Miami Guide at:
https://www.rexby.com/SobeachTours/miamibeach/things-to-do

GAFIEIRA RIO MIAMI FREE CONCERT!

Miami Beach OnStage! in partnership with the Global Arts Project presents Gafieira Rio Miami, an 11-piece Brazilian big band created by Diogo Brown. Gafieira Rio Miami fuses samba, jazz and soul inspired by the joyous, 20th century Rio de Janeiro ballroom dance music known as “samba de gafieira”.

📍 Normandy Fountain Plaza, 7802 Rue Vendome, Miami Beach

⌛️ Sunday, September 3 @ 7:00 PM - Free

For more events, go to our Events page at 👇
WWW.SOBEACHTOURS.COM

Be in the know!

If you are eager to experience the most iconic Art Deco sites in the city, its history and legacy from past to present, this tour is the one for you!

From historic Art Deco hotels that line up famous Ocean Drive to landmark gems off the main road in the Miami Architectural District, we've crafted the perfect itinerary to ensure you get the most of Miami's Art Deco in one unforgettable tour.

Revel in a small group walk with your dedicated guide through the most beautiful examples of Art Deco architecture in Miami Beach, wander the interiors of historic hotels and other heritage structures, get to know Hollywood film locations that made Miami famous, and enjoy exclusive access for a much more memorable experience.

But we are not just any walking tour, we are here to provide you with an elevated and complete experience. At the end of the tour, you will leave with insider tips and tricks from your guide on dining, attractions, activities and other tours that will give you the knowledge you need to make the most of your time in Miami.

Take a walk with us! Book now at 👇
WWW.SOBEACHTOURS.COM