Collins Avenue History

Collins Avenue: A Look Back

It took Collins Avenue less than a century to progress from a tropical wilderness to one of the most famous thoroughfares in the world. And today, Riu Hotel on Collins Ave. near South Beach welcomes visitors from around the globe.

It was in the 1880s that a New Jersey businessman named John Collins invested in a coconut-farming operation at the southern tip of what is today Miami Beach. Although the venture went nowhere, Collins and his family had another idea: Create a winter resort in Miami, Florida and sell the land to homebuyers. The plan really took off when a wooden bridge was built to connect the island to the mainland. The rest, as they say, is history.

By 1920, Miami Beach had over 600 residents, and John Collins’ ads in northern newspapers were drawing more people all the time. Despite a 1926 hurricane that set the area back, construction exploded on Miami Beach, and by the 1930s, the famed Art Deco District was flourishing. Today, the distinctive architectural style still draws multitudes from around the world to behold its graceful curves and vibrant colors.

Running parallel to the beach, Collins Avenue was lined with glamorous new hotels and Miami, Florida oceanfront estates. One of the local landmarks was already several years old. In 1914, Joe and Jennie Weiss had opened a small wooden restaurant, the main dish of which gave it its name — Joe’s Stone Crab Restaurant. It is still a “must-stop” destination for countless visitors.

As the Collins Avenue area grew to become one of the world’s premier vacation spots, it drew both the noteworthy and the notorious. Al Capone hung out there, as did the Beatles, Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr. and many other showbiz luminaries. Famous hotels drew tourists to the fun and sun of Miami Beach like a magnet.

Over the years, though, the lower Collins Avenue area fell into disrepair. But in the 1980s, the
Art Deco District earned a listing in the National Register of Historic Places and a revitalization effort gained steam. The end result can be seen today in a vibrant center of entertainment, dining and shopping that once again attracts visitors from the world over.

All the magic of Collins Avenue lies beyond the doors of Hotel Riu in Miami, Florida. Experience the glamour and history of Miami at our luxury hotel on Collins Ave. near South Beach.