The Neighborhood of the Brickell

Community Info

Brickell is a neighborhood located just a tiny bit south of Downtown Miami. It is bounded by the Miami River to the north, SW 26th Road to the south, I-95 to the west and the bay to the east. Developed by one of Miami’s de facto founders, the Brickell Family, it is one of the area’s fastest growing communities. It is a business and financial center with a high concentration of upscale luxury condos. Energetic and youthful, it is a fun place to live and work.

Here are just a few things that make the Brickell neighborhood stand out:

It’s city living: Brickell is a tropical version of Manhattan or downtown Chicago – rife with bars, restaurants, shops just outside your door. So if you need a big city lifestyle this is your neighborhood. Hands down Miami’s most urban experience.

Get rid of your car: Really. Brickell is one of the few neighborhoods that can boast car-less living. If you live and work anywhere near Brickell – like Downtown Miami or Coconut Grove – you can skip the car and auto insurance payment. Public transportation and ride-sharing will get you there inexpensively.

Access to cultural events and organizations: Brickell itself, is more about the urban lifestyle. But nearby you have some of Miami’s best places to explore history, art, music, theater, and science. Dive into Miami’s rich history at HistoryMiami or catch a musical at the Adrienne Arsht Center – just a few minutes by Metro Rail. Want something a little more interactive? Hit the Frost Science Museum. Pursue your intellectual fancies.

A short history of the Brickell neighborhood:

  • Brickell was founded by Miami’s premier settlers, William and Mary Brickell, who moved to Miami in 1871 and opened a trading post at the mouth of the Miami River.
  • Brickell was not always filled with skyscrapers. It got its start as “the” spot for the winter homes of the rich and famous. Millionaires Row residents included politician William Jennnings Bryan and artist/designer Louis Comfort Tiffany, heir of Tiffany and Co.
  • Brickell is home to most of the consulates in the state of Florida – a diplomatic mega-hub.
  • It’s also the center of Latin American finance, with dozens of international banks from Central and South America.

Restaurants & Attractions

Some of our favorite places to dine around Brickell:

Sugar: Located at the rooftop of the East Miami Hotel, 40-stories into the Miami sky, you have Sugar. The environment is amazing – with the garden’s lush greenery engulfing the asian inspired decor – you’ll feel like you just reached the top of a monastery dedicated to bohemian rapture. Too much? It’s an ultra-hip bar and restaurant, with the Brickell skyline as your backdrop, to experience with your friends.

La Mar: This acclaimed Peruvian restaurant let by chef-restaurateur Gaston Acurio, if you are a ceviche-lover, you can thank Acurio for mainstreaming it in the US. Located in the luxurious Mandarin Hotel on Brickell Key, it is one of Miami’s culinary gems. GO ahead and try anything, and let the leche de tigre bring out the best in you. Plus, you are at the Mandarin. Spa day?

Marion: New American cuisine and champagne? It’s not an everyday thing, but something you should enjoy at least once. The Marion has created a Thursday night event that does just that. A cozy ambiance enhanced by DJ’s stirring the air with chill music, you’ll love the meticulously designed environment.

Favorite things to do in and around Brickell:

Mall Hopping: Brickell is home to TWO of Miami’s most loved luxury malls. Brickell Center and Mary Brickell Village. So if you’re a shopaholic or an insatiable foodie, prepare to be overwhelmed. You have your typical anchors – like Apple, PF Chang’s, MAC Cosmetics – and so much more. Enjoy.

Miami Circle: This archeological find is special in many ways. One, it’s the first evidence of a permanent structure on the east coast (it was built by the Tequesta Tribe). Two, it’s almost 2000 years old. That means it predates anything we know of on the east coast. And three, it was declared a National Historic Landmark in 2009. Get in touch with your roots with a little prehistory, the land before they could google how to build a home.

Simpson Park Hammock: Ever wonder what Miami was like before people? Catch a glimpse of what that was like by visiting Simpson Park, one of the last remaining tracts of Brickell Hammock. Both an urban park and a nature preserve, it is home to 15 endangered plant species and 9 threatened plant species. Go take a walk – pioneer style.

Brickell Avenue: The main road of the Brickell neighborhood, it is nicknamed the “Wall Street of the South.” Among the high-rise office buildings and residential condominiums, this quarter mile stretch of road is one of Miami’s most popular nightlife destinations. On top of the myriad bars and restaurants you can patronize, there are some historic places. You can visit the Brickell Mausoleum and pay your respects to the family that made it happen – or tour Villa Serena, one of the last remaining mansions “Millionaire’s Mile,” and home of former Secretary of State William Jennings Bryan.

Brickell Demographics

  • There are 27,776 people living in Brickell.
  • The median age for men is 38.4 years old, 40.6 years old for women.
  • The average family size had 2.6 members.
  • Median household income is $125,500.00

Distance to popular areas
South Beach: 8.7 miles
Design District: 6 miles
Midtown: 6.1 mile
Wynwood: 3.4 miles
Downtown Miami: 1.2 miles
Brickell City Center: 1.1 miles
Miami International Airport: 8.6 miles
Aventura Mall: 18.7 miles

Neighborhood Schools

Elementary schools
Southside Elementary School, for Brickell children
Riverside Elementary School, for CBD children
Frederick Douglass Elementary School, for CBD children
Phillis Wheatley Elementary School, for Arts & Entertainment District and Edgewater children
Downtown Miami Charter School
Southside Elementary School
Miami Children’s Museum School
Bridgepoint Academy of Greater Miami (Charter)

Middle schools
Shenandoah Middle School, for Brickell children
José de Diego Middle School, for CBD, Arts & Entertainment District and Edgewater children
High schools (open to all Downtown residents):
Young Women’s Preparatory School, all-girls
Young Men’s Preparatory School, all-boys

High schools
Law Enforcement Officers’ Memorial High School, magnet school
New World School of the Arts, arts magnet school
Booker T. Washington High School

Colleges and universities
Miami Dade College (Wolfson Campus)
Florida International University (Downtown Center)
Miami International University of Art & Design
Miami Culinary Institute

Private:
Holy Spirit Church & Inst / Miami Beach Academy – Grades PK-1

Are you in love with Brickell?

Email or call me (305.318.8557) to learn more, talk about what’s available and hopefully visit a few of these amazing homes. I can’t wait to show you around.