There are many reasons to consider Opa-Locka, Florida as a relocation destination or a fun and exciting place to enjoy an active retirement. The real estate market continues to be on the rise, with many options for buyers of all budgets. A few attractive items are no state income taxes, no inheritance tax, and warm weather most of the year. Opa-Locka has wide paths for relaxing afternoon strolls through its historic downtown area, as well as bike lanes and shopping at quaint boutiques. The Atlantic Ocean’s beautiful views are a short distance away to make Opa-Locka a fantastic place to invest in real estate.
Not far away from Opa-Locka are exciting cities in Florida, such as Fort Lauderdale, Davie, Cooper City, Hallandale, Plantation, Pembroke Pines & Dania Beach. These cities and the surrounding areas are excellent places, whether you’re looking to visit or a place to call home. Opa-Locka is within close proximity to culture and nightlife options whether you seek a relaxing tree line sidewalk cafes, a late night jazz clubs or exclusive boutique stores. Opa-Locka is located south of Fort Lauderdale and Dania Beach, east of Davie & Pembroke Pines north of Hallandale. The city is close to great and scenic stretch of the Atlantic Ocean meeting its shores.
Opa-Locka was settled, as much of the area, around the 1920's. This gives the town some old world charm, but still features contemporary attitudes and a small town feel. Luxury high rise buildings tower east of Opa-Locka along the beach, and upscale homes have been developed along the Intracoastal Waterway. A re-vamped downtown offers live jazz, sushi bars and art galleries. At the same time, there are plenty of sports bars and casual spots amenities as well.
According to recent reports, 569 condominium or town home units in the Opa-Locka area. Because 24 are bank owned, there are many affordable options for first time homeowners or those snowbirds looking for retirement options. Other figures include the 69 condos that are under short sale arrangements, and 476 are from regular equity sellers. The same area within Opa-Locka also has 205 sold condos in recent, and out of those, 57 were bank owned, 27 were short sales and 121 regular sales.
Short sales are interesting number's game, to some a gamble. Regular sales typically surpass bank owned sales by a slide. There is an abundance of housing inventory options available, however. There are a few reasons that regular sellers compete with bank owned properties and going head to head with current market values to take advantage of the lower prices. But the arrangement is still a gamble.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Top Opa-locka, Florida Restaurants
Opa-Locka, Florida is an excellent city that is in close proximity to some of the finest restaurants and casual eateries in the region. Little Havana Restaurant is at 12727 Biscayne Boulevard in nearby North Miami. The Cuban food is delicious, with large portions, and the service is friendly, kind, and helpful. House specialties include the Chicken Steak with Mushrooms and Onions. Most dishes are accompanied by the standard rice, beans, and plantains, which are wonderfully cooked. The Tres Leches Cake is a fantastic option for dessert. The restaurant features a beautiful décor that focuses on its Cuban heritage with vintage Cuban posters.
Cote Gourmet is another exotic cuisine, and this spot focuses on French style and cooking. The Eggplant mousse with strawberry coulis is an excellent appetizer option. Guests rave about the fresh caught Tilapia entree served with balsamic glaze, rice topped with fresh dill, and lemon wedges. Fresh, hot baguettes are complimentary for diners. The prices at Cote Gourmet are quite reasonable prices: Entrees range from $12 to $16, the amazing Crepes are around $10 and sandwiches are under $10. One must-have item on the menu is the Seafood Linguine drizzled in Lobster Bisque. The bisque is buttery, subtle, and packed with flavor. The mussels mingling in the linguini are perfectly done, as are the jumbo shrimp and sweet scallops. For dessert, try the Chocolate Mousse, served on a bed of crushed hazelnut pieces. This is a light and not too sweet ending to a perfect meal.
At Cote Gourmet, the atmosphere is cozy and romantic, with a laid-back and comfortable feel. Styled must like a French café in the hear of Paris, the dining room has white tables, tied linen napkins, white tablecloths, and roses. Aside from the amazing food, it is important to note the amazing service from the service staff which is top notch. The knowledgeable wine stewards make ordering wine easy and fun. They know how to help guests pick the right wine, and even will offer to offer tastings from multiple bottles with a blind taste.
In addition to the diverse menu, Cote Gourmet features number of specials on a daily basis. One favorite of Opa-locka guests that shows upon the menu often is the freshly made tarts with a tomato base, topped with baked goat cheese with a beautiful salad on the side.
Cote Gourmet is another exotic cuisine, and this spot focuses on French style and cooking. The Eggplant mousse with strawberry coulis is an excellent appetizer option. Guests rave about the fresh caught Tilapia entree served with balsamic glaze, rice topped with fresh dill, and lemon wedges. Fresh, hot baguettes are complimentary for diners. The prices at Cote Gourmet are quite reasonable prices: Entrees range from $12 to $16, the amazing Crepes are around $10 and sandwiches are under $10. One must-have item on the menu is the Seafood Linguine drizzled in Lobster Bisque. The bisque is buttery, subtle, and packed with flavor. The mussels mingling in the linguini are perfectly done, as are the jumbo shrimp and sweet scallops. For dessert, try the Chocolate Mousse, served on a bed of crushed hazelnut pieces. This is a light and not too sweet ending to a perfect meal.
At Cote Gourmet, the atmosphere is cozy and romantic, with a laid-back and comfortable feel. Styled must like a French café in the hear of Paris, the dining room has white tables, tied linen napkins, white tablecloths, and roses. Aside from the amazing food, it is important to note the amazing service from the service staff which is top notch. The knowledgeable wine stewards make ordering wine easy and fun. They know how to help guests pick the right wine, and even will offer to offer tastings from multiple bottles with a blind taste.
In addition to the diverse menu, Cote Gourmet features number of specials on a daily basis. One favorite of Opa-locka guests that shows upon the menu often is the freshly made tarts with a tomato base, topped with baked goat cheese with a beautiful salad on the side.
Fun Activities and Historic Landmarks of Opalocka, Florida
Due to its location within the largest metropolitan area in the state of Florida, the Opa-Locka area has numerous fun and exciting sightseeing opportunities and attractions. The nearby Miami Seaquarium, at 4400 Rickenbacker Causeway in Miami, is a fantastic spot for both tourists and residents. The park offers world-class marine life shows and attractions, one of which spotlights “Lolita” the Killer Whale. TV superstar Flipper also provides daily thrills, while dolphins from both the Atlantic and Pacific soar with highflying acrobatics. Kids will love to play with the comical Salty and his laughable band of sea lions, while discovering the serene beauty of the endangered Florida manatee. Salty’s Pirate Playground is great fun with cool and splashy activities for kids.
Another educational attraction for the children in Miami Children's Museum, at 980 Macarthur Causeway in Miami. The facility is dedicated to enriching the lives of all children throughout the world with a focus on fostering a love of learning and enabling children to realize their highest potential. Visitors of all ages are encouraged to play together, learn, imagine and create. The museum offers hundreds of bilingual, interactive exhibits, daily programs, classes, restaurants, Kid Smart their educational gift shop and learning materials related to arts, culture, community and communication.
Monkey Jungle is at 14805 S.W. 216 Street in Miami, a quick drive away from Opa-locka. With a park motto of “Where Humans Are Caged And Monkeys Run Wild,” guests can escape on a jungle safari. Visitors enjoy the wilds of South America, Asia and Africa to witness crab-eating monkeys diving for treats. Or, jump into the depths of the lush, tropical, Amazonian Rainforest filled with hundreds of exotic monkeys. There are behind the scenes Amazonian Rainforest Adventure Tours, where guests cross a slow running stream to a bridge over a large natural sinkhole to view a living laboratory. The scene seems to come alive, which enables an experience the unique thrill of being immersed within a large troop of squirrel monkeys and Black Capped Capuchin monkeys.
Another educational attraction for the children in Miami Children's Museum, at 980 Macarthur Causeway in Miami. The facility is dedicated to enriching the lives of all children throughout the world with a focus on fostering a love of learning and enabling children to realize their highest potential. Visitors of all ages are encouraged to play together, learn, imagine and create. The museum offers hundreds of bilingual, interactive exhibits, daily programs, classes, restaurants, Kid Smart their educational gift shop and learning materials related to arts, culture, community and communication.
Monkey Jungle is at 14805 S.W. 216 Street in Miami, a quick drive away from Opa-locka. With a park motto of “Where Humans Are Caged And Monkeys Run Wild,” guests can escape on a jungle safari. Visitors enjoy the wilds of South America, Asia and Africa to witness crab-eating monkeys diving for treats. Or, jump into the depths of the lush, tropical, Amazonian Rainforest filled with hundreds of exotic monkeys. There are behind the scenes Amazonian Rainforest Adventure Tours, where guests cross a slow running stream to a bridge over a large natural sinkhole to view a living laboratory. The scene seems to come alive, which enables an experience the unique thrill of being immersed within a large troop of squirrel monkeys and Black Capped Capuchin monkeys.
Monday, June 27, 2011
Climate and Storm History of Opa-locka, Florida
Opa-locka, Florida is a region that experiences a tropical monsoon climate, which is also known as “Am” under the Köppen climate classification. What this means is that the summers are hot and humid, and the winters are short and warm. There is a distinctly drier season in the winter months. Opa-locka’s sea-level elevation, location along the southern Atlantic Coast of Florida, subtropical position from the Equator, and proximity to the Gulf Stream are all instrumental in shaping the city’s climate.
In January, temperatures average around 67 degrees Fahrenheit, and the entire winter season is mild to warm. Any cool air that settles into the Opa-locka area usually originates after a cold front passes through from the west. This phenomenon produces most of the rainfall, which is still very minimal during the winter. Low temperatures in Opa-locka occasionally fall below 50 degrees Fahrenheit, though it is rare to see them in the freezing range or even dipping below 35 degrees Fahrenheit. Winter highs generally range between 70–77 degrees.
The wet season in Opa-locka develops in mid-May, and winds down in mid-October, and this period is characterized by higher temperatures. Generally, the wet season features temperatures in the mid 80s to low 90s degree range in Opa-locka. High humidity complements these temperatures, though there is some respite from the heat and humidity: Many Opa-locka afternoons result in thunderstorms or pleasant sea breezes that develops off the Atlantic Ocean. The majority of the year’s average 56 inches of rainfall occurs during this period in Opa-locka. Extreme temperatures were recorded at 27 degrees Fahrenheit on February 3, 1917, and 100 degrees on July 21, 1940.
Hurricane season in Opa-locka officially starts June 1 and lasts through November 30. Still, hurricanes, tropical storms and tropical depressions can develop beyond these dates. The most likely time for Opa-locka to be hit is during mid-August through the end of September.
In January, temperatures average around 67 degrees Fahrenheit, and the entire winter season is mild to warm. Any cool air that settles into the Opa-locka area usually originates after a cold front passes through from the west. This phenomenon produces most of the rainfall, which is still very minimal during the winter. Low temperatures in Opa-locka occasionally fall below 50 degrees Fahrenheit, though it is rare to see them in the freezing range or even dipping below 35 degrees Fahrenheit. Winter highs generally range between 70–77 degrees.
The wet season in Opa-locka develops in mid-May, and winds down in mid-October, and this period is characterized by higher temperatures. Generally, the wet season features temperatures in the mid 80s to low 90s degree range in Opa-locka. High humidity complements these temperatures, though there is some respite from the heat and humidity: Many Opa-locka afternoons result in thunderstorms or pleasant sea breezes that develops off the Atlantic Ocean. The majority of the year’s average 56 inches of rainfall occurs during this period in Opa-locka. Extreme temperatures were recorded at 27 degrees Fahrenheit on February 3, 1917, and 100 degrees on July 21, 1940.
Hurricane season in Opa-locka officially starts June 1 and lasts through November 30. Still, hurricanes, tropical storms and tropical depressions can develop beyond these dates. The most likely time for Opa-locka to be hit is during mid-August through the end of September.
City of Opa-locka, Florida: General Information
As of the census of the 2007 conducted mid-decade census, there were 15,376 people, 5,190 households, and approximately 4,000 families residing in the city of Opa-locka, Florida. This translates into a population density was 3,451.9 inhabitants per square mile, with 5,407 housing units at an average density of 1,248.4 per square mile.
In these 5,190 households, 41.2% of residents were children under the age of 18 and 28.4% were married couples living together. The remaining households were female households heads in 35.2% of homes, and 29.7% were non-related people sharing a home. Individuals living along were in 24.8% of all households and 8.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household had 2.97 people living in it, and the average size of the family was 3.52.
Opa-locka’s emphasis toward residential homeownership is widely documented, as the city’s homestead exemption has increased significantly with construction of a planned townhouse community in the city. Also available is reasonable availability of rental units throughout the city. An increase in the median income of residents is projected wherein a household in the city will rise $7,000 to $32,000, and the median income for a family from $27,420 to $32,000. The census figures show that males had a median income of $22,347 versus $19,270 for females, while the per capita income for the city is approximately $15,000. Other evidence of increases in projected median income are that 31.5% of families and 35.2% of the population are rising above the poverty line.
As of the 2000 Census, Opa-locka had the forty-sixth highest percentage of residents of Cuban descent in the US, at 9.58% of its populace. It also had the forty-ninth highest percentage of Dominican residents in the US, and the fifty-second highest percentage of Haitian residents in the US. It also had the forty-third most Jamaicans in the US, while it had the nineteenth highest percentage of Nicaraguans, at 2.22% of all residents.
In these 5,190 households, 41.2% of residents were children under the age of 18 and 28.4% were married couples living together. The remaining households were female households heads in 35.2% of homes, and 29.7% were non-related people sharing a home. Individuals living along were in 24.8% of all households and 8.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household had 2.97 people living in it, and the average size of the family was 3.52.
Opa-locka’s emphasis toward residential homeownership is widely documented, as the city’s homestead exemption has increased significantly with construction of a planned townhouse community in the city. Also available is reasonable availability of rental units throughout the city. An increase in the median income of residents is projected wherein a household in the city will rise $7,000 to $32,000, and the median income for a family from $27,420 to $32,000. The census figures show that males had a median income of $22,347 versus $19,270 for females, while the per capita income for the city is approximately $15,000. Other evidence of increases in projected median income are that 31.5% of families and 35.2% of the population are rising above the poverty line.
As of the 2000 Census, Opa-locka had the forty-sixth highest percentage of residents of Cuban descent in the US, at 9.58% of its populace. It also had the forty-ninth highest percentage of Dominican residents in the US, and the fifty-second highest percentage of Haitian residents in the US. It also had the forty-third most Jamaicans in the US, while it had the nineteenth highest percentage of Nicaraguans, at 2.22% of all residents.
History of the City of Opa-locka, Florida
Opa-locka, Florida is a city located in Miami-Dade County, which had a population of 15,376 as recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau in 2005. The city was created by developer Glenn Curtiss and was based on an Arabian Nights theme, with streets names such as Sabur Lane, Sultan Avenue, Ali Baba Avenue, and Sesame Street. The city maintains the largest collection of Moorish Revival architecture in the Western hemisphere.
The name Opa-locka derives from the Native American name for the area, “Opa-tisha-woka-locka,” meaning, “The high land north of the little river on which there is a camping place.” It was eventually shortened to Opa-locka. The Moorish architecture theme that dominated early construction and architectural inspiration halted when the 1926 Miami hurricane badly damaged the city and brought the Florida land boom to a halt.
Other notable events and people that shaped Opa-locka as a city were that Amelia Earhart launched her historic trip around the world from Miami Municipal Airport, just south of the city. Also, the famous German dirigible Graf Zeppelin visited airport which later became Opa-locka Airport. This was part of a regular stop on the Germany-Brazil-United States-Germany scheduled route.
Opa-locka has been plagued by severe and continual increases violence in recent years, largely due to a significant decrease in police forces to patrol the city. Commentary in the Miami New Times said that the police department had been “steadily deteriorating” for the twenty year period leading up to 2009. The Opa-locka police force decreased from 50 to 16 during this time. The Miami New Times received memorandums which, in Godfrey's words, “reveal an agency rife with controversy.” In January 2005, after negative Florida Department of Law Enforcement evaluations of the Opa-locka police force surfaced, the Miami-Dade Police Department stepped in for analysis. The agent ultimately sent the Miami-Dade county commissioner a report that stated that it would cost $7 million per period to take over the Opa-locka police duties. Later that year, Opa-locka allocated $3.5 million to its officers and the city manager fired James Wright, the police chief, in January 2008 after people accused Wright of corruption.
The name Opa-locka derives from the Native American name for the area, “Opa-tisha-woka-locka,” meaning, “The high land north of the little river on which there is a camping place.” It was eventually shortened to Opa-locka. The Moorish architecture theme that dominated early construction and architectural inspiration halted when the 1926 Miami hurricane badly damaged the city and brought the Florida land boom to a halt.
Other notable events and people that shaped Opa-locka as a city were that Amelia Earhart launched her historic trip around the world from Miami Municipal Airport, just south of the city. Also, the famous German dirigible Graf Zeppelin visited airport which later became Opa-locka Airport. This was part of a regular stop on the Germany-Brazil-United States-Germany scheduled route.
Opa-locka has been plagued by severe and continual increases violence in recent years, largely due to a significant decrease in police forces to patrol the city. Commentary in the Miami New Times said that the police department had been “steadily deteriorating” for the twenty year period leading up to 2009. The Opa-locka police force decreased from 50 to 16 during this time. The Miami New Times received memorandums which, in Godfrey's words, “reveal an agency rife with controversy.” In January 2005, after negative Florida Department of Law Enforcement evaluations of the Opa-locka police force surfaced, the Miami-Dade Police Department stepped in for analysis. The agent ultimately sent the Miami-Dade county commissioner a report that stated that it would cost $7 million per period to take over the Opa-locka police duties. Later that year, Opa-locka allocated $3.5 million to its officers and the city manager fired James Wright, the police chief, in January 2008 after people accused Wright of corruption.
Monday, February 7, 2011
Hisorty of Opa-locka, Florida
Opa-locka was formed from the imaginative sight of Glenn Curtiss, an American aviation pioneer and also the founder of US aircraft industry. It is a small community lying in Northwestern part of Miami-Dade County in Florida. With an over-all area of 4.2 sq miles, Opa-locka founded as a town back in May 14, 1926.
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| Arabian nights theme. |
From the first given name of the land “Opa-tisha-worka-locka”, meaning “a big island covered with trees and swamps”, it easily turns shorten later in time to Opa-locka. The city is full of Moorish architecture giving an ambiance of some fancy Arabian nights. It also contained stuffs like train, airport, golf course, hotel, archery club and zoo park allowing its up-rose for civilization. With the themed names of streets, 105 buildings, Curtiss built a wonderful city.
Yet, there is this one bad incident happened on September 1926, a hurricane, causing of night-mare scene destruction on many architectures. Luckily, for those Moorish style buildings which survived the hurricane, Opa-locka retains its awesome and exceptional appearance. When the US Navy made a base airport in the city, Opa-locka just regained its thrive from the disaster came by. However, the base closed on 1950s making the city experience a bit downfall. Months have past and Opa-locka continued to decline earning a second name of “struggling community” in South Florida. The city started to recover during the term of Mayor Joseph Kelly whose aims are to lessen the crime, maintaining financial stability and keeping the city clean. Through those aims, the residents garnered pride for the city.
Opa-locka may be small and has few resources, but the people there find ways on how to make their city profitable.
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