Where is Overtown and is it crime ridden city? (Miami: school, live)

[MiamiRob]

white flight? Overtown was never a white neighborhood, it's a historic black one that had seen better days until I-95 sliced the area in half and saw a dramatic population loss leaving only poor residents there. As for driving thru there during the day I never had a problem.

[PBCboy]

Although I'm not sure about Overtown, I do know that Dade County was once primarily populated by Caucasians. Hialeah was once 90% White Non-Hispanic.

[noland123]

It had a lot to do with Civil Rights of 1964 where the black people had been contained in Overtown up until this time ,after that the blacks moved out to the suburbs and the population diminished drastically and the once close-knit community gradually declined and became rundown. It also had something to do with I-395 cutting through Overtown.

[Miami_Dan]

Overton is basically North of the New Performing Arts Center, up Biscayne. Crime ridden at night. I used to live at 17th and the bay; crack heads in the park at night, hookers on the corners were eventaully pushed further North along Biscayne at night. What ever you do, do not go West over to the railroad tracks at night. You will get jacked. Good luck.

[Northside904]

Oh yea, my bad. Overtown was a historic black neighborhood in Miami. It's sad what happened to it but maybe with the restoration, it can enjoy light at the end of the tunnel. The Miami Heat arena is located in Overtown, which is interesting.

[TannerMan]

I think the arena is actually more in Downtown than in Overtown. Biscayne Boulevard is much more lively than any street in Overtown.

[compelled to reply]

Originally Posted by NorthsideJacksonville

Oh yea, my bad. Overtown was a historic black neighborhood in Miami. It's sad what happened to it but maybe with the restoration, it can enjoy light at the end of the tunnel. The Miami Heat arena is located in Overtown, which is interesting.

You have made it clear twice that you should probably visit Miami a few more times and study the history. AA Arena is in DOWNTOWN, and about as far east in downtown and as far away as you can really get from Overtown. Overtown was ALWAYS a black neighborhood, never "gorgeous back in the 80s" (I guess my grandparents of 50+ years in Florida tell me wrong when they said that the 80s were hell here?) or anything like that. It was named a "colored" area back in the segregation days and is one of the oldest areas in Miami.

[burgler09]

Originally Posted by NorthsideJacksonville

The Miami Heat arena is located in Overtown, which is interesting.

That's overtown?! I was driving through there and didn't even realize it was bad.. thank god it wasn't night.

[pinecrust]

I work near there and know people who grew up there, but they won't walk around even in the daytime and they won't drive through at night. Crime there waxes and wanes, and you never know in advance until you get there. I saw a smash and grab there once, but nothing else.

[brandonwkerns]

Originally Posted by illini84

Pretty tough neighborhood. Lots of drugs, crime, and prostitution. Overtown will soon be undergoing a multi-million dollar revitalization from a private developer, so hopefully that will help to clean it up.

The problem from what I understand is that the Housing Authority, among others, is actively opposing private investment in the bad areas of overtown and instead funneling the money to their pet "megaprojects" downtown...