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When I was a kid, I really thought the name was "Ghouls". What an appropriate name that would have been too. I've had nothing but bad experiences the few times I've had to stop for anything in Goulds. From the incredibly rude employees at that tiny post office on US1, to a fight between 2 customers breaking out in another business. Driving through the residential areas was even worse.
Does anyone remember that place called "The Shack"? Is it still around? It was a tool shed on the east side of US1 which would have like 200 people partying outside of it on any given weekend. That was considered the club I guess. I always wondered if there was a staircase in that shed that led to an underground layer or something because so many people would gather outside of it in line hahaha.
Years ago, one of my co-workers (a white woman) had a flat tire and somehow ended up there. She was treated nicely and live to tell the tale. I notice that they keep the area clean and picked up....no trash around.
well, two years late to this thread but whatever. i'm feeling nostalgic this late summer sunday.
I was born in 1980 on 120th ave close to silver palm (232nd) (literally born there) and i wouldn't trade my childhood in terms of location.
yes, we were a little poor, which is why we couldn't live further north where my sister and i went to school (scholarships), and yes, there were jerky white kids on atvs gunning down our dirt road, as well as poor usually black crack addicts who robbed our little cypress house every year or so before we could afford a burglar alarm (thanks to insurance money from andrew), and yes we lost electricity and phone for almost 6 months after andrew.
but we lived in the closest thing florida has to an edenic jungle, and i'm happy my hippy parents chose to be poor there instead of in a more convenient but more boring development. those hardwood hammock forests were something to behold, and where those were gone, it was still mostly tree farms and some cattle or horses, instead of vacant lots or more houses. it was a strange, unique place, much better in my opinion than pinecrest or coral gables where my friends lived (though i would've loved to live on one of the little jungly roads in coconut grove if we would've had money), much more interesting, more 'real' florida -- yes, including the projects and tiny brightly painted concrete-block houses with the bars on the windows and the palm trees, johnson grass, and bougainvillea all around (really, practically third-world when i look back on it) -- than, like, the drab suburban horrors of west kendall or the fancy developments on key biscayne.
my first ten years were spent blissfully and mostly outdoors, a little savage exploring the forest and enjoying the afternoon thunderstorms -- it was before the dade co. pines were leveled by andrew, forest fires (one in 2001 destroyed my childhood home -- so i haven't been back since then), and development.
i look on google streetview once in a while and i feel punched in the gut by the loss of all that native habitat. i do think the hurricane spelled the beginning of the end of those two little census-designated areas, and it still makes my heart ache that the trees are gone, almost enough that the fire that took our house was a blessing given the loss of habitat and the growth of ****ty ticky-tacky developments. also, i went to school in coconut grove, and drove up allapattah to old cutler every morning of my adolescence and had attempted muggings at the stoplights a few times, but i don't know -- you grow up with something, you don't really think twice about it.
also, i LOVED cauley square. that little caboose was like my favorite place -- plus the u-pick strawberries and shake shacks across dixie in the redlands were awesome, and the key lime pie place and the sugar-cane stands on south dixie. besides, i was the closest to the keys of anyone i knew, which was cool. and downtown homestead has the BEST mexican restaurant, run by some seventh day adventists who knew our favorites, made beans without lard (we were hippy vegetarians after all), and made us all happy for years. well, i remember it as the best, anyway -- check out el toro taco and let me know if it holds up 20 years later.
so yeah, one vote for the pre-andrew days of goulds and princeton, homestead and the redlands. a lot of sadness to hear the blight and development have taken over. not sure i could go back and face that.
well, two years late to this thread but whatever. i'm feeling nostalgic this late summer sunday.
I was born in 1980 on 120th ave close to silver palm (232nd) (literally born there) and i wouldn't trade my childhood in terms of location.
yes, we were a little poor, which is why we couldn't live further north where my sister and i went to school (scholarships), and yes, there were jerky white kids on atvs gunning down our dirt road, as well as poor usually black crack addicts who robbed our little cypress house every year or so before we could afford a burglar alarm (thanks to insurance money from andrew), and yes we lost electricity and phone for almost 6 months after andrew.
but we lived in the closest thing florida has to an edenic jungle, and i'm happy my hippy parents chose to be poor there instead of in a more convenient but more boring development. those hardwood hammock forests were something to behold, and where those were gone, it was still mostly tree farms and some cattle or horses, instead of vacant lots or more houses. it was a strange, unique place, much better in my opinion than pinecrest or coral gables where my friends lived (though i would've loved to live on one of the little jungly roads in coconut grove if we would've had money), much more interesting, more 'real' florida -- yes, including the projects and tiny brightly painted concrete-block houses with the bars on the windows and the palm trees, johnson grass, and bougainvillea all around (really, practically third-world when i look back on it) -- than, like, the drab suburban horrors of west kendall or the fancy developments on key biscayne.
my first ten years were spent blissfully and mostly outdoors, a little savage exploring the forest and enjoying the afternoon thunderstorms -- it was before the dade co. pines were leveled by andrew, forest fires (one in 2001 destroyed my childhood home -- so i haven't been back since then), and development.
i look on google streetview once in a while and i feel punched in the gut by the loss of all that native habitat. i do think the hurricane spelled the beginning of the end of those two little census-designated areas, and it still makes my heart ache that the trees are gone, almost enough that the fire that took our house was a blessing given the loss of habitat and the growth of ****ty ticky-tacky developments. also, i went to school in coconut grove, and drove up allapattah to old cutler every morning of my adolescence and had attempted muggings at the stoplights a few times, but i don't know -- you grow up with something, you don't really think twice about it.
also, i LOVED cauley square. that little caboose was like my favorite place -- plus the u-pick strawberries and shake shacks across dixie in the redlands were awesome, and the key lime pie place and the sugar-cane stands on south dixie. besides, i was the closest to the keys of anyone i knew, which was cool. and downtown homestead has the BEST mexican restaurant, run by some seventh day adventists who knew our favorites, made beans without lard (we were hippy vegetarians after all), and made us all happy for years. well, i remember it as the best, anyway -- check out el toro taco and let me know if it holds up 20 years later.
so yeah, one vote for the pre-andrew days of goulds and princeton, homestead and the redlands. a lot of sadness to hear the blight and development have taken over. not sure i could go back and face that.
I really enjoyed reading about your memories of the place in which you grew up. I've driven through there everyday since 1978, when I moved to Homestead but continued working 22 miles north. Andrew did damage much of the natural habitats (hardwood hammocks and pinelands) that remained. Now, 90% of it is gone. Homestead has grown so much in the last 10-15 years. More than doubled population and a lot of cookie-cutter development east of the turnpike. Thanks for taking the time to post your memories.
well, two years late to this thread but whatever. i'm feeling nostalgic this late summer sunday.
I was born in 1980 on 120th ave close to silver palm (232nd) (literally born there) and i wouldn't trade my childhood in terms of location.
yes, we were a little poor, which is why we couldn't live further north where my sister and i went to school (scholarships), and yes, there were jerky white kids on atvs gunning down our dirt road, as well as poor usually black crack addicts who robbed our little cypress house every year or so before we could afford a burglar alarm (thanks to insurance money from andrew), and yes we lost electricity and phone for almost 6 months after andrew.
but we lived in the closest thing florida has to an edenic jungle, and i'm happy my hippy parents chose to be poor there instead of in a more convenient but more boring development. those hardwood hammock forests were something to behold, and where those were gone, it was still mostly tree farms and some cattle or horses, instead of vacant lots or more houses. it was a strange, unique place, much better in my opinion than pinecrest or coral gables where my friends lived (though i would've loved to live on one of the little jungly roads in coconut grove if we would've had money), much more interesting, more 'real' florida -- yes, including the projects and tiny brightly painted concrete-block houses with the bars on the windows and the palm trees, johnson grass, and bougainvillea all around (really, practically third-world when i look back on it) -- than, like, the drab suburban horrors of west kendall or the fancy developments on key biscayne.
my first ten years were spent blissfully and mostly outdoors, a little savage exploring the forest and enjoying the afternoon thunderstorms -- it was before the dade co. pines were leveled by andrew, forest fires (one in 2001 destroyed my childhood home -- so i haven't been back since then), and development.
i look on google streetview once in a while and i feel punched in the gut by the loss of all that native habitat. i do think the hurricane spelled the beginning of the end of those two little census-designated areas, and it still makes my heart ache that the trees are gone, almost enough that the fire that took our house was a blessing given the loss of habitat and the growth of ****ty ticky-tacky developments. also, i went to school in coconut grove, and drove up allapattah to old cutler every morning of my adolescence and had attempted muggings at the stoplights a few times, but i don't know -- you grow up with something, you don't really think twice about it.
also, i LOVED cauley square. that little caboose was like my favorite place -- plus the u-pick strawberries and shake shacks across dixie in the redlands were awesome, and the key lime pie place and the sugar-cane stands on south dixie. besides, i was the closest to the keys of anyone i knew, which was cool. and downtown homestead has the BEST mexican restaurant, run by some seventh day adventists who knew our favorites, made beans without lard (we were hippy vegetarians after all), and made us all happy for years. well, i remember it as the best, anyway -- check out el toro taco and let me know if it holds up 20 years later.
so yeah, one vote for the pre-andrew days of goulds and princeton, homestead and the redlands. a lot of sadness to hear the blight and development have taken over. not sure i could go back and face that.
Great post. Thank you. I also enjoyed reading your memories of the area.
I lived and grow up in Goulds my entire life and learned early, your life is what you make out of it, our home has never been broken into and I have never done drugs nor alcohol. I have childhood friends that lived there who are school teachers, lawyers, etc. As an adolescent this is where my parents rooted our family and I didn't let it dictate my destiny. I currently come back to my roots every chance I get! I didn't forget where I come from! Miami Goulds Florida will always be my home!
Last edited by Goulds Girl; 12-23-2016 at 04:38 AM..
I had to pick up someone in that place from my job, and she told me they are renting there for some time, and that everything is so different from Miami. It's quite tranquil, no banes, no melees, no plundering... Probably quite the opposite. too boring.
I also attended May Junior High and was part of the first graduating class of 9th graders in 1970. I had Mr. Cooley & Mr. Tribble for PE, Ms. Ehart for science, Ms. Adger for math (always remember she pronounced odd as "ard" numbers). I forget the lady Spanish teachers name, she was tough! I think my English teacher was the short lady with long curly hair and dark glasses. Had our prom at AFB with the Heroes from Cranberry farm as the live group. Definitely an experience!
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'80s princeton
