What was Wynwood like before the Walls? Before the art galleries and cafes? Before Midtown? Before the weekend crowds?
Wynwood was a working-class neighborhood, dotted with warehouses and other industrial businesses. The Wynwood neighborhood is now a local arts draw and one of Miami’s hippest neighborhoods. In the 1950s, Wynwood — originally spelled Wyndwood — was home to several factories including Coca-Cola and Garrett Construction. Jobs were plentiful. The area was also once known as the “golden gate” for Hispanic immigrants.
Then in the 1960s Interstate 95 came through, an addition often associated with the slow pattern of deterioration in the community. It was followed by a middle-class exodus. Through the 1970s, Wynwood’s garment district thrived as one of Miami’s most popular tourist attractions, drawing thousands of shoppers — many from South America. But problems with Latin economies, burgeoning crime and riots of the 1980s took a toll on business.
In the past decade, as the Design District to the north became more expensive, Wynwood’s lower rents and ample warehouses started attracting the art crowd and developers. Through the Miami Herald archives, here is a look at Wynwood in the 1980s into the early 2000s, before much of the neighborhood changed into what you see today.
Source: Miami Herald