Overtown is a historically African-American neighborhood located just north of downtown Miami and is considered part of Miami's Central District. It is also Miami’s poorest neighborhood. The majority of its residents (90%) are African-Americans. The town was formed because of Jim Crow laws prohibiting where African-Americans could live.

Culture and History

In its heyday Overtown had several theatres, nightclubs, schools and other facilities that African-Americans could use without infringing on territory intended only for white people. Famous African-Americans such as Josephine Baker, Zora Neale Hurston and W.E.B. DuBois stayed in Overtown before desegregation in the American South.

When Jim Crow laws were overturned, several African-Americans moved out of Overtown and moved to other locales in Miami; this began Overtown's slow decline. Demolished buildings in the 1970s and incidents that disturbed the neighborhood in the 1980s made Overtown fall futher into disrepair. Today Developers are trying to create new housing and businesses in the area to get middle-class residents to come to the area; this is called the Overtown Renaissance.

Travel to Miami - Overtown - Visa Requirements

Miami - Overtown tourist attractions and sightseeing

  • Lyric Theater, 819 Northwest 2nd Avenue. Built by Geder Walker, this theater was opened in 1913 and was a major African-American entertainment destination until the 1960s. Performers from Count Basie to BB King to Aretha Franklin have performed there. Do not enter, this place is gated off and is does not function as a theater any longer.  
  • D.A. Dorsey House, 250 Northwest 9th Street. Home of the first African-American millionaire in Miami. It is a private home, so don't expect to get a tour of the place. 
  • Old Black Police Precinct,, 1009 Northwest 5th Avenue. Used from 1950 to 1962, when the Precinct was finally integrated with the main police station. 

Miami - Overtown city tours

Miami - Overtown souvenirs and shopping

There are many convienience stores throughout the area as well as some cheap clothing stores and food.

Miami - Overtown Restaurants: cheap, moderate and expensive

People's B.B.Q

Miami - Overtown nightlife, bars, clubs and pubs

Miami - Overtown cheap and luxurious hotels, youth hostels and lodging

Contact

== Despite the Renaissance, however, there are still reports of homicide and sexual crimes in Overtown. Crime occurs like in any place, but there is a lot of drug activity that goes on around here during the day and at night and as the Miami Vice saying goes: "Where there's drugs, there's violence"

Get out

This page was last edited by Anonymous user(s) of Wikitravel. Based on work by Peter Fitzgerald, RD, Stacy Hall and Evan Prodromou and Anonymous user(s) of Wikitravel. - Content on this page is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 1.0 license

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