Hialeah, FL

A suburb of the Greater Miami metropolitan area, Hialeah, Florida, is home to more than 212,000 people, many of whom are working-class immigrants from Latin America and the Caribbean. Hialeah is fewer than 20 miles from the Atlantic Ocean and fewer than 80 miles from many of southern Florida's popular areas and attractions, including Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Biscayne Bay, Key Largo, and Everglades National Park.

NEIGHBORHOODS AND DISTRICTS

Though originally planned as a wealthy enclave centered around the Hialeah Park Race Track (now closed), Hialeah has become home to predominately Hispanic immigrants from throughout the Caribbean and North and South America, particularly Cubans. Many of the city's neighborhoods are working class, ethnically diverse, and family oriented.

ECONOMY AND INDUSTRIES

While the economy of the Greater Miami metropolitan area focuses largely on tourism and agriculture, Hialeah's primary industries focus on the manufacturing of clothing, electronics, furniture, aluminum, plastics, appliances, chemicals, and a variety of building and transportation materials.

Hialeah is the headquarters of Telemundo, the second-largest Spanish-language television network in the United States, and many of the network's shows are produced in local studios.

SHOPPING

• Westland Mall: Located west of downtown Hialeah, the Westland Mall houses more than 100 department stores, specialty shops, popular restaurants, and a food court.
• Bal Harbour Shops: An upscale, outdoor shopping area, Bal Harbour boasts over 100 stores, including Dior, Jimmy Choo, and Bulgari, as well as a handful of fine dining options.
• Bayside Marketplace: With more than 150 restaurants and shops, the Bayside Market is located on the water and is one of the most popular shopping destinations in Miami.
• Dolphin Mall: With a racetrack layout, the Dolphin Mall has some 240 retail stores, an 850-seat food court, multiple restaurants, a 19-screen theater, a climbing wall, and a bowling alley.
• Sawgrass Mills: The largest mall in Florida, Sawgrass is home to more than 350 stores, primarily outlets, and dozens of restaurants, as well as a theme park, a billiard club, a game arcade, and a cinema.

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

• Amelia Earhart Park: Named after the famous American female pilot, the family-friendly Amelia Earhart Park features an authentic farm village, a petting zoo, a children's island, a country store, bass-stocked lakes, picnic areas, bicycle trails, and horseback riding.
• Art Deco Historic District: A pastel-hued neighborhood with a number of notable structures from the 1920s and 1930s, the Art Deco Historic District has recently been revitalized. Maps and tours of the area are available year-round.
• Historical Museum of Southern Florida: Opened in 1962, the museum houses a collection focusing on south Florida history, including immigration and migration, aviation and maritime industries, and the history and growth of Miami.
• Jungle Island: This 18-acre island park is home to more than 1,100 tropical birds, including macaws and parrots, as well as exotic reptiles and primates. The island also features around 500 plant and flower species, all beautifully cultivated.
• Miami Metrozoo: Because of the subtropical climate of southern Florida, the Metrozoo is able to house a number of exotic animals, including Komodo dragons and tree kangaroos. The zoo encompasses over 700 acres and has more than 1,000 animals reflecting over 400 species.
• Vizcaya Museum and Garden: Completed in 1916, the Vizcaya is an elaborate, lushly landscaped Italianate palace designed by the industrialist James Deering. The Vizcaya reflects the art and architecture of the 16th century and was designed to appear as if it was built centuries before it actually was.
• Wolfsonian: An eclectic museum housing the decorative arts collection of Mitchell Wolfson, Jr., including furniture, paintings, designs, sculpture, and more. The museum has more than 100,000 items from the American Industrial Age.

SPORTS TEAMS

Residents of Hialeah enjoy the professional sports teams of the Greater Miami metropolitan area, including the Miami Dolphins, the Florida Marlins, and the Miami Heat, as well as NASCAR racing at the Homestead-Miami Raceway and the PGA Tour at Doral. The area also has a number of nationally ranked college and university athletic teams.

EDUCATION

Miami-Dade College, Hialeah Campus, opened in 1980 and is the city's primary institution of higher education. The city is also home to a number of private, for-profit junior colleges and trade schools, including:

• Florida National College
• National School of Technology
• Hialeah Technical Institute

Other colleges and universities in the Greater Miami metropolitan area include:

• Barry University
• Nova Southeastern University
• University of Miami
• Florida International University
• Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale
• Miami-Dade Community College
• Broward Community College