Also known as the Historic Spanish Village, Espanola Way is a thoroughfare in Miami Beach that includes the area bounded by 14th and 15th Streets between Washington and Pennsylvania Avenues. Though it's located in the city's Art Deco district, the area was modeled after the Mediterranean villages of Spain and France and was originally built as a meeting place for Miami Beach's wealthiest citizens, filled with fine places to dine and dance until the wee hours of the morning.
The early history of Espanola Way is rather colorful. In addition to being home to many of Miami's finest, in the late 1920s, it also served as a gambling destination for some of the U.S.'s most notorious bad men - like Al Capone - who played at the Clay Hotel, and later became an area where folks would gather to dance to the beat of the music of Cuba and South America.
Unfortunately, as other parts of Miami and Miami Beach began to experience a period of decline in the 50s and 60s, so did Espanola Way. By the 1970s, the Historic Spanish Village had become a run-down area plagued by crime and drugs, unwelcoming to visitors who once danced the night away in the street's many clubs.
In the 1980s, Barbara Capitman, a Miami writer and visionary, bought a large portion of the south side of Espanola Way and together with others, proceeded to breathe new life into the area, and today, the area is once again vibrant and is a favorite place for shopping, dining, clubbing, or just strolling.
Miami Beach's Espanola Way is now best described as Bohemian in nature. Not your typical retail shopping area, this Historic Spanish Village is home to a variety of small vendors peddling their unique wares including one-of-a-kind handmade jewelry, apparel by local designers, kitschy accessories, and much more. A variety of service-oriented establishments are also located there, including florists, bakeries, and more.
Outdoor cafes are commonplace along Espanola Way and the pleasant weather means they are busy year round. Cuisine from a variety of countries, including France, Spain, Italy, and Mexico, is served in these small establishments, most of which are open for lunch and dinner and some of which offer late night live music.
Art galleries are many as well and feature works by not only local and regional artists but also nationally- and internationally-acclaimed artists in a variety of different genres. Art shows are held along Espanola Way quite often and add to the Bohemian atmosphere of the area.
Each week, the Espanola Weekend Festival is an open-air market event where visitors can shop outside in the pleasant Miami Beach weather. The festival happens every Friday through Sunday on this pedestrian-only street and includes vendors peddling mostly hand-made items, flowers, candles, and other crafts.
