Tamiami Park and FIU: West Miami-Dade
Between Little Havana and the Everglades are miles of suburbs, a university and a park with a surprising past.
After Little Havana, Calle Ocho runs through miles of West Miami-Dade: neighborhoods, shopping centers, bakeries and gas stations. It can look ordinary from the car, but a few places along here have interesting stories.
Florida International University
At 11200 SW 8th St you’ll pass the Modesto A. Maidique Campus of Florida International University (FIU). It’s the university’s main campus, and it’s a big one, with its stadium and arena close to the road. On weekdays you’ll see students crossing at the lights, so drive carefully here.
Tamiami Park
Just south of FIU is Tamiami Park, a large county park. Before it was a park, this land was the old Tamiami Airport. The airport moved south to Kendall, partly because it was too close to Miami International Airport’s flight paths, and the park was built here in the late 1960s.
A few moments in the park’s history stand out:
- In September 1987, Pope John Paul II celebrated an outdoor Mass here for a crowd of about 150,000 people.
- The park once hosted Champ Car races in the late 1980s.
- Its Fair Expo Center hosts the Miami-Dade County Fair & Exposition every year.
Almost there
From FIU, it’s roughly 7 miles to the end of the city. The houses keep going for a while, and then, at Krome Avenue, they stop almost all at once.
Skip the drive. We pick you up.
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