Remember when Hialeah looked like this? We don’t either, but these old photos are amazing
Once upon a time, there was a city called Hialeah. There is still a city called Hialeah, of course. Some people will tell you it’s the best city. Others will tell you it’s the worst.
We leave it to you to make up your own mind. But one thing is certain: Looking at old photos of Hialeah is amazing.
Here are a few of the most important facts about the city, some of which we learned about thanks to Flashback Miami:
- It was named by a Seminole Indian named Willie Willie and incorporated in 1921.
- A hurricane destroyed it in 1926.
- Seventy years later Ñooo Que Barato opened
- Everybody lived happily ever after
So take a trip back in time with us and revisit some of the things this dynamic Florida city once offered.
So many unique places to live
Also, feel free to pave over your front lawn. Go ahead! Seriously. (1957)
Traffic-free streets
Speeding cars were not much of a problem. (Hialeah Drive at East Second Avenue, 1957)
A vibrant shopping district
Who needs that stupid American Dream mega-mall? (1957)
The Palmetto
The highway that haunts your nightmares used to be a pile of sand. (1957)
A bangin’ nightlife
This was a party town long before Flanigan’s arrived. The first Big Daddy’s Liquors opened there in 1959. (1975)
Spirited Hialeah High cheerleaders
None of them were named Marisleysis. (1962)
Pioneer luncheons
Where you got to wear bitchin’ hats. (1975)
Whatever is happening in this photo
All we know is it happened at Babcock Park, bro. (1976)
Miss Hialeah pageants were lit
Mike Freeman
The 1965 contestants rocked the stilettos.
So much warehouse space
Some traditions live on. (6800 block of East 12th Avenue, 1957)
The flamingos at Hialeah Park
They were the “Miami Vice”-iest
This story was originally published September 13, 2018 at 6:09 AM.