In 1976 the southern end of Miami Beach was a dingy warren of deteriorating hotels, retiree apartments, and high crime rates. Saving South Beach is the compelling story of the fight to preserve a decaying neighborhood, only to see it transform into one of the world's most glamorous hotspots.

Set against the backdrop of the social and cultural events of Miami and the nation, Saving South Beach rips open the wounds inflicted when preservation clashed with development as each side vied for control of South Beach. The story has an extraordinary cast of characters, from the ailing middle-aged widow who became an evangelist for the Art Deco district to the millionaire Holocaust survivor determined to defy her, each adding another piece to the puzzle.

You'll be immersed in a true drama that is shaken and shaped by political corruption, hurricanes, ballet dancers, a flood of Cuban refugees, fashion models, arson, movie stars, drug dealers, professional boxing, murder and an entire symphony orchestra.

Look Inside

"...reports with wit and insight on the personalities that gave rise to the new South Beach ..." -- Gary Monroe, author

"...intelligently written..." - "...serves as an excellent starting point to the history of South Beach's economic and cultural renewal."   Chris Wilhelm, H-Florida

"A chronicle thick with preservation, progress and pastel." --  Florida International Magazine

"...exceptionally interesting.." - The Miami Herald

"...illustrates the basic debate over economic viability versus architectural worth..." - Florida Historical Quarterly

"...implications that go far beyond the boundaries of the square mile that is the Miami Beach historic district" -- The Washington Post

"An important--and highly readable--window into the historic preservation movement in Miami Beach... " -- Gregory Bush, professor of history, University of Miami

"A guide for city managers and administrators in search of a renaissance." -- Gerardo Sanchez

"...a highly detailed look at how groups of people moved into and out of South Beach, leaving pieces of their culture behind." -- Cape Cod Times

"...forges a winding path that suspends the reader among competing issues of cultural, societal and economic concern..." - The Public Historian

"...dramatic." - The Rocky Mountain News

Marty Stofik

Published by the University Press of Florida