Shenandoah is a beautiful, historically-rich neighborhood located just south of Little Havana and west of Downtown Miami. The neighborhood roughly spans from SW 8th Street (Calle Ocho) to the north to Coral Way to the south, between SW 27th Avenue and SW 12th Avenue.The neighborhood is made up almost entirely of historic single-family homes and duplexes. Aside from the (surprisingly) well maintained historic homes in the neighborhood, the neighborhood is also conveniently located between two major commercial centers- Miracle Mile and Downtown/Brickell.
Shenandoah has gone through immense changes throughout its history, quickly changing demographics in the mid 20th century. It was around this time that the newly arrived Cubans began replacing the non-Hispanic White population, who moved to points north and south of here. The southern area of Shenandoah has still retained a small Greek community, evident in the Greek restaurants and church in the area.
The neighborhood is safe and walkable. Despite being in the center of the city, is very quiet and peaceful. Walking around Shenandoah you’ll notice a lot of historic architectural gems. Some of my favorite buildings in the neighborhood are the Shenandoah Middle School, with its Neo-Classical façade and the Saints Peter and Paul Orthodox Church, originally built in 1927 as the mansion of Miami’s first mayor, John Bernard Reilly. Then there’s also the eclectic mix of architectural styles in the homes in Shenandoah- Bungalow, Miami Pioneer, Neo-Classical, Mission and Modern.
The neighborhood also has a strong feeling of community. The public schools, parks and library in the neighborhood are easily walkable from the homes in the area. Walking around really is pleasant. My favorite park in the neighborhood, and quite possibly one of Miami’s most monumentally rich parks, is the “Cuban Memorial Boulevard Park” located along SW 13th Avenue from SW 8th Street (Calle Ocho) to Coral Way. The park passes through 17 city blocks, with each block featuring a monument, statue, flag or tree memorializing a moment of Cuba and/or Miami’s history. As you walk from Calle Ocho down to Coral Way along this shady park you’ll notice the subtle changes in the neighborhood. Don’t be surprised if someone sparks up a conversation along the way, people in Shenadoah are nice!
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- Bungalow home in Shenandoah.
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- Many streets in Shenandoah feature a rich tree canopy, which makes walking around pleasant.
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- Mid-century Modern homes in Shenandoah.
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- Mansion of Miami’s first mayor, John Bernard Reilly. Built in 1927, the parish of Saints Peter and Paul Orthodox Church purchased the church in 1954 and have used it as a church since.
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- Eclectic architectural styles in Shenandoah.
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- Looks like a house in Cape Cod right in the center of Miami!
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- Banyan trees in Cuban Memorial Boulevard Park.
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Great post about our neighborhood. I love cruising down Coral Way and checking out all the small restaurants, plus you have the historic part of Calle Ocho to your north. This neighborhood has tons of flavor. So glad we bought a home here.
[…] found this description of Shenandoah on Metro Atlantic, which perfectly describes the neighborhood: ”Shenandoah […]
Thanks for posting this collection of homes in Shenandoah. The variety and charm of the architecture was one of the reasons why we purchased a home in the neighborhood. There’s been a lot of renovation since these pics were posted. I would love to see a follow up.
I was so happy to find a photo of the first mayor’s home. My mother’s sister married one of his grandsons in the mid 1950s. I had the good fortune of spending the night there around 1952. I recall my mother showing and explaining the cord that hung by the staircase in the foyer. It was to call for servants. Off the kitchen in the rear of the house was a second set of stairs, the servants stairs. We spent most of our time there in the sun room, to the right in the picture, and slept upstairs in one of the front bedrooms. Since I was only six at the time, my memories are vague. I hope to come back to Miami and take a walk around Shenandoah. The article made it very inviting. Thanks for the information. And, yes, as someone else posted, updates please……