This part of Miami Beach once looked like that? See old photos of Normandy Isles

Jeff Kleinman
·1 min read
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Normandy Isles in northern Miami Beach surged in popularity after World War II.

Apartment buildings, houses and a golf course popped up in the `1940s and ‘50s.

The North Beach community seemed to have it all: a movie theater, a butcher, delis and bakeries, a supermarket, Italian restaurants, even a newsstand with the latest comic books.

In the 1990s, the area got even more diverse, with an Argentine infusion of people and food.

Now, Normandy Isles is evolving again as old buildings come down and larger residential and commercial buildings rise.

READ MORE: Amid redevelopment of North Beach, restaurant stands test of time

Here’s a look at the early days of Normandy Isles from the photo archives of the Miami Herald:

THE FOUNTAIN

The Normandy Fountain in 1992, before a renovation.

THE STORES

A closed Pantry Pride grocery store in Normandy Isle. The building has been several supermarkets through the years.
Hedva Bank, the owner of the Hal’s Deli in 1989.

THE GOLF COURSE

Normandy Isles municipal golf clubhouse in the 1940s/’50s.
Interior of the new Normandy Isles golf course clubhouse.

THE HOMES AND APARTMENTS

The Dowling Estate on Bay Drive Normandy Isle.
Apartment buildings on Normandy Isle in 1984.
Teofil Kulyk, owner of an apartment building on Calais Drive in 1984.

THE STORMS

Normandy Isle flooding after a storm in 1951.
Storm aftermath in Normandy Isle in 1947.

THE COMMUNITY

Crane operator Ram Maharaja lifts a concrete slab from the foundation of the Biarritz Drive Bridge on Normandy Drive in 1982.
Sculptor Eileen Parnell works in her studio on Normandy Isle.
A trash dump on Normandy Isle in 1982.
A sign about the re-construction of the Normandy municipal pool in 2004.
In 1995, workers on a Normandy Isle project.
A family enjoys the Normandy playground in 1990.
In j1997, Carla Oxios steps into the ditch in front of her shop on the main street heading west on Normandy Drive.

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