Allapattah: The Alligator

Allapattah: Neighborhood Origins

The name comes from the language of the Seminole Indians for alligator. Similar to the alligator the neighborhood of Allapattah is thick skinned and is filled with people alike. The neighborhood is a historic hotspot of minorities looking for refuge. From African Americans in the 50s-60s to Cuban Americans following the Cuban Revolution of 1959. Now, the neighborhood will be seeing an influx of new faces.

The Rubell Family

The Rubell family is a familiar face to YML as we’ve worked for one of their galleries. They began to seed the ideas of an art collection in the neighborhood around 2016. At the time it was expected that Allapattah would find a change similar to that of The Rubell Family Collection’s previous settlement in Wynwood. Wynwood had totally transformed following the collection. It had turned from a “once-industrial neighborhood…into a hip nightspot thanks to its art scene.”

The collection features a series of contemporary artists ranging from Jean-Michel Basquiat to Kara Walker. The Rubell’s are open to diversity and change, similar to their own collection, despite today’s city culture. City life tends to be fast paced but monotonous as people are simply trying to move on with their day and get to the next. However, Mera Rubell admits that

“as a family, we enjoy the process of discovery, whether it’s new artists or emerging neighborhoods.”

Moishe Mana

The billionaire businessman and real estate developer had his sights set on Allapattah around 2018. Mana paid around $5 million for around 1.46-acres of Allapattah and he’s not the only one who invested. The neighborhood has recently attracted more investors including Robert Wennett, Michael Simkins, and the familiar Rubell family. Thus, the neighborhood was in the groundworks stage before it is now finally moving on to rival that of Wynwood.

Bjarke Ingels Group

Now in 2019, an ambitious project has erected in the neighborhood. Labelled as Miami’s next “hot hood,” Allapattah will be seeing new apartments, office blocks, and more. The design looks as though it came straight out of a futuristic comic with its innovative and unique architecture. The top portion appears to be floating above a roof of greenery and held by a line of skinny poles.

The Bjarke Ingels Group aims to turn the concrete into greenery to lively up the neighborhood. As a result, the project is expected to expand job opportunities, attract more tourists, and bring an overall jubilance to the area.