Overview
The district was built fast in the 1930s and had decayed into cheap retirement housing by the 1970s, when a preservation campaign led by Barbara Baer Capitman stopped the demolitions and got 800 buildings listed. That listing is the reason the streets still look the way they do rather than like the condominium towers further north. The lifeguard stands are individually designed and were replaced after Hurricane Andrew, so they are newer than they look.
Highlights
Walk Ocean Drive between 5th and 15th in the early morning, when the light is on the facades and the bars are shut. The Art Deco Welcome Center runs guided walks that explain what you are looking at. Espanola Way, two blocks inland, is quieter and older.