Surfside, Florida

History

Between 1923 and 1925, the Tatum Brothers subdivided the land on what is now Surfside.

Starting in 1924, Henri Levy developed Biscaya Island and a portion of land from 87th to 92nd Streets.

In 1929–1930, Russell Pancoast, built the Surf Club 90th Street and Collins Avenue.

In 1935, fearing annexation by the city of Miami Beach, Florida, 35 members of the privately owned club incorporated the Town of Surfside and financed the venture with a $28,500 loan.

Spearman Lewis was the first mayor of Surfside.

In 1956, Surfside purchased the Lehman Estate on the northeast corner of 93rd Street and Collins Avenue. It acquired additional land via eminent domain and then built a community center.

In 1960, Hawthorne Park was dedicated.

On March 1, 1973, Surfside signed a contract with Miami-Dade County to outsource fire/rescue services.

In 1983, The Shul of Bal Harbour was established at 9540 Collins Avenue.

Condominium building collapse

Main article: Surfside condominium collapse

On June 24, 2021, at 1:22 a.m. EDT, Champlain Towers South, a 12-story condominium building at 8777 Collins Avenue, partially collapsed, causing 98 deaths, in one of the deadliest structural failures in United States history. The building's 40-year recertification was in progress and the roof was being repaired. The cause of the collapse of the structure has not been established.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.564 sqmi, of which 0.557 sqmi is land and 0.007 sqmi is water.

Surrounding areas

: Bal Harbour : Bay Harbor Islands [[Image:Up arrow left.svg|20px]] [[Image:Up-1.svg|20px]] [[Image:Up arrow right.svg|20px]] Atlantic Ocean : Bay Harbor Islands, Indian Creek [[Image:Left.svg|20px]] [[Image:Right.svg|20px]] Atlantic Ocean : Miami Beach [[Image:Down arrow left.svg|20px]] [[Image:Down arrow.svg|20px]] [[Image:Down arrow right.svg|20px]] Atlantic Ocean : Miami Beach

Street names

Avenues in Surfside are named for British and American authors and run in alphabetical order from east to west.

In 1979, 95th Street in Surfside was renamed "Isaac Bashevis Singer Boulevard" to reflect the residency of the famous Yiddish author Isaac Bashevis Singer on that street from 1977 until his death in 1991.

Demographics

|align-fn=center 2020 Census

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, there were 5,689 people, 2,302 households, and 1,551 families residing in the town. The population density was 10213.6 PD/sqmi. There were 3,675 housing units. The racial makeup of the town was 59.8% White, 1.1% African American, 0.2% Native American, 1.4% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 6.0% from some other races and 31.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 44.2% of the population.

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 5,744 people, 2,609 households, and 1,521 families residing in the town. The population density was 10067.9 PD/sqmi. There were 3,890 housing units. The racial makeup of the town was 94.6% White, 1.3% African American, 0.1% Native American, 1.3% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, 1.0% from some other races and 1.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 46.5% of the population.

Languages

As of 2000, Spanish was spoken as a first language by 49.41% of residents, while English was spoken by 42.11% of the population. Other languages spoken included Portuguese 2.36%, Russian 2.04%, German and Yiddish were both tied at 1.40%, and French was the mother tongue for 1.29% of the populace.

Jewish population

As of 2021, approximately one-third of the population of Surfside are Jews. It is also the most Jewish community in the Miami metropolitan area. Around 2,500 Jews reside in Surfside. Including neighboring areas, 34% of Jews describe themselves as Orthodox, 24% as Conservative, 18% as Reform and 24% as "just Jewish".

Education

Residents are assigned to Miami-Dade County Public Schools.

Ruth K. Broad/Bay Harbor K–8 Center in Bay Harbor Islands serves as the local elementary and K–8 school. Residents who want to have a conventional middle school may instead choose the zoned middle school, Miami Beach Nautilus Middle School. Miami Beach Senior High School is the senior high school serving Surfside.

Notable people

• Philip B. Hofmann (1909–1986), businessman who was the first non-family-member to serve as chairman and chief executive officer of Johnson & Johnson
• Jared Kushner (born 1981), son-in-law of U.S. President Donald Trump and Senior Advisor to the President between 2017 and 2021
• Rudolph W. Riefkohl (1885–1950), officer in the United States Army
• Isaac Bashevis Singer (1903–1991), Yiddish writer, lived in Surfside from 1977 until his death in 1991
• Sid Tepper (1918–2015), songwriter, lived in Surfside from 1970 to 2004
• Ivanka Trump (born 1981), daughter of U.S. President Donald Trump and Senior Advisor to the President between 2017 and 2021

References

References

1. (September 8, 2024). "Town Commission". Town of Surfside, Florida.
2. "2024 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau.
3. {{GNIS. 2406695
4. "Surfside (FL) sales tax rate".
5. "Explore Census Data". [[United States Census Bureau]].
6. "Town of Surfside 75th Anniversary". Surfside.
7. (July 26, 2021). "Final Victim of Surfside Condo Collapse Is Identified". [[The New York Times]].
8. (July 15, 2021). "The death toll in the Surfside condo collapse has risen to 97". [[CNN]].
9. (July 6, 2021). "After demolition of Surfside condo, more victims are being found in original rubble". [[Miami Herald]].
10. (June 28, 2021). "Death toll hits 10 in Champlain condo collapse on fifth day of search for 151 missing". [[Miami Herald]].
11. Luscombe, Richard. (June 27, 2021). "Miami condo collapse: death toll rises to nine as crews search pile for survivors". [[The Guardian]].
12. [https://www.townofsurfsidefl.gov/departments-services/visit-surfside/visit-surfside-blog/visit-surfside/2023/10/19/surfside's-history Surfside's History: Celebrating 90 Years], Town of Surfside, October 19, 2023. Accessed July 21, 2025. "Some of the Town’s most infamous guests and residents include organized crime figures like Tony Accardo and Sam Tucker, as well as famed author Isaac Bashevis Singer, who received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1978. Surfside’s 95th Street is co-named Isaac Bashevis Singer Boulevard in honor of the great Yiddish poet and short-story author."
13. (September 8, 2024). "City and Town Population Totals: 2020-2023". United States Census Bureau.
14. "Census of Population and Housing". United States Census Bureau.
15. "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Surfside town, Florida".
16. "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Surfside town, Florida". [[United States Census Bureau]].
17. "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Surfside town, Florida". [[United States Census Bureau]].
18. "US Census Bureau, Table P16: Household Type". United States Census Bureau.
19. "How many people live in Surfside town, Florida". USA Today.
20. "MLA's Data Center Results of Surfside, FL". [[Modern Language Association]].
21. Karabelnicoff, Shaked. (June 25, 2021). "Surfside: Miami's 'most' Jewish community".
22. SALES, BEN. (June 25, 2021). "The deadly building collapse in Surfside struck a growing, diverse Jewish community". [[Jewish Telegraphic Agency]].
23. Kampeas, Ron. (July 11, 2021). "How the world's Jewish community came together to bring aid to Surfside". [[The Jerusalem Post]].
24. Dunst, Charles. (July 9, 2018). "Miami's most Jewish area is home to 'aggressively' un-kosher deli". [[The Times of Israel]].
25. (June 30, 2021). "Surfside's Jewish community grows closer after tower collapse: 'It's three degrees of separation'". [[The Washington Post]].
26. "Ruth K. Broad/Bay Harbor K-8 Center Boundaries Legal Description". [[Miami-Dade County Public Schools]].
27. "Miami Beach Nautilus MS Boundaries Legal Description". [[Miami-Dade County Public Schools]].
28. "Miami Beach SHS Boundaries Legal Description". [[Miami-Dade County Public Schools]].
29. [https://www.nytimes.com/1987/01/02/obituaries/philip-hofmann-dies-former-drug-executive.html "Philip Hofmann Dies; Former Drug Executive"], ''[[The New York Times]]'', January 2, 1987. Accessed July 21, 2025. "Philip B. Hofmann, a former chairman and chief executive officer of Johnson & Johnson, died of a heart attack Tuesday at the Miami Heart Institute in Florida. He was 77 years old and lived in Monmouth Beach, N.J., and Surfside, Fla."
30. Pace, Eric. [https://www.nytimes.com/1991/07/26/obituaries/isaac-bashevis-singer-nobel-laureate-for-his-yiddish-stories-is-dead-at-87.html "Isaac Bashevis Singer, Nobel Laureate for His Yiddish Stories, Is Dead at 87"], ''[[The New York Times]]'', July 26, 1991. Accessed July 21, 2025. "Isaac Bashevis Singer, whose vivid evocations of Jewish life in his native Poland and of his experiences as an immigrant in America won him the Nobel Prize in Literature, died on Wednesday. He was 87 years old and lived in Surfside, Fla."
31. [https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/miami-beach/article122468084.html "‘Red Roses For a Blue Lady’ composer Sid Tepper gets Surfside street named in his memory"], ''[[Miami Herald]]'', December 22, 2016. Accessed July 21, 2025. "The town of Surfside on Dec. 16 designated 89th Street at Irving Avenue as Sid Tepper Street, in honor of the composer who wrote the hit song 'Red Roses For a Blue Lady,' along with other popular tunes.... Sid Tepper lived in Surfside for more than 40 years, and most recently at Williams Island in Aventura."
32. Parsley, Aaron. (February 15, 2022). "Inside Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner's Life in the Tiny Beach Town Where They Avoid the Spotlight". People.
33. Hartmann, Margaret. (February 9, 2022). "Ivanka and Jared Can't Escape Neighbor Drama". New York Magazine.