This is a blog about the neighborhood of Belle Isle, a community of condo residents a quick bridge-walk from the hubbub of South Beach. Our bloggers live here, work nearby and care about a quality of life unique and special in South Florida. We welcome posts from neighbors and friends, and consider this an extension of our home.
Miami Beach News- Catalina Hotel on South Beach hopes TV reality show ‘monkey business’ leads to actual business May 25, 2012
- Coast Guard: Five rescued from disabled boat off coast of Miami Beach May 25, 2012
- Cops to cut causeways to one lane into Miami Beach this weekend May 25, 2012
- Fatal fusillade by Miami Beach cops ‘like something out of cartoon show,’ lawyer says May 24, 2012
- Miami-Dade County: Venetian Causeway construction should be done by July May 24, 2012
This “About” section leaves more questions than answers. Who is behind this blog? Is it operated by the Herald? Strangely anonymous citizens? What gives? What are you hiding?
Hi, Chris. Your Belle Isle bloggers are residents of Nine Island Avenue. The blog is not operated by The Herald, but we are working with their community news initiative and The Herald picks up some of our posts and links back to us.
How can I find out if there are any units for rent or sublet? My sister and her two grown daughters are looking for a place. I live on W. Dilido Drive and have always loved the look of Belle Isle. Please contact me at janetc1157@yahoo.com.
Thank you so much.
My question is sadly a repeat of Janet’s above – how do I find out about apartments to rent in Belle Isle?
Thanks!
Narween
I live at Costa Brava and have a couple of 2 bedrooms for rent and will soon have a 1 bedroom 1.5 bathrooms. I LOVE my isle…and just discovered the “blog”. Good job.
I think your blog is great, but I can’t for the life of me understand why you don’t put your names on it. It demeans you and discredits the work you are doing.
I too love this blog, while I don’t live on Belle Isle, I do live on West Ave and Lincoln and love our neighborhood. This blog is fantastic and informative. thank you for your work.
Hi, nice to meet you !
Hi, I don’t live in Belle Isle at all (actually in “la belle province” of Quebec, in Canada) but came across the old postcard entry and am happy to have discovered the blog! I was born in Miami and like to go as often as I can, so learning facts from the past – and present – is greatly appreciated. Thanks for this initiative, I look forward to reading more!
Keep us posted on the progress and updates/upgrades on
Belle Isle. We enjoy reading them having visited Miami so, so
many times in our lives.
—The Rileys
What is the progress on the tunnel from I#95 under the bay
out to Dodge Island where the cruise ships dock?
We here in Durham, North Carolina are curious?
—-Dale
We enjoyed the new blog with the new picture of the
Venetian Causeway. Thank you.
This is a lovely and insightful blog.
Hello fellow neighbors, I would like to invite you all to join me at a recently opened restaurant for locals right here on Belle Isle. Malus restaurant located on the Mezzanine floor of The Costa Brava building (11 Island) faces south overlooking the water with floor to ceiling windows and spectacular views of Miami Beach to the downtown skyline. Executive Chef Mario V has created a unique menu specializing in Gourmet Healthy International Cuisine that can satisfy any appetite or craving, best of all it’s right here on the island. Call 305-532-6397 ext 6 to make a reservation or check out http://www.malusrestaurant.com to see the website. All new guests that join us for dinner receive a free glass of wine
Hi,
Does any one knows about requesting speed bumps?
Not for the main road, but by the side street where the Dilido ( The Standar) Hotel is? The one that runs parallel to the main road.
Taxi cabs and tipsy drivers race to pick or drop people up most during the weekends of course.
I’ve called Central Cab and reported several cabs numbers but that has not yet improved the situation.
Comments are appreciated.
I’d recommend contacting the Belle Isle Residents Association. They are good advocates for the island….
We have a serious white fly infestation on the island. They seem to be going after the coconut palms, small date palms and washingtonians. The big ficus tree in the psrlk seems to be affected as well. Is the city doing anything? I’m alerting my condo association here at the GV but worry about the park trees. The fly larvae attack the leaves or fronds, leave a sticky substance which attracts a fungus, all of which suffocate the tree. Serious problem. Google white fly infestation Miami Beach for more info.
We had this issue at our condo but we nipped it in the bud by using a specialist in tree/plant bug infestation. They didn’t use chemicals that were dangerous either.
MAKING “OUR” BLOG EVEN BETTER. Keeping our neighbors informed by open discussions about Belle Isle would make life interesting for long retired coots like me!
Example? I was watching the end of a long TV movie today around 4PM when 9 Island’s new TV system froze for about 20 minutes. It was the straw that broke this camel’s back and helped me decide the title of my soon to be started book: “Sane people shouldn’t live in condos”. (“Don’t Retire Young” willl have to wait!)
We have many condo boards & management companys on our Isle. Maybe some open exchange of resident’s ideas would be helful and interesting.
Dear Belle Isle Blog,
Bravo on your site. I have been following it since last year when I started a private blog for my condo even though I live elsewhere on South Beach. I am considering starting a blog for my neck of the woods and take inspiration from your blog. If I fire up the blog, I will let you know.
Dear Belle Isle Blog, Here’s an FYI about the West Avenue Bridge Project Study. The kick off meeting to explain the study is next week. I imagine the project, if approved, will impact Belle Isle as well because of construction on West Avenue, 17th Street and Dade Boulevard. It might be worth looking into. The Web site address is: westavenuebridgeproject.com
Is there any rules/laws/regulations on the time period a boat can be docked in the bay? There is a very decrepit sailboat without a mast that has been moored about 100 ft from 16/11 island-it’s been there for months. Hygiene/sanitary concerns-where does their “waste” go? Who can we contact in the city? Not only are they an eyesore but they may also be polluting the local waters.
Hello. Is there a place on this blog where the community can post events? (Thanks.)
Sylvia — send the info to belleisleblog@me.com and we’ll post it.
how can I find out about rentals on Belle Isle?
Jay, you might want to set up a google alert, and also scan Craig’s List. There also are a few Realtor’s who specialize in Belle Isle, like Nelly Barrios at Costa Brava and Scott Diffenderfer at Belle Plaza.
Hi Jay, there are 22 rentals available on Belle Isle range is $1450 for a furnished studio at Belle Plaza to $28,000 for a decked out 3 bedroom/4 bath penthouse at 10 Venetian…..the majority of the rentals fall between $2900-$5000. Hope that helps.
Happy New Year to all my fellow Belle Islers!!! I love living here in Paradise
at 9 Island! Here’s to a fabulous 2012 ahead!
Dear Belle Isle Blog,
I’m wondering if you know why the Venetian Causeway street lamps are not on. The only lights on last night were on the N. side of the Causeway at Belle Isle; the south side lights were not even on. Traveling the Venetian Causeway from Miami home at dusk last night, sharing the road with cars, pedestrians, dog walkers, baby carriages, roller-bladers and other cyclists was incredibly and unnecessarily dangerous. A very dangerous time of day it was, the time between day & night. There was still light, but it was fading fast. Peddling home from work in Miami I saw lights being turned on in people’s homes; light on drive ways, on decks and docks were already on.
As a cyclist, I was very nervous. I just faced forward, peddling away, front and back light blinking away, hoping that the car drivers could see me. Sometimes I was not too sure. Cars were coming very close to me as they passed me, splitting the hair-line space between me and the cars coming from the other direction.
The other thing on my mind is why car drivers don’t wait till there is a free lane to pass. They might hit me, and I’ll be dead. They on the other hand have to live with blood on their hands.
Thank You,
16 Island Ave,
a proud and alive Belle Island Resident
I’m sorry, but there is NO WAY that Belle Isle is considered “South Beach” by anyone other than real estate agents.
Does anyone know why the Henry Flagler memorial on Monument Island in Biscayne Bay is no longer lit up at night ?
Is the City saving money or are the lights simply broken ?
The 9 Island Ave property manager, Chris Crain, allowed a marine contractor to to make repairs at the condo marina without pulling a county permit. Crain also looked the other way when the contractor used an illegal technique of “water jetting” new wooden pilings into place. Water jetting is not permitted in the Biscayne Bay Aquatic Preserve. When the Dade-County Environmental Resources department became aware of this illegal behavior, it shut the job down. Dade-County is now checking to see what other violations occurred at the 9 Island marina. This is just the latest example of Crain’s incompetence in running 9 Island Ave.
Who is “Fane” and what are his credentials for recognizing incompetence?