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Just over a mile due south of Key
Biscayne is a collection of houses that is known as Stiltsville. Stiltsville
is a good name for small houses that are literally built on stilts in very
shallow water in Biscayne National Park, that is located in between Biscayne
Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. Before hurricane Andrew in 1993, there
were over 20 structures that dotted the seascape. With sustained
winds in excess of 190 mph., and much higher gusts of wind, many of the
structures simply did not stand a chance against the power of nature.
Although many of the structures have been through a dozen hurricanes over
the years, it became one of our finer laws that the owners of the properties
(or the leases) could not make any repairs to the structures, so, they
would simply fall into disrepair. Some of the structures are in fantastic
shape and make a wonderful place to gather with friends and family to enjoy
nature from an entirely different perspective. The laws that have
allowed Stiltsville to become such as mess instead of being treated as
the National treasure that it is. There is no other place on the
face of the earth like stiltsville. There is a grassroots movement
to save Stiltsville that has taken some traction and hopefully we will
be able to pass this treasure and this history on to our children.
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Originally Stiltsville was built or
imagined during the days of prohibition and Al Capone and rampant gambling.The
law was that gambling was allowed provided that it was located a mile offshore.
Stiltsville is located just over a mile offshore. Many structures
were built, in fact, a very large boat was purposefully run aground at
high tide at full speed and then more permanently secured to the ocean
floor during low tide when the ground was no longer under the water but
was now exposed and above the water level. It was a fine and exquisite
gambling establishment and clients were ferried to stiltsville.
The law was soon changed to 3 miles offshore.
The gambling boats located at Bayside in Miami will be very happy to take
you 3 miles offshore so that you can gamble legally.
During the 1980's when Miami was in the
Miami Vice days, the stiltsville area was used for seaplane dropoffs of
contraband where speedboats would take off with the cargo. Film shoots
have been shot there and plenty of wild parties and photo shoots for minimal
clothing magazines have featured the houses of stiltsville. Today,
the houses sit. They provide protection out of the summer sun or
cover during a torrential downpour for smaller vessels.
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As previously mentioned, the group
of structures known as stiltsville are built in the shallow waters of Biscayne
National Park yet what makes the 'address' of each structure unique is
that it is built with over half of the structure in foot deep water and
the other portions built in waters that are between 6 - 20 feet deep.
With this technique incorporated into the design, it is possible to dock
your boat right under the structure without running aground. The
waters run from Biscayne Bay to the Atlantic Ocean and back from the Atlantic
Ocean to Biscayne Bay as the tide changes twice a day. There are well developed
channels called "finger channels" and explain how the water can be 1 foot
deep and 4 feet away 15 feet deep. The "finger channels" are named
since when viewed from the air, the channels resemble the fingers of the
hand.
Going to stiltsville can be accomplished
by boat or seaplane and is well worth the visit. In fact, many of
the "flats" fishing charters will fish the "flats" of stiltsville for bonefish
with stiltsville clearly in sight. In the event that time does not
permit and you only have time for a quick look, you can drive to the Bill
Baggs State Recreation Park (where the Cape Florida lighthouse is located)
and look to the south (The lighthouse is located on the Southeast side
of the Island of Key Biscayne), and you will see stiltsville.
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