Art Deco in South Miami Beach

We were so impressed by the amazing amount of Art Deco Architecture in Miami Beach.  There's about a 20-block district that's protected by the National Register of Historic Places.  The buildings were built between 1910 to post-WWII.  However, most that are still standing were built in the 30's and 40's.

 Many of my favorite buildings were on Ocean Drive facing the beach.

I loved the clean lines on these buildings, accented by little decorative touches like this flower inlay.  Most of the buildings that I saw had nature or nautical-themed inlays.

This was the foyer of the hotel we stayed in.  Many of the places we visiting had white battery operated candles that looked very realistic and are on a timer to go on and off at a specific time. Perfect for a party.

Neon signs were big!  A nice part of the modern look.

Everyone was eating outside at these hotels...definitely a great place to people watch.

This building was my favorite.  Lots of these fun hotels had classic cars parked outside to match.  Haven't seen one of these DeSotos in ages. When I was little, we used to call them "Pig Cars!"

Another fun car that definitely adds to the ambience.

View from the beach of some stately palms and classic hotels.