Star Island (Miami Beach)

Coordinates: 25°46′38″N 80°09′01″W / 25.7773°N 80.1502°W / 25.7773; -80.1502
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Star Island
Star Island, as seen from South Beach
Star Island, as seen from South Beach
Star Island is located in the United States
Star Island
Star Island
Location in the United States
Coordinates: 25°46′38″N 80°09′01″W / 25.7773°N 80.1502°W / 25.7773; -80.1502
CountryUnited States
StateFlorida
CountyMiami-Dade County
CityMiami Beach
Government
 • Miami Beach MayorDan Gelber
 • Miami-Dade County CommissionerBruno Barreiro
 • House of RepresentativesMichael Grieco (D)
 • State SenateJason Pizzo (D)
 • U.S. HouseMaria Elvira Salazar (R)
Area
 • Total0.134 sq mi (0.35 km2)
 • Land0.134 sq mi (0.35 km2)
 • Water0.0 sq mi (0 km2)  0.0%
Population
 (2010)
 • Total98
Time zoneUTC-05 (EST)
ZIP Code
33139
Area code(s)305, 786

Star Island is a neighborhood in the city of Miami Beach on a man-made island in Biscayne Bay, Florida, United States. The island is south of the Venetian Islands and just east of Palm and Hibiscus islands.

Background[edit]

The name “Star Island” is thought to have originated from the fact that many of the homes on the island were once owned by famous celebrities and high-profile individuals, giving the island a “star-studded” reputation. Completed in 1922 by the Army Corps of Engineers by dredging sand, the land was initially owned by developer Carl Fisher, who purchased several land parcels of what would become the city of Miami Beach. It is accessible by land and barrier islands via the MacArthur Causeway.[1] [2] According to Bloomberg L.P. it is the most expensive neighbourhood in the USA.[3]

Education[edit]

Students from Star Island are served by the following schools of the Miami-Dade County Public Schools:

Celebrity residents[edit]

Celebrities who own or have owned homes on the island include Edward Howland Robinson Green, Enrique Iglesias, Sean Combs,[4] Emilio and Gloria Estefan,[4][5] Don Johnson,[4] Rosie O'Donnell,[4] Xuxa,[6] Shaquille O'Neal,[4][5][7] Rick Ross, and Phillip Frost.[8] Tour guides and realtors have made false claims of some other celebrities having homes on Star Island, such as LeBron James, Rihanna, Jennifer Lopez, Julio Iglesias, Madonna, Sylvester Stallone and Elizabeth Taylor.[4]

O’Donnell purchased a house on the island in 1999 that was the subject of a 1979 trial in which prosecutors alleged that it was being used by members of the Ethiopian Zion Coptic Church to run a marijuana smuggling ring.[9][10] Some scenes from the 1994 movie The Specialist were filmed there.[citation needed]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Miami Marathon Mile by Mile Tour (Star Island is on Mile 2)" (PDF).
  2. ^ "Star Island Name - Celebrities". 10 February 2023.
  3. ^ "America's Priciest Neighborhoods Are Changing as the Ultra-Rich Move to Florida". Bloomberg. 14 February 2023.
  4. ^ a b c d e f Barrionuevo, Alexei (March 1, 2012). "The Sun Shines Again in Miami". The New York Times.
  5. ^ a b "The Ten Most Expensive Homes in the U.S. - 2005". Forbes. Archived from the original on 2012-09-06.
  6. ^ Barrionuevo, Alexei (March 1, 2012). "Passeio mostra mansão da Xuxa". Folha de S.Paulo (in Portuguese).
  7. ^ "Real Estate: Shaq's Home is on the Market for University". upscaleswagger.com. 5 August 2008.
  8. ^ "Frost Art Museum History". thefrost.fiu.edu. Florida International University. Archived from the original on 6 April 2011. Retrieved 11 March 2011.
  9. ^ "Showbuzz". CNN.com. May 4, 1999. Archived from the original on April 18, 2001.
  10. ^ "O'Donnell buy Star Island home". The Vindicator. May 4, 1999.