From Sandbar to Sophistication:: The Story of Sunny Isles Beach (Vintage Images)

I stumbled across Seth Bramson's book while looking for information about the Castaways Motel, 163rd and Collins Avenue. I saw the book cover's aerial photograph of the Castaways with the Newport in the background and thought this story should bring back memories. The "strip" as it was called by us locals that worked on the beach, was a theme park where the ride was free and we got paid to the ride the 70's. Disco at it finest.I worked as a maintenance carpenter with such local legends as "Big Andy" ex president of the Bronx MC motor cycle club. The Motel bars we'd frequent after work, like the Hawaiian Isle all knew Big Andy. Everybody working at Castaways seemed to be becoming famous or had been famous. Like the third ex-wife of Waylon Jennings, divorced before he was famous. She drove a Porsche, came from a wealthy family worked in the comptroller office because liked being on the beach. Or Mary Vecchio, she worked for a few weeks as a switchboard operator at the Castaways. You may know of her from the Kent State photograph of her kneeling over the protester hit by National Guard gunfire.K.c. And The Sunshine Band, among other famous groups of mid 70's, played the Castaways Wreck Bar. Part of my job each morning was to make sure all of the burnt out light bulbs behind the stained glass and the tiffany lamps were changed before the owner Joe Hart made his daily rounds through the Wreck Bar. One morning, K.c. was rehearsing their famous song That's The Way (i Like It)'. Mr. Hart suggested that K.c. change the words from "that's the way" to "Castaways". I like it. Joe Hart liked to hear yes and often got his way, but K.c. said no this time.

I bought this book for my mom who was in Miami Beach a lot when she was young. Her uncle had a charter fishing boat in Haulover Beach. When I was searching for some information on his boat the "Mystery", I saw a picture of the boat and an advertisement about her uncle's fishing trips in this book. When I gave Mom the book, she enjoyed looking at the pictures and remembered alot of the hotels and restaurants....but gasped when she got to the page with her uncle's boat. It was priceless.....

Sunny Isles before it became a soulless concrete homestead for posers and foreign nouveau riche. Beautifully illustrated, skillfully and informatively narrated story of sandbar that deserves to be remembered the way it was, not as the monstrosity they've built upon it now.

The author has written more than 25 books on the history of South Florida municipalities and this is another one with his unique photos, insights, historical perspectives and humor as well.

Great to see again how Sunny Isles used to be and how different it is now....

this book tells me all about the area of sunny Isles,its hotels land mass,and a little about the future of it.

What a wonderful , interessting book. One book that absolutly would never do as an E- book.- and I am a avid Kindle Fan!