Fisher Island, Florida
Encyclopedia
Fisher Island is a neighborhood
of metropolitan
Miami, Florida
, located on a barrier island
of the same name. As of the 2000 census, Fisher Island had the highest per capita income of any place in the United States
in 2000. The CDP
had only 218 households and a total population of 467 persons. A relatively small part of the northern part of the island is incorporated as a part of the city of Miami Beach
.
Named for automotive parts pioneer and beach real estate developer Carl G. Fisher
, who once owned it, Fisher Island is 3 miles off shore of mainland
South Florida
. No road or causeway connects to the island, which is accessible by private boat
or ferry
. Once a one-family island home of the Vanderbilts
, and later several other millionaires, it was sold for development in 1960s. The property sat vacant for well over 15 years before development was begun for very limited and restrictive multi-family use.
projects in and around Miami Beach. Construction of Fisher Island began in 1919 when Carl G. Fisher
, a land developer, purchased the property from businessman and real estate developer Dana A. Dorsey
, southern Florida's first African-American millionaire. In 1925 William Kissam Vanderbilt II
traded a luxury yacht
to Fisher for ownership of the island.
After Vanderbilt's death in 1944, ownership of the island passed to U.S. Steel
heir Edward Moore. Moore died in the early 1950s, and Gar Wood, the millionaire inventor of hydraulic construction equipment, bought it. Wood, a speedboat enthusiast, kept the island a one-family retreat. In 1963, Wood sold to a development group that included local Key Biscayne
millionaire Bebe Rebozo
, Miami native and United States Senator George Smathers
, and then former U.S. Vice President Richard Nixon
, who had promised to leave politics. (Interestingly enough, during his subsequent Presidency from 1968-1973, and during the Watergate scandal
, Nixon maintained a home on nearby Key Biscayne known as the "Key Biscayne Whitehouse" that was the former residence of Senator Smathers and next door to Rebozo, but none of the three ever resided on Fisher Island.)
The Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science
(RSMAS) of the University of Miami
maintained the Comparative Sedimentology Laboratory on Fisher Island from 1972 to 1990 under the leadership of Dr. Robert Ginsburg.
After years of legal battles and changes in ownership, further development on the island was finally started in the 1980s, with architecture matching the original 1920s Spanish
style mansions. Although no longer a one-family island, in 2005, Fisher Island still remains somewhat inaccessible to the public and uninvited guests, and is as exclusive by modern standards as it was in the days of the Vanderbilts, providing similar refuge and retreat for its residents. The island contains mansion
s, a hotel, several apartment buildings, an observatory, and a private marina
. Boris Becker
, Oprah Winfrey
, and Mel Brooks
are among the celebrities
with homes on the island.
In 2005, the island attempted to incorporate as a town, but the Miami-Dade County Commission did not support this initiative. Miami-Dade County Commissioner Natasha Seijas, known for her biting sense of humor, commented on some Fisher Island residents' request to become a city by saying that even though islanders would use Miami-Dade's police and fire rescue services it would not be an easy transition: "What are we going to do, have them scuba dive over there every day?" she asked.
(SEIU) began organizing the workers on Fisher Island in preparation for a petition for recognition as those employees' bargaining representative. The campaign is ongoing, culminating on June 15, 2007 with a march to the mainland ferry terminal that ended with a worker's arrest. The New York Times wrote an exposé on the situation. In the article, residents were portrayed as not caring about the welfare of the community, but residents dispute this characterization, insisting that the island comprises financially successful, compassionate people who have established several charitable activities on the island, provide health insurance to their employees and are involved in various arts organizations in the Miami-Dade area. The union, on the other hand, argues that the wages provided by the island are too low for employees to care for their families and that the health insurance provided is out of the reach of most employees of the island.
According to recent census data
, the CDP has a total area of 0.343 square mile (0.88836592173 km²), all of it land. The entire island, which includes an uninhabited small part of the city of Miami Beach
, is slightly larger at 0.938 km² (0.362163824759798 sq mi).
of 2000, there were 467 people, 218 households, and 149 families residing in the CDP. The population density
was 1,362.6 people per square mile (530.3/km²). There were 532 housing units at an average density of 1,552.3/sq mi (604.1/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 92.08% White (77.9% were Non-Hispanic White,) 3.21% African American, 2.14% Asian, 0.64% from other races
, and 1.93% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 14.8% of the population.
There were 218 households out of which 19.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.5% were married couples
living together, 5.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.2% were non-families. 26.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.14 and the average family size was 2.51.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 15.6% under the age of 18, 3.2% from 18 to 24, 20.3% from 25 to 44, 45.6% from 45 to 64, and 15.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 51 years. For every 100 females there were 101.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.0 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was in excess of $200,000, as is the median income for a family. Males had a median income of over $100,000 versus $85,789 for females. The per capita income
for the CDP was $236,238. None of the population or families are below the poverty line.
As of 2000, English
was the first language
for 84.61% of all residents, while Spanish
was the mother tongue for 15.38% of the population.
is 33109, but the three buildings along Government Cut are in 33139.
The Island has a private school, Fisher Island Day School, which covers Pre-Kindergarten through 5th grade for both on-island and off-island residents. Approximately 30% of the students come from off-island, predominantly the nearby neighborhoods of Star Island Star Island (Florida)
, Hibiscus Island, Palm Island, Venetian Islands Venetian Islands, Miami Beach, Florida
, Sunset Islands, southern Miami Beach, and Coconut Grove Coconut Grove, Miami, Florida.
Neighborhoods of Miami-Dade County
The neighborhoods of Miami-Dade County encompass all municipalities, neighborhoods , and largely populated clusters in the U.S...
of metropolitan
Miami-Dade County, Florida
Miami-Dade County is a county located in the southeastern part of the state of Florida. As of 2010 U.S. Census, the county had a population of 2,496,435, making it the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States...
Miami, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, located on a barrier island
Barrier island
Barrier islands, a coastal landform and a type of barrier system, are relatively narrow strips of sand that parallel the mainland coast. They usually occur in chains, consisting of anything from a few islands to more than a dozen...
of the same name. As of the 2000 census, Fisher Island had the highest per capita income of any place in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 2000. The CDP
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
had only 218 households and a total population of 467 persons. A relatively small part of the northern part of the island is incorporated as a part of the city of Miami Beach
Miami Beach, Florida
Miami Beach is a coastal resort city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States, incorporated on March 26, 1915. The municipality is located on a barrier island between the Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay, the latter which separates the Beach from Miami city proper...
.
Named for automotive parts pioneer and beach real estate developer Carl G. Fisher
Carl G. Fisher
Carl Graham Fisher was an American entrepreneur. Despite having severe astigmatism, he became a seemingly tireless pioneer and promoter of the automotive, auto racing, and real estate development industries...
, who once owned it, Fisher Island is 3 miles off shore of mainland
Mainland
Mainland is a name given to a large landmass in a region , or to the largest of a group of islands in an archipelago. Sometimes its residents are called "Mainlanders"...
South Florida
South Florida metropolitan area
The South Florida metropolitan area, also known as the Miami metropolitan area, and designated the Miami–Fort Lauderdale–Pompano Beach, FL Metropolitan Statistical Area by the U.S...
. No road or causeway connects to the island, which is accessible by private boat
Boat
A boat is a watercraft of any size designed to float or plane, to provide passage across water. Usually this water will be inland or in protected coastal areas. However, boats such as the whaleboat were designed to be operated from a ship in an offshore environment. In naval terms, a boat is a...
or ferry
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
. Once a one-family island home of the Vanderbilts
Vanderbilt family
The Vanderbilt family is an American family of Dutch origin prominent during the Gilded Age. It started off with the shipping and railroad empires of Cornelius Vanderbilt, and expanded into various other areas of industry and philanthropy...
, and later several other millionaires, it was sold for development in 1960s. The property sat vacant for well over 15 years before development was begun for very limited and restrictive multi-family use.
History
The island was created in 1905 by a dredging and land reclamationLand reclamation
Land reclamation, usually known as reclamation, is the process to create new land from sea or riverbeds. The land reclaimed is known as reclamation ground or landfill.- Habitation :...
projects in and around Miami Beach. Construction of Fisher Island began in 1919 when Carl G. Fisher
Carl G. Fisher
Carl Graham Fisher was an American entrepreneur. Despite having severe astigmatism, he became a seemingly tireless pioneer and promoter of the automotive, auto racing, and real estate development industries...
, a land developer, purchased the property from businessman and real estate developer Dana A. Dorsey
Dana A. Dorsey
Dana Albert "D. A." Dorsey was a businessman, banker, and philanthropist who became one of the first African American millionaires in Florida and the American South.- Childhood, education :...
, southern Florida's first African-American millionaire. In 1925 William Kissam Vanderbilt II
William Kissam Vanderbilt II
William Kissam Vanderbilt II was a motor racing enthusiast and yachtsman and a member of the prominent United States Vanderbilt family.-Biography:...
traded a luxury yacht
Yacht
A yacht is a recreational boat or ship. The term originated from the Dutch Jacht meaning "hunt". It was originally defined as a light fast sailing vessel used by the Dutch navy to pursue pirates and other transgressors around and into the shallow waters of the Low Countries...
to Fisher for ownership of the island.
After Vanderbilt's death in 1944, ownership of the island passed to U.S. Steel
U.S. Steel
The United States Steel Corporation , more commonly known as U.S. Steel, is an integrated steel producer with major production operations in the United States, Canada, and Central Europe. The company is the world's tenth largest steel producer ranked by sales...
heir Edward Moore. Moore died in the early 1950s, and Gar Wood, the millionaire inventor of hydraulic construction equipment, bought it. Wood, a speedboat enthusiast, kept the island a one-family retreat. In 1963, Wood sold to a development group that included local Key Biscayne
Key Biscayne
Key Biscayne is an island located in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States, between the Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay. It is the southernmost of the barrier islands along the Atlantic coast of Florida, and lies south of Miami Beach and southeast of Miami...
millionaire Bebe Rebozo
Charles Rebozo
Charles Gregory "Bebe" Rebozo was a Florida banker who became famous for being a friend and confidant of President Richard Nixon...
, Miami native and United States Senator George Smathers
George Smathers
George Armistead Smathers was an American lawyer and politician who represented the state of Florida in the United States Senate for eighteen years, from 1951 until 1969, as a member of the Democratic Party.-Early life:...
, and then former U.S. Vice President Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
, who had promised to leave politics. (Interestingly enough, during his subsequent Presidency from 1968-1973, and during the Watergate scandal
Watergate scandal
The Watergate scandal was a political scandal during the 1970s in the United States resulting from the break-in of the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate office complex in Washington, D.C., and the Nixon administration's attempted cover-up of its involvement...
, Nixon maintained a home on nearby Key Biscayne known as the "Key Biscayne Whitehouse" that was the former residence of Senator Smathers and next door to Rebozo, but none of the three ever resided on Fisher Island.)
The Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science
Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science
The Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science is a college and research institute for the study of oceanography and the atmospheric sciences within the University of Miami . It is located on a 16 acre campus on Virginia Key in Miami, Florida, USA...
(RSMAS) of the University of Miami
University of Miami
The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...
maintained the Comparative Sedimentology Laboratory on Fisher Island from 1972 to 1990 under the leadership of Dr. Robert Ginsburg.
After years of legal battles and changes in ownership, further development on the island was finally started in the 1980s, with architecture matching the original 1920s Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
style mansions. Although no longer a one-family island, in 2005, Fisher Island still remains somewhat inaccessible to the public and uninvited guests, and is as exclusive by modern standards as it was in the days of the Vanderbilts, providing similar refuge and retreat for its residents. The island contains mansion
Mansion
A mansion is a very large dwelling house. U.S. real estate brokers define a mansion as a dwelling of over . A traditional European mansion was defined as a house which contained a ballroom and tens of bedrooms...
s, a hotel, several apartment buildings, an observatory, and a private marina
Marina
A marina is a dock or basin with moorings and supplies for yachts and small boats.A marina differs from a port in that a marina does not handle large passenger ships or cargo from freighters....
. Boris Becker
Boris Becker
Boris Franz Becker is a former World No. 1 professional tennis player from Germany. He is a six-time Grand Slam singles champion, an Olympic gold medalist, and the youngest-ever winner of the men's singles title at Wimbledon at the age of 17...
, Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey is an American media proprietor, talk show host, actress, producer and philanthropist. Winfrey is best known for her self-titled, multi-award-winning talk show, which has become the highest-rated program of its kind in history and was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2011...
, and Mel Brooks
Mel Brooks
Mel Brooks is an American film director, screenwriter, composer, lyricist, comedian, actor and producer. He is best known as a creator of broad film farces and comic parodies. He began his career as a stand-up comic and as a writer for the early TV variety show Your Show of Shows...
are among the celebrities
Celebrity
A celebrity, also referred to as a celeb in popular culture, is a person who has a prominent profile and commands a great degree of public fascination and influence in day-to-day media...
with homes on the island.
Controversies
In 2006, the Service Employees International UnionService Employees International Union
Service Employees International Union is a labor union representing about 1.8 million workers in over 100 occupations in the United States , and Canada...
(SEIU) began organizing the workers on Fisher Island in preparation for a petition for recognition as those employees' bargaining representative. The campaign is ongoing, culminating on June 15, 2007 with a march to the mainland ferry terminal that ended with a worker's arrest. The New York Times wrote an exposé on the situation. In the article, residents were portrayed as not caring about the welfare of the community, but residents dispute this characterization, insisting that the island comprises financially successful, compassionate people who have established several charitable activities on the island, provide health insurance to their employees and are involved in various arts organizations in the Miami-Dade area. The union, on the other hand, argues that the wages provided by the island are too low for employees to care for their families and that the health insurance provided is out of the reach of most employees of the island.
Geography
Fisher Island is located at 25°45′41"N 80°8′39"W (25.761644, -80.144252).According to recent census data
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
, the CDP has a total area of 0.343 square mile (0.88836592173 km²), all of it land. The entire island, which includes an uninhabited small part of the city of Miami Beach
Miami Beach, Florida
Miami Beach is a coastal resort city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States, incorporated on March 26, 1915. The municipality is located on a barrier island between the Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay, the latter which separates the Beach from Miami city proper...
, is slightly larger at 0.938 km² (0.362163824759798 sq mi).
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 467 people, 218 households, and 149 families residing in the CDP. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,362.6 people per square mile (530.3/km²). There were 532 housing units at an average density of 1,552.3/sq mi (604.1/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 92.08% White (77.9% were Non-Hispanic White,) 3.21% African American, 2.14% Asian, 0.64% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.93% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 14.8% of the population.
There were 218 households out of which 19.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.5% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 5.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.2% were non-families. 26.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.14 and the average family size was 2.51.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 15.6% under the age of 18, 3.2% from 18 to 24, 20.3% from 25 to 44, 45.6% from 45 to 64, and 15.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 51 years. For every 100 females there were 101.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.0 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was in excess of $200,000, as is the median income for a family. Males had a median income of over $100,000 versus $85,789 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the CDP was $236,238. None of the population or families are below the poverty line.
As of 2000, English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
was the first language
First language
A first language is the language a person has learned from birth or within the critical period, or that a person speaks the best and so is often the basis for sociolinguistic identity...
for 84.61% of all residents, while Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
was the mother tongue for 15.38% of the population.
Other information
Fisher Island's main ZIP codeZIP Code
ZIP codes are a system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service since 1963. The term ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, is properly written in capital letters and was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...
is 33109, but the three buildings along Government Cut are in 33139.
The Island has a private school, Fisher Island Day School, which covers Pre-Kindergarten through 5th grade for both on-island and off-island residents. Approximately 30% of the students come from off-island, predominantly the nearby neighborhoods of Star Island Star Island (Florida)
Star Island (Florida)
Star Island is an island neighborhood of Miami Beach, Florida, United States. In Biscayne Bay, the island is south of the Venetian Islands and just east of Palm and Hibiscus islands.-Background:...
, Hibiscus Island, Palm Island, Venetian Islands Venetian Islands, Miami Beach, Florida
Venetian Islands, Miami Beach, Florida
The Venetian Islands are a chain of artificial islands in Biscayne Bay in the cities of Miami and Miami Beach, Florida. The islands are, from west to east: Biscayne Island , San Marco Island , San Marino Island , Di Lido Island , Rivo Alto Island , and Belle Isle...
, Sunset Islands, southern Miami Beach, and Coconut Grove Coconut Grove, Miami, Florida.
Famous current and former residents
- André AgassiAndre AgassiAndre Kirk Agassi is a retired American professional tennis player and former world no. 1. Generally considered by critics and fellow players to be one of the greatest tennis players of all time, Agassi has been called the best service returner in the history of the game...
- Boris BeckerBoris BeckerBoris Franz Becker is a former World No. 1 professional tennis player from Germany. He is a six-time Grand Slam singles champion, an Olympic gold medalist, and the youngest-ever winner of the men's singles title at Wimbledon at the age of 17...
- Pavel BurePavel BurePavel Vladimirovich Bure is a retired Russian professional ice hockey right winger. Nicknamed "The Russian Rocket" for his speed, Bure played for 12 seasons in the National Hockey League with the Vancouver Canucks, Florida Panthers and New York Rangers...
- George Collins
- Mike FratelloMike FratelloMichael Robert "Mike" Fratello is an American color analyst and a professional basketball coach. He previously coached the Atlanta Hawks, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Memphis Grizzlies of the NBA, and is currently the head coach of the Ukraine national basketball team.-Background:Fratello was born in...
(seasonal resident) - Susana GiménezSusana GiménezSusana Giménez, née María Susana Giménez Aubert is an Argentine actress, ex-vedette and television host....
(seasonal resident) - Sharon GlessSharon GlessSharon Marguerite Gless is an American character actress of stage, film and television, who is best known for her roles as Maggie Philbin on Switch , as Sgt. Christine Cagney in the police procedural drama series Cagney & Lacey and as Debbie Novotny in the Showtime cable television series Queer...
- Sergei GoncharSergei GoncharSergei Viktorovich Gonchar is a Russian professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing for the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League...
(seasonal resident) - André Action JacksonAndré A. JacksonAndré Action Diakité Jackson , , more commonly known by his African clan name "M’Zée Fula-Ngenge" , is a diamond industrialist and head of JFPI Corporation, Africa's largest holding company....
- Ilya KovalchukIlya KovalchukIlya Valerevich Kovalchuk is a Russian professional ice hockey left winger who is an alternate captain of the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League. Drafted first overall in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft by the Atlanta Thrashers, he began his NHL career in 2001–02 with Atlanta and was...
(seasonal resident) - Mogens Amdi Petersen (former resident), founder and leader of TvindTvindTvind is an international school centre in the small town of Ulfborg in Denmark, founded in 1970. The schools in Denmark are a progressive part of the Danish educational landscape and have educated more than 40,000 students over the years...
, a controversial international organization. - Tim RattayTim RattayTimothy F. Rattay [] is a former professional American football quarterback who played in the National Football League and United Football League. He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the seventh round of the 2000 NFL Draft...
(seasonal resident) - Julia RobertsJulia RobertsJulia Fiona Roberts is an American actress. She became a Hollywood star after headlining the romantic comedy Pretty Woman , which grossed $464 million worldwide...
- Barney Rosenzweig
- Oprah WinfreyOprah WinfreyOprah Winfrey is an American media proprietor, talk show host, actress, producer and philanthropist. Winfrey is best known for her self-titled, multi-award-winning talk show, which has become the highest-rated program of its kind in history and was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2011...
- Slobodan ŽivojinovićSlobodan ŽivojinovicSlobodan Živojinović is a retired Serbian tennis player who competed for SFR Yugoslavia. Together with Nenad Zimonjić he is the only tennis player from Serbia that held the highest doubles ranking. Živojinović is president of Serbia Tennis Federaton....