09/16/2022
The next time you walk through the colorful streets of Wynwood, take a closer look at some of its more historic markers and buildings, and you’ll see a bright legacy created by South Florida’s Puerto Rican community. 🇵🇷
Before we had Little Havana or Little Haiti, there was Little San Juan, a part of Wynwood. Wynwood itself dates back to 1917, but it was by the end of World War II that South Florida began to see a decline in residents in the area as they moved towards the newly built homes in the suburbs. This opened the doors to new residents, immigrants from Puerto Rico who wanted to call Miami home. The area quickly became known as Little San Juan in the 1950s.
The adoption of Little San Juan predates that of Little Havana by about a decade, and marked the first large influx of Hispanic immigrants to South Florida. Soon, Puerto Rican culture could be appreciated throughout the area, with flags flying proudly from both homes and businesses, such as La Boricua Coffee Shop. Buildings and public spaces were named after important figures in the Puerto Rican community such as Roberto Clemente Park and the Eugenio Maria De Hostos Neighborhood Service Center. Most recently, the Dorothy Quintana Community Center was named in honor of Dorothy Quintana, who dedicated more than half her life to serving the community and became known as the “Mayoress of Wynwood”.
By 1977, there was a decline in the Puerto Rican population in Wynwood as new immigrants moved to the area from around the world. Soon, only 33% of the population of Wynwood was Puerto Rican, which was about 18,000 people. In 1987, Wynwood’s shift into an art destination is said to have begun with the purchase of the American Bakeries building on NW 32nd Ave to create today’s Bakehouse. With Goldman Properties at the helm in the early 2000s, Wynwood became an arts destination featuring murals, galleries and public spaces like the Wynwood Walls. Impacts of gentrification in Little San Juan can be seen south of 29th street until about 20th street, due to land investments. However, the area north of 29th street to 36th street still remains largely untouched.
Image: Roberto Clemente Cafeteria, located in the Wynwood neighborhood. Shows the front façade of the building and customers ordering at the window. December 23, 1979. Miami News Collection, Museum.
