Cuban culture is found in downtown Miami, with its coffee, cigars and authentic Cuban food. Little Havana is centered around Calle Ocho (Southwest Eighth Street), a vibrant community lined with Latin-inspired restaurants, bakeries, fruit stands, cigar shops, rum bars, art galleries and music venues.
How did Little Havana come into being? A left-wing revolution in Cuba had ended in 1959, with the removal of President Fulgencio Batista and the establishment of a new government under Premier Fidel Castro. The Castro regime quickly severed the country’s formerly strong ties with the United States by expropriating U.S. economic assets in Cuba and developing close links with the Soviet Union. Castro had the intent of wanting to set up Cuba as a Marxist, Leninist and communist satellite of the Soviet Union. Cubans from diverse social positions within Cuban society emigrated within various emigration waves due to political repression and disillusionment with life in Cuba and they mostly settled in and around Downtown Miami.
The reason why they settled in Downtown Miami was that the U.S. government was establishing the Freedom Tower, known then as the Miami News Tower. This was the Cuban Assistance Center and in 1962 the Migration and Refugees Assistance Act was passed which aided people fleeing political or religious persecution. The exiles and refugees came to Miami penniless and created a neighborhood with a Latin beat and a pulse of its own. Many of them were professionals who worked two or three jobs to rebuild their lives. Businesses were built on barter, on trust and a shared experience. A dentist would perform a free service to an accountant who would in turn provided accounting services. So much so that by the turn of the century Cuban exiles boasted of more companies on the New York Stock Exchange than any other exile group. How did this group of exiles achieve such wealth and prosperity in so short a time? Their success lies in what they shared. Most of the Cuban exiles had a profession, a skill and a will to achieve.
Some of the interesting things to see in Little Havana is the Bay of Pigs Museum. This museum has a small but interesting collection of ephemera and memorabilia relating to the failed Bay of Pigs invasion of 1961, when a small brigade of Cuban exiles in Miami was trained by the CIA as part of a covert operation to invade the island. The 1,300-strong force, known as Brigade 2506, confronted the Cuban army soon after landing at the Bahía de Cochinos (Bay of Pigs). Unfortunately, a hundred soldiers were killed and the rest—including the father of pop singer Gloria Estefan—were taken prisoner. Perhaps the most notable exhibit is a Brigade 2506 flag held up by President John F. Kennedy during a speech at the Orange Bowl in 1962, welcoming the survivors back to Miami
The Ball and Chain restaurant is a recreation of a 1930s hotspot that once occupied the same space and welcomed jazz superstars like Billie Holiday, Count Basie and Chet Baker to its stage. The bar program is a smattering of classics and new-wave drinks unique to Ball & Chain. They also have free salsa and bachata lessons; Ball & Chain is also Little Havana’s premier spot for live music.
The neighborhood’s most famous ice cream shop AZUCAR showcases an impressive variety of Cuban-inspired flavors, like rum-spiked flan ice cream, Guava cream cheese and Maria crackers, Café Con leche, Dulce de leche. Interesting fact is that the idea of setting up this ice-cream place was after the banking industry collapsed in 2008. Cigars are one of Cuba’s cultural symbols, and for good reason: smoking a Cuban cigar is a social activity. It’s about taking a moment to relax, enjoy life, and engage in good conversation with good company
Yes, selfies with the gallos i.e. the Roosters are a must. The first of them arrived in 2002, when the Miami-Dade Empowerment Trust purchased eight five-foot rooster sculptures based on a model designed by the late, legendary local sculptor Tony Lopez. Since then, more than 70 similar roosters have been created, all inspired by the original design. Little Havana has many different points of interest for the cigar lover and Cuban culture enthusiast. Cuban coffee, dominoes being played by Cuban American seniors, exotic ice cream 6-foot tall extremely colorful roosters, amazing murals and more. Another must try is the Cuban coffee and the Cuban Sandwich.
