Fisher Island, Florida facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Fisher Island, Florida
Census-designated place
Fisher Island, South Pointe Park, and Government Cut (foreground) and Virginia Key (background)
Location of Fisher Island in Florida
U.S. Census Bureau map showing CDP boundaries
Country	United States of America
State	Florida
County	Miami-Dade
Area
• Total	0.27 sq mi (0.69 km2)
• Land	0.24 sq mi (0.62 km2)
• Water	0.03 sq mi (0.07 km2)
Elevation	10 ft (3 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	561
• Density	2,328/sq mi (899/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP Code	33109 (Miami Beach)
Area code(s)	305, 786, 645
FIPS code	12-22375
GNIS feature ID	1853250

Fisher Island is a small, special community in Miami-Dade County, Florida, USA. It's on its own island, which is called a barrier island. Since 2015, it has been known as the wealthiest place in the United States, meaning people living there earn a lot of money. It's part of the big Miami metropolitan area in South Florida. In 2020, about 561 people lived there.

The island is named after Carl G. Fisher, who was a pioneer in car parts and real estate. He used to own the island. Fisher Island is about three miles away from the main part of South Florida. You can only get to the island by private boat, helicopter, or ferry, as there are no roads or bridges connecting it. It was once a private home for rich families like the Vanderbilts. Later, it was sold and developed into a very exclusive community with homes for many families.

Island History

New buildings being built on Fisher Island in 2001

Fisher Island became a separate island in 1905. This happened when a waterway called Government Cut was dug across the northern part of what used to be Miami Beach. Building on Fisher Island started in 1919. That's when Carl G. Fisher, a rich land developer, bought the land. He bought it from Dana A. Dorsey, who was the first African-American millionaire in South Florida.

In 1925, a very wealthy man named William Kissam Vanderbilt II traded his luxury yacht to Carl Fisher to become the owner of the island. After Vanderbilt passed away in 1944, the island was owned by Edward Moore, who was an heir to U.S. Steel.

Moore died in the early 1950s, and then Gar Wood bought the island. Wood was a millionaire who invented hydraulic construction equipment and loved speedboats. He kept Fisher Island as a private getaway for his family. In 1963, Wood sold the island to a group of developers. This group included Bebe Rebozo, a millionaire from Key Biscayne, and George Smathers, who was a United States Senator. Richard Nixon, who later became a U.S. President, was also part of this group.

From 1972 to 1990, the Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science from the University of Miami had a special lab on Fisher Island. They studied sediments there.

After many years of legal discussions and changes in ownership, new buildings finally started to be built on the island in the 1980s. These new buildings were designed to look like the original Spanish-style mansions from the 1920s. Even though it's not a one-family island anymore, Fisher Island is still very private. It's hard for the public or uninvited guests to visit. It offers a quiet and private place for its residents, just like it did for the Vanderbilts. The island has large mansions, a hotel, apartment buildings, an observatory, and a private marina for boats. Some famous people like Julia Roberts, Oprah Winfrey, and Mel Brooks have homes on the island.

In 2005, the people on the island tried to make it its own town. However, the Miami-Dade County Commission did not approve this idea.

Island Disputes

In 2006, a group called the Service Employees International Union started working to help the employees on Fisher Island. They wanted to represent the workers and help them get better conditions. This effort led to a march in 2007, where one worker was arrested. The New York Times wrote an article about the situation. The article suggested that some residents didn't care about the workers. However, residents said this wasn't true. They said that many people on the island were successful and caring. They had started charities, offered health insurance to their employees, and supported arts groups in the Miami area. The union, however, argued that the wages were too low for employees to support their families. They also said the health insurance was too expensive for most workers.

Another legal issue involved a piece of land on the island that was approved for building homes. This land was the subject of a long legal disagreement between Inna Gudavadze and other investors. A court in the United States decided in 2013 that the case against Inna Gudavadze was not strong. After this decision, the building plans for that land moved forward under the guidance of Inna Gudavadze and her family.

Island Geography

Fisher Island is located about 500 feet south of Miami Beach. It is bordered by the city of Miami Beach to the north, across Government Cut. To the south, across Norris Cut, is Virginia Key, which is part of Miami. Biscayne Bay is to the west, and the Atlantic Ocean is to the east.

The entire island covers about 0.362 square miles. Most of this area, about 0.267 square miles, is part of the special community called a census-designated place(CDP). The rest of the island is part of the city of Miami Beach.

Island Population

In 2020, there were 561 people living on Fisher Island. There were 197 households and 131 families.

In April 2018, a report from Bloomberg said that the average income for people on Fisher Island was $2.5 million in 2015. This information came from tax data. This means that Fisher Island's zip code is the wealthiest in the United States.

Education on the Island

Fisher Island has a private school called Fisher Island Day School. It teaches students from preschool up to eighth grade. Students can come from the island or from nearby areas. The school was started in 2001 by Lexie and Robert Potamkin, and Valerie and Michael Pearce. About 30% of the students come from off the island. They mostly come from places like Star Island, Hibiscus Island, Palm Island, the Venetian Islands, Bayshore, South Beach, Pinecrest, Coral Gables, and Coconut Grove.

The island is also served by the Miami-Dade County Public Schools. This means that public school students on Fisher Island would go to South Pointe Elementary School, Nautilus Middle School, and Miami Beach Senior High School.

Famous Residents

See also

In Spanish: Fisher Island para niños