brickell-key-condos

Brickell Key Condos

Brickell Key Condos define urban living at its best. They sit within walking distance to Downtown Miami’s Financial District but in a private and secluded setting with parks, shopping and independent infrastructure.  Each Brickell Key condo has been carefully designed to include the best views of Miami, with Biscayne Bay on one end and The Miami River on the other. 

Once you cross the Brickell Key Bridge and go past the security gate, you will feel like you are in a different world, one of luxury, privacy and safety and to think just a stone’s throw from Miami’s urban core. I’ve always found this particular island curious because of the density and height of the buildings, but somehow it remains intimate.  How can high-rises off of Downtown Miami, located so close to each other, have a warm and hospitable vibe?  The landscaping certainly helps.  The fact that there’s a pedestrian trail on the perimeter of the island also makes a difference.  And let’s not forget the parks and green spaces that supplement the urbanity of the place.

But it can’t be perfect, right?  Of course Brickell Key has its negatives and as much as I would like you to put on rose-colored glasses, I need to keep it real.  Here’s the major negative – getting on and off the island!  Sometimes traffic bottlenecks at the entrance of the bridge on Brickell Avenue.  It is Downtown Miami after all.  The Brickell Avenue Draw Bridge, located just North of the island also has a busy schedule which contributes to the traffic. (But I love that bridge, and those of you that know that I did bridge aesthetic design work for DOT, will get my affinity with well designed bridges). Here’s a little history on the bridge by The Brickell Homeowners Association:

At its northern end, Brickell Avenue is bounded by the Miami River that is traversed by the unique Brickell Avenue Bridge. The bascule Brickell Avenue Bridge occupies an exceptional place in the inventory of the Florida Dept. of Transportation in that its design was the subject of an international competition and it is adorned with the bronze sculptures of Cuban master sculptor Manuel Carbonell. The centerpiece of Carbonell’s Brickell Bridge work is the Tequesta Indian obelisk that rises 36 feet over the bridge and depicts at its apex a Tequesta Indian family and around its base a bronze narrative of Tequesta Indian village life. Other sculptures on the bridge are Carbonell’s beautiful bronze renderings of Florida flora and fauna, and four bronze bas reliefs of the Florida pioneers, William and Mary Brickell, Julia Tuttle, Henry Flagler and DA Dorsey, and Marjorie Stoneman Douglas.

Funny thing is that there are no more negatives (but feel free to enlighten me if you disagree).  People choose Brickell Key because they want condo living, and they want the convenience of its location.  Those same people expect traffic in the downtown area of a metropolitan city like Miami.  It’s not unusual to see people “upgrade” or “downgrade” within the island, but they are loyal to the lifestyle the island provides.  With that said, Brickell Key has not suffered as much as the other Miami condos in the area – its real estate has remained solid. Brickell Key amenities include a market place, dry cleaners, beauty salon, restaurant, children’s playground, walking path around the island, park on the South End, and let’s not forget The Mandarin Oriental Hotel (with Azul, Cafe Sambal, M-bar and renowned Spa). There are a number of Brickell Key Condos on the island and each has its own private amenities (from valet-parking, concierge, swimming pools, spas, gyms, racquetball,  tennis courts, billiards, and more):

  • Brickell Key One (built in 1982)
  • Brickell Key II (built in 1991)
  • Isola Condo (built in 1990)
  • St. Louis Condo (built in 1995)
  • One Tequesta Point (built in 1995)
  • Two Tequesta Point (built in 1999)
  • Three Tequesta Point (built in 2001)
  • Courvoisier Courts (built in 1997)
  • The Courts Brickell Key (built in 2002)
  • Carbonell (built in 2005)
  • Asia (built in 2008)

Here’s an example of a Carbonell Condo with views, interiors and common areas:

*top photo courtesy of constant.wanderlust on flickr*