The lovely Hialeah, a city in Florida’s Miami-Dade County, has a storied past and a history full of excitement. Its name means either “pretty prairie” or “high prairie” depending on who you ask. In the 1920s, the city was famous for sports including jai-alai and greyhound racing. Hialeah was home of the Miami Movie Studios. After a powerful hurricane, though, much of its entertainment venues stopped.
However, Hialeah became home to an opulent racetrack in 1925. Hialeah Park was built on 220 acres with Mediterranean-style architecture and was called both the Grand Dame and the Jewel of Hialeah. The racetrack is an Audubon Bird Sanctuary (it’s home to many flamingos) and it’s also recognized as a National Historic Place.
Hialeah is home to both big corporations and small businesses. Competition is intense, but the smaller stores survive alongside the bigger ones. As of 2010, the census counted the population at 224,669. The city has an area of 19.7 square miles.
Despite its density, Hialeah has some great recreational opportunities. It has seven pools and a cornucopia of parks. One park is named for Amelia Earhart, who departed Hialeah on the start of her tragic attempt to fly around the world.
Many residents are past or current professional sports players, and the school system provides a plethora of school options, with two colleges located in the city. Hialeah is a happening place with its own unique culture.
