Brickell is Miami’s financial district and its densest residential neighborhood, on the mainland immediately south of downtown. It runs from the Miami River south to SW 26th Road, between I-95 on the west and Biscayne Bay on the east, and takes in Brickell Key, a man-made island off Brickell Avenue. The name comes from William and Mary Brickell, who settled at the mouth of the river in the 1870s.
Development
The area was incorporated into Miami in 1896. Bayfront mansions along Brickell Avenue gave the street the name Millionaire’s Row; office towers, hotels and condominiums replaced them from the 1970s onward. The Miami Circle, a Tequesta-era archaeological site at 401 Brickell Avenue, was uncovered in 1998 and designated a National Historic Landmark in 2009. Swire Properties opened Brickell City Centre across five blocks in November 2016. Construction has continued through the 2020s, including the 55-story office tower at 830 Brickell and Cipriani Residences Miami, which topped out at 80 stories on South Miami Avenue.
Parks & Recreation
Simpson Park preserves a remnant of the Brickell Hammock, the tropical forest that once covered the ridge. Alice Wainwright Park, Brickell Park and Miami Circle Park sit on the bayfront. The first phase of The Underline, the linear park beneath the Metrorail guideway, opened in February 2021 as the Brickell Backyard and runs from the Miami River to SW 13th Street. Mary Brickell Village and Brickell City Centre are the neighborhood’s retail and restaurant centers.
Transit
Brickell station, at SW 1st Avenue and SW 11th Street, serves both Metrorail lines and connects to the free Metromover, whose Brickell loop adds the Fifth Street, Brickell City Centre, Tenth Street/Promenade and Financial District stations. Brightline and Tri-Rail use MiamiCentral in downtown Miami, a short Metromover or Metrorail ride north. The City of Miami Trolley runs a Brickell route, and Metrobus serves Brickell Avenue and South Miami Avenue, including the Key Biscayne route across the Rickenbacker Causeway.