# Surfside, Florida

Surfside is a town in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. Surfside is a primarily residential beachside community, with several multistory condominium buildings adjacent to Surfside Beach on the Atlantic Ocean. The town is bordered on the south by the North Beach neighborhood of Miami Beach, on the north by Bal Harbour, on the west by Biscayne Bay, and on the east by the Atlantic Ocean. It also serves as part of the Miami metropolitan area of South Florida. The population was 5,689 as of the 2020 census.

## History

Between 1923 and 1925, the Tatum Brothers subdivided the land on what is now Surfside.
Starting in 1924, Henri Levy developed Biscaya Island and a portion of land from 87th to 92nd Streets.
In 1929–1930, Russell Pancoast, built the Surf Club 90th Street and Collins Avenue.
In 1935, fearing annexation by the city of Miami Beach, Florida, 35 members of the privately-owned club incorporated the Town of Surfside and financed the venture with a $28,500 loan.
Spearman Lewis was the first mayor of Surfside.
In 1956, Surfside purchased the Lehman Estate on the northeast corner of 93rd Street and Collins Avenue. It acquired additional land via eminent domain and then built a community center.
In 1960, Hawthorne Park was dedicated.
On March 1, 1973, Surfside signed a contract with Miami-Dade County to outsource fire/rescue services.
In 1983, The Shul of Bal Harbour was established at 9540 Collins Avenue.

### Condominium building collapse

On June 24, 2021, at 1:22 a.m. EDT, Champlain Towers South, a 12-story condominium building at 8777 Collins Avenue, partially collapsed, causing 98 deaths, in one of the deadliest structural failures in United States history. The building's 40-year recertification was in progress and the roof was being repaired. The cause of the collapse of the structure has not been established.

## Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.564 square miles (1.46 km$^2$), of which 0.557 square miles (1.44 km$^2$) is land and 0.007 square miles (0.02 km$^2$) is water.

### Surrounding areas

    Bal Harbour
    Bay Harbor Islands Atlantic Ocean
    Bay Harbor Islands, Indian Creek Atlantic Ocean
    Miami Beach Atlantic Ocean
    Miami Beach

### Street names

Avenues in Surfside are named for British and American authors and run in alphabetical order from east to west. In 1979, 95th Street in Surfside was renamed "Isaac Singer Boulevard" to reflect the residency of the famous Yiddish author Isaac Bashevis Singer on that street from 1977 until his death in 1991.

## Demographics
### 2020 census

Surfside, Florida – Racial Composition (NH = Non-Hispanic) Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race. :
| Race / Ethnicity | Pop 2010 | Pop 2020 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
| White (NH) | 2,880 | 2,717 | 50.1% | 47.76% |
| Black or African American (NH) | 53 | 59 | 0.9% | 1.04% |
| Native American or Alaska Native (NH) | 1 | 2 | 0.0% | 0.04% |
| Asian (NH) | 75 | 79 | 1.3% | 1.39% |
| Pacific Islander (NH) | 0 | 3 | 0.0% | 0.05% |
| Some Other Race (NH) | 16 | 69 | 0.3% | 1.21% |
| Mixed/Multi-Racial (NH) | 46 | 248 | 0.8% | 4.36% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 2,673 | 2,512 | 46.5% | 44.16% |
| Total | 5,744 | 5,689 | 100.0% | 100.00% |
As of the 2020 census, there were 5,689 people, 2,302 households, and 1,551 families residing in the town. The population density was 10,213.6 inhabitants per square mile (3,943.5/km$^2$). There were 3,675 housing units. The racial makeup of the town was 59.8% White, 1.1% African American, 0.2% Native American, 1.4% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 6.0% from some other races and 31.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 44.2% of the population.

### 2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 5,744 people, 2,609 households, and 1,521 families residing in the town. The population density was 10,067.9 inhabitants per square mile (3,887.2/km$^2$). There were 3,890 housing units. The racial makeup of the town was 94.6% White, 1.3% African American, 0.1% Native American, 1.3% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, 1.0% from some other races and 1.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 46.5% of the population.

### Languages

As of 2000, Spanish was spoken as a first language by 49.41% of residents, while English was spoken by 42.11% of the population. Other languages spoken included Portuguese 2.36%, Russian 2.04%, German and Yiddish were both tied at 1.40%, and French was the mother tongue for 1.29% of the populace.

### Jewish population

As of 2021, approximately one-third of the population of Surfside are Jews. It is also the most Jewish community in the Miami metropolitan area. Around 2,500 Jews reside in Surfside. Including neighboring areas, 34% of Jews describe themselves as Orthodox, 24% as Conservative, 18% as Reform and 24% as "just Jewish".

## Education

Residents are assigned to Miami-Dade County Public Schools.
Ruth K. Broad/Bay Harbor K–8 Center in Bay Harbor Islands serves as the local elementary and K–8 school. Residents who want to have a conventional middle school may instead choose the zoned middle school, Miami Beach Nautilus Middle School. Miami Beach Senior High School is the senior high school serving Surfside.

## Notable people

* Philip B. Hofmann, former CEO of Johnson & Johnson
* Jared Kushner, son-in-law of former U.S. President Donald Trump and Senior Advisor to the President between 2017 and 2021.
* Rudolph W. Riefkohl, officer in United States Army
* Isaac Bashevis Singer, Yiddish writer, lived in Surfside from 1977 until his death in 1991
* Sid Tepper, songwriter, lived in Surfside from 1970 to 2004
* Ivanka Trump, daughter of former U.S. President Donald Trump and Senior Advisor to the President between 2017 and 2021

## In popular culture

In 2018, Josh's Deli offerings of "Jewban" and "Spicy Tuna Latke" were featured in Food Paradise (season 17).