Miami Neighborhood Makes National "Up-and-Coming" List

Nestled within one of Miami's most historic communities, Little River has been a prime location for development in recent years. Comprising roughly 24 acres, the neighborhood is seeing rapid change through commercial and residential investment, with comparisons to Wynwood's transformation bandied about.

An influx of restaurants and art venues has now landed Little River on TravelMag's list of "The Most Up-and-Coming Neighborhoods in the U.S." The magazine picked out rising neighborhoods from major cities across the nation and featured them in the July article, running through cultural hotspots and foodie destinations.

The website's highlighted the area's lure for entrepreneurs and artists aspiring to open up galleries or art spaces in Miami.

"Once an industrial hive, this area north of Little Haiti and trendy Wynwood is now a magnet for entrepreneurs and artists readapting industrial buildings and art spaces and galleries opening. A major attraction, The Citadel is a rooftop food hall where dining meets shopping and entertainment," TravelMag author Tracy Kaler wrote.
The community gets its name from a waterway that flows along Miami's northern edge into Biscayne Bay. Little River was once a hub of Miami's industrial production and dairy industry, though its commercial districts grew quiet in decades past owing to offshoring and economic shifts in South Florida. Nowadays, Little River's central location and relatively high elevation are drawing the attention of developers as property prices have skyrocketed against the backdrop of gentrification sweeping through Miami neighborhoods.
In 2022, Forbes recognized Little River as a "neighborhood to watch" in an article that summarized commercial development in the community, spearheaded by real estate firms MVW and AJ Capital. Sandwiched between Little Haiti and El Portal, the neighborhood was praised for its breadth of local talent, art, and cultural vibrancy

With Asian-inspired restaurants like Ogawa showcasing the art of omakase, and other hidden gems like Bar Kaiju, the food scene in Little River makes it a must-stop destination in Miami.

The magazine started with a list of 25 major cities and zeroed in on came up one neighborhood apiece from 16 of them. Alongside Little River were (listed in alphabetical order by city):

• Govalle (Austin)
• Gowanus (Brooklyn)
• Pilsen (Chicago)
• Deep Ellum (Dallas)
• Corktown (Detroit)
• Frogtown (Los Angeles)
• Butchertown (Louisville)
• Wedgewood-Houston (Nashville)
• Bywater (New Orleans)
• Brewerytown (Philadelphia)
• Buckman (Portland)
• Edgewood (Washington D.C.)
• North Park (San Diego)
• Outer Sunset (San Francisco)
• Greenwood (Seattle)

The article measured a neighborhood's "up-and-coming" elements by tracking the emergence of cocktail bars, coffee shops, and Instagram-worthy restaurants. TravelMag also took into consideration the number of vegan and LGBTQ-friendly spots in the neighborhoods.

"Some of these areas have witnessed a flurry of new development, and rents have risen more substantially than in other neighborhoods in the same city. Likewise, the demographic in these districts is shifting towards young professionals, leading to more demand for studio flats and one-bedroom apartments," TravelMag notes.

In March 2023, New Times detailed the Healthy Housing Foundation's plan to build a 12-story apartment building with "micro-units" to provide affordable housing in Little River. The project is slated to have 325-square-foot studio apartments and 550-square-foot one-bedroom apartments for financially struggling residents.