An influx of restaurants and art venues has now landed Little River on TravelMag's list of "most up-and-coming" places 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.
TravelMag 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," 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.
Former Little River commercial district
Photo by Phillip Pessar/Flickr
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.
TravelMag also recognized 15 other neighborhoods in American cities:
1. Brewerytown, Philadelphia
2. Buckman, Portland
3. Butchertown, Louisville
4. Bywater, New Orleans
5. Corktown, Detroit
6. Deep Ellum, Dallas
7. Edgewood, Washington D.C.
8. Frogtown, Los Angeles
9. Govalle, Austin
10. Gowanus, Brooklyn
11. Greenwood, Seattle
12. North Park, San Diego
13. Outer Sunset, San Francisco
14. Pilsen, Chicago
15. Wedgewood-Houston, Nashville
How did TravelMag pick the hippest neighborhoods?
The magazine focused on 16 major cities chosen from a total of 25 cities under consideration. 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.
