Liberty City

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Lonely Planet review

Liberty City, northwest of Downtown, is a misnomer. Made infamous by the Liberty City Riots in 1980, the area is poor and crime is higher than in other parts of the city. And, while plans exist to renovate the area by creating a village of cultural and tourist attractions, the prospects of that happening in the near future look doubtful.

Whites, fearing 'black encroachment' on their neighborhoods, actually went so far as to build a wall at the then-border of Liberty City - NW 12th Ave from NW 62nd to NW 67th Sts - to separate their neighborhoods. Part of the wall still stands, at NW 12th Ave between NW 63rd and 64th Sts.

For information on Liberty City, Overtown and other areas significant to black history, contact the very helpful Black Archives History & Research Center of South Florida (tel: 305-636-2390; 5400 NW 22nd Ave; hours - Mon-Fri, specific research projects - ) in the Caleb Center.