Segways and Security Guards

You never know what you might see in Hialeah. Here, we ran across some security guards being trained on segways in the Toys R Us parking lot right off 49th Street (NW 103rd Street). I wonder if they go faster than golf carts?

Tags: Sweet Home Hialeah Blog, City of Hialeah, South Florida, 49th Street, 103rd Street, Hialeah, Security Guards, Segways

Yes, We Have No Bananas

But we have plenty of oranges! This photo was taken in Hialeah at a local fruit stand. That's the beauty of Hialeah and living in South Florida; We have an abundance of fresh fruit and vegetables all year long.

If we keep blogging like this we're going to sound like a tourist blog for Hialeah.

Tags: Sweet Home Hialeah Blog, City of Hialeah, South Florida, Florida Oranges, Fruit, Fresh Produce

If Movies Were Filmed In Hialeah

If movies popular movies like Paranormal Activity, Avatar, Nemo, Titanic and Twilight were filmed in Hialeah this is what they might have looked like.

Tags: Sweet Home Hialeah Blog, City of Hialeah, South Florida, If Movies Were Filmed In Hialeah Video, Humor

Hialeah's Got a Horse Problem

Photo credit: CBS 4

It seems Hialeah has a horse problem. (see: video)

For the last 2 years or so people have been dumping their unwanted horses on an undeveloped patch of land in Hialeah.

Five of the hungry horses wandered into a busy intersection in Hialeah over the weekend.

"These horses are scared, they're hungry, they're confused and anything can happen,'' said Jeanette Jordan, president of the South Florida SPCA.

Eleven were captured over the course of the weekend and are being housed at the SPCA facility in Southwest Miami-Dade. But there' a problem. The SPCA facility is over crowded with the 40 horses it already shelters and is now in desperate need of help for these horses.

"These are not truly wild horses. These are horses that somebody just let go,'' said Laurie Waggoner, the executive director of the South Florida SPCA and therefore can be domesticated.

The group includes all females except for one gelding and they range from 8 months to 20 years old.

If you'd like to become a foster family to any of these horses or volunteer at the SFSPCA please visit www.helpthehorses.org or call 305-825-8826.

Tags: Sweet Home Hialeah Blog, City of Hialeah, South Florida, SPCA, Animal Rescue, Ferel Horses, HelpTheHorses.org, Help The Horses, SFSPCA

Hialeah-born lawyer Nominated by Obama for U.S. Attorney

The Miami Herald reports that President Barack Obama nominated Miami native Wifredo Ferrer as the new U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Florida Thursday.

His resume shows him as a one-time federal prosecutor in Miami and current chief of Miami-Dade County's federal litigation section. He's also the former deputy chief of staff to U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno.

Wifredo Ferrer is the son of Cuban immigrants, He was also class valedictorian at Hialeah-Miami Lakes Senior High, first in his class at the University of Miami, and president of his class at the University of Pennsylvania Law School. Que bueno!

If confirmed by the Senate, Ferrer would replace U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Sloman. Ferrer, 43, married with two sons, would be the fourth lawyer of Cuban descent to fill the prominent job and the first appointed by a Democratic president.

Tags: Sweet Home Hialeah Blog, City of Hialeah, South Florida, Miami Herald, President, Barack Obama, Wifredo Ferrer, Jeffrey Sloman, Janet Reno, Hialeah-Miami Lakes Senior High, University of Miami, University of Pennsylvania Law School

Oye Mami, Movies for Moms

Oye Mami!

Every week on Wednesdays at 11:00 am the Hialeah 18 Theatre hosts Movies for Moms. Mamis, here's your chance to see a movie without having to worry about finding a babysitter.

Crown Theatres provides a dedicated auditorium showing current blockbusters for parents and their children under the age of 2. So, sit back, relax, and enjoy the show without worrying about your little one disturbing anyone.

Wednesdays
11:00 AM

Hialeah 18 Theatre
17355 NW 59th Ave
Hialeah, FL
Tel: 305-231-5252

Tags: Sweet Home Hialeah Blog, City of Hialeah, South Florida, Movies for Hialeah Moms, Parenting

Railroad Tracks and Reckless Drivers

Like many other cities, Hialeah has no shortage of bad drivers and reckless people. I'm not sure that these tracks are used anymore since there's no warning lights or guard gates. Still, who thinks it's a good idea to stop on the tracks?

Tags: Sweet Home Hialeah Blog, City of Hialeah, South Florida, 21st Street Hialeah, Railroad Tracks, Reckless Drivers

Sandwiches on Top, Coffee on the Side

Sandwiches on Top, Coffee on the Side

Tags: Sweet Home Hialeah Blog, City of Hialeah, South Florida, South Florida Food, Hialeah Eats

Looking For Lechón

Tags: Sweet Home Hialeah Blog, City of Hialeah, South Florida, Lechón , Traditions

Julio Robaina Helps Hialeah Woo Big Businesses

We did ask what our city was going to do about all these empty storefronts. Hialeah responded. Don't take my word for it. Listen to Hialeah Mayor, Julio Robaina tell you himself.

Tags: Sweet Home Hialeah Blog, City of Hialeah, South Florida, Big Businesses in Hialeah, Economic Growth, Julio Robaina, Hialeah Mayor

Abandoned in Hialeah

Abandoned storefronts in Hialeah have become an eyesore degrading the landscape of our once glorious town. What will the city step up and do to revitalize our Sweet Home Hialeah?

Closed up and moved out above - East Hialeah

At one time this was a Publix and then later a Lens Crafters. Now this storefront sits abandoned in West Hialeah.

Tags: Sweet Home Hialeah Blog, City of Hialeah, South Florida, Julio Robaina, Eyesore in Hialeah, Abandoned Businesses

Full of Frijoles

How about a bucket o'beans in Hialeah? We don't do things too fancy around here but you'll always find plenty of frijoles negros (black beans) in Sweet Home Hialeah.

Tags: Sweet Home Hialeah Blog, City of Hialeah, South Florida, El Palacio de los Jugos, Frijoles Negros, Black Beans

Senior's Valentine's Day Dance in Hialeah

Senior's Valentine's Day Dance

Where: Villa Aida
When: February 18th at 5:30 pm

Villa Aida
20 West 6th Street
Hialeah, FL 33010-4798
Tel: (305) 883-8020

The City of Hialeah Recreation and Community Services Department offers a comprehensive recreation program for seniors at each of the city’s three conveniently located adult centers. A wide variety of art, music, enrichment and club activities are available to Hialeah seniors. Whether you play a game of dominoes or take a field trip with friends, the adult center program has something for everyone to enjoy.

For additional information regarding adult center programs, Contact Nora Myers at 305-883-8020 or the adult center nearest you.

Tags: Sweet Home Hialeah Blog, City of Hialeah, South Florida, Senior's Valentine's Day Dance, Hialeah Senior Citizens, Villa Aida

Hot and Ready in Hialeah

You can always find great food in Hialeah on the cheap. We stopped by El Palacio De Los Jugos in Hialeah to snap these photos and as you can see, people were lining up. Where else can you get good eats for like $3.50?

Tags: Sweet Home Hialeah Blog, City of Hialeah, South Florida, El Palacio De Los Jugos, Comida Para Libra, South Florida Food,

Senior's Valentine's Day Dance in Hialeah

Senior Citizens, come and get your groove on!

Senior's Valentine's Day Dance
Wilde Community Center
Wednesday February 17th at 1:00 pm

Wilde Community Center
5405 West 18th Avenue
Hialeah, FL 33012
Tel: (305) 821-8054‎

The City of Hialeah Recreation and Community Services Department offers a comprehensive recreation program for seniors at each of the city’s three conveniently located adult centers. A wide variety of art, music, enrichment and club activities are available to Hialeah seniors. Whether you play a game of dominoes or take a field trip with friends, the adult center program has something for everyone to enjoy.

For additional information regarding adult center programs, Contact Nora Myers at 305-883-8020 or the adult center nearest you.

Tags: Sweet Home Hialeah Blog, City of Hialeah, South Florida, Wilde Community Center, Seniors Valentine's Day Dance

You Might Be From Hialeah If...

You might be from Hialeah if...

• You have ever been hit by a "Chancleta. "
• You grew up scared by something called "El Coco"
• Others tell you to stop screaming when you are really just talking.
• You light a candle to Virgin Mary on the night before your big test.
• You use your lips to point something out.
• You constantly refer to cereal as "con fleys".
• Your mother yells at the top of her lungs to call you for dinner, even if it's a one bedroom apartment.
• You can dance merengue, cumbia, or salsa without music.
• You use "margarina" instead of olive oil and can't figure out why your butt is getting bigger.
• You are in a five passenger car with seven people in it and a person is shouting "subanse, todavia caben!"
• Whenever you feel under the weather, you compulsively dab on some "vapor rub" (vivaporu) all over your chest and inside your nostrils.
• Your mom packs your "lonchera" every day even though you've just turned thirty-two.
• You call the North Americans "gringos", including Canadians, and call all Asian people "chinos" or "chinitos" and you call the corner store "the chinito store".
• You can have 5 different conversations at the dinner table and remember everything
• You have un cafecito before going to sleep
• You hang the cuban flag from your rear view mirror
• On Christmas you have ever gotten socks and underwear from your grandparents
• You have been drinking cafecito for breakfast since you were in diapers
• Your mom or dad prononces "ch" like "sh" and "j" like"y" ex: sherry, shop the onions, yellow yacket, yello
• Your grandpa brought puerco to every family event
• You know for a fact that even if you weighed 800 pounds your abuela would still yell at you: "Ay Dios! Too skinny!" and proceed to put more food in front of you.
• You're convinced that Mercurochrome (mecumocrombo) will cure everything from a cut to a hangover
• You feel compelled to offer food to anyone who walks in your door, and are heartbroken if they insist they aren't hungry. But that's ok, because you feed them anyways.
• There is a portrait of Jose Marti hanging somewhere in your house along with a full map of Cuba.
• You know what the Holy Leg of Pork is and it's your favorite part of Noche Buena
• You have 80 people you call your cousin, and no idea how you are actually related to any of them.
• Every time you meet a fellow Hialean, you are instantly become good friends and act if you've known each other for a long time
• The smell of "agua de violetas" brings back lots of memories
• You have at least once been involved in some kind of ritual involving agua florida that your abuela found out would cure you of all your ills from the lady at la botanica
• You run like hell when you see a coconut randomly on the street
• It really pisses you off when people wear che guevara tshirts because you know what he was really about
• Playing dominoes is more popular at your house than playing monopoly
  
• When you walk in the house and the first thing to greet you is mama's flying chancleta
• "coño" is a way to describe pretty much any way you could possibly be feeling... sad, angry, happy, excited, nervous, etc.
• You know the meaning of ''no da pie con bola''
• You have ever left grass for the camels on the night of january 6th instead of cookies and milk for Santa on Christmas eve.
• You have ever drop food on the floor, picked it up, and ate it after saying ''lo que no mata engorda''
• Your house has all of those little figurines that take every inch of space in the house, and you have either one of the following: a porcelain cat, dog, owl or elephant in your living room
• You just cant imagine anyone not liking Cuban food.
• You consider platanos to be a food group
• You have ever said ''En cuba eso era mejor" or "en cuba no pasa eso''
• You have been seen on channel 7 shouting ''No Castro, no problem''
• Your idea of formal is wearing a ''guayabera''
• Your favorite words are ''Oye'' or ''Ven aca'' when you are right next to a person.
• Killing a pig and roasting it in your back yard is not out of the norm.
• You are registered Republican
• You have used the words '' Acere, mi socio, consorte, oye men, chico'' within the last week
• You've had a ''mamey, papaya, or guanabana'' milkshake
  
• Forget football, your favorite sunday sport is dominoes
• You constantly say.. ''Fidel se mata este año''
• You have been in the USA for 10 years and still dont speak english
• You go to your family or friend`s funeral to tell jokes and socialize
• You pay money you don't have for your daughter`s ''quinces''
• Sabado Gigante is a Saturday ritual
  
• You say ''La vaquita'' instead of farm stores
• You dont believe in ''brujeria'' but respect it anyways
• You use redundant expresions like ''Me cago en la mierda''
• You have use of the word ''Jeva''
• You have a particular passion for wrist watches
• You call publix; ''el puble''
• Your furniture has plastic covers
• You know how to sing ''el yerberito'' of Celia Cruz
• You grew up thinking that going swimming after lunch could cause you a ''sirimba'' , so it was best to wait at least 3 or 4 hours.
• When your mom gets mad she yells ''Me cago en la madre que te pario''
• To describe a place that`s far away you say it`s ''en casa del carajo''
• You cut of words at the end but still like to criticize boricuas.
• Theres a big picture of your daughter`s ''quince'' along with everybody`s wedding picture or communion in the living room.
• Theres a little bucket next to the sink in the bathroom.
• You know why Hialeah is '' La ciudad que progresa''
• If you refer to your mother, sister, cousins, girlfriend, wife and every female in your life as ''mami'' "Mama" or "Mamita
• If at every family function there is always a side of arroz con gri
• For breakfast, lunch, and dinner you have a side of rice
• You have a cake and sing happy birthday to Jesus on Christmas eve
• Your whole family is running on "Cuban time"

Tags: Sweet Home Hialeah Blog, City of Hialeah, South Florida, Humor

All Hialeah City Facilities Closed

It's President's Day

That means all city facilities are closed today. Better luck taking care of that ticket tomorrow.

Tags: Sweet Home Hialeah Blog, City of Hialeah, South Florida, City of Hialeah Facilities, President's Day, Holidays

Happy Saint Valentine's Day

This is how Hialeah does Valentine's Day. Love isn't just in the air, it's in between cars at red lights and stop signs. Ah, amor!

Tags: Sweet Home Hialeah Blog, City of Hialeah, South Florida, Saint Valentine's Day, Hialeah-Style, Street Vendors

Horseback Riding in Hialeah

Only in the heart of Hialeah would you see a cowboy riding a quarter-horse down the very busy streets of East Hialeah. When we ran across him he was riding down 41st street just a few gallops from LeJeune Road.

The urban vaquero said he liked to go to his farm, pick up his horse and bring him back to his home in Hialeah to bathe him. Imagine seeing that when you look out toward your neighbor's front yard. Only in Hialeah people. Only in Hialeah.

Tags: Sweet Home Hialeah Blog, City of Hialeah, South Florida, Urban Cowboys, East Hialeah, Quarterhorse, Horse, Farm Animals

Things to do at Amelia Earhart Park in Hialeah

Photo credit: Carlos E. Agostini

Wondering what to do in Hialeah? Here are a few ideas:

Farm Village
Every Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m.- 4 p.m. you can take the kids down to Farm Village at

Amelia Earhart Park. There's a petting zoo for all and pony rides for little ones. Free weekdays and just $4 on the weekends.

Skate Park
Skaters and bikers there's a place for you too at Amelia Earhart Park. Beginner, intermediate, and expert instruction for skaters and BMX bikers, Daily 3:00 -5:00 p.m. Mondays -Fridays. Just $5 per 2 hour session. Call 305-685-8389 for details.

Mountain Bike Trails
Free on the weekdays from Sunrise to Sunset and just $4 parking per vehicle on Saturdays and Sundays. Amelia Earhart Park has mountain bike trails for beginners, intermediate and advanced riders.

Bark Park
Bring your dogs down to Bark Park at Amelia Earhart Park. The five-acre Bark Park is completely fenced and offers a separate section for smaller dogs. Amenities include paved walkways, benches, shade trees, waste dispenser stations, and specially designed drinking and spray fountains for dogs and their owners. Bark Park admission is free.

Amelia Earhart Park
401 E 65th St
Hialeah, FL
Tel: 305-769-2693



Tags: Sweet Home Hialeah Blog, City of Hialeah, South Florida, Amelia Earhart Park, Hialeah Events and Venues

Toto We're Not in Kansas Anymore

Weird and wild weather hit hard last night knocking down trees and street lights from Hialeah to downtown Miami.

The foul weather, which began at around 7 p.m., was a part of pre-front trough that moved in ahead of a cold front that reportedly will drop temperatures into the high 30s to the low 40s by Saturday night.

Whether it was just an incredibly strong wind, or a real tornado, it caused plenty of damage Friday night in Hialeah neighborhoods along Palm Avenue. So powerful according to CBS 4, that it ripped street signs out of the ground, forced light poles to the pavement, and sent tree branches hurtling like missiles through the air.

The entire storm that hit South Florida temporarily knocked out power to more than 9,000 homes in Miami-Dade County, and around 500 homes in Broward County.

Tags: Sweet Home Hialeah Blog, City of Hialeah, South Florida, Wild Weather, News

Voodoo Couldn't Help

Voodoo couldn't even help McCain and Palin get elected.

Apparently it couldn't help this botanica stay open either. What an eyesore.

Tags: Sweet Home Hialeah Blog, City of Hialeah, South Florida, Osimba, Botanica, Voodoo, Santeria, McCain, Palin, Politics

Hialeans Love Free

Tuesday was "Free Food at Denny's" Day and we love some free food. If you didn't happen to stop in or drive by a Denny's location in Hialeah, the photos show a little of what you missed out on.

It was scandalous too. The occasional fight broke out because people were cutting the line.

Once inside, we kicked it chonga-style. You know how we do it here in Hialeah. Young adults chowed down, were way too loud, behaved poorly and didn't tip their waitstaff and they were lookin' like some fools with their pants on the ground.

¡qué vergüenza!

Tags: Sweet Home Hialeah Blog, City of Hialeah, South Florida, Dennys Free Grand Slam

SuperMeng, Defender of Hialeah

We especially love his chancletas.

Tags: Sweet Home Hialeah, City of Hialeah, South Florida, Supermeng, Chancletas

El Jefe de Los Blogs

We might be from Hialeah but we learn fast. If blogging were the mafia then "The South Florida Daily Blog" would be "El Jefe de Los Blogs" (The Blog Boss) and so, being the new kid in your territory we thought we'd take a moment to kiss your ring, SFDB. We hope you'll welcome us to la familia.

Tags: Sweet Home Hialeah Blog, City of Hialeah, South Florida, SFDB, South Florida Daily Blog

Hialeah, A Virtual Tour

No Visa to visit our city? No hay problema, you can visit virtually thanks to this photo essay by Michael A. Pancier which takes you through the City of Hialeah, Florida.



Tags: Sweet Home Hialeah, City of Hialeah, South Florida, Michael A. Pancier

Some Facts about Hialeah

Hialeah is a city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. Ten years ago, the city population was 226,419. However, as of 2006, the population estimate by the U. S. Census Bureau had our city's population reduced to 209,971, making it the sixth largest city in the state. Hialeah is part of the Miami metropolitan area and the Greater South Florida metropolitan area.

The city's name is most commonly attributed to Muskogee origin, "Haiyakpo" (prairie) and "hili" (pretty) combining in "Hialeah" to mean "pretty prairie". Alternatively, the word is of Seminole origin meaning "Upland Prairie". The city is located upon a large prairie between Biscayne Bay and the Everglades.

It has the second highest percentage of Cuban and Cuban American residents of any city in the US. Hialeah is also the densest American city not to feature a skyscraper.

Tags: Sweet Home Hialeah, City of Hialeah, South Florida, Hialeah History (Photo Credit: Fishbaugh, W. A., Group of tour buses sponsored by real estate developers in Hialeah in 1921.)

Que Sabor

This is how Hialeah does grocery stores. We add a little Sabor to them. Publix Sabor in West Hialeah. Photo credit @NikkiBlissMiami

Tags: Sweet Home Hialeah, City of Hialeah, South Florida, Publix Sabor

The History of Hialeah

Hialeah reflects the diversity of the northwest Dade area, and points proudly to the many facets of this growing multi-cultural community. From its strong and steadily-growing business and industrial sector, its wide variety of quiet and stately neighborhoods, its system of neighborhood parks and recreational facilities, and its cultural assets, to the "Grand Dame" of the horse-racing industry, Hialeah Park - Hialeah has it all!

Its Indian name, meaning "High Prairie," evokes a picture of the grassy plains used by the native Indians coming from the everglades to dock their canoes and display their wares for the new comers of Miami. This "high prairie" caught the eye of pioneer aviator Glenn Curtiss and Missouri cattleman James H. Bright who saw its great potential in 1921.

Even in the early "Roaring 20’s" Hialeah was the place to be. You could chose from the Spanish sport of jai-alai or greyhound racing. You might even catch one of the silent movies like D.W. Griffith’s, The White Rose made at the Miami Movie Studios located in Hialeah. Although the great hurricane of 1926 brought to an end many things it could not quench the spirit of those who knew what Hialeah could be.

In the years since its incorporation in 1925, many historical events and people have been linked with Hialeah. The opening of Hialeah Park in 1925 as a horse track received more coverage in the Miami media than any other sporting event in the history of Miami up to that time and since then there have been countless horseracing histories played out at the world famous 220 acre park.

The Park’s grandeur has attracted millions, included among them are names known around the world such as; the Kennedy family, Harry Truman, General Omar Bradley, Winston Churchill, and J.P. Morgan. Hialeah Park also holds the dual distinction of being an Audubon Bird Sanctuary and being listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The famous aviatrix Amelia Earhart said her final good-byes to the continental U.S. from Hialeah as she left on her ill-fated flight around the world in 1937.

Some of our nation’s greatest have their roots in Hialeah such as knuckle ball pitcher Charlie Hough; fast ball pitcher Alex Fernandez; outfielder John Cangelosi; pro-football player Vince Kendrick; space shuttle Columbia astronaut Ken Mattingly; and popular vocalists K.C. of K.C. and the Sunshine Band, Terry Desario, and John Secada just to name a few.

From a population of 1,500 in 1925, Hialeah has grown at a rate faster than most of the ten largest cities in the State of Florida since the 1960’s and holds the rank of Florida’s fifth-largest city, with more than 236,000 residents. The city is also one of the largest employers in Dade County. Predominantly Hispanic, Hialeah residents have assimilated their cultural heritage and traditions into a hard-working, diverse community proud of its ethnicity, as well as its family oriented neighborhoods. The residents and governmental departments empowered with serving the people are committed to preserving a quality community atmosphere for working and raising families.

Hialeah is proud of its local government. The Fire Department is nationally ranked as Class I. There are fewer than twenty five such departments in the entire country. This entitles businesses to a rate reduction in their insurance and gives the residents confidence in the ability to protect and to serve. The Police Department is made up of men and women dedicated to not only protecting the community but also educating its youth through the nationally acclaimed DARE program and the Early Intervention Program. The more than 100 acre network of parks and recreational facilities has made Hialeah a leader in the sun and fun of South Florida. The pro-active strong mayor form of government combined with the legislative action of a seven member city council, assures the community of an efficient response to its needs.

"All Ways Lead to Hialeah" was one of the city’s first slogans. At the time, Glenn Curtiss and James Bright could not have imagined the important link in the transportation chain provided by Hialeah’s location. Sitting in the heart of northwest Dade, Hialeah has access to every major thoroughfare - linked by I-95, I-75, the Palmetto and Sawgrass Expressways, and the Florida Turnpike. Hialeah also provides direct economical access to both Opa-Locka and Miami International Airports, the Port of Miami, Amtrak, Tri-Rail and Metro-Rail stations are conveniently located within the city.

Area: 20 sq. Miles

County: Miami-Dade

Government: Strong elected Mayor and seven elected to the City Council

Location: N.W. Dade County, about 5 minutes north of Miami International Airport.

Parks and Recreation: 3 tennis centers, 5 public swimming pools, and 14 public parks totaling more than 100 acres. Milander Park with a municipal auditorium and a 10,000 seat football stadium.

Schools: 18 elementary, 4 middle and 2 secondary public schools. Several post secondary University level and Technical Schools such as Miami Dade Community College, the University of Florida Dental School Annex, and the Hialeah International Technologies, Product Improvement Center better known as HIT/PIC and various private schools.

Tags: Sweet Home Hialeah, City of Hialeah, South Florida

Our Blog Debut

We thought this might be the best way to kick off our blog:

We keep it classy around here.

Tags: Sweet Home Hialeah, City of Hialeah, South Florida, Chonga, Chongalicious