Miami Beach celebrates its 100th birthday

Thousands of tourists and residents basking in hot sun filled the streets of the art deco district of Miami Beach to celebrate its 100th birthday on Thursday.

"Happy Birthday, Miami Beach," yelled one of the party promoters through a loudspeaker from one of the bars along Ocean Drive -- the seaside avenue lined with hotels, bars and restaurants. It was closed to traffic all day for the festivities.

People strolled about sipping mojitos or beer, riding bikes or walked to the beach in swim trunks to enjoy a gala concert featuring opera singer Andrea Bocelli, Gloria Estefan and ex-Bee Gee Barry Gibb as a week of celebration came to a close.

The city rose up 100 years ago as a group of investors bought up land and turned it into a playground for the wealthy. It's now a magnet for tourists -- 14 million last year.

It is known for great weather, vibrant nightlife, art deco architecture and homes belonging to such stars as Matt Damon, Jennifer Lopez, Ricky Martin and Shakira.

"Everything is over the top," said Peter Van der Pot, a Dutchman who visits the city periodically and came this time to take a cruise.

"It's like the American dream. Everything is very well organized. The architecture is fantastic. But it is very expensive," said Van der Pot, who is 39.

The fact that the city was turning 100 caused some European visitors to smile.

"I live in a house that is over 100 years old," said Van der Pot, whose home is in Amsterdam.

A non-stop city

"This is a city that bombards you with information. It does not leave you alone. I got here yesterday and it has been non-stop," said Matias Pozo, a young Chilean event promoter who came for an electronic music festival called Ultra in Miami. But he crossed over Biscayne Bay to Miami Beach when he heard about the birthday party.

Locals did not want miss out either on the celebrations honoring their city, which has gone from being a military training ground during World War II, a middle class resort from 1950 to 1970 and then a wealthy but violent spot where retirees lived alongside criminals in the 1980s, an era immortalized in the TV series "Miami Vice".

Miguel Gonzalez, who arrived from Cuba in 1980 and has lived in Miami Beach ever since, celebrated the day's fun with friends and family.

But he complained that the city has become more expensive in recent decades, with major real estate projects and the restoration of the art deco district, the city's crown jewel with more than 700 buildings boasting that architectural style.

"You have to be an Arab sheikh to enjoy this now. It is overpopulated. And there is no access for the poor," said the retired electrician who used to work at seaside hotels.

Weddings and drag queens

The festivities lasted all this week and included a mass wedding of 50 couples on the beach, a drag queen festival, photo retrospectives of the city and lots of parties at night.

But the city is also looking to the future. City hall has organized for Friday a conference on rising water levels as a result of global warming. It is one of the main challenges facing this resort which is just 1.2 meters (four feet) above sea level.

The Florida coast has already seen 12 inches (30 centimeters) of sea rise since 1870, according to 2014 figures from the World Resources Institute.

Another nine to 24 inches are anticipated by 2060.

Miami Beach residents are commonly seen wading through knee-deep waters to get to their homes and businesses during high tides and floods.

Officials are investigating the use of tidal control valves and new water pumps to improve drainage as the authorities try to find long-term solutions to keep the city going.