Unpacked by Afar

Paradise by Design: The Florida Story

Listen Later

Welcome to Unpacked, America 250, a mini series celebrating the music, art, food, and more that makes America, America—in honor of our nation's upcoming 250th anniversary.

The mini series is part of Afar's "52 Places to Travel in the U.S. This Year" package, and in this third episode, host Aislyn Greene takes us to Florida to explore the architectural fantasy that transformed swampland into America's playground.

From Henry Flagler's gilded age railroad hotels to Carl Fisher's dredged Miami Beach paradise, this episode reveals how visionary tycoons and bold architects created the Florida Dream—one stunning hotel at a time.

On this episode you'll learn

  • How Henry Flagler, Standard Oil vice president, sparked Florida's transformation with luxury hotels along his railroad route from St. Augustine to Key West
  • Why the 1893 Chicago World's Fair and 1914 San Diego World's Fair launched America's obsession with Mediterranean Revival architecture
  • The story behind Carl Fisher's audacious creation of Miami Beach through dredging Biscayne Bay and building Art Deco masterpieces
  • How the 1926 Florida land boom crashed spectacularly due to railroad overload and a devastating hurricane
  • What Streamlined Modern and Googie architecture reveal about America's post-war optimism and space age dreams
  • Why Florida's architectural preservation depends on tourism dollars and high-end development

    • Featured Expert:

    Jonathan Lammers, an architectural historian based in Tallahassee

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    ...more
    View all episodesView all episodes
    Download on the App Store
    Unpacked by AfarBy Afar
    • 4.4
    • 4.4
    • 4.4
    • 4.4
    • 4.4

    4.4

    44 ratings

    More shows like Unpacked by Afar

    View all
    Fresh Air by NPR

    Fresh Air

    38,062 Listeners

    Happier with Gretchen Rubin by Gretchen Rubin / The Onward Project

    Happier with Gretchen Rubin

    12,912 Listeners

    Travel with Rick Steves by Rick Steves

    Travel with Rick Steves

    2,505 Listeners

    Travel with Amateur Traveler Podcast by Chris Christensen

    Travel with Amateur Traveler Podcast

    30 Listeners

    Zero To Travel Podcast by Jason Moore

    Zero To Travel Podcast

    829 Listeners

    Next Question with Katie Couric by Katie Couric Media

    Next Question with Katie Couric

    4,994 Listeners

    The Frommer's Travel Show by Pauline Frommer

    The Frommer's Travel Show

    173 Listeners

    For The Love With Jen Hatmaker Podcast by Jen Hatmaker

    For The Love With Jen Hatmaker Podcast

    6,428 Listeners

    Women Who Travel | Condé Nast Traveler by Condé Nast Traveler

    Women Who Travel | Condé Nast Traveler

    609 Listeners

    Out Of Office: A Travel Podcast by A Travel Podcast

    Out Of Office: A Travel Podcast

    329 Listeners

    Travel Squad Podcast by Travel Squad Podcast

    Travel Squad Podcast

    249 Listeners

    Travel Tales by Afar by Afar

    Travel Tales by Afar

    225 Listeners

    Where to Go by DK Travel

    Where to Go

    26 Listeners

    We Can Do Hard Things by Treat Media and Glennon Doyle

    We Can Do Hard Things

    41,321 Listeners

    NPR's Book of the Day by NPR

    NPR's Book of the Day

    677 Listeners

    View From Afar by Afar

    View From Afar

    5 Listeners