Normandy Isle

You’ll find many French-influenced placenames on Normandy Isle, such as Marseille Drive and Rue Notre Dame. The neighborhood gets its name from the French-born Henri Levy, who spent two years dredging Biscayne Bay in the 1920s to create the beautiful island community that it is now. With streets that end at the sea, the Isle is “an incredibly quiet place, with little car traffic,” says broker Howard Chase of Howard Chase Real Estate LLC (Instagram: @howardchaserealestate). Chase has lived on Bay Drive in the neighborhood since 2015 and now serves as the president of the Normandy Sud (or “south”) HOA. “You see parents with baby strollers and couples walking to get their favorite gelato,” he says. Normandy Isle has “that neighborly feel” many homebuyers crave.

Here, you’ll find single-family houses that combine old Mediterranean elements with midcentury modern or Art Deco styles. Most were built in the 1950s or before with low horizontal rooflines, spacious rooms and gorgeous backyard patios and pools. Houses on the interior of the Isle without water access can run between $900,000 and $4 million. Waterfront properties, however, “sell for eye-popping price points,” Chase says, from $5 million to $11 million, because they have “direct bay access.” In other words, boaters don’t have to worry about bridges or tide levels to access the bay. These homes are often multi-story and include their own boat docks or slips. Condominiums are also available and more moderately priced, from $220,000 to $450,000 for one-bedroom units at or under 1,000 square feet to $600,000 for two-bedroom units with 1,500 square feet, high floors and spectacular views. New and newer condominium construction, which offers higher square footage, can sell for between $1.4 million and $4.8 million.

According to Niche, several above-average schools serve the Normandy Isle community, including Treasure Island Elementary, which offers a gifted/advanced K-5 curriculum as well as before- and after-school tutoring, a Saturday academy and a winter academy for additional academic support. At Nautilus Middle, students in the school’s music academy can showcase their talents in concert, jazz and marching band, and other performance opportunities. And at Miami Beach Senior High, students have participated in community service programs, such as with the school’s teen mentoring program or cleanups of Flamingo Park in Miami Beach. In addition, Papillon Montessori, a PK-8 school is right in the neighborhood and very walkable. It emphasizes community service and outreach, too, to connect students with those in need locally and develop their sense of generosity and compassion.

As you enter Normandy Isle on 71st Street from North Beach, one of the first landmarks you’ll see is the Normandy Fountain. Constructed in the 1920s with French-inspired tiles and lions and a central monolith that resembles a lighthouse, the fountain and the Rue Vendome Plaza mark Normandy Isle's Historic District and form the backdrop for frequent live music concerts, antique shows, farmers markets and other local events. North of this area is the 18-hole Normandy Shores Golf Club, which occupies most of the northern half of the island. The golf course and clubhouse were dedicated on December 18, 1941, and were last remodeled in 2008. Over the years, famous golfers have played at Normandy Shores, including Sam Snead, Arnold Palmer, and Peter Thompson. For more recreation and sports, Normandy Isle Park features an aquatic center with a lap pool and children’s interactive play pool, as well as beautiful walkways and landscaping that give way to lighted soccer fields and other athletic facilities.

With the neighborhood less than one square mile, you can walk or bike anywhere. You’ll find Citi Bike docking stations throughout the neighborhood, Miami Beach and Greater Miami, allowing residents to bike wherever they want in the city for a fee. Or hop on a Miami Beach Metrobus — the “L” follows 71st Street into Hialeah or South Beach. Sabor Tropical Supermarket on Normandy Drive offers a variety of Latin American products to help you create traditional dishes with an authentic taste. Dozens of stores can be found along this stretch of Normandy Drive, including Normandy Gym, which caters to fitness and health, Ohh! Scooters for more ways to get around the island, and plenty of restaurants. One you won’t want to miss is 7ty One Restaurant and Coffee Bar, a small Venezuelan eatery with a friendly staff, a welcoming atmosphere and authentic home-style comfort food. Customers can eat both inside and outside this local favorite.

If quiet streets with cul-de-sacs, virtually no traffic and amazing waterfront views aren’t enough to pique your interest Normandy Isle, then consider its walkable historic district which hosts regular salsa nights, antique shows and farmers markets, or its homes, beautifully maintained, many one-of-a-kind, which embrace the vibrant Miami Beach lifestyle. Here, you can find your own slice of Marseille in South Florida.

Written By

Christopher Kopczynski

Photography Contributed By

Enrique Rios

Video By

Victoria York