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Don Boyd | all galleries >> Memories of Old Hialeah, Old Miami and Old South Florida Photo Galleries - largest non-Facebook collection on the internet >> Miami Area RESTAURANTS, Drive-Ins, Bars, Lounges, Liquor Stores, Clubs, Strip Joints, etc. Gallery - All Years - click to view > 1962 - Dixieland, North Miami Beach's competition to the Fun Fair in North Bay Village
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1962 Don Boyd

1962 - Dixieland, North Miami Beach's competition to the Fun Fair in North Bay Village

W. Dixie Highway at NE 163rd Street, North Miami Beach view map


Seth Bramson's book From Farms and Fields to the Future: The Incredible History of North Miami Beach has a photo of this building under construction in the southeast corner of W. Dixie Highway and NE 163rd Street on January 17, 1962. I presume it opened later in the year. Seth notes that it was supposed to be North Miami Beach's answer to the Fun Fair in North Bay Village but that it didn't last long. It was replaced by an all-you-can-eat Chinese restaurant named Fong Sha Noon's Chinarama.

I found an eBay description for what could be the tray in the photo. The seller obviously has his decade wrong if the building was under construction in 1962 as stated above but I found his description to be amusing:

"Now this here is a vintage 1950s original colorful pictorial tin tray RARE! So rare that I bet nobody from Florida (particularly North Miami Beach) remembers (or ever heard of?) DIXIELAND Restaurant & Amusement center that stood for a brief time on the corner of 163rd Street & West Dixie Highway back in the 1950s. If you were a teenager back then, you might have remembered eating & having fun because it was probably the very first TEENAGE MIAMI BEACH HANGOUT!

Yep, before Macdonalds or Burger King--it was DIXIELAND--serving Pizza's, Hot Dogs, Fried Shrimp, Chow Mein Sandwich (Chinese treat that originated in the 1940s & was popular in the 1950s..Wow!), Fried Oysters & Clams, Fountain Soda & Desserts, Fried Chicken, Hamburgers, Egg Rolls, French Fries, etc. DIXIELAND also featured "Kiddie Rides" & a plethora of "Games".

The tin serving Tray has rounded corners, 12 colorful pictorial images of Food & Amusements & the center reads: "For Food And Fun...DIXIELAND..N.E. 163rd ST. & W.Dixie Highway..No. Miami Beach, Florida...Ample Parking...Self Service."

The Tray measures approximately 10" X 14". It is in EXCELLENT VINTAGE CONDITION, with only a few slight scrapes as blemishes, (as seen in photos) but in my opinion, none that come close to affecting the colorful graphics & in no way detracts from this fantastic ultra-rare vintage short-lived Miami Beach Restaurant / Amusement tin Tray.

DIXIELAND: The first teen hangout and a wonderful addition to any Florida/Miami Beach/ memorabilia collection!"

LG LG-H811, 20161105_1615

other sizes: small medium original auto
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