Top 5 Things You May Not Know About Pinewood

The Town That Joined, Left, and Never Looked Back 

Yes, Pinewood once flirted with fame — or at least with cityhood. 

In 1925, Miami's real estate boom was so unstoppable that even this small patch of land went into the city's borders. 

Yet the honeymoon was short-lived, and when the Great Depression came, Miami couldn't afford to retain its new territories; hence, it handed Pinewood right back to the county like a borrowed sweater. 

Since then, Pinewood's proudly stayed unincorporated — no city hall, no mayor, and honestly, no regrets. 

It's like that friend who says, "I work better on my own," and actually means it.

Freedom Lives Where the City Lines Don't     

Here's the thing about being unincorporated — there are fewer rules and more room to breathe. 

Pinewood isn't boxed in by city ordinances or red tape, which means homeowners have a bit more creative freedom than their city-bound neighbors. 

Want to add a guest house? Paint your place coral pink? Open a home studio? Chances are, you can. 

And with I-95 practically hugging its border and Downtown Miami just 20 minutes away, this "outsider" zip code is starting to look like insider gold. 

Real estate agents now call it "up-and-coming," but Pinewood folks would say it's just been secretly cool all along.

The Park That Started With a Lawn Mower  

No, Arthur Woodard didn't just live across from a park — he made one. 

For years, the beloved local principal mowed and trimmed an empty lot by hand so neighborhood kids could have somewhere green to play. 

Eventually, the county noticed and decided to make it official, so in 2022, they opened Arthur Woodard Park, two lakefront acres of walking paths, a fitness court, picnic tables, and a gorgeous event lawn. 

Today, every jogger, stroller, and dog walker owes their view to one man's dedication to lawn care. 

Not all heroes wear capes — some bring a mower.

A Neighborhood That Speaks Three Languages at Once

Walk down any Pinewood block, and you'll hear a symphony of accents and languages weaving together like a daily soundtrack. 

Here, nearly a third of residents speak Haitian Creole, another section speaks Spanish, and less than half claim English as their first tongue. 

It's a mix that perfectly mirrors Miami's multicultural soul — except in Pinewood, it's on full volume. 

So, order griot for lunch, chat in Spanglish at the corner store, and get directions in English if you're lucky—it's linguistic chaos in Pinewood, but the kind that feels like home.

Welcome to The Garden That Grows More Than Food 

What used to be an empty, weed-choked lot in Pinewood is now one of Miami's most inspiring little revolutions. 

In 2013, local powerhouse Asha Walker founded Health in the Hood, turning concrete into kale and a food desert into an urban farm. 

Rows of collards, peppers, and okra now line the soil, grown and harvested by volunteers who give the produce away — no strings, no checkout lines, just community feeding community. 

The garden has since become a local landmark of its own, proving you don't need acres of farmland to make a difference — just a shovel, some sunlight, and a lot of heart.