Top 5 Things You May Not Know About South Miami Heights

Everyone Calls It Exit 12

Ask a local where they're from and you might hear "Exit 12" instead of South Miami Heights. 

No, you're not hallucinating — it's a nickname borrowed straight from the Florida Turnpike exit that serves South Miami Heights (around SW 200th Street); an insider shorthand that only makes sense if you're from around here, like calling your best friend's house "Unit 5A" because that's what the buzzer says. 

Residents casually drop it in conversation, and longtime locals wear it like a badge of honor. 

You see, "Exit 12" is more than a direction — it's a vibe. 

So if you hear someone mention it in Miami, odds are they're talking about this no-frills, proudly suburban pocket of the county.

Built on Booms and Bell-Bottoms

In the 1970s, South Miami Heights went from sleepy to packed faster than anyone could say polyester. 

The population more than doubled between 1970 and 1980, skyrocketing from about 10,000 to over 23,000 people, thanks to the postwar housing boom, which turned farmland into tidy streets lined with ranch homes and concrete driveways. 

Yep, developers saw cheap land and sunshine and turned it into suburbia — fast. 

By the 1980 census, South Miami Heights filled up, and the boom slowed down after that, but the wide streets, mid-century layouts, and towering palms still tell the story. 

If you've ever walked around and thought, "This place feels very 70s," you're absolutely right — it's the shag-carpeted heart of South Dade.

One Neighborhood, Too Many Blueprints  

Sure, South Miami Heights is a suburb, but it's not one of those copy-paste neighborhoods where every house looks like its twin. 

This place has a serious style range with over 11,000 homes, all doing their own thing, from sun-kissed Spanish-style villas to classic ranch homes to newer townhouses that are keeping up with the times. 

Real estate agents even warn buyers that South Miami Heights properties can vary a lot, like a patchwork quilt stitched together with stucco, stone, and the occasional neon paint job. 

Well, it's this mix of architecture that gives the streets a quirky charm, and if you're into personality over predictability, South Miami Heights delivers curb appeal with thousands of twists.

The Principal Who Followed a Sign

Back in 1960, someone put a random sign in a South Miami Heights field that read "Future site of senior high school."

No school, no building — just an old promise yet to be seen.

But Barbara Tekerman saw it and moved her family there anyway. 

Spoiler: the school came true, and her husband, Joe Tekerman, became its very first principal. 

That school is now Miami Southridge Senior High, which was supposed to be "South Miami Heights Senior High," but the name-deciding folks had other plans. 

Sometimes, you really can build a life off a hunch and a wooden stake.

So Many Pros, So Little Noise

South Miami Heights may be under the radar, but it offers a whole roster of professional athletes. 

Miami Southridge Senior High, a school in the neighborhood, has sent players to Major League Baseball and the NFL like a factory of soon-to-be stars.

Ever heard of Yan Gomes, Orlando Palmeiro, or Shannon Stewart? All Southridge grads. 

Fredi González, the former MLB manager, too. 

Meanwhile, on the football side, you have names like Steve Everitt and Kevin Smith on the alumni list. 

For a place with no stadium lights or ESPN cameras rolling, South Miami Heights is, indeed, a low-key talent factory. 

Just don't be surprised if the guy jogging past you at Eureka Park used to play on Sundays.