About Bal Harbour
The 245 acres that would eventually become Bal Harbour were originally purchased by a group of automotive industrialists from Detroit in the 1920’s. Visionary Robert C. Graham, along with some of his friends from the former Surf Club in nearby Surfside, then spent the entire 1930’s working on an appropriate design for the Village. Just as those plans were being finalized, however, World War II broke out and development was delayed.
In a patriotic gesture for the duration of the war, Mr. Graham agreed to rent the Village site to the U.S. military at a rate of only $1 per year. Barracks buildings were constructed, and the land was used to train and house soldiers. It was also used to house prisoners of war. An actual POW camp once stood on the site of what is now the world-famous Bal Harbour Shops.
Following the war, plans for incorporation of the Village were finally able to move forward. Because at least 25 male voters were required to qualify for incorporation at the time, Mr. Graham converted the barracks buildings into apartment homes and found 25 families to move into them. A charter was subsequently adopted, the Village of Bal Harbour was incorporated on August 14, 1946, and the rest, as they say, is history.
From the Founders
I was born in 1965, the same year that the Bal Harbour Shops opened. As a child I enjoyed spring breaks with my grandparents who owned a 2-bedroom unit in one of the boutique buildings with a central courtyard on the west side of Collins Ave. Eventually, over the years, my parents and several of my uncles, aunts and other extended family members all came to purchase units in the same building. They also all became long-time members of the old beach club across the street. Time spent there was as much about family as it was about surf and sun.
Today I have my own children who, along with their cousins, consider Bal Harbour to be a true home away from home. They understand that there is something timeless about the place, even as it has evolved over the years. The beach club may no longer be there, and some of the older buildings may have been replaced with more modern designs, but the mystique of Bal Harbour remains. After 50+ years, I still get excited every time I arrive over the Haulover Inlet Bridge.
My wife and I founded Bay to Atlantic, because we realized that Bal Harbour deserves its own brand. The Village itself a work of art, exuding absolute luxury at every turn. Yet, perhaps because of its small size, Bal Harbour remains much less well known than South Beach on the opposite end of the same island. We’d like to see that change.
Thank you for taking the time to learn more about Bal Harbour. If you haven’t visited yet, we hope you have a chance to do so soon. In the meantime, we invite you to browse our products. Each is designed to express the spirit of the Village and to keep you looking fit and fresh wherever you go . . . from Bay to Atlantic, and beyond!
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