1729 SW 12 Street, Miami, FL 33135
www.crockettartworks.com
email: crockettartworks@bellsouth.net

Featured on www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p174127

Located adjacent to "Lost Reef Cottage":

web log: www.lostreefcottage.com

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Your happy hosts: Paul Hampton Crockett, Alan Langdon

Dedicated to the Constant Pursuit and Refinement of that Great "Florida Dream."

Or, Our Life As a House

Miami is my hometown, as it was my father's before me, and I am interested in its history. Yet history is an extremely fleeting thing in this city, incorporated only in 1896. The dreamers, schemers, and builders relentlessly driving the city forward have been primarily obsessed with visions of "progress" and the shimmering horizon of the always-great future, and rarely paused to look back even for a moment. Consequently, much of its rich, various, and abundant architectural heritage has been carelessly discarded and often ground to dust. The house we have come to call "the Mission" is old by Miami standards, built in 1927. The city was then only thirty years old. That time and place is now long gone and nearly forgotten, even hard to imagine.

Even well into the late '20's, the Eastern edge of the "Great River of Grass" known as the Everglades lay just along where 27th Avenue now runs North and South. Ten blocks away.

So I love to listen for clues. The Mission is just a house, a simple one, really, and offers no pretension of being anything else. But it has been well-loved, and much lived in. The fact that it still remains, even retaining its stubborn dignity, in a place where history is so very disposable, means something.

Fishing was easy on the crystal-clear waters of the Miami River of the 1910's.

"Ocean Drive, South of Lincoln Road." 1912

And old houses talk. Always, to those who take the time to listen and are willing to pay attention. They tell stories, louder than words and often more honestly. Like people, they are conceived with great hope, and embody a portion of some greater dream. They too have their seasons, endure the wear and tear of experience, and witness their days of glory and decline. The idea of “home” could not be more integral to the great “American dream,” nor any of our notions of society or community. And the ends of their stories, as ours, are as of yet still unwritten.

There is something about vintage homes, to me, that is special. The world is ever changing, and I suppose always has been. Yet I cannot imagine that the felt velocity of those changes has ever seemed greater, and nowhere might they be felt more intensely or keenly than in this sprawling, multicultural, chaotic, "happening" of a place that is Metropolitan Miami. So I find myself grounded in the architecture of the past.

We cannot do other than move forward, but as the days seem to fly by ever more quickly I find in older homes an excellent “starting point” for living my life, one that helps soothe me and enriches my experience. Something about them quietly whispers “Breathe, Paul.” “There is always time. Just breathe.” And they would know. So something within me responds, simply and gratefully, “Yes!”

The Mission is two bedrooms, one bath, and one huge vision. Its thorough renovation, from top to bottom, side to side, can be understood only as a labor of love, if indeed it is to be understood at all. That’s really the only way to describe it: the time, energy, and resources that have been invested in its renovation (or really, rebirth!) over the last couple of years defy logic or reason.

Its name seemed to come to us naturally, inspired by its Old Spanish/ “mission” style of architecture, simple and classic, and the long and winding journey on which it has led us. Its original features have been maintained whenever possible; its lighting fixtures, hardwood floors, working casement windows built of Florida cypress wood, numerous inset panel and French doors throughout, all shine like new.

Yet the home is enhanced by the best and brand new: central air/heat, under-the-counter washer & dryer, stainless steel kitchen appliances, and much much more. It is furnished in a very comfortable yet truly eclectic style, and ready for immediate enjoyment. Here is truly a “home away from home,” and you are the one for whom its many features and comforts have been prepared.


It’s simple, really: Miami is my hometown, and I am at home here. And though the city may not turn out to be at all your “cup of tea," which would most certainly be understandable, I am nevertheless willing to go “the extra mile,” or maybe even further, so that once you’d returned home you’d be able to say, at least, that you’d had a really great place to stay while you were here, and were perhaps surprised at just how comfortable it had been! In a city where real estate has been “hyped” to the extent of collective numbness, here is an experience of rare quality: a window into a simpler, more peaceful, and less pressured time, yet situated close to center of the inspired insanity and excitement that is today’s metropolis.

From Miami: an Introduction, a tourist booklet, 1919

The home sits in the heart of the city's historic Shenandoah neighborhood, a once prominent area that was well-established years before the first cornerstone was laid in that brash "planned development" so audaciously envisioned by a young George Merrick on land that had been his father's citrus plantation, now known as Coral Gables. Yet that was long, long ago.

For some years the neighborhood slipped gently into a state of general decline as the fascination and restless fancy of the growing public attached to the newer and more "uniform" communities being built ever further to the West, where for millenia untold there had before been only the savage majesty of the wild Everglades, and to the South, down into the great pine forests of Cutler Ridge and Kendall, and always to the North.



Only the closely bounded shoreline and the salted blue waters of Biscayne Bay and boundless Ocean to the East, it may be safe to say, had prevented further development in that direction as well.

"Drive to Cocoanut Grove, Miami, Fla."

With the arrival of the first wave of Cuban exiles in the early 1960's, and the multitudes that thereafter followed from that and a number of other Spanish-speaking countries, the area became known generally as part of "Little Habana." That the neighborhood had once readily and proudly identified itself as "Shenandoah" seemed destined to become quaint fact, a cultural oddity now only hinted at only by names inscribed upon its branch Post Office, its middle and elementary schools, and so forth. The word had lost all context, and thus any meaning. Nobody cared.

The corner store, still open for business.

But the only constant is change. As the pendulum currently swings, in the Shenandoah neighborhood of Miami as in other historic neighborhoods in urban areas across the Nation, there has been a resurging groundswell of interest in the idea of “neighborhood.” The collective experience of neighborhood has taken on new life, and the idea become relevant, immediately so, in new and vital ways. Amidst the cacophonous chaos of modern life a deep hunger has taken hold for a sense of “rootedness,” or a personal "history of place." People seek first to understand what their neighborhood is, I suppose, in part so they might better understand where they now find themselves, and what that might mean. They often find the most direct route to the heart of those critical inquiries an understanding of exactly what it once was.




In my passion for history, particularly as it relates to my home and my hometown, I am not alone.

The Shenandoah neighborhood has not only reclaimed its identity, but steadily improved its standing as a desirable and safe place to live. Demand for the homes has remained steady even in the economic free fall in which this city, along with the rest of the country, now finds itself. The area is increasingly prized for its historic architecture and central location, as traffic congestion continues (impossibly) to worsen on Miami’s roadways. Odds are, from where the Mission sits you are only minutes away from many of the places you want to be, or to see while you are here.

All of which leads us right back to the present, and to the future potential of your visit. Your comfort, enjoyment, and well-being are our driving goals. We have been waiting for you!

Welcome.

A sitting area in your private garden, awaiting your pleasure.

Mission Backyard, Taken Yesterday

TODAY is the last day of February, 2010.

I snapped this pic yesterday afternoon to send as a beacon of encouragement to some friendly folks that we will soon have the privilege of hosting, visiting from Germany.

These are the all-too brief days of Florida's legendary winter when our weather lays its claim to true glory: the air crisp and cool even in full sun, days filled with an abundance of golden, clear light. The kind of days that seem to invite all possibility, or simply make one feel happy just to be alive.

Those who live here year 'round, having endured the rainstorms and threat of hurricane and the smothering heat of Miami's relentless and long summer, have earned well our winter! (I'd imagine that we await its arrival and are saddened by its inevitable passing much as people from colder climes experience the promise of each year's Spring, and the death of Fall..) That Florida summer heat seems, at least for now, a distant memory.

Only a memory, perhaps, but of a most special and unusual sort: the kind that is undeniably real and present, thus lending special meaning and savor to the simple moments of the ever-passing now.

And so, we smile.

Carpe diem!

A GREAT Location.

Coconut Palm P. Crockett

If you are visiting Miami for the first time, or haven't been back in a while, it's well worth taking a little time to think about the areas of town that are most likely to serve you well as a "home base." If you want to be near the South Beach or Miami Beach, Coral Gables, Coconut Grove, Brickell, North Miami, Key Biscayne, or Downtown areas, but not in any of them, our location is unparalleled.

Even if you aren't exactly sure what you will be doing during your visit or where you'll be spending your time (perhaps the ideal way to travel!), it's a great idea to take a look at a map and get a general feel for where you might want to be. Even a few minutes would be time well spent. Why not take a few moments to ponder this Google map to figure out exactly where you want to be, in relation to wherever you might wish to stay:


View Larger Map

Just play with it a little and let it help you get your bearings: using the zoom (in and out) plus/ minus features, and the "pan" (arrow) features to move the map itself about, will help provide an excellent "visual" on the lay of the land, quite possibly helpful as you decide where you might like to lay claim to your own "place in the sun" for the time of your stay.

View of City Skyline, from Rooftop

However you might choose to do a little homework, you may be very glad you did. First, Miami is a big place, geographically. Roughly 40 linear miles (or about 64 km.) of highway connect its northern boundary (let's say Miami Shores) and its southern tip (at Homestead), and at its widest the city ranges over 20 miles, east to west. In an urban area as intense and convoluted as this one-of-a-kind subtropical metropolis, that covers an awful lot of ground, a journey in space and time that can seem almost surreal. The place is cobbled together, too, of an astonishing number of different neighborhoods of all kinds, large and small, along the way. In many of those areas you're just as likely to hear two languages as one, and in some of those English will not be among them.

Then, there's the traffic. It gets worse and worse. Miami was recently ranked 4th in the nation for congestion in the 2007 National Urban Mobility Report (just ahead of Philadelphia, and second behind L.A.), and that is most definitely not good news.

Garden Oasis P. Crockett

All of that said, Miami is indeed a wonderful place, bursting with rare opportunities and blessed with beautiful vistas of land, sea, and Florida's famously big sky. With just a little forethought, you'll have done your best to make the memories of your stay here sweet ones. You can always sit in bumper-to-bumper traffic, or be cut off, cursed out, or generally driven to your wits end back home, or on another trip!

We All LOVE the Water...

Biscayne Morning Paul Hampton Crockett

And it's true, we have no pool at the Mission. But, that is far from the end of the story, if you love being outside, in the water.

We are just a stone's throw from Biscayne Bay and from the Atlantic Ocean, as well as a number of perfectly fine (and in some cases absolutely magnificent!) swimming pools. So if you love to get wet and bask in Florida sunshine, you should definitely be aware of these options. (I must note that as a boy growing up in Miami, I and my closest friends spent much of our time in the water, only a bit of it in pools. Of course we loved our pool time. The kids in my family learned to swim in summer classes at Shenandoah public pool, shortly after we'd learned to walk. The best part, of course, was the ice cream afterwards!)

Several of our guests have enjoyed that pool, which happens to be quite nice, generally uncrowded, and only blocks from the Mission (1.1 miles and 3 minutes, according to Google maps). . Admission will set you back $1.00!

Shenandoah Pool, 1805 SW 22nd Ave, Miami, FL 33145
Tel. : (305) 856-9549

On a grander (and suitably more expensive) scale is the truly legendary Venetian Pool in Coral Gables. That place offers an experience I cannot recommend highly enough, for children of all ages.

All that being said, most of our swimming time was spent in open salt water, mostly in Biscayne Bay.

We will always look back on those days, based in a deluxe tree-house in the mangrove forest alongside Villa Vizcaya, paddling around on homemade rafts in open water here, there exploring winding coves so lush and green we could easily imagine that we'd somehow been transported to the Amazon. We were often joined by the peaceful manatees, who'd swim alongside. Such quiet moments, under big open sky, will remain sweet in our memories, as so beautifully put by my beloved teacher and friend Jane Reno, "as long as we are able to remember beauty."

Think about it: aren't such scenic journeys much more what the "dream of Florida" are all about than any thing or place made by the hand of Man? Take a step beyond the "hotel pool" or its generic equivalents, I dare you! You will be glad that you did. In any event, you'll take home with you an experience worth really remembering.

The places listed below offer some of the most beautiful vistas in the city, if not the State, and really should not be missed. They often serve to remind me of the much more quiet and beautiful soul underlying this crazed city! I go to these places when I need them, and they are always there for me, awaiting patiently. Each is easily worth a trip for its own sake. (The locations can be "plugged" in to the Google map linked to the Mission
( http://www.shortenurl.com/GoogleMap_Mission ) to get an exact "visual" on location, distance, and route. All distances are measured from the Mission.)

Go on: get sand between your toes! You never know; you might catch a glorious sunset, find the most delicious hot dog you've ever bought from a seaside hot dog stand (OK, for that one, you gotta be really hungry! : ) ), or see birds soaring overhead that you might have seen before only in picture books.

Personally, "you never know" is exactly the way I like to take my adventures.

Beaches!

These are all excellent and generally very safe places to head out with your beach towels and... whatever:

Hobie Island Beach Park, Key Biscayne 2.8 Mi.

Biscayne Day! Paul Hampton Crockett

Virginia Key Beach, Key Biscayne 4.2 Mi.

Crandon Park Beach, Key Biscayne 7.2 Mi.

Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park, Key Biscayne 7.0 Mi.

Lummus Park, Miami Beach (South Beach) 6.0 Mi.

South Beach 1995 Paul Hampton Crockett

Pools!

Cool clean chlorinated waters await in a number of public pools within convenient proximity of the Mission. To view a larger image of the map above, just click on it. You can then return with the back arrow in the browser, to the upper left of your screen.

To get to this map yourself, and thus be able to click on the available links for more information, etc., just visit the link mentioned above: http://www.shortenurl.com/GoogleMap_Mission, click on the blue "Find Businesses" tab right in the top middle, and enter "public swimming pools" as a search.

Wherever you decide to do your swimming, do it safe and have a ball!

A Prayer for the "Stranger Within Our Gates"

By day...

Returning from a family vacation last summer in Colorado, my brother Whitney and drove into Boulder, returned the rental car, etc., and checked into the Holiday Inn near the airport. The staff was friendly and the place nice enough, but the one thing I will always remember about the stay was finding a poem in our room. And not only finding it there, printed on a laminated card, but really being moved by it. I don't know which caught me more by surprise, but there it was.

Its message surprised and delighted me, and somehow touched me. In today's America especially travel often seems inherently a "tensing" thing, and I found myself melting just a little. For the last couple of weeks the Prayer/ Poem has kept popping back into my mind, and refusing to let go. So I finally sat down yesterday and Googled it, and first found it quoted in a web site by "Jenne Ink," a talented and spirited writer journaling online about her experience of cancer. She had come across the message at the Courtyard Inn in Oklahoma City
( jenneink.blogs.com/jennethink/2007/07/stranger-within.html ).

In skimming only the first few other postings I saw that any number of travelers had also unexpectedly come across the Prayer in all kinds of hotels across the Country (one in Williamsburg, Kentucky at the Cumberland Inn, another the Embassy Suites in St. Charles, Missouri (near St. Louis), etc., etc.) and thought enough of it to post their experiences. It had been discussed on a forum of a national hotel chain. The prayer and its message also showed up on various web sites: alternative lodgings, churches, and others.

So quite obviously it hadn't been just me; here was a message with a power of its own, that all kinds of people in all kinds of places were thirsty to receive. Now seems the time.

And so I share it here, its wonderfully simple language changed only a bit. (I must say, I love it that both of our properties share a common Garden Gate, so the prayer seems a propos in a particular and special way.)

In ancient times there was a prayer for “The Stranger within our gates.”

You are here because you have accepted our invitation to hospitality, and we are grateful and glad. Hosts among the Inuit people, sometimes called the Eskimo, customarily greet their guests with this heartfelt acknowledgment: "You bless our Home with your presence." May you experience peace, rest, and a promise of refreshment while you are here.

May this Cottage and its gardens be your “second” home. May those you love be near you in thoughts and dreams. Even though we may not get to know you, we hope that you will be comfortable and happy as if you were in your own house. Or even happier, and happier still to return at last to your own bed.

May the business that brought you our way prosper. May every call you make and every message you receive add to your joy. When you leave, may your journey be safe.

We are all travelers. From “birth till death” we travel between the eternities. May these days be pleasant for you, profitable for society, helpful for those you meet, and a joy to those who know and love you best.

... And by night.

Amen.

Magic Never Sleeps

Backyard of Mission, Twilight.

Our imaginary staff of thousands works heroically, night and day, to provide any and all necessary magic in our small green slice of Miami, and then some. Alan's particular genius (or one of them) is in landscape lighting, and his pursuit of beauty in that arena is unceasing and unparalleled. In this role of lightbearer he is most definitely in hot pursuit of his own artistic quest, and follows no map. Yet he somehow always manages to bring back with him yet another jewel of a star back down to this Earth, and the night seems glad for it. Another light in the darkness, and in yet another color of some greater rainbow.

Alan in his Christmas best.

In this role of lightbearer he is most definitely in hot pursuit of his own artistic quest, and follows no map. Yet he somehow always manages to bring back with him yet another jewel of a star back down to this troubled Earth, and the night seems glad for it. Only another small light in the darkness near the heart of this sprawling city, perhaps, one more unlikely drop of rich color from some greater rainbow.

But if that small light brings even a moment of delight to some weary traveler, or looks just right to a child far away from home who needs a little magic to hold on to, then it has well served its purpose.

Sometimes, a little light can make all the difference. Consider this hunk of stone that decorates the foot of the entry garden, just inside the Gate. A friend with a sharp eye who lives in the historic Bayshore Section of Miami (NE Miami, along the Biscayne corridor) chanced upon it and salvaged the piece from a jetty on to which it had been unceremoniously thrust decades ago:

It turns out to be an architectural rarity in a place with scant regard for its own history: the remains of a City park bench most likely enjoyed in the 1910's, bearing the original municipal logo. Not until darkness falls does it really reveal itself:

God knows, we all need the right lighting, sometimes...

The lighting and its focus are constantly changing, for that is Alan's nature, and it is probably wise to avoid attachment to any particular configuration. That lesson does not come easily for me. Yet what I've learned time and again, is that "this is only the best it has been, so far." There is an inherent excitement to the new, and it always get richer, more fantastical, and, in some cases, simpler. Yet your breath may be taken away, and more than once.

Garden Gate, side.

They are constantly changing, for that is Alan's artistic nature. But they always get richer, and more fantastical, and, in some cases, more simple. Yet your breath may be taken away, and more than once.

Outside (above), and in.

At least, we hope so.

Inside Front Gate, Well Past Bedtime.

Sweet dreams.