Westchester

Westchester is a suburban neighborhood 10 miles southwest of the greater Miami area. It is a fully built area of well-kept homes, and spans from Bird Road (SW 40th Street) to SW 8th Street, and from the Palmetto Expressway to SW 117th Avenue (Turnpike). Westchester is one of the more economically prosperous neighborhoods in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, posting higher average and per capita incomes, and lower poverty rates than the greater area. At the turn of the twentieth century, Westchester was part of Miami-Dade County’s last frontier. When Henry Flagler extended the Florida East Coast Railway south from Miami to Homestead, it marked the beginning of the present-day Westchester. It is a convenient location in which to live, due to its proximity to expressways, hospitals, Florida International University, and Miami International Airport. Local attractions include Tropical Park and Tamiami Park (home of the county Fair), as well as hotels, casual and fine dining, shopping, movie theaters, and night-life. Westchester also lies within driving distance of other popular Miami attractions such as Butterfly World, Metrozoo, and Miami Seaquarium.