Best known for its elegant shopping mall, this manicured village is the smallest and one of the wealthiest municipalities in Miami-Dade County. Bal Harbour, a planned community, was incorporated in 1946 after having served as a United States Air Force training facility during World War II. The barracks are long gone, and today along the date palm-lined stretch of Collins Avenue are luxury condos, the Sheraton Bal Harbour Beach Resort, and the restored Sea View and Beach House hotels. At the posh Bal Harbour Shops, white-helmeted guards stand at the door.
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