Sunny Isles Beach is water bound on its East side by the Atlantic Ocean and the Intracoastal Waterway on its West side. The town's South side borders Haulover State park and the town of Golden Beach on its North end. The area was developed as a tourist resort named Sunny Isles in 1920 and was part of un-incorporated Dade County until 1997 when local residents voted to incorporate the area and changed its name to Sunny Isles Beach.
For several decades the properties along Collins Avenue's east side along the beach were limited to one and two story motels. The real estate boom of the early 2000's saw these motels replaced by 50 story multi-million dollar luxury condominium buildings, attracting buyers and new residents from around the world.
Sunny Isles Beach is a short drive over the Lehman Causeway from the Aventura Mall and a 10 minute ride to world renowned Bal Harbour Shops. The high tax base in Sunny Isles Beach has afforded the city the ability to purchase several properties within the city limits for the benefit of green areas and parks. The historical Sunny Isles Pier has been renovated following the damage caused by 2005 Hurricane Wilma and was reopened in 2013.
