In 1949 I started my time in Miami working on the boats at pier 5 as a fishing guide. Then started sailing to the Bahamas on sailing yachts. After i got out of the service in 1953 i returned and got a captains license and ran one of the yachts out of Pier 5. That brought back many memories. Two Buddies were Chuck and Ollie. On St. Patty's, after finishing a bottle of Old Bushmill, the three of us went into the restaurant at the end of the pier and and ate 22 lobster tails each, in a contest where, the one who quits first pays. $1.79 all you can eat. We tied. Thank you for the photo.
Correction
15-Aug-2010 18:35
Actually, the hotel on the left is the Colonial Hotel. It's a survivor these days, called the "Continental Downtown Bayside", yet is unrecognizable.
The three buildings on Biscayne Blvd, from l to r are the McAlister Hotel, The Everglades Hotel, and the Biscayne Terrace Hotel. The building on Flagler St seen here between the McAlister and The Everglades is the Ingraham Building which was the headquarters of the Florida Power and Light Co.