Carl Fisher carved a commercial strip of land out of a barrier island’s mangrove swamp. Naming it Lincoln Road after Abraham Lincoln, Fisher challenged southern sensibilities (a year later, the City of Miami dedicated a memorial to the Confederacy).

What we now know as South Florida’s premier pedestrian walkway (where folks can shop, dine, and celebrate) was an act of political disruption and (like most of South Florida) mangroves and swampland.

Rumor has it that when workers were clearing out the land, the mosquitos were so bad that the donkeys being used to haul out the mangroves suffocated on the mosquitoes or even drowned themselves just to seek respite from those nasty lil bugs.

Just let that sink in for a moment.

Check out what else we learned about how Lincoln Road came to be. Also, RIP sweet burros.

PRODUCED BY THE NEW TROPIC CREATIVE STUDIO WITH LINCOLN ROAD BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT

We’re looking for a full-time video producer and events producer to help The New Tropic continue to produce awesome storytelling and events that help you #livelikeyoulivehere. If you’re into helping curious locals explore and connect with their cities, these might be the gigs for you! Applications are still open for a few more days.

You can find all the deets here:

• Video producer
• Events producer

Plus, if you’ve got a friend in Orlando who is a boss at video, our sister publication Pulptown is also looking for a video producer.

The party’s over? The future of Ultra in Bayfront Park got a lot murkier after Miami commissioners voted down a contract to keep the electronic music festival in the downtown park. The contract could still come back for negotiation and Ultra’s organizers said they’re still hoping to bring the show to Bayfront in March, but they’ll be up against seriously strong opposition from downtown neighbors who want an end to the noise and traffic the event brings every spring. (Miami Herald)

It’s official. Despite opposition from environmental groups, and some confusion over the exact location, the expansion of State Road 836 was officially approved by Miami-Dade commissioners yesterday. The plan calls for expanding the expressway an extra 14 miles past the county’s Urban Development Boundary and into protected wetlands. It’s a big win for Mayor Carlos Gimenez and residents of southwest Dade who grew tired of sitting in traffic, but a big loss to efforts to protect our wetlands. There’s still plenty of questions to be answered, plus a few more approvals required for  building over the wetlands. (Miami Herald)

This cafe is the cat’s meow. We’re not kitten about this news. Miami Beach is bringing a cat cafe to SoFlo so you can enjoy a freshly made latte among a bunch of furry friends. We can’t confirm if the cats will actually be “superfriendly” like the owner describes them, but we do know that the cafe is set to open next month and will serve local treats like Honeybee Doughnuts and Cindy Lou’s Cookies. (Miami New Times)

The times are a changin’. Billionaire and former Republican donor Mike Fernandez is throwing his weight behind the Democrat in the  governor’s race. Fernandez, a fierce immigration advocate, donated $200,000 to Andrew Gillum’s campaign, saying he was motivated by Republican gubernatorial candidate Ron DeSantis’ calls for tougher immigration enforcement. Fernandez said: “Our America is an intangible dream crafted with diversity, ideas and actions and Trump and DeSantis dismiss such unacceptable. For this reason, I support Andrew Gillum.” Fernandez also supported Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election for similar reasons. (Politico Florida)

My Big Fat Greek…Bar? Miami has served as an inspiration for everything from movies to fashion over the years, but the latest tribute to the 305 is coming from Greece. Yup, a nightlife spot called “The Wynwood Bar” just opened in the suburbs of Athens after the bar’s owner visited the Miami neighborhood and felt inspired. It features touches like neon signs and murals, a paint job similar to the black-and-white Wynwood Building, and a menu item called the “Little Havana” that’s apparently just a salad with avocado and pico de gallo. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ (Miami New Times)

THAT’S ALL FOR THIS WEEK.

But heads up: tomorrow is National Coffee Day. Here’s a guide on where you can get your caffeine fix for free, or at least get a great deal.

We’ll see you on Monday. ✌️

– The New Tropic