What a Cuban Dictator has to do with Harbor View Condominiums at 145 N. Halifax Dr in Daytona Beach?
This condo is just south from Saint Demetrious Greek Orthodox Church. But before they both were built, the land belonged to... Fulgencio Batista, the Cuban president ousted by Fidel Castro in 1959.
The Batista family bought a house on a large Intracoastal lot in mid 40s. The family lived in Daytona during Batista's first exile. Two of Batista's sons, were born in Daytona Beach. Roberto and Jorge went to school in Daytona. Even when Batista returned to Cuba and became the president second time, he liked to come to Daytona to his house.
Last time The Batistas has visited their house in March 1958, a bit over a year before Fulgencia Batista was ousted. He was met by a cheering crowd of about 200 people waving Cuban flags, and a 22-gun salute.
When on January 1, 1959 the US government did not allow the fleeing dictator to come to Daytona, the house stood empty. Batista later gave it to the city, and the city in 1971 sold it to Greek Church, and another piece to the builder, who constructed this 8-story Apartment Building.
The apartment building has changed hands 3 times, before a Winter Park developer bought it and converted to condos in 2002-2003. Until the conversion, it was River's Edge, and later they changed to Harbor View, and it was very timely, as another condo conversion from apartment garden style complex on Palmetto Ave has adopted the name River's Edge.
Harbor View Condominium has 1- and 2-bedroom condominiums with 1 or 2 bathrooms. There are two 3-bedroom units created by combining units, which were used by the previous owners. The building is L-shaped and there are 5 units with river view units and 6 direct riverfront units on the floor except for the top floor, where riverfront units were combined to create 3 large units for then owners of the apartment building.
There is no garage, but there is a very nice awning system, which has been there for 10 years now, and it holds very well. A riverfront pool, a fishing dock on the intracoastal, on-site laundry...
It is block and a half from Main Street, and it is getting noisy during the Bikeweek, but it is noisy during the Bikeweek anywhere on the Beachside anyway. It used to be a problem with parking during the Bikeweek, but since the number of bikers steadily declined in the last several years, it is no longer an issue.
Of course, Harbor View Condo is not the only reminder of the fondness Batista had for Daytona. Visit our museum and you would be surprise by the collection of Cuban art, second only to Havana. Why not Miami, where there are so many Cubans? Why in Daytona, where there are so few Cubans if any?
It was a gift from the Batista family to the City of Daytona Beach, it is now part of our Museum of Arts & Sciences' collection.
It is worth visiting, folks...
And if you are interested in condos in Harbor View, just call me 386-405-4408 or shoot me an email.
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