When Miami-Dade County Commissioner Sen. Rene Garcia addressed the Miami Lakes Chamber of Commerce luncheon this month, he was among friends.       Garcia represents District 13 in the northwest section of the county.        During his 25 years in politics and growing up in the area, Garcia, 48, of Hialeah, has come to know many of the business professionals, educators and...

      This is the fifth story in a series on the Upper East Side neighborhood of Miami Lakes.           If you’ve ever been on a cruise and had an opportunity to bid on art, chances are the works may have come from a showroom in Miami Lakes Upper East Side.       Located at 16000 NW 59 Ave. is Park West Gallery, a Michigan-based company that auctions art...

    The Force Group is a family-run mortgage business that has helped homeowners from three generations of families pay for their dream homes.       The company was founded in 1983 in the second floor of a gas station in Hialeah and moved its offices this year to the heart of downtown Miami Lakes.      The company made its first move into town in the mid-1990s.      Vice...

    When you step into Cafe Mi Vitrola in Miami Lakes, you’ll be transported to Old Cuba— the vibrant, pre-revolutionary, nostalgia-evoking era on the island.      It is restaurateur Rufino Paulino’s vision for his new restaurant, located at 15352 NW 79 Ct. in the Park Centre Shops that he aims to open in September.       Paulino owns two other eateries in Miami Lakes:...

    As we continue exploring the Upper East Side in Miami Lakes, two large buildings at Northwest 163rd Street and Northwest 59th Avenue are home to several unique businesses.       Vericast, which recently changed its name from Valassis, focuses on marketing technology.       “Vericast is a leading marketing solutions company that helps thousands of businesses connect with...