The short version: Men looking for sober living in Miami Lakes, Florida, are usually choosing between a recovery residence inside the town’s three residential ZIP codes (33014, 33016 and 33018) and one a short drive away. The Foundry, which runs two FARR-certified men’s sober living houses, does not operate a house in Miami Lakes. Its nearest house, Foundry: Lakehouse in North Miami Beach, is roughly 25 to 35 minutes east by car depending on traffic. Its second house, Foundry: Beachhouse in Hollywood, is roughly 30 to 40 minutes northeast.
Whichever house a man chooses, the most important checks are the same: whether the residence is certified under Florida law, whether its rules are enforced, and whether it is honest about what it is and is not. Those checks apply to any sober living Miami Lakes FL search. They, along with the town’s geography, transit, parks and job options, are covered below, in order of importance.
Key facts at a glance
- Incorporated: 2000, when voters approved it as Miami-Dade County’s 31st municipality.
- Population: 30,467 at the 2020 census.
- Area: about 6.5 square miles, including roughly 0.85 square miles of water.
- Residential ZIP codes: 33014, 33016 and 33018. None carries “Miami Lakes” as its primary postal name.
- Town government: Town Hall, 6601 Main Street. Website: miamilakes-fl.gov.
- Nearest Foundry houses: North Miami Beach (Lakehouse) and Hollywood (Beachhouse).
Sources: Wikipedia’s Miami Lakes article; the Town of Miami Lakes website; zip-codes.com.
Sober living Miami Lakes: how to evaluate a house
Florida does not require every sober home to be certified, but it does run a voluntary certification program. Under section 397.487 of the Florida Statutes, the state recognizes a credentialing entity to certify recovery residences. That entity is the Florida Association of Recovery Residences (FARR). Certification matters in practice because licensed treatment providers in Florida are generally limited in which residences they may refer patients to. Families can check a house’s status directly on FARR’s site. Background on the program is in our explainer on FARR-certified sober living.
Beyond certification, recovery-housing operators and families generally point to four further questions:
- Are the rules written and enforced? Standard rules include no alcohol or drugs, randomized drug testing, a curfew, chores, meeting attendance and a daytime commitment. The useful follow-up is what happens when a rule is broken.
- Who runs the house? Ask who is on site and who responds overnight. The Foundry’s houses are run by men in recovery who are active in the fellowship.
- Is it men-only? Many men find a men’s sober living environment easier for honesty and focus. Both Foundry houses are men-only.
- Is the admissions process honest? Sober living is a residence, not treatment or detox. A responsible house will say so, and will tell a caller when a higher level of care is needed first. Our piece on treatment versus sober living explains the difference.
Miami Lakes ZIP codes
Wikipedia lists three ZIP codes for Miami Lakes: 33014, 33016 and 33018. A USPS-based directory, zip-codes.com, confirms that all three accept “Miami Lakes” as an alternate city name, but lists Hialeah as the primary postal city for each. In practice, that means a Miami Lakes address may be written with “Hialeah” on the envelope, and that each ZIP also covers areas outside the town.
| ZIP | Area or neighborhood it covers | Practical note for someone in recovery |
|---|---|---|
| 33014 | Eastern Miami Lakes, including the Main Street town center and Town Hall; also parts of Hialeah and the Miami Gardens area | The walkable town center is here. Closest of the three to I-95 and the drive east to North Miami Beach. |
| 33016 | Parts of Miami Lakes, shared with Hialeah and Hialeah Gardens | Mixed residential and commercial. Confirm the actual municipality on any listing. |
| 33018 | Parts of Miami Lakes, shared with Hialeah Gardens and Hialeah | Largely residential. Bus trips east toward I-95 can take a while; plan them before committing to a job. |
A note on 33015: zip-codes.com also lists Miami Lakes as an alternate name for 33015, which the same directory also associates with Hialeah, Hialeah Lakes and Palm Springs North. Wikipedia does not include it among the town’s ZIP codes, so it is left out of the table above. For the countywide picture, see our Miami-Dade County ZIP code guide.
What the town is like
Miami Lakes is a planned community. According to Wikipedia, development began in 1962 on former Graham family dairy land, under a master plan drafted by Lester Collins, then dean of the Harvard School of Design. The original section east of the Palmetto Expressway has curving, tree-lined streets and lakes, and the town is often cited as an early example of New Urbanism, with a walkable Main Street and narrow streets.
For someone in early recovery, the relevant points are the town’s residential character, its many lakes and greenways, and a compact center where a person can walk to a coffee shop or library without a car. The town’s Main Street is a mixed shopping and dining district, so, as anywhere, bars and restaurants that serve alcohol are part of the landscape.
Parks, trails and the library
The town reports more than 100 parks, mini parks, tot lots, greenways and trails. The town’s parks page lists, among others:
- Veterans Park: basketball, a community center and a weight and exercise room.
- Royal Oaks Park: an open field, basketball and a community center. Wikipedia notes its community center houses an indoor veterans memorial.
- Miami Lakes Optimist Park: baseball, basketball, an open field and a community center.
- Picnic Park East: basketball, a pavilion and a community center.
- NW 170th Street Gateway Trail: a route for biking and running.
The Miami Lakes Branch Library, part of the Miami-Dade Public Library System, is another free resource for computer access and job searches. Current hours and any fees for town facilities are posted on the town’s parks pages.
Getting around without a car
Most men entering sober living do not have a car at first. Wikipedia lists Miami-Dade Metrobus routes 37, 54 and 75 as serving Miami Lakes. Route numbers and schedules change, particularly after the county’s bus network redesign, so riders should confirm current service through Miami-Dade Transit. The Palmetto Expressway (State Road 826) runs through the town and is the main road link for drivers.
At The Foundry, residents receive rides to meetings and appointments in their early weeks, and residents in good standing may later keep a car.
Meetings
Twelve-step meetings are held throughout northwest and northeast Miami-Dade. Because schedules and locations change, the most reliable sources are the official search tools: Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous. The Foundry’s program is built on the twelve steps: residents attend required meetings and work with a sponsor.
Work and daily structure
Recovery residences typically require residents to be productive during the day. At The Foundry, men are expected to be working, in school, volunteering or in an outpatient program, including IOP, within their first couple of weeks. Staff help with resumes and interview preparation.
Miami Lakes and the surrounding area include office, retail and light-industrial employers, and the town’s master plan set aside commercial and industrial land alongside residential areas. Free job-search services are available through CareerSource South Florida.
What the first month typically looks like
Recovery residences differ, but the early weeks in a structured men’s house tend to follow a similar sequence. In the first days, a new resident learns the house rules, meets the house manager and other residents, and is driven to meetings. In the first one to two weeks, he is expected to secure a daytime commitment: a job, classes, volunteer work or an outpatient program. Through the first month, he attends required meetings, finds a sponsor, completes chores and observes curfew, with randomized drug tests throughout.
The purpose of that structure is to replace the routine a treatment program provided with one the resident increasingly runs himself. Visits from family typically resume after the initial blackout period.
Costs and payment
Sober living rates vary by house and by room, and this article does not quote figures. Families comparing houses generally ask what a rate includes, whether there is a deposit, and how drug testing is billed. At The Foundry, rooms are furnished; utilities, linens, laundry and high-speed internet are included; sober living is private pay; and scholarships are available for qualified men. Current rates are given by phone. More detail: what sober living costs in Miami.
For families
Families often play a large role in the decision. Common practice in structured houses, including The Foundry’s, is an initial blackout period on visits so a new resident can settle in. The Foundry’s family guide covers visits and communication. Support groups for relatives, such as Al-Anon, meet across Miami-Dade.
If a resident relapses, The Foundry’s policy is an honest conversation about the right level of care.
The Foundry’s two houses
Foundry: Lakehouse is at 871 NE 182nd Terrace, North Miami Beach. It is a lakeside home with eight bedrooms and five bathrooms, canoes and kayaks, a hammock, a tree swing and a fire pit, near Aventura and I-95. Lakehouse details.
Foundry: Beachhouse is at 701 Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood, on the Intracoastal Waterway minutes from Hollywood Beach, with a rooftop terrace, pool, ping pong, kayaks and a billiards room with a waterway view. Beachhouse details.
Both houses follow the same rules: no alcohol or drugs, randomized testing, curfew, required meetings, chores, and work, school, volunteering or outpatient treatment. Most residents stay three to twelve months. Bed availability is not published online.
What this article does not cover
Several things are deliberately left out. This article does not list specific meeting times or locations, because they change and the official AA and NA finders are more current. It does not quote prices, which vary by house and room. It does not name other sober homes or treatment providers. It does not rate neighborhoods for safety; official public-safety information is published by local police agencies. Bus routes are reported as Wikipedia lists them and should be confirmed with the county before use.
Where this article states a fact about the town, it comes from the Town of Miami Lakes website or Wikipedia; ZIP code details come from Wikipedia and zip-codes.com.
Related reading
Nearby city guides: sober living in Hialeah, sober living in Miami Gardens and sober living in Doral. For the basics, start with what sober living is.
How to reach The Foundry
Call (954) 817-7143 or use the admissions page.
Anyone in crisis can call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. In an emergency, call 911.
Maps: Miami Lakes to the Foundry houses
The routes below show the drive from Miami Lakes to each house.
