The Best of South Florida: Coconut Grove
It is in Coconut Grove where South Florida's history -- yes there is history -- meets today's world in a trendy, upscale area with urban flair and sprawling estates.
It's one of the most affluent sections of Miami, well-known for streets lined with tropical trees, where peacocks roam freely and parrots are routinely sighted.
Coconut Grove, which is home to about 20,000 people, is located on the east side of Biscayne Bay directly across from Key Biscayne and south of downtown Miami -- about seven miles from Miami International Airport. Major highway access to Coconut Grove comes via South Dixie Highway (Route 1), which runs into the southern starting point of Interstate 95 -- just a short distance north of the area.
Its setting is ideal for those with a love of the sea. Indeed, it is home to two yacht clubs and the U.S. Olympic Sailing Center. Miami's City Hall is here on Dinner Key, home of the old Pan Am Airways building in the midst of a bustling marina.
There is far more to "The Grove" than just boating and the connection to the sea, however. That's just where the allure starts.
After South Beach there is no more popular tourist destination in Miami. You'll find an abundance of restaurants and open-air cafes and a wide-array of shopping. Start with CoCo Walk, a spectacular outdoor shopping and eating venue.
Coconut Grove is also the home to one of the most dazzling properties in all of South Florida -- Villa Vizcaya. It is a spectacular mansion on the water built in the 1910s. Its building and gardens are now a museum.
Vizcaya was built by industrialist James Deering as a winter home. More than 1,000 people were involved in its construction. He, along with his sizable staff, only occupied the home (seasonally) from 1916 until his death in 1925.
Other historic properties include:
- The Woman’s Club of Coconut Grove (founded in 1891)
- The Coconut Grove Library (1895)
- The Coconut Grove Playhouse (1927)
Unlike many parts of South Florida, life in the Grove lends itself to walking. In the midst of a cluster of historic buildings is Peacock Park, which hosts numerous family events from picnics to baseball games.
For those who want to enjoy the spectacular lush sub-tropical vegetation, beyond what can be seen just driving the streets, is both Vizcaya and The Kampong, an internationally-known 7-acre botanical garden.
Barnacle Historic State Park is another Coconut Grove draw. It features a large estate built in 1891 known as The Barnacle. It's a view into life in Florida at the turn of the century. The property had been the home of Ralph Middleton Munroe, one of the areas most influential residents. The park is another place to view the spectacular tropical trees.
Shopping and dinner are also big draws for Coconut Grove. Its nightlife is second only to South Beach in Miami and has its own claim to being a great place to sit outside and just people-watch.
Movies have been set in the Grove, from Scarface to Meet the Fockers. And celebrities have been attracted to the setting, too. Lebron James is the most recent famous immigrant to the community, purchasing a $9 million home on Biscayne Bay.
Another big attraction of the Grove is its village-like charm and the wide range of festivals that call the area home.
The Coconut Grove Arts Festival is one of the biggest outdoor arts festivals around. Then there's the Goombay Festival -- a grand Caribbean festival, which highlights the community's early Bahamian influence.
There's also a big Fourth of July event with fireworks as well as The Great Grove Bed Race -- a testament to the whimsical aspect of this higher-end but quirky community.
If you're looking for the best of what South Florida has to offer: a spectacular waterfront setting, outdoor activities, conveniences of restaurants and shopping as well as a liberal dose of history, culture and a place that's just plain cool, then Coconut Grove is the place for you.
And it is not just an enclave for the wealthy. A small condo can still be had for between $100,000 and $200,000. At the same time, many homes and estates on the market top $1 million and go up to about $15 million.
