Miami - Coral Gables and Coconut Grove

Coral Gables, one of the country’s richest neighborhoods, is a separate city within Greater Miami, and feels it. Aptly named the City Beautiful, its elegant homes line winding avenues shaded by banyans and live oaks; backing up to hidden canals, many have their own jetties. Regulations ensure that new buildings use the same architectural vocabulary advocated by George Merrick when he planned Coral Gables in the 1920s. As well as exploring Merrick’s legacy, you can peer into some of Miami’s most stylish shops.

Coconut Grove is Miami’s oldest community. Wreckers lived here from the mid-1800s, but the area attracted few people until the 1800s, when Ralph Monroe persuaded some friends to open a hotel. It was staffed by Bahamians and frequented by Monroe’s intellectual friends. Ever since, the area has had a mixed flavor, with posh homes just a stone’s throw from the blighted so-called Black Coconut Grove. Affordable restaurants and shops draw weekend and evening crowds, making Coconut Grove the liveliest district in Miami after South Beach.