There are a plethora of reasons why Coral Gables is called The City Beautiful. Developed by George Merrick in the early 1900s, the city’s architecture is almost entirely Mediterranean Revival style. When I first moved to Miami, I remember being immensely fascinated by the beautiful landscape and buildings of the Gables. Not only was the city very clean, but all the beautiful trees and plants made me feel like I was in paradise.
Last year, we made a dream of ours come true and finally moved here. We are incredibly happy and enjoy our new life here greatly. Here are some of the reasons why I love living in Coral Gables:
1. A green oasis right in the city!
As mentioned above, I love that Coral Gables is very green despite being in the middle of Miami-Dade’s hustle and bustle. You will find lots of very-well maintained green areas such as the Gardens at Merrick Park or Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden. Moreover, you will find a ton of scenic residential routes. One of my favorites is Coral Way which has beautiful Banyan trees planted on each side which are now iconic for Coral Gables.
2. Beautiful parks and playgrounds
Without a doubt, The City Beautiful is definitely a family-friendly place. My favorite parks have enclosed playgrounds. Some of my favorites include the one at the War Memorial Youth Center and Salvadore Park. The City of Coral Gables offers a lot of programs and events to its residents such as Movies Under the Stars, the Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony, and a lot more.
3. One-of-a-kind landmarks
Imagine a pool made from a coral rock quarry filled up with over 800,000 gallons of spring water from an underground aquifer with waterfalls and grottos. How cool is it that this actually exists? The Venetian Pool‘s water gets filled and drained daily. Only downside: you cannot bring kids under 3 years old. I cannot wait for my son to turn 3 in May. Other than that, you’ll find a lot of other cool sights in the area such as the historic Biltmore Hotel and Golf course. Al Capone stayed here in the past and legend has it that ghosts are roaming around. If you are into plays, go check out the famous Actor’s Playhouse on Miracle Mile.
4. Shopping and restaurants
You have lots of great shopping opportunities–indoors and outdoors–in the Gables. One must-see is Miracle Mile. You will find pretty much everything there: from hair salons, jewelry stores, boutiques, and art studios to some of the best restaurants in town. My favorite for brunch is Crema in the beautiful Colonnade Hotel and my dinner to-go place is Hillstone, formerly known as Houston’s.
Right around the corner, you will find the pedestrian-only zone on Giralda Street. Not only will you find great places to eat there, but the street is always beautifully and seasonally decorated. A few years back, they had the famous Umbrella Sky art installation there. Definitely always a good spot for pictures!
Last, but not least, there are great high-end shopping opportunities at the outdoor mall Shops at Merrick Park. A great spot for moms because of the many cute kids’ clothing shops there. Also, kids love to run around in the grassy area down by the fountain. There is also a great farmer’s market with local and homemade products there every Sunday.
I hope you enjoyed my little tour around my neighborhood. Let me know in the comments what your favorite spot in the Gables is!
This post is part of our Love Where You Live series. Be sure to check out the other posts in the series here!
