Coconut Grove, referred to by the locals as “The Grove,” is one of the most sought-after communities to call home in South Florida. Coconut Grove’s idyllic location along the sparkling waters of Biscayne Bay, along with its laid-back friendly environment and natural park-like vegetation throughout, has long attracted boating enthusiasts, artists, naturalists and the wealthy.
Coconut Grove is the oldest neighborhood in the City of Miami. The Grove was first settled in the mid-1800’s and was established in 1873 with construction of its post office. Many years later in 1919, Coconut Grove was incorporated as its own city, but only 6 short years later, Coconut Grove was annexed by the City of Miami in a contested special election on September 2, 1925. In fact, more than 87 percent of the residents of the City of Coconut Grove voted against annexation. Some historians agree that without the annexation of Coconut Grove, and the tax revenue that came with it, the expansion of Miami could have stalled. Everest G. Sewell, President of the Miami Chamber of Commerce, who was in New York at the time of the election and unable to cast his vote, sent a telegram to the Miami Herald: “It will be impossible for the city (Miami) to keep pace with the needed improvements if this election should fail.”
Today, ask any resident of The Grove what city they live in and you will be hard-pressed to find one that says anything other than the City of Coconut Grove. After nearly 100 years, residents are still upset about the annexation, so the State of Florida allows residents to put Coconut Grove as a city on their driver’s licenses. Locals, also referred to as “Groveites,” take much pride in their community as a unique place in South Florida that has a completely different vibe than that of Miami and the Beaches.
Located along Biscayne Bay, it should be no surprise that Coconut Grove is known as a boating enthusiast’s playground. The Grove is home to Dinner Key Marina, which is the largest wet slip marina in the City of Miami offering 582 berths and 225 offshore moorings, and is a great place to dock your boat or hop onto a chartered yacht or a fun pontoon boat for the day. Dinner Key Marina has many boating companies that will provide rentals to residents and visitors. Additionally, The Grove is home to the renowned Coconut Grove Sailing Club, which originated in 1946 and has since become a frontrunner in the international sailing community. Today, it offers children and adult sailing classes, racing, community services sailing programs and educational programs. Coconut Grove is also home to the Coral Reef Yacht Club and Biscayne Bay Yacht Club.
Coconut Grove boasts an abundance of public parks that vary in what they offer including children’s parks, dog parks and lush grounds that appeal to all ages.
The most well-known park in The Grove is David T. Kennedy Park (“Kennedy Park”), which is located in North Grove along Biscayne Bay and bordered by South Bayshore Drive. This bayfront park offers over 20 acres of beautiful green space with seating areas, exercise equipment, a rubber turf jogging trail, sand volleyball courts, kid’s fenced-in playground and two dog parks, one for small dogs and another for large dogs. Kennedy Park has also been home to a local landmark, A.C.’s Icees for over 4 decades. A.C.’s Icees is a privately-owned food truck owned by Groveite Allan Cohen who serves his famous icees in 3 flavors: lemonade, cherry and pina colada.
Additional parks in The Grove include The Kampong, Regatta Park, Blanche Park, Merrie Christmas Park, Marjory Stoneman Douglas Mini Park, The Barnacle Historic State Park and Peacock Park, among others.
Coconut Grove is known to have the best schools in Miami-Dade County and, in fact, one of the top schools in the entire country is located in The Grove, Ransom Everglades, which has both middle and high school campuses. Below is a list of the main public and private schools in Coconut Grove.
Coconut Grove Elementary (Pre-K – Grade 5)
Frances S. Tucker Elementary (Pre-K – Grade 5)
George W. Carver Elementary School (Pre-K – Grade 5)
George Washington Carver Middle School (Grades 6 – 8)
La Piazza Academy (Pre-K – Grade 5)
Coconut Grove Montessori School (Pre-K – Grade 5)
Saint Stephen’s Episcopal Day School (Pre-K – Grade 6)
St. Hugh Catholic School (Pre-K – Grade 8)
Carrollton School of the Sacred Heart (Pre-K – Grade 12)
Ransom Everglades Middle School (Grades 6 – 8)
Ransom Everglades Upper School (Grades 9 – 12)
Immaculata La Salle High School (Grades 9 – 12)
Coconut Grove is approximately 5.6 square miles located between Brickell and Coral Gables. Although The Grove is not a large community, it is still divided into different areas that are frequently referenced by locals. These areas are referred to as Center Grove, West Grove, North Grove and South Grove.
Center Grove is probably the most popular area in Coconut Grove because it is where the majority of the dining and entertainment, including CocoWalk, are located. Center Grove also offers residential areas as well that contain few single-family homes, as it is mostly made up of townhouses, mid-rise condo buildings and the ultra-luxury condo project One Park Grove. South Grove is entirely residential and consists of both older charming houses, large gated waterfront estates and no condo buildings. North Grove is mostly residential consisting of ranch-style homes, new construction modern estates, mid-rise or boutique waterfront condo buildings and a few luxury high-rise condo towers like Grove at Grand Bay and Grovenor House. West Grove is also primarily residential with some commercial space, but it offers a mix of Mediterranean-style townhomes built in the early 2000’s, modern townhouses with rooftop terraces, older ranch-style homes and brand-new single-family homes.
Coconut Grove offers an array of delicious dining options and entertainment, from long-time staples to new favorites. A few local landmarks include Le Bouchon Du Grove, Peacock Garden Bistro, The Last Carrot and Greenstreet Café where you may find celebrities lounging outside enjoying a laid-back brunch on Sundays. Other favorites that have come along as of late include Strada in the Grove (my personal favorite), Farinelli 1937, Glass & Vine, The Spillover and the newest Michael Schwartz restaurant, Tigertail + Mary.
A Must Read: The Essential Guide to Coconut Grove Restaurants
Also, an iconic structure in Coconut Grove is CocoWalk, which is located in the heart of Center Grove. Built in the 1990’s, CocoWalk is a 3-story open-air shopping plaza featuring boutique shopping, casual restaurants and a 15-screen Cinépolis Cinema that has become a staple in The Grove providing a great space for community events. Due to its age, CocoWalk has recently undergone a complete revitalization to not only modernize its once Mediterranean-style exterior but will offer even better retail and dining options than ever before. The revitalized CocoWalk is estimated to be completed Q2-Q3 2020.
The newest hotspot to enter The Grove is Mr. C Coconut Grove. Mr. C’s is the famed ultra-luxe Cipriani Brand Hotel that only has 3 locations in the United States: 1.) Beverly Hills, California 2.) Seaport, New York and 3.) Coconut Grove, Florida. Mr. C’s is not only a luxury hotel, but it houses a spectacular spa, European-style garden & lounge, private event space and an upscale mouth-watering restaurant dubbed ‘Bellini,’ which is the hardest reservation to get in all of Coconut Grove.
Finally, whether you live in Coconut Grove or are visiting, one of the coolest events in The Grove is an annual event that is held during President’s Day Weekend in February, The Coconut Grove Arts’ Festival. This event is one of the largest outdoor art festivals in the country and is renowned on a national scale. This festival attracts artists from all over the nation who bring their visual, culinary and performing art experiences right here to Coconut Grove.
Coconut Grove is truly a beautiful community filled with lush tree canopies and a natural park-like setting throughout, so it is no wonder why it is home to some of the most famous museums and gardens in Florida. One of the most famous museums in the country, as well as the most desired upscale wedding venue in Miami, is Vizcaya Museum and Gardens. Built in 1916, Vizcaya was originally the winter home to James Deering where he enjoyed his lavish European-style estate and garden during the winter months, but today, it is a national historic landmark and an accredited museum. Another acclaimed museum, which has been deemed a historic state park, is The Barnacle. The Barnacle Historic State Park is a 5-acre park that offers a variety of community activities such as yoga by the sea, outdoor movies and art shows. This is also the home to ‘The Barnacle,’ which is the oldest house still standing in its original location in Miami-Dade County. The Barnacle was built in 1891 by Ralph Middleton Munroe, one of the most influential people in Coconut Grove’s history, and it remains in its original condition so that visitors can truly get a feel of what it was like to live in Miami at the turn of the 20th century. Last but not least is The Kampong. The Kampong is David Fairchild’s former estate which is now a museum and some of the most beautiful grounds you have ever seen, filled with exotic plants from all over the world including an 80-year-old, 50-ton Baobab tree from Tanzania and fascinating fruits from the tropics. All of these museums and gardens are definitely worth exploring and learning about the deep, rich history that is entrenched in Coconut Grove.
Fitting to Coconut Grove’s eclectic nature, there are a wide range of condo options in The Grove. For example, there are older condo buildings situated along South Bayshore Drive that offer spectacular water views and are reasonably priced such as Yacht Harbour, to ultra-luxe boutique buildings located directly on the bay like The Fairchild, to high-rise condo options with over-the-top amenities like One Park Grove. The condo market in Coconut Grove is truly unique and extraordinary with so many great options, but because of its uniqueness, it is very important to work with someone that is particularly familiar with this community, like Broker Michael Light, who has been a longtime resident and Groveite with his wife, Jaimee.
Coconut Grove offers a variety of residential options including gated luxury estates, waterfront mansions, charming single-family homes, Mediterranean-style townhouses, modern townhouses, quaint mid-rise condo buildings and luxury high-rise waterfront condos. If you are looking for a single-family home in Coconut Grove, please visit our sister website Miami Luxury Homes to view all of the homes available for sale or rent. But, if you are looking for a condo in Coconut Grove, our condo database is updated daily and includes all of the condos and townhomes that are currently available for sale or rent in Coconut Grove.
Follow Us on Social Media
Copyright © 2019-2024 MiamiCondos.com | Michael Light, P.A. - Senior Director of Luxury Sales | Douglas Elliman Real Estate
Miami Web Design
