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Coconut Grove

Coordinates:25°43′N80°15′W/ 25.717°N 80.250°W/25.717; -80.250
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about the neighborhood of Miami. For other uses, seeCocoanut Grove (disambiguation).

Coconut Grove
Neighborhood of Miami
Typical street in Coconut Grove, showing heavy vegetation characteristic of the hammock.
Typical street in Coconut Grove, showing heavy vegetation characteristic of thehammock.
Nickname:
The Grove
Coconut Grove neighborhood in Miami
Coconut Grove neighborhood in Miami
Coordinates:25°43′N80°15′W/ 25.717°N 80.250°W/25.717; -80.250
CountryUnited States
StateFlorida
CountyMiami-Dade County
CityMiami
Settled1825
Annexed into the City of Miami1925
Subdistricts of Coconut Grove
Neighborhoods list
  • Center Grove
  • Northeast Coconut Grove
  • Southwest Coconut Grove
  • West Grove or Black Grove
Government
• City of Miami CommissionerKen Russell
• Miami-Dade CommissionersXavier L. Suarez
•House of RepresentativesVicki Lopez(R)
•State SenateIleana Garcia(R)
•U.S. HouseMaria Elvira Salazar(R)
Area
• Total5.607 sq mi (14.52 km2)
Elevation
13 ft (4 m)
Highest elevation
24 ft (7 m)
Population
(2010)
• Total20,076
• Density8,006/sq mi (3,091/km2)
•Demonym
Grovite
Time zoneUTC−05(EST)
ZIP Code
33133
Area code(s)305, 786
Websitecoconutgrove

Coconut Grove,also known colloquially as “The Grove,”is an affluent and the oldest continuously inhabitedneighborhoodofMiamiinMiami-Dade County,Florida.The neighborhood is roughly bounded by North Prospect Drive to the south,LeJeune Roadto the west,South Dixie Highway(US 1) andRickenbacker Causewayto the north, andBiscayne Bayto the east.[1]It is south of the neighborhoods ofBrickellandThe Roadsand east ofCoral Gables.The neighborhood's name has been sometimes spelled "Cocoanut Grove" but the definitive spelling "Coconut Grove" was established when the city was incorporated in 1919.[2]

What is today referred to as Coconut Grove was formed in 1925 when the city of Miami annexed two areas of about equal size, the city of Coconut Grove and most of the town of Silver Bluff. Coconut Grove approximately corresponds to the same area as the 33133ZIP Codealthough the ZIP Code includes parts ofCoral Wayand Coral Gables[3]and a small portion of ZIP Code 33129.[4]The area is often referred to as "The Grove,”and locals take pride that Coconut Grove is one of the greenest areas of Miami.[5][6]

Coconut Grove is directly served by theMiami MetrorailatCoconut GroveandDouglas Roadstations.

History[edit]

Skyline of Coconut Grove, as seen from its respectiveMetrorailstation
The clubhouse of theWoman's Club of Coconut Grove,built in 1921 and designed by Miami architectWalter de Garmo

Several waves of immigration established Coconut Grove, the first in 1825, when theCape Florida lighthousewent into operation,keptby John Dubose.[7]The settlers primarily came from the Northeastern United States, in addition to British and Bahamian immigrants.[8]They included sailors, naturalists, and artists.[9]Many black Bahamian immigrants were hired to construct the historical landmarks in and around Coconut Grove.[10]They were believed to be the only people capable of withstanding the extreme heat and humidity, as well as the large mosquito population.[11]

Dr. Horace P. Porter is credited for coming up with the name when, in 1873, he rented a home from Edmond D. Beasley's widow, who homesteaded 160 acres of bay-front property.[12]He lived there for only a year, but during that time, he established a post office which he named “Coconut Grove.”[13][14]

The first hotel on theSouth Floridamainland was located in Coconut Grove.[15]Called the Bay View Inn (later known as the Peacock Inn), it was built in 1882 on the site of present-dayPeacock Parkby English immigrants Isabella and Charles Peacock, who had been the owners of a wholesale meat business in London.[16]Coconut Grove's firstblacksettlement, in the 1880s, was established byBahamianlaborers who worked at the Peacock Inn.[17]The Barnacle Historic State Parkis the oldest house inMiami-Dade Countystill standing in its original location.[18]It was built in 1891, and was home toRalph Middleton Munroe,also known as "The Commodore" for being the first commodore and founder of theBiscayne Bay Yacht Club,an American yacht designer, and early resident of Coconut Grove.[19]

Formerly an independent city, Coconut Grove was annexed by the city of Miami in 1925.[20]In the 1960s, bay-shore Coconut Grove served as the center of South Florida'syouth countercultural movement,notably hosting severallove-ins[21]and concerts (including a now-infamousDoors concertatDinner Key Auditorium)[22]during the latter part of the decade.[23]The Bahamian community continued to grow in Coconut Grove through the 1970s.[24]

A surge of commercial development in Coconut Grove was driven by the construction of three major residential complexes during the late 1970s and early 1980s: Yacht Harbour Condominiums in 1975;Grove Isle,a condominium, club, and hotel complex, in 1979; and L'Hermitage in 1980.[25]This was followed by the opening of 2575 S. Bayshore Drive in 1982 and the 1983 opening of Grove Towers.[26]Further development was proposed for Grove Isle in 2013.[27][28][29]

Economy[edit]

Mayfair in Coconut Grove
Villa Vizcaya,built in 1916, is a popular Miami tourist attraction.
Downtown Coconut Grove in 2019

Coconut Grove has a number of outdoor festivals and events, the most prominent of which is the annual Coconut Grove Arts Festival.[30][31]Others include theKing Mango Strut,which began as a parody of theOrange BowlParade, and which continues each year on the last Sunday in December. The Great Taste of the Grove Food & Wine Festival takes place each April. Each June, theGoombay Festivaltransforms Grand Avenue in Coconut Grove into aCarnaval(Caribbean Carnival), celebratingBahamian culture,withBahamian foodandCaribbean music(Junkanoo).

The Grove has numerous restaurants, open air and streetside cafes, and several waterfront restaurants and bars. By night, the Grove becomes a center of nightlife frequented by locals, young professionals, students from the nearbyUniversity of MiamiandFlorida International University,and tourists.

Shopping is abundant in the Grove, with two open-air malls,CocoWalk,the Streets of Mayfair, and many other street shops and boutiques.

The Village Center, the three blocks radiating from and focusing on the intersection of Main, McFarland, and Grand Avenues, home to the majority of the retail and restaurant business in the Grove, is also home to three gyms, a multiplex movie house in CocoWalk, several parking garages, a state historic site, an elementary school, a City of Miami fire station, several large condos and residential rental towers, the Coconut Grove Post Office, and two sizable parks. Development and redevelopment continue to redefine and transform the area.

Major corporations includingArquitectonica,Spanish Broadcasting System,andWatscoare located in the Grove.

The eastern border of Coconut Grove isBiscayne Bay,which lends itself to the local boating and sailing communities. The area features theCoconut Grove Sailing Club,Biscayne Bay Yacht Club,a sizable municipal marina,Dinner KeyMarina, and others[32]The US Sailing Center[33]is on the Bay between Kennedy Park and the Coral Reef Yacht Club.Pan Am's seaplane operations were based at Dinner Key, and theMiami City Hallis based in the old Pan Amterminalbuilding.

Demographics[edit]

Demographically, Coconut Grove is split up into "Northeast Coconut Grove" and "Southwest Coconut Grove", and as of 2000, the total population of both of the neighborhood's sections made up between 18,953[34]and 19,646 people.[4]The zip codes for all of Coconut Grove include 33129 and 33133. The area covers 5.607 square miles (14.52 km2). As of 2000, there were 9,695 males and 9,951 females. The median age for males were 38.4 years old, while the median age for females were 40.3 years old. The average household size had 2.1 people, while the average family size had 2.8 members. The percentage of married-couple families (among all households) was 33.6%, while the percentage of married-couple families with children (among all households) was 11.1%, and the percentage of single-mother households (among all households) was 7.6%. The percentage of never-married males 15 years old and over was 18.3%, while the percentage of never-married females 15 years old and over was 14.3%.[4]The percentage of people that speak English not well or not at all made up 8.1% of the population. The percentage of residents born in Florida was 31.6%, the percentage of people born in another U.S. state was 34.7%, and the percentage of native residents but born outside the U.S. was 2.3%, while the percentage of foreign born residents was 31.4%.[4]

As of 2000,[34]Northeast Grove had a population of 9,812 residents, with 5,113 households, and 2,221 families residing in the neighborhood. The median household income was $63,617.82. The racial makeup of the neighborhood was 35.24%HispanicorLatinoof any race, 2.25%Black or African American,60.96%White (non-Hispanic),and 1.55%other races (non-Hispanic).

As of 2000,[34]Southwest Grove had a population of 9,141 residents, with 3,477 households, and 2,082 families residing in the neighborhood. The median household income was $63,617.82. The racial makeup of the neighborhood was 14.80%HispanicorLatinoof any race, 48.27%Black or African American,35.27%White (non-Hispanic),and 1.66%other races (non-Hispanic).

The "West" Grove (Black Grove) is predominantly composed of people who are ofAfro-Bahamiandescent. Bahamian sailors were one of the first groups of settlers in the area.[35]The Goombay festival is a celebration of the rich history of this historically Bahamian neighborhood.[36]

Transportation[edit]

Coconut Grove is served byMetrobusthroughout the area, and by theMiami Metrorailat:

Metrobus' Coconut Grove Connection connects at Coconut Grove and Douglas Road stations, going to many popular areas within the Grove, includingCocoWalkand Peacock Park.

Education and institutions[edit]

Cultural institutions[edit]

Miami Science Museum
Interior ofMiami Science Museum

Libraries[edit]

Schools[edit]

Elementary schools[edit]

Miami-Dade County Public Schoolsoperates area public schools:

  • Coconut Grove Elementary School
  • Dade County Training School (1899–1937)
  • Frances S. Tucker Elementary School
  • George W. Carver Elementary School

Middle schools[edit]

  • George Washington Carver School,while actually inCoral Gables,serves Coconut Grove. As a magnet school, it does not admit most of its students based on geographical area, but minimum quotas apply regarding to serving Coconut Grove.

High schools[edit]

Private schools[edit]

Points of interest[edit]

Mercy Hospitalin Cocunut Grove

Parks[edit]

The Kampong,a botanical garden in the Grove known for its wild foliage and large tree coverage

In popular culture[edit]

20th century[edit]

CocoWalk

21st century[edit]

Notable people[edit]

Former and current residents include:

Historic Coconut Grove[edit]

See also:National Register of Historic Places listings in Miami, Florida

Established in 1825, Coconut Grove is one of Miami's oldest neighborhoods. As such, many of Miami's oldest buildings and homes are located in the Grove. Some of these include:

References[edit]

  1. ^City of Miami official mapArchivedApril 16, 2009, at theWayback Machine
  2. ^Blackman, E. V.Miami and Dade County, Florida.Washington, D.C.: Victor Rainbolt, 1921.
  3. ^USNaviguide
  4. ^abcd"Demographics of Coconut Grove, Miami, Florida".city-data.RetrievedAugust 30,2009.
  5. ^https:// academia.edu/26538827/Coconut_Grove_West_Grove_tree_canopy_variations_over_timeMiami’s Coconut Grove – tree canopy variation over time, May 2016, Accessed 1 October 2016
  6. ^http://milliontrees.miamidade.gov/library/miami-dade_utc-assessment_final-lr.pdfMiami-Dade Urban Tree Canopy Assessment 2016
  7. ^"A Brief History Of Miamis Coconut Grove".Culture Trip.February 15, 2018.RetrievedApril 23,2024.
  8. ^"A Brief History Of Miamis Coconut Grove".Culture Trip.February 15, 2018.RetrievedApril 23,2024.
  9. ^"A Brief History Of Miamis Coconut Grove".Culture Trip.February 15, 2018.RetrievedApril 23,2024.
  10. ^"The Bahamian Work Force".Vizcaya.RetrievedApril 23,2024.
  11. ^Mohl, Raymond A. (1987)."Black Immigrants: Bahamians in Early Twentieth-Century Miami".The Florida Historical Quarterly.65(3): 271–297.ISSN0015-4113.JSTOR30147810.
  12. ^"Post Office Granted for Cocoanut Grove in 1873".Miami History Blog.RetrievedApril 23,2024.
  13. ^"City of Miami – Neighborhood Enhancement Teams".Archived fromthe originalon January 5, 2016.RetrievedOctober 14,2011.
  14. ^Planning Your Vacation in Florida, Miami and Dade County [WPA Guide to Miami], Northport, New York: Bacon, Percy & Daggett, 1941, page 49.
  15. ^"Ingraham Expedition: Peacock Hotel in Coconut Grove".uflib.ufl.edu.RetrievedApril 23,2024.
  16. ^"Coconut Grove | Community Guide | Carole Smith Team".veryspecialhomes.RetrievedApril 23,2024.
  17. ^Joanne Hyppolite.Black Crossroads.South Florida History, the magazine of the Historical Museum of Southern Florida. Volume 37, No 1, 2009, p. 13
  18. ^"History of the Barnacle | Florida State Parks".floridastateparks.org.RetrievedApril 23,2024.
  19. ^"Ingraham Expedition: Ralph M. Munroe".uflib.ufl.edu.RetrievedApril 23,2024.
  20. ^Livingston, Grant (2000)."The Annexation of the City of Coconut Grove"(PDF).Tequesta.LX.Miami, Florida: Historical Association of Southern Florida: 32–55.ISSN0363-3705.Archived fromthe original(PDF)on July 19, 2011.RetrievedDecember 11,2008.
  21. ^Bjebre, Bill; Kenneth Harrell (September 8, 1969)."Grove" Love-In "Swings Under Eyes of Police".The Miami News.RetrievedMarch 26,2011.
  22. ^Art Grace (March 11, 1969)."In Defense of a Generation: 'Hippies are Beautiful'".The Miami News.RetrievedApril 29,2011.
  23. ^Woodman, Jim (July 23, 1972)."Coconut Grove: Hip Little Village Under the Palms".Chicago Tribune.RetrievedMarch 26,2011.
  24. ^Birmingham, Jim."Echoes of the Summer of Love can still be heard 50 years later in Coconut Grove".miamiherald.RetrievedApril 21,2019.
  25. ^"The resurgence of Coconut Grove".Miami Herald.
  26. ^Baum, Laurie (August 27, 1984)."The New Face of Coconut Grove".Miami Herald, The.p. 1BM Record: 8403030190.
  27. ^Michot, Walter."Developer's plans roil Grove Isle tranquility".miamiherald.RetrievedJune 28,2019.
  28. ^Preserve Grove Isle (September 4, 2015)."Grove Isle Miami".Grove Isle Updates.Archivedfrom the original on June 6, 2021.RetrievedJune 28,2019.
  29. ^Ducassi, Jay."Grove Isle development tangled in web of lawsuits".miamiherald.RetrievedJune 28,2019.
  30. ^Altman, Ruth K. (1990)."Arts festival started as 'left bank affair'"(PDF).South Florida History Magazine.No. 1. pp. 14–7. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on November 16, 2016.RetrievedNovember 16,2017– viaHistoryMiami.
  31. ^"website of Coconut Grove Arts Festival".RetrievedSeptember 25,2012.
  32. ^CMS RedirectArchivedSeptember 24, 2008, at theWayback Machine
  33. ^US Sailing Center
  34. ^abc"Demographics of Coconut Grove Miami, Florida".miamigov. Archived fromthe originalon May 17, 2008.RetrievedJune 11,2008.
  35. ^Samantha Joseph (July 7, 2004)."Western Coconut Grove leaders eye revitalization".Miami Today.RetrievedMarch 16,2010.
  36. ^"Miami Goombay Festival".Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau. Archived fromthe originalon May 4, 2010.RetrievedMarch 16,2010.
  37. ^"City of Miami Parks Department list".Archived fromthe originalon July 14, 2011.RetrievedSeptember 27,2010.
  38. ^Planning Your Vacation in Florida, Miami and Dade County [WPA Guide to Miami], Northport, New York: Bacon, Percy & Daggett, 1941, p. 145.
  39. ^"Burn Notice is up for sale!"http://coconutgrovegrapevine.blogspot /2013/08/burn-notice-is-up-for-sale.html
  40. ^"Obituary".The New York Times.August 24, 2001.RetrievedFebruary 16,2011.
  41. ^"Astronaut Bio".NASA.gov.RetrievedFebruary 13,2011.
  42. ^Kleinberg, Howard (2003).The Stingaree Century.(self published).ISBN0-9741589-0-9.

External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related toCoconut Grove, Florida.
Wikivoyage has a travel guide forCoconut Grove.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Coconut_Grove&oldid=1233659596"