Coconut Grove Neighborhood Profile

August 23, 2012

Positioned just to the south of downtown Miami is a vibrant and sensational neighborhood called Coconut Grove. Formerly a separate rural community, Coconut Grove was annexed by the city of Miami in 1925.

Adjacent northwest of the neighborhood is the South Dixie Highway. North Prospect Drive bounds the area to the south, Rickenback Causeway to the north, Biscayne Bay to the east, and LeJeune Road to the west.

Since the 1960s, the Grove has been the heart of Miami art, youth countercultural movement, and nightlife.

Notable Trivia

The Grove has a distinct background in South Florida’s history and culture:

• Telephone inventor Alexander Graham Bell, musicians David Crosby and Jimmy Buffett, poet Robert Frost, and playwright Tennessee Williams have been, at some point in their lives, residents of Coconut Grove.
• Many Hollywood productions such as Scarface, Meet the Fockers, and Bad Boys, have frequently used the neighborhood’s picturesque setting.
• The 2000 Census tallied 18,953 as the total population of Coconut Grove. The median household income at the time was $64,000.
• A portion of the National Tropical Botanical Garden is Coconut Grove’s 11-acre tropical garden called the Kampong.

Activities

There are many things to pursue at Coconut Grove for visitors and residents alike, regardless of age. Here are some of the more known venues:

• Cocowalk is the prime open-air shopping district of Coconut Grove. There, you can find amazing shops to dine and buy Miami novelties.
• The Barnacle has the oldest standing home in the oldest continuously inhabited neighborhood of Miami. A Florida State Historic Site, the Barnacle was built by renowned sailor Ralph Munroe in 1891. It has withstood calamities including the Hurricane of 1926 and Hurricane Andrew in 1992.
• Vizcaya Museum and Gardens is where you’ll learn what Coconut Grove was like during the 1920s.  Formerly the winter vacation home of industrialist James Deering, this elegantly maintained property offers tours in Spanish and English alike.
• Miami Science Museum houses exhibits of international quality. It also contains the Miami Planetarium, the very setting of Jack Horkheimer’s Star Gazer television show. Exhibits currently available comprise of The Reclamation Project, Music Musica, Immersion Theatre, and more.
• Occurring every June is the Goombay Festival that enlivens Bahamian culture to Grand Avenue in Coconut Grove. It is one of the largest festivals that honors black heritage.
• Every last Sunday of the year, the King Mango Strut turns Coconut Grove into a crazy place with its wild and wacky parade. It began in 1982 as a bizarre reply to the Orange Bowl’s annual King Orange Parade.

Places to Work

Employment in Coconut Grove is booming in the retail and hospitality industry. Several shops and dining establishments are looking for a constant supply of workers. For other jobs, downtown Miami is just around the corner and offers great businesses while you reside in The Grove.

Transportation

The congested South Florida freeway or road system is the typical route taken by most Coconut Grove residents. Furthermore, there are three Metrorail stops in the Grove, providing the neighborhood a convenient connection to downtown Miami. The Miami International Airport is also nearby.