Coral Gables, Florida

Media

The city of Coral Gables has its own newspaper, Coral Gables News, which is published bi-weekly and is part of Miami Community Newspapers.

History

Coral Gables was one of the first planned communities, and prefigured the development of the gated community and the homeowners association. It is infamous for its strict zoning regulations. The city was developed by George Merrick during the Florida land boom of the 1920s. The city's architecture is almost entirely Mediterranean Revival style, including the Coral Gables Congregational Church, donated by Merrick. The domed, Catholic Church of the Little Flower was built somewhat later, in a similar Spanish Renaissance style. By 1926, the city covered 10,000 acres (4,000 ha) and had netted $150 million in sales, with over $100 million spent on development.

Merrick meticulously designed the downtown commercial district to be only four blocks wide and more than two miles (3 km) long. The main artery bisected the business district. Merrick could boast that every business in Coral Gables was less than a two-block walk. The city used to have an electric trolley system, which was replaced by the popularity of modern automobiles, but now a new free circulator trolley system, initiated in November 2003, runs down Ponce de León Boulevard.

In 1925, roughly simultaneous to the founding of Coral Gables, the city was selected as the home to the University of Miami, which was constructed that year on 240 acres (97 ha) of land just west of U.S. Route 1, approximately two miles south of downtown Coral Gables.

During World War II many Navy pilots and mechanics were trained and housed in Coral Gables.

Geography

Coral Gables is located at 25°43′42″N 80°16′16″W. It is bordered on the west by Red Road (West 57th Avenue) north of Sunset Drive (South 72nd Street) and West 49th Avenue and Old Cutler Roads south of Sunset Drive. It is bordered on the north by Tamiami Trail/U.S. Route 41 (South 8th Street), except for a small section that extends north of 8th Street for eight blocks between Ponce de Leon Boulevard and Douglas Road (West 37th Avenue). On the east, it is bordered by Douglas Road (West 37th Avenue) north of South 26th Street, Monegro Street south of South 26th Street to Cadima Avenue, Ponce De Leon Boulevard south of Cadima Avenue to South Dixie Highway (U.S. Route 1), LeJeune Road (West 42nd Avenue) south of U.S. 1 to Battersea Road, and by Biscayne Bay south of Battersea Road. On the south, it is bordered by the Charles Deering Estate.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 37.2 square miles (96 km²). 13.1 square miles (34 km²) of it is land and 24.0 square miles (62 km²) of it (64.64%) is water.

Surrounding areas

Demographics

As of 2010, there were 20,266 households, of which 11.4% were vacant. In 2000, 24.45% had children under the age of 18 living with them. In Coral Gables, 61.11% were family households, 17.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.89% were non-families. The average household size was 2.36, and the average household had 1.68 vehicles.

In 2000, the city population was spread out with 17.4% under the age of 18, 14.58% from 18 to 24, 25.02% from 25 to 44, 27.01% from 45 to 64, and 16% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39.44 years. The population consisted of 51.31% females and 48.69% males.

In 2000, the median income for a household in the city was $77,890, and the average household income was $125,899. The per capita income for the city was $48,811. About 5.94% of families and 3.55% of families with children were below the poverty line.

As of 2000, Spanish was spoken at home by 51.06% of residents, while English was the only language spoken at home by 43.83%. Other languages spoken by the population were French 1.09%, Portuguese 0.80%, Italian 0.72%, and German speakers made up 0.53% of the populace.

As of 2000, Coral Gables had the eighteenth highest percentage of Cuban residents in the US, with 28.72% of the populace. It also had the sixty-fourth highest percentage of Colombian residents in the US, at 2.27% of the city's population, and the sixteenth highest percentage of Venezuelan residents in the US, at 1.17% of its population.

Today

Coral Gables is known as a pedestrian-friendly destination. Located four miles from Miami International Airport, the "City Beautiful" has around 140 dining establishments and gourmet shops, and many notable international retailers. Among the landmarks in Coral Gables are the Venetian Pool, Douglas Entrance, the Miami Biltmore hotel, and many fine residences.

Media

Coral Gables is covered by several local and regional radio and television stations, several Coral-Gables-focused websites, and one weekly printed newspaper.

The Gables one remaining printed newspaper, The Coral Gables News Tribune, is still published twice monthly and is part of Miami's Community Newspapers, now also online.

At the University of Miami in Coral Gables, The Miami Hurricane, the official student newspaper, is published twice weekly.

Portions of the 1995 film Fair Game were filmed in Coral Gables.

Economy

Transportation

Coral Gables is served by Metrobus throughout the area, and by the Miami Metrorail at:

The City of Coral Gables also provides a free trolley service, with a trolley running a continuous circuit up and down Ponce de Leon Boulevard during the day.

Coral Gables is served by rapid transit on Douglas Road at Douglas Road station, at the University of Miami at University station, and near Sunset Drive and Red Road at South Miami station, connecting the city with Downtown Miami and Miami International Airport.

Diplomatic missions

Several countries operate consulates in Coral Gables. They include Barbados, Colombia, El Salvador, Italy, Spain, the Principality of Monaco, St. Lucia, and Uruguay.

Several countries have honorary consulates located in Coral Gables, including Australia, Belize, Hungary, Senegal, St. Kitts & Nevis, Togo, and Thailand.

In addition, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Miami, of the Republic of China, is located in Suite 610 at 2333 Ponce De Leon Boulevard.

University of Miami

Coral Gables is the location of the University of Miami, a university ranked in the top tier of national universities, with particular national status in the fields of business, engineering, law, marine science, medicine, communications, and music.

Public schools

Coral Gables schools are part of the Miami-Dade School District, which serves almost all of metropolitan Miami. The district has one high school in Coral Gables, Coral Gables Senior High School, which educates students in grades nine through 12. It also has an elementary school, Coral Gables Elementary located on Ponce de Leon Boulevard. Finally it has two middle schools: George Washington Carver Middle School located on Lincoln Dr, and Ponce de Leon Middle School located across from The University of Miami on the East side of U.S. Route 1 on Augusto Street. Present day George Washington Carver Middle was moved to the current location on Grand Avenue on land donated by George Merrick. When Carver died in 1942 the school was renamed in his honor.

Private schools

The management offices of Gulliver Schools are located in Coral Gables. Gulliver Academy, a PreK-8 school that is a member of Gulliver Schools, is within Coral Gables. The historic St. Theresa Catholic School, a PreK-8 school is located near Coral Gables Biltmore Hotel. St. Philip's Episcopal and Riviera Day School, both PreK-5 schools, are also located in Coral Gables.

Public libraries

Miami-Dade Public Library System operates the Coral Gables Branch.

Notable people

Places of interest

Festivals and events

Sister cities

Coral Gables has six sister cities, according to the Coral Gables website:

In popular culture

The 2014 indie point and click adventure game, A Golden Wake, is based on the founding and development of Coral Gables in the 1920s.

The 2014 American comedy-drama television series, Looking, features a character named Augustin, who is from Coral Gables.