Coconut Grove

An urban arts community in a tropical forest – that’s Coconut Grove, Miami’s hip sister to the south. With city streets under a canopy of banyan trees and residences perched on a coral ridge, it feels like a little slice of the Caribbean along Biscayne Bay. Indeed, Coconut Grove’s first residents were Bahamian immigrants who helped shape the architecture and culture. By the 1960s, “The Grove” became Florida’s hippie hangout, where bohemian rockers played in intimate clubs. You’ll still find groovy boutiques on the back streets, but corporate America moved right into the middle of the village with some big malls that took the edge off the ...

An urban arts community in a tropical forest – that’s Coconut Grove, Miami’s hip sister to the south. With city streets under a canopy of banyan trees and residences perched on a coral ridge, it feels like a little slice of the Caribbean along Biscayne Bay. Indeed, Coconut Grove’s first residents were Bahamian immigrants who helped shape the architecture and culture. By the 1960s, “The Grove” became Florida’s hippie hangout, where bohemian rockers played in intimate clubs. You’ll still find groovy boutiques on the back streets, but corporate America moved right into the middle of the village with some big malls that took the edge off the historic charm. Within the city, you’ll find tropical forests and grand gardens, opulent estates and tiny galleries. Vizcaya is the prime don’t-miss attraction that showcases the grandeur of the gilded age as lived by industrialist James Deering, who felt that a man’s home should be his castle. His Italianate estate – complete with extensive formal gardens and a faux Venetian waterfront with a stone boat – appears more than four centuries old; it was completed in 1916. While only his winter home, it contains 34 rooms decorated with antiques and art from the 15th through 19th centuries.

About the Expert

Sandra Friend has written 12 books about Florida, including the Explorer's Guide (Countryman Press) series to Florida.