Family Guide Florida

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1. Coral Gables

City of fantasy

Exterior of The Biltmore Hotel

A city out of a storybook, Coral Gables was built by real estate developer George Merrick, who envisioned one of the first and most successfully planned suburbs in the US. Known as the “City Beautiful,” it earns its moniker from oak-shaded streets lined with homes of international lineage. The city boasts one of the most beautiful public swimming pools in the world – the Venetian Pool, formerly a limestone quarry. Families will enjoy the area’s green spaces and its splendid architecture.

Key Sights

1. Miracle Mile Graceful stone fountains bookend this 1950s strip of shops and restaurants decorated down the middle with pretty pineapple-shaped date palms.

2. Actors’ Playhouse Housed within the vintage Miracle Theatre, with an old-fashioned marquee, it stages plays by and for kids, as well as adult programs.

3. City Hall Built in Mediterranean Revival style, to match the homes and commercial buildings of the Coral Gables community, this circa-1927 beauty sits on Miracle Mile.

4. Venetian Pool Stone bridges, caves, waterfalls, and lush vegetation surround this fantasy swimming pool carved from a former coral limestone quarry – the source of building materials in Coral Gables.

5. The Biltmore Hotel Favored by the rich and famous since its opening in 1926, this historic hotel looks like a castle out of a fairy tale.

6. Lowe Art Museum This museum at the University of Miami has American, Native American, Renaissance, European, and Asian art in its permanent collection, and also hosts traveling exhibitions.

7. French Country Village One of Coral Gables’ international villages, this residential village still has several examples of its original architecture. Ivy, wood-slat accents and cottage styling give the homes a French provincial feel.

8. Matheson Hammock County Park A major draw for families, the Atoll Pool Beach here is entirely enclosed and ringed by palm trees, and is safe for small kids. Playgrounds, shaded picnic areas, bike paths, nature trails, and a sailing school make the park fun for all ages.

The Lowdown

Address Actors’ Playhouse: 280 Miracle Mile, 33134; www.actorsplayhouse.org. City Hall: 405 Biltmore Way, 33134; www.coralgables.com. Venetian Pool: 2701 DeSoto Blvd, 33134; www.coralgables.com. The Biltmore Hotel: 1200 Anastasia Ave, 33134; www.biltmorehotel.com. Lowe Art Museum: 1301 Stanford Dr, 33124; www.lowemuseum.org. Matheson Hammock County Park: 9610 Old Cutler Rd, 33156; www.miamidade.gov

Metro Metrorail to Douglas Road station, then bus 37

Visitor information Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce, 224 Catalonia Ave, 33134; coralgableschamber.org

Open Actors’ Playhouse: box office 10am–6pm Mon–Sat & noon–6pm Sun. City Hall: 8am–5pm Mon–Fri. Venetian Pool: 11am–5:30pm Mon–Fri & 10am–4:30pm Sat–Sun; closed Dec–Jan. Lowe Art Museum: 10am–4pm Tue–Sat & noon–4pm Sun. Matheson Hammock County Park: sunrise–sunset daily

Price Actors’ Playhouse: ticket prices vary. City Hall & The Biltmore Hotel: free. Venetian Pool: $50–70. Lowe Art Museum: $25–40; under 12s free. Matheson Hammock County Park: $5–7 per vehicle

Cutting the line Miracle Mile and the areas in its vicinity are quietest in the morning.

Age range 3 plus for Venetian Pool; 5 plus for other sights; all ages for Matheson Hammock Park

Activities Lowe Art Museum hosts Family Days twice a year.

Allow A day

Café Matheson Hammock County Park has a snack bar.

Restrooms In all commercial establishments

Good family value?

Driving around Coral Gables’ streets is entertainment enough, besides visiting its superb attractions.

Letting off steam

Salvador Park (1120 Andalusia Ave, 33134) has open spaces shaded by tropical trees, plus playgrounds and picnic shelters. A short distance east, Whip ‘n Dip (1407 Sunset Dr, 33143) is renowned for homemade ice cream.

Snacks and coffee at the popular Al’s Coffee Shop, Coral Gables

Eat and drink

Picnic: under $25; Snacks: $25–50; Real meal: $50–80; Family treat: over $80 (based on a family of four)

PICNIC Publix Supermarket and Deli (2270 SW 27th Ave, 33145; 305 445 9661; www.publix.com) sells take-out subs, salads, chicken wings, beverages, and other snacks. Zip to Salvador Park for a picnic.

SNACKS Al’s Coffee Shop (2121 Ponce de Leon Blvd, 33134; 305 461 5919; www.alscoffeeshop.com) is the place to find sandwiches, salads, burgers, and good coffee.

REAL MEAL The Cascade (in The Biltmore Hotel; 305 445 8066; www.biltmorehotel.com), overlooking the hotel’s famed swimming pool, serves contemporary French and Caribbean cuisine. It also offers a kids’ menu.

FAMILY TREAT Ortanique on the Mile (278 Miracle Mile, 33134; 305 446 7710; www.ortaniquerestaurants.com) has a Caribbean-style decor and cuisine. Adults can enjoy a curry crab cake melt or corn fritters, while kids can ask for chicken fingers or pasta.

Shopping

Shop for electronics, books, antiques, and more in Miracle Mile (shopcoralgables.com). Most shops and restaurants here are independently owned and known for their quality and variety. Many shops are devoted to weddings and children’s apparel.

Take cover

The Coral Gables Museum (285 Aragon Ave, 33134; 305 603 8067; www.coralgablesmuseum.org) reveals the heritage of the Coral Gables community through permanent and traveling exhibits devoted to the city’s history and Spanish roots, architecture, and art.

Miracle Mile, the shopping strip in Coral Gables

Next stop...

CAULEY SQUARE SHOPS Head 14 miles (22 km) southwest of Coral Gables to shop at Cauley Square Shops (www.cauleysquare.com). This is where the old railroad made its last stop in Miami before heading down to the Florida Keys. Check out the Aviary Birdshop with live birds, dine in restaurants housed in vintage cottages, and admire Spanish-style buildings along cobbled streets.

KIDS’ CORNER

Coral Gables mix-up

Unscramble these jumbled up words and names that are part of the Coral Gables story:

1 EETIMLONS

2 CRMRKEI

3 HSSAINP

4 TROEMIBL

5 RCCHERATIUET

BED OF LIMESTONE

Miami sits on a foundation of bedrock known as Miami oolite or Miami limestone. It was formed from ancient coral beds when the sea covered southern Florida as a result of drastic climate changes. If you look closely, you can often spot fossilized sea creatures embedded within the rock’s surface.

Très français

Many of the homes that were part of the French Country Village can still be seen along Hardee Road. Walk or drive along the road to spot house numbers 500, 501, 508, 524, 535, and 536. What makes them look as if they belong in the French countryside? (Hint: Note the red-brick houses, walled gardens, and decorative balconies.)

Answers:

1 Limestone.
2 Merrick.
3 Spanish.
4 Biltmore.
5 Architecture.

2. Coconut Grove

Groovy in “the Grove”

The shaded patio of CocoWalk, an upscale shopping mall in Coconut Grove

Luxurious mansions, and the sight of sailboats racing in the wind or anchored in Biscayne Bay, define Coconut Grove as an affluent community where dining at a sidewalk café is a quintessential experience. The area has come a long way since its countercultural hippie days of the 1960s. Today it appeals to families with its Peacock Park, a lively street scene, art galleries, and CocoWalk, an outdoor mall. Surrounding the area’s main hub, at the intersections of Grand Avenue, McFarlane Avenue, and Miami Highway, are neighborhoods of Mediterranean-style mansions that stand in contrast to the simple Bahamian clapboard “conch” homes.

Yachts and small boats moored at the marina, Dinner Key

Letting off steam

Head 2 miles (3 km) northeast of Coconut Grove’s outskirts to Dinner Key (www.miamigov.com), a mega yacht basin. This was a seaplane base for Pan American Airways in the 1930s. Take a walk around the marina to look at the historic “PanAm” buildings – one of which now houses Miami’s City Hall – and the shiny modern yachts.