Coral Gables, Florida

City of Coral Gables
	City of Coral Gables
; Flag	; Seal
	Nickname(s): The City Beautiful, The Gables
	Location in Miami-Dade County and the state of Florida
	U.S. Census Bureau map showing city limits
	Coordinates: 25°45′00″N 80°16′16″W / 25.75°N 80.27111°WCoordinates: 25°45′00″N 80°16′16″W / 25.75°N 80.27111°W
Country	United States
State	Florida
County	Miami-Dade
	Government
- Mayor	Don Slesnick
	Area
- City	37.2 sq mi (96.2 km2)
- Land	24.1 sq mi (62.2 km2)
- Water	13.1 sq mi (34.0 km2)
Elevation	10 ft (2.8 m)
	Population (2005)
- City	42,871
- Density	3,216.9/sq mi (1,141.37/km2)
- Metro	5,422,200
Time zone	EST (UTC-5)
- Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
Area code(s)	305
FIPS code	12-14250
GNIS feature ID	0280801
Website	http://www.citybeautiful.net/

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Coral Gables (sometimes referred to as The Gables) is a city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, southwest of Miami, in the United States. The city is best known globally as the home of the University of Miami.

The population was 42,249 at the 2000 census. According to U.S Census estimates in 2005, the city had a population of 42,871.^[3]

1 History
2 Geography
- 2.1 Surrounding areas
3 Demographics
4 Coral Gables today
5 Home to University of Miami
- 5.1 Academics
- 5.2 Collegiate athletics
6 Media
7 Economy
8 Diplomatic missions
9 Public education
10 Notable residents
11 Places of interest
12 Gallery
13 Sister cities
14 References
15 External links

[edit] History

Coral Gables was one of the first planned communities, and prefigured the development of the gated community and the homeowners association. It is notorious for its aesthetic regulations.^{[citation needed]} The city was developed by George Edgar Merrick during the Florida land boom of the 1920s. The city's architecture is almost entirely Mediterranean Revival Style. By 1926, the city covered 10,000 acres (40 km²), had netted $150 million in sales with over $100 million spent on development.^[4]

Merrick 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 old 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 (0.97 km²) of land just west of U.S. Route 1, approximately two miles south of downtown Coral Gables.

[edit] Geography

Coral Gables is located at 25°43′42″N 80°16′16″W / 25.728228°N 80.270986°W / 25.728228; -80.270986..^[5]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 96.2 km² (37.2 mi²). 34.0 km² (13.1 mi²) of it is land and 62.2 km² (24.0 mi²) of it (64.64%) is water.

[edit] Surrounding areas

Miami, Unincorporated Miami-Dade County
Miami, Biscayne Bay
Biscayne Bay
West Miami, Coral Terrace, Unincorporated Miami-Dade County, South Miami, Pinecrest, Palmetto Bay

[edit] Demographics

Major Coral Gables intersection at Coral Way (Miracle Mile) and Ponce de Leon Boulevard.

As of the census^[1] of 2000, there were 42,249 people, 16,793 households, and 10,243 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,242.4/km² (3,216.9/mi²). There were 17,849 housing units at an average density of 524.9/km² (1,359.1/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 91.83% White (47.7% were Non-Hispanic Whites,)^[6] 3.30% African American, 0.13% Native American, 1.68% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 1.49% from other races, and 1.54% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 46.64% of the population.

There were 16,793 households out of which 24.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.2% were married couples living together, 9.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.0% were non-families. 31.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.92.

In the city the population was spread out with 17.4% under the age of 18, 13.9% from 18 to 24, 29.0% from 25 to 44, 23.9% from 45 to 64, and 15.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 87.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.6 males.

According to a 2007 estimate,^[7] the median income for a household in the city was $78,157, and the median income for a family was $121,651. Males had a median income of $66,178 versus $39,444 for females. The per capita income for the city was $46,163. About 4.3% of families and 6.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.6% of those under age 18 and 6.0% of those age 65 or over.

As of 2000, Spanish spoken as a first language accounted for 51.05% of residents, while English was at 43.82%, French at 1.08%, Portuguese 0.79%, and Italian made up 0.72% of the population.^[8]

As of 2000, Coral Gables had the eighteenth highest percentage of Cuban residents in the US, with 28.72% of the populace.^[9] It also had the sixty-fourth highest percentage of Colombian residents in the US, at 2.27% of the city's population,^[10] and the sixteenth highest percentage of Venezuelan residents in the US, at 1.17% of its population.^[11]

[edit] Coral Gables today

Coral Gables is currently 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 Biltmore Hotel, and many fine residences.

[edit] Home to University of Miami

University of Miami

[edit] Academics

Coral Gables is best known as home to the University of Miami, a globally recognized university that ranks academically among the top tier of U.S.-based colleges and universities, with particular national status in the fields of business, law, medicine, and music, in which the university is considered among the best in the nation.^[12]^[13] The University of Miami also has produced a number of notable alumni.

[edit] Collegiate athletics

The University of Miami also maintains one of the nation's most successful collegiate athletic programs. It has won repeated national championships in both Division I football (1983, 1987, 1989, 1991 and 2001) and baseball (1982, 1985, 1999 and 2001).^[14] Over the past 30 years, the University of Miami has been the most successful Division I college football program in the nation; its five national championships since 1983 are the most of any Division I university during this time.^[15]

The University of Miami also has graduated two Heisman Trophy winners, Vinny Testaverde (in 1986) and Gino Torretta (in 1992),^[16] and four of its former football players—Ted Hendricks, Michael Irvin, Jim Kelly and Jim Otto—went on, following highly successful National Football League careers, to be elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the highest honor awarded a former NFL player. Currently, the University of Miami has more of its graduates playing in the NFL than any other U.S. college or university.

[edit] Media

Coral Gables is covered by several local and regional radio and television stations. Coral Gables is also covered by several weekly newspapers, but has only two newspapers with the city's namesake and main focus. The Coral Gables Gazette is the only award winning FPA (Florida Press Association) weekly newspaper serving Coral Gables. Covering local government, news, sports as well as community events. The Gazette is also the oldest weekly newspaper in Coral Gables. The Gables other newspaper, The Coral Gables News Tribune, is published twice monthly and is part of Miami's Community Newspapers, the Voice of the Community. 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.^[17]

[edit] Economy

ExxonMobil has marine fuels operations in Suite 900 at One Alhambra Plaza in Coral Gables.^[18]
Aeroméxico operates a ticket office in Suite 102 at Two Alhambra Plaza.^[19]
American Airlines maintains the Ponce de Leon Travel Center at 901 Ponce De Leon Boulevard.^[20]
Dolphin Entertainment is an independent film studio that is located in Coral Gables ^[21]
Prior to its dissolution, Aeroperú operated an office in Coral Gables.^[22]

[edit] Diplomatic missions

Several countries operate consulates in Coral Gables. They include Colombia,^[23] El Salvador,^[24] Italy,^[25] Spain,^[26] and Uruguay.^[27] 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.^[28]

[edit] Public education

Coral Gables High School

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 High School, which educates students in grades nine through 12.

[edit] Notable residents

Marilyn Milian,presiding Judge, The People's Court.^[29]
Jonathan Vilma, professional football player, New Orleans Saints.^[30]

[edit] Places of interest

[edit] Gallery

Coral Gables City Hall with its statue of Merrick	Venetian Pool is a Coral Gables public swimming pool	Village of Merrick Park	Alhambra Water Tower
The famous Coral Gables Biltmore Hotel	DeSoto Fountain	Miracle Theater on Miracle Mile	Coral Way, a scenic road through Miami
Gardens at Merrick Park	Ponce de Leon Boulevard