Coral Gables, Florida
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This article's lead section may not adequately summarize key points of its contents. (August 2013) |
| Coral Gables, Florida | |||
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| City | |||
| City of Coral Gables | |||
 Downtown Coral Gables in April 2010 |
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| Nickname(s): "The City Beautiful", "The Gables" | |||
 Location in Miami-Dade County and the state of Florida |
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 U.S. Census Bureau map showing city limits |
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| Coordinates: 25°45′00″N 80°16′16″W / 25.75000°N 80.27111°WCoordinates: 25°45′00″N 80°16′16″W / 25.75000°N 80.27111°W | |||
| Country |  United States of America |
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| State |  Florida |
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| County |  Miami-Dade |
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| Incorporated | April 29, 1925 [1] | ||
| Government | |||
| • Mayor | James Cason | ||
| • Vice Mayor | William H. Kerdyk Jr. | ||
| • Commissioner | Patricia Keon | ||
| • Commissioner | Vince Lago | ||
| • Commissioner | Frank C. Quesada | ||
| 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[2] | ||
| GNIS feature ID | 0280801[3] | ||
| Website | http://www.citybeautiful.net/ | ||
Coral Gables (/ˌkɔrəl ˈɡeɪbəlz/), officially the City of Coral Gables, is a city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, southwest of Downtown Miami. According to United States Census Bureau estimates conducted in 2005, the city had a population of 42,871.[4] The city's population was 47,401 according to 2012 estimates by the Nielsen Company. Coral Gables is home to the University of Miami.
Contents
History[edit]
Coral Gables was one of the first planned communities, and prefigured the development of the gated community and the homeowners association. It is famous for its strict zoning regulations.[5] 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.[6]
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.
During World War II many Navy pilots and mechanics were trained and housed in Coral Gables.
Geography[edit]
Coral Gables is located at 25°43′42″N 80°16′16″W / 25.728228°N 80.270986°W.[7] 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.
Climate[edit]
| Climate data for Coral Gables, Florida | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 88 (31) |
89 (32) |
93 (34) |
96 (36) |
96 (36) |
98 (37) |
100 (38) |
98 (37) |
97 (36) |
95 (35) |
91 (33) |
89 (32) |
100 (38) |
| Average high °F (°C) | 76 (24) |
78 (26) |
80 (27) |
83 (28) |
87 (31) |
90 (32) |
91 (33) |
91 (33) |
89 (32) |
86 (30) |
82 (28) |
78 (26) |
84 (29) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 68 (20) |
70 (21) |
73 (23) |
76 (24) |
80 (27) |
83 (28) |
84 (29) |
84 (29) |
83 (28) |
80 (27) |
75 (24) |
71 (22) |
77 (25) |
| Average low °F (°C) | 60 (16) |
62 (17) |
65 (18) |
68 (20) |
73 (23) |
76 (24) |
77 (25) |
77 (25) |
77 (25) |
74 (23) |
68 (20) |
63 (17) |
70 (21) |
| Record low °F (°C) | 28 (−2) |
27 (−3) |
32 (0) |
39 (4) |
50 (10) |
60 (16) |
66 (19) |
67 (19) |
62 (17) |
51 (11) |
36 (2) |
30 (−1) |
27 (−3) |
| Precipitation inches (mm) | 1.62 (41.1) |
2.33 (59.2) |
3.00 (76.2) |
3.14 (79.8) |
5.34 (135.6) |
9.67 (245.6) |
6.50 (165.1) |
8.88 (225.6) |
9.86 (250.4) |
6.33 (160.8) |
3.27 (83.1) |
2.04 (51.8) |
61.98 (1,574.3) |
| Source: The Weather Channel (Monthly Averages) [8] | |||||||||||||
Surrounding areas[edit]
- Unincorporated Miami-Dade county, Miami
- Unincorporated Miami-Dade county, Flagami (Miami)
Miami - West Miami, Coral Terrace, South Miami, Pinecrest, Palmetto Bay
Coconut Grove (Miami), Coral Way, Biscayne Bay - Palmetto Bay
Biscayne Bay - Palmetto Bay, Biscayne Bay
Demographics[edit]
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1930 | 5,597 |
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| 1940 | 8,294 | 48.2% | |
| 1950 | 19,837 | 139.2% | |
| 1960 | 34,793 | 75.4% | |
| 1970 | 42,494 | 22.1% | |
| 1980 | 43,241 | 1.8% | |
| 1990 | 40,091 | −7.3% | |
| 2000 | 42,249 | 5.4% | |
| 2010 | 46,780 | 10.7% | |
| Est. 2012 | 49,411 | 5.6% | |
As of 2012 estimates by the Nielsen Company, there were 47,401 people, 18,189 households, and 11,115 families residing in the city. The ethnic makeup of the city was 54% Hispanic or Latino, 39% White alone, 3% Black or African American, 3% Asian, and 1% from other races.[9]
There were 18,189 households, out of which 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 the city, the 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.
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.
In 2012, Spanish was spoken at home by 50.9% of residents, while English was the only language spoken at home by 42.95%. Other languages spoken by the population were French 1.22%, Portuguese 0.28%, and Italian 3.91%.
As of 2000 and according to the census, Coral Gables had the eighteenth highest percentage of Cuban residents in the US, with 28.7% of the populace.[10] It also had the sixty-fourth highest percentage of Colombian residents in the US, at 2.3% of the city's population,[11] and the sixteenth highest percentage of Venezuelan residents in the US, at 1.4% of its population.[12]
Today[edit]
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 Biltmore Hotel, and many fine residences.
Media[edit]
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.[13]
Economy[edit]
- The University of Miami has been the largest employer in Coral Gables since the city's beginning.[14]
- Baptist Hospital of Miami is the second largest employer in Coral Gables.
- Bacardi has its headquarters with 300 employees at 2701 Le Jeune Road.[15]
- Capital Bank Financial has its headquarters in Coral Gables.
- Intelsat has its Latin American headquarters in Suite 1100 at One Alhambra Plaza.[16]
- Fresh Del Monte Produce has its headquarters in Coral Gables.[17]
- ExxonMobil has marine fuels operations in Suite 900 at One Alhambra Plaza in Coral Gables.[18]
- MasTec is located at 800 South Douglas Road.[19]
- Odebrecht Construction, Inc. has over 300 employees at its location at 201 Alhambra Circle.[20]
- American Airlines maintains the Ponce de Leon Travel Center at 901 Ponce De Leon Boulevard.[21]
- MoneyGram has its Miami Office in Coral Gables.[22]
- Dolphin Entertainment is an independent film studio that is located in Coral Gables [23]
By 2006, Burger King had announced that it planned to move its headquarters to a proposed office building in Coral Gables.[24] By 2007 Burger King instead renewed the lease in its existing headquarters for 15 years. Burger King planned to consolidate employees working at an area near Miami International Airport and at a Dadeland Mall-area facility into the current headquarters by June of that year. Instead Bacardi USA leased the headquarters complex, a 15-story building. Bacardi consolidated employees from seven separate buildings in South Florida.[25]
Transportation[edit]
Coral Gables is served by Metrobus throughout the area, and by the Miami Metrorail at:
- Douglas Road (SW 37th Avenue and U.S. 1)
- University (Stanford Drive and U.S. 1)
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[edit]
Several countries operate consulates in Coral Gables. They include Barbados, Colombia,[26] El Salvador,[27] Italy,[28] Spain,[29] the Principality of Monaco, St. Lucia, and Uruguay.[30]
Several countries have honorary consulates located in Coral Gables. These countries include 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.[31]
Education[edit]
University of Miami[edit]
Coral Gables is the location of the University of Miami, a university ranked in the top tier of national universities,[32] with particular national status in the fields of business, engineering, law, marine science, medicine, communications, and music.[33]
Primary and secondary schools[edit]
Public schools[edit]
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, an elementary school, Coral Gables Elementary located on Ponce de Leon Boulevard and George Washington Carver Middle School is located in Coral Gables. An existing school 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.[34]
Private schools[edit]
The management offices of Gulliver Schools are located in Coral Gables.[35] Gulliver Academy, a PreK-8 school that is a member of Gulliver Schools, is within Coral Gables.[36] The historic St. Theresa Catholic School, a PreK-8 school is located near The Biltmore Hotel. St. Philip's Episcopal and Riviera Day School, both PreK-5 schools are also located in Coral Gables.
Public libraries[edit]
Miami-Dade Public Library System operates the Coral Gables Branch.[37]
Notable people[edit]
- Juan Alvarez, MLB pitcher for the Anaheim Angels, Texas Rangers and Florida Marlins
- Dave Barry, Pulitzer Prize-winning humor columnist[38]
- Bruce Berkowitz, mutual fund manager[39]
- Jeb Bush 43rd Governor of Florida
- Marty Bystrom, MLB pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies and New York Yankees
- Maxine Clark, the founder of Build-a-Bear Workshop
- Colleen Corby, model
- Gail Edwards, actress, It's a Living, Blossom, Full House
- Gus Gandarillas, MLB pitcher for the Milwaukee Brewers
- Dane Johnson, MLB pitcher for the Chicago White Sox, Toronto Blue Jays and Oakland Athletics
- José José, pop singer.[40]
- Soia Mentschikoff, law professor
- Marilyn Milian, judge, The People's Court
- Thurston Moore, singer, songwriter and guitarist of Sonic Youth
- Alonzo Mourning, basketball player
- Kelly Parsons, actress and former Mouseketeer
- Roy Sekoff, Founding Editor Huffington Post
- Pamela Smart, murderer convicted in notorious case
- Jonathan Vilma, professional football player, New Orleans Saints[41]
Places of interest[edit]
- Biltmore Hotel
- Coral Gables Museum
- Coral Way scenic drive
- Miracle Mile
- Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden
- John C. Gifford Arboretum
- Jerry Herman Ring Theatre
- Lowe Art Museum
- Montgomery Botanical Center
- University of Miami
- Venetian Pool
- Village of Merrick Park
Festivals and events[edit]
- Festival of Art, University of Miami, held in January[42]
- Carnival on the Mile, Miracle Mile, held in February/March[43]
- Festival Miami, University of Miami, Gusman Concert Hall, held in October[44]
- Junior Orange Bowl Festival, held in December–January[45]
Gallery[edit]
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Miracle Mile in Downtown Coral Gables
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Miracle Theater on Miracle Mile
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Typical residential street in Coral Gables
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Coral Gables City Hall with its statue of Merrick
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Venetian Pool is a Coral Gables public swimming pool.
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Giralda Avenue in Coral Gables
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Alhambra Water Tower
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Miracle Theater on Miracle Mile
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Gardens at Merrick Park
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Ponce de Leon Boulevard
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Downtown Coral Gables along Alhambra Circle
Sister cities[edit]
Coral Gables has six sister cities, according to the Coral Gables website:[46]
Aix-en-Provence, France
Cartagena, Colombia
Granada, Spain
La Antigua, Guatemala
Province of Pisa, Italy
Quito, Ecuador
References[edit]
- ^ "History". Coral Gables Garden Club. Retrieved 2013-05-16.
- ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ "Table 4: Annual Estimates of the Population for Incorporated Places in Florida, Listed Alphabetically: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2005". Population Division, U.S. Census Bureau. 20 June 2006. Retrieved 6 March 2011.
- ^ "Third District Court of Appeal". 22 August 2007. Retrieved 6 March 2011.
- ^ Williams, Linda K.; George, Paul S. "South Florida: A Brief History". Historical Museum of Southern Florida. Retrieved 6 March 2011.
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
- ^ "Climate Statistics for Coral Gables, Florida". Retrieved February 19, 2012.
- ^ "Demographics of Coral Gables, Florida". MuniNetGuide.com. Retrieved 2013-04-27.
- ^ "Ancestry Map of Cuban Communities". Epodunk.com. Retrieved 2007-11-02.
- ^ "Ancestry Map of Colombian Communities". Epodunk.com. Retrieved 2007-11-02.
- ^ "Ancestry Map of Venezuelan Communities". Epodunk.com. Retrieved 2007-11-02.
- ^ Fair Game (1995) – Filming locations
- ^ "City of Coral Gables Web Site". Coralgables.com. Retrieved 6 March 2011.
- ^ "Bacardi U.S.A. Marks Opening of State-of-the Art South Florida Headquarters." Retrieved 19 June 2011.
- ^ "Corporate web site." Retrieved on October 18, 2010.
- ^ Walker, Elaine. "Machines to sell food that's good for you." Miami Herald. September 26, 2009. Retrieved on October 2, 2009.
- ^ "Contact us marine." ExxonMobil. Retrieved on January 26, 2009.
- ^ "MasTec website - about us." MasTec. Retrieved on September 5, 2012.
- ^ "Odebrecht Construction, Inc.". Inside View. Retrieved October 7, 2013.
- ^ "Miami And Coral Gables, Florida Travel Center." American Airlines. Retrieved on April 9, 2009.
- ^ "Other Locations." MoneyGram. Retrieved on May 11, 2010.
- ^ "Welcome to Dolphin Entertainment". Dolphin Entertainment. Retrieved 6 March 2011.
- ^ Beaird, Daniel (August 2006). "Office Market Update: Vacancies drop as job growth remains steady". Southeast Real Estate Business. Retrieved 6 March 2011.
- ^ "Bacardi U.S.A. to take over BK's planned Coral Gables headquarters". South Florida Business Journal. 8 May 2007. Retrieved 6 March 2011.
- ^ "Contáctenos." Consulate-General of Colombia in Miami. Retrieved on January 30, 2009.
- ^ "Norte América." Consulate-General of El Salvador in Miami. Retrieved on January 31, 2009.
- ^ "Welcome to the web site of the Consulate General of Italy in Miami." Consulate-General of Italy in Miami. Retrieved on January 30, 2009.
- ^ Home page. Consulate-General of Spain in Miami. Retrieved on January 30, 2009.
- ^ "Consular in US." Embassy of Uruguay Washington D.C. Retrieved on January 30, 2009.
- ^ "Contact Us." Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Miami. Retrieved on January 30, 2009.
- ^ "Best Colleges 2010: University of Miami". U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved 2009-10-08.
- ^ "UM Featured in 2007 Edition of the Princeton Review Annual College Guide – "The Best 361 Colleges"". .University of Miami. 23 August 2006. Retrieved 6 March 2011.
- ^ "GWC web site." Retrieved on September 12, 2010.
- ^ "About Our Campuses." Gulliver Schools. Retrieved on September 28, 2009.
- ^ "Gulliver Academy." Gulliver Schools. Retrieved on September 28, 2009.
- ^ "Coral Gables." Miami-Dade Public Library System. Retrieved on September 28, 2009.
- ^ Lewine, Edward (April 28, 2010). "Dave Barry's Fun House". The New York Times.
- ^ "Bruce Berkowitz: The megamind of Miami". CNN.
- ^ Por Carole Joseph (2007-07-27). "José José se recupera de parálisis facial". Peopleenespanol.com. Retrieved 6 March 2011.
- ^ Jonathan Vilma at New Orleans Saints web site.
- ^ "Festival of Art". Beaux Arts. Retrieved 2014-03-01.
- ^ "Carnaval Miami". Retrieved 2014-03-01.
- ^ "Festival Miami". Retrieved 2014-03-01.
- ^ "Junior Orange Bowl". Retrieved 2014-03-01.
- ^ "Coral Gables Sister Cities Program. From citybeautiful.net. Retrieved May 1, 2011.
External links[edit]
| Find more about Coral Gables, Florida at Wikipedia's sister projects | |
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Media from Commons |
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Travel guide from Wikivoyage |
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