Leadership Development through Public Speaking for Students in Grades 4-12
IMMEDIATE IMPACT
LONG-TERM BENEFITS
*Increase se... more
FEATURED MERCHANT
La Vinoteca Eatery
A great place for gourmet sandwiches, soups and te... more
News Details (Posted: January 28, 2008):
The History of Coral Gables
Full Description:
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.
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 old electric trolley system was replaced by the popularity of modern automobiles; today a new free circulator trolley system, initiated in November, 2003, that runs down Ponce de León Boulevard is in operation. Coral Gables is known as a pedestrian-friendly destination. Located only four miles from Miami International Airport, the "City Beautiful" boasts more than 140 dining establishments and gourmet shops, plus many notable international retailers. Among the beautiful and distinctive landmarks in Coral Gables are the Venetian Pool, Douglas Entrance, the Biltmore Hotel, and many fine residences.
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.
