About Coral Gables

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Coral Gables, a.k.a. City Beautiful, is a quiet, lovely neighborhood of Mediterranean Revival homes that was originally developed by George Merrick in 1925. Merrick also established a very luxurious hotel - The Biltmore - in the area. The streets, largely residential, are adorned with classy fountains, such as De Soto Boulevard's Venetian fountain.

See & Do

The old, leafy live oak, banyan and fruit trees that line the streets of Coral Gables provide plenty of shade. But don't let that deter you from taking a detour to the city's historic Venetian Pool, a swimming quarry mined from coral rock in 1923. Featuring fountains, caves and canals, it's a gorgeous spot for getting wet, and guaranteed fresh - the 800,000 gallons of spring water are refilled daily.

Likewise, the famous pool at the Biltmore Hotel nearby, restored throughout the first decade of the new millennium, provides a perfect setting for a lazy swim-day. Known to be the largest hotel pool in the Continental U.S. - it once hosted Tarzan's Johnny Weissmuller as an instructor and world-record-breaking swimmer - the 700,000 Biltmore features a marble surface, an 85-foot waterfall and private cabanas alongside.

Eat

Whatever cuisine your palate desires - from Peruvian to pan-Asian - it shall be yours. That's the allure and the promise of Coral Gables, one of the best sections of Miami in which to dine. Finely trained chefs from all over the globe draw on home-country influences from Venezuela (Chef-owner Elida Villarroel at Mesa) to Jamaica (Chef Cindy Hutson and co-owner Delius Shirley at Ortanique on the Mile) to classic French (Chef-owner Pascal Oudin at Pascal's on Ponce). Others give the people what they want - steak, steak, steak - at American classics that include Christy's Restaurant and Argentine fave parrillada Graziano's. But no matter how you slice it (literally), it's tough (metaphorically) to go wrong.

Party

Of all the neighborhoods in Miami, Coral Gables has the best collection of theaters, troupes and local talent taking the stage in comedies and tragedies alike.One of the most well-known, the Actors' Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre, opened in 1987 and has been entertaining audiences on Miracle Mile with Broadway revivals, children's theater and musical productions ever since. For new works by new voices - many of them local talent - as well as re-visioned classics, visit the aptly named New Theatre, where you can often catch a premier of a national or regional play. More award-winning South Florida premiers await at GableStage at the Biltmore.

Meanwhile the City Beautiful is also home to the Coral Gables Art Cinema, which often hosts first-run movies both domestic and foreign, and comedy troupes including Just the Funny, which performs at a venue just six blocks down the Street from miracle Theatre.

Stay

The Biltmore Hotel tends to dominate any discussion about Coral Gables, simply because it is so impressive. A National Historic Landmark, the hotel once served as a hospital during WWII, has seen famous guests from rock stars to royalty as well as gangsters to gentry, and is rumored to be haunted. The on-site restaurants, including Palme d'Or, are lauded by the culinary elite, and the amenities include an award-winning pool and golf course. What's not to embrace?

Still, there are plenty of lodgings in the City Beautiful that are equally luxurious, including the elegant and spacious Hyatt Regency Coral Gables and the antique-strewn, historic Westin Colonnade Coral Gables. Also, because University of Miami is located in the neighborhood, clean and comfortable budget lodgings are also available both near the college and in the business center.

Shop

Coral Gables is known for its upscale boutiques and its fine shopping opportunities. Many luxury businesses display their products in exclusive stores on Miracle Mile, such as J. Bolado Clothiers, or on Ponce de Leon Blvd., the main avenue that intersects the Mile, like Acqua Fashion Group. From men's sporty designer duds to women's evening wear to bridal fashions, this X of cross streets is the spot to center your search.

If you like everything in one place - including parking and anchor department stores - you can head a mile or so west to the Village of Merrick Park. This elegantly landscaped, open-air mall rivals Bal Harbour for chic products and perfectly coiffed patrons.