A community guide by LPE Realty LLC · (561) 652-6917
Coral Gables, Florida · Miami-Dade County
Coral Gables, George Merrick's "City Beautiful" in Miami-Dade County, Florida, was incorporated on April 29, 1925. Miracle Mile, its main street, runs along Coral Way between Le Jeune Road and Douglas Road; the Venetian Pool was made from the quarry pit that supplied limestone for early Coral Gables buildings; and the City's trolley is free Monday through Saturday from 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.
The Douglas Entrance, one of the city's 1920s gateways. A film cut from 10 real photographs of Coral Gables: its entrances, City Hall, the Biltmore, the Venetian Pool and its gardens. Credits
Next in the Gables
Dates from the City of Coral Gables and each organiser, checked October 20, 2026. Every card adds to your calendar in one tap.
Galleries and participating art venues open their doors on the first Friday of the month. The City suggests using the free trolley or Freebee on-demand vehicles to get between galleries. The Coral Gables Museum says it is free from 6 to 10 p.m. on Gallery Night.
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A free evening art event in Ponce Circle Park, part of the Kiwanis Club of Little Havana's Carnaval Miami series.
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Work by local professional and non-professional artists. The City says residents and non-residents are encouraged to attend this free event. Information: Adult Activity Center, 305-461-6765.
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Decision tool · day planner
Pick how long you have and what you like. The planner chooses sourced stops in and near Coral Gables, puts them in order from City Hall at the west end of Miracle Mile, and suggests where to park if you are driving.
Or start from one of three ready-made plans:
City Hall, the Coral Gables Museum and the Merrick boyhood home, then the Venetian Pool and the Biltmore.
Breakfast on Giralda Plaza, a walk down Miracle Mile, the museum on Aragon, then dinner nearby.
Dinner on Giralda Plaza, then a show at the Miracle Theatre or a film at the Art Cinema.
Every stop comes from our sourced list of places in and near Coral Gables (checked October 20, 2026). Distances are straight-line estimates from OpenStreetMap coordinates, not measured routes. Time per stop is your chosen time split evenly, not an official duration. Check each place's hours before you go.
Spending more weekends in the Gables than not? See what living here is like.
George Merrick's city
From lots mapped on paper to a city of coral-rock landmarks, each step told by the City that keeps the record.
1921
Per the City, "By 1920, Merrick had expanded his land holdings from 160 acres to 1,600 acres"; "By early 1921, Coral Gables was wholly mapped out on paper. The first lots were sold later that year."
Source: City of Coral Gables: History of Coral Gables, checked 2026-10-20
1924
The City's Venetian Pool history page: "The Venetian pool was opened in 1924 as the Venetian Casino." It was made from the quarry pit that supplied limestone for early Coral Gables buildings, "through the efforts of Merrick, artist Denman Fink, and architect Phineas Paist."
Source: City of Coral Gables: Venetian Pool History, checked 2026-10-20
1925
The City's history page: "By the time the city was incorporated on April 29, 1925, building permits had amounted to more than $25 million, and the assessed valuation was more than $90 million."
Source: City of Coral Gables: History of Coral Gables, checked 2026-10-20
1926
The City's history page says the Miami-Biltmore Hotel, designed by Schultze and Weaver, "formally opened on January 15, 1926."
Source: City of Coral Gables: History of Coral Gables, checked 2026-10-20
1928
The City's landmarks page: "Coral Gables City Hall was constructed from 1927 through 1928"; it was designed by Phineas Paist, "the Supervising Architect of Coral Gables," and Denman Fink, "the Art Director of Coral Gables," in the Mediterranean Revival style using native oolitic limestone, and it has served as City Hall since opening in 1928.
Source: City of Coral Gables: Historical Landmarks, checked 2026-10-20
A walk through downtown
Start at City Hall at the west end of Miracle Mile, walk the main street and Giralda Plaza, stop at the museum, then head to the pool. The day planner above puts the stops in order for you.
405 Biltmore Way
Built from 1927 through 1928 to a design by Phineas Paist and Denman Fink, in the Mediterranean Revival style, as the City's landmarks page records.
Coral Way
The City's main street runs along Coral Way between Le Jeune Road and Douglas Road. Giralda Plaza, a block north, reopened as a pedestrian walkway in 2017.
285 Aragon Avenue
The museum fills the Old Police and Fire Station, designed by Phineas Paist, and tells the story of the 1920s planned city.
2701 De Soto Boulevard
The City pool made from the quarry pit that supplied limestone for early Coral Gables buildings, fed by spring water, with two waterfalls and cave-like grottos. Closed Mondays.
Decision tool · swim-spot matcher
Tell us what you need from a swim day. We match you to the public pools and beaches in and near Coral Gables that offer it, using what each operator publishes, and flag anything they do not say.
| Beach | Lifeguards | Showers | Free parking | Dogs | Wheelchair | Picnic | Food |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Venetian PoolCity of Coral Gables · 0.6 mi | Yes | Yes | Not published | No | Yes | Not published | Yes |
| Matheson Hammock Park atoll poolMiami-Dade County Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces · 5 mi | Not published | Not published | No | No | Not published | Yes | Yes |
| Crandon Park BeachMiami-Dade County Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces · 7.7 mi | Not published | Not published | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Check = the operator says yes. Dash = the operator says no. Question mark = the operator does not say; ask before you go. Miles are straight-line from Coral Gables City Hall.
Features, fees and hours come from each operator's own page (the City of Coral Gables and Miami-Dade County Parks), checked 2026-10-20. Distances are straight lines, not driving routes.
Want the Venetian Pool down the street? See what living in Coral Gables is like.
A swim in the Gables
The City says the Venetian Pool is fed by spring water from an underground aquifer and refilled daily. It is closed on Mondays, children must be at least 3 years old and 38 inches tall, and the City's FAQ says the pool closes for annual maintenance from December to January, so check before you go.
Photo: Daniel Di Palma, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
Eat and drink
From each restaurant's own website, checked October 20, 2026. Hours change; check before you go.
Northern Italian restaurant
318 Aragon Avenue, Coral Gables, Florida
Italian restaurant on Aragon Avenue, a block north of Miracle Mile. Its Our Story page says it has served Northern Italian cuisine 'since 1989' and was founded by the late Nino Pernetti (the restaurant's own claim).
Monday – Thursday 11:30 a.m. – 11:00 p.m.; Friday 11:30 a.m. – 12:00 a.m.; Saturday 6:00 p.m. – 12:00 a.m.; Sunday 6:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m.
Source: Caffe Abbracci official website, checked 2026-10-20
German beer hall and restaurant
60 Merrick Way, Coral Gables, FL 33134
German restaurant and beer hall on Merrick Way, just south of Miracle Mile. The site says it no longer takes table reservations and that admission for big games is limited.
Tuesday to Thursday: 11am to 11pm; Friday: 11am to Midnight; Saturday: 9am to Midnight; Sunday: 9am to 11pm; Monday Closed
Source: Fritz & Franz Bierhaus official website, checked 2026-10-20
Australian-style breakfast and lunch cafe
141 Giralda Ave, Coral Gables, FL 33134
Breakfast and coffee cafe on Giralda Plaza. The site says founders Nick and Teresa, from Melbourne, opened their first cafe in Coral Gables in 2014 (the cafe's own claim).
Monday – Thursday 7:30am – 3pm; Friday – Sunday 7:30am – 4pm
Source: Threefold Cafe official website, checked 2026-10-20
Chef-driven restaurant (dinner and weekend brunch)
128 Giralda Ave, Coral Gables, FL 33134
Restaurant on Giralda Plaza from chef Giorgio Rapicavoli. By the published schedule it serves dinner Wednesday to Sunday and brunch on weekends; Monday and Tuesday are not listed.
Dinner Wed & Thurs 5:30-10 PM; Fri & Sat 5:30-11 PM; Sun 5:30-9 PM; Brunch Sat & Sun 11 AM – 4 PM; Happy hour Wed – Sun 4-7 PM
Source: Eating House official website, checked 2026-10-20
Argentine grill restaurant
394 Giralda Ave, Coral Gables, FL 33134
Argentine grill restaurant at the west end of Giralda Plaza, part of the local Graziano's group. The group's separate Graziano's Market is at 2301 Galiano St, Coral Gables.
Monday – Thursday 11:30 AM – 3:00 PM, 5:00 PM – 10:30 PM; Friday 11:30 AM – 3:30 PM, 5:00 PM – 11:30 PM; Saturday 12:00 PM – 11:30 PM; Sunday 12:00 PM – 10:00 PM
Source: Graziano's official website, checked 2026-10-20
Coffee house
300 Alhambra Circle, Coral Gables, FL 33134
Coffee house on Alhambra Circle. The site calls it 'Coral Gables' first coffee house' and says it was built on the original 1920s premises of Coral Gables' first newspaper (the cafe's own claims).
Monday – Saturday 9:00am – 3pm; Sunday Closed
Source: Cafe Demetrio official website, checked 2026-10-20
Bistro restaurant and bar
377 Alhambra Circle, Coral Gables FL 33134
Bistro and bar on Alhambra Circle; the site says it has been 'under the same family ownership since 1997' (its own claim). Its hours sit behind a widget we could not read, so check hours before you go.
Source: The Globe official website, checked 2026-10-20
Seasonal contemporary restaurant
396 Alhambra Circle, Suite #155, Coral Gables, FL 33134
The site describes a 30-seat contemporary restaurant focused on seasonality, inside a historic building on Alhambra Circle.
Tues – Thurs 6 pm – 9:30pm; Fri & Sat 6 pm – 10pm; Sun & Mon closed
Source: Zitz Sum official website, checked 2026-10-20
Living here
A City press release dated August 19, 2026, put citywide tree canopy at 58%. LPE Realty LLC, a licensed Florida brokerage serving South Florida, publishes this guide and can talk you through buying or selling here.
Quick answers
A city in Miami-Dade County, Florida. The City says it was incorporated on April 29, 1925. George Merrick planned it on his family's land, and by early 1921 it was "wholly mapped out on paper."
The U.S. Census Bureau's estimate for July 1, 2025 is 49,578. The 2020 Census counted 49,248.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Coral Gables city, Florida
The City says the Merricks built an addition to their home out of coral rock quarried from what later became the Venetian Pool. They named the house "Coral Gables" and their grapefruit groves the "Coral Gables Plantation."
The Biltmore Hotel says George Merrick called his vision for Coral Gables "The City Beautiful." The City uses the name too: "Experience the rich history of the City Beautiful."
Source: City of Coral Gables: Historical Landmarks; The Biltmore Hotel: About
The City's August 19, 2026 press release puts citywide canopy at 58%, counting public and private property. It says Coral Gables has been a Tree City USA community since 1985.
Source: City of Coral Gables: Tree Canopy Ranking (press release)
Journal
City garages in Coral Gables, Florida charge $1.00 per 24 minutes with an $18.00 daily maximum. On-street meters run up to $3.50 an hour…
Coral Gables Gallery Night in Coral Gables, Florida is the first Friday of the month, 6 to 10 p.m., when galleries and art venues…
As of October 20, 2026, the City of Coral Gables, Florida has not posted 2027 Farmers Market dates. The 2026 season ran Saturdays from…
Living here
LPE Realty LLC, a licensed Florida real estate brokerage serving South Florida, is behind this guide. If a swim at the Venetian Pool or an evening on Miracle Mile has you thinking about a home in Coral Gables, talk to us about buying or selling here.
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