Historic
Coconut Grove in Miami is a superb nestling point for
a weekend jaunt because of its spectacular water views,
boutique and brand name shopping, cultural variety, and
hot nightlife.
The picturesque village is especially lovely in December
with classic holiday decorations adorning its streets
and shops. Coco Walk mall, the hub of the Grove, will
feature a tropical holiday theme with Santa wearing a
Hawaiian shirt, shorts and flip-flops and hanging out
in a hammock on Saturdays and Sundays.
Vizcaya Museum & Gardens, an estate built for industrialist
James Deering in 1916 to resemble a 16th-century Italian
country villa, offers holiday organ music concerts during
December.
The Grove was settled in 1834 by Bahamian seamen on the
edge of Biscayne Bay. Today its central shopping and entertainment
district is a short walk from several high-rise hotels,
including The Mutiny, which provide excellent views of
the bay and a multitude of boats at Dinner Key Marina,
Florida’s largest marine facility.
Coco
Walk, just a few blocks from The Mutiny and other resorts,
is a Mediterranean style open-air center featuring a movie
theater, restaurants, specialty boutiques and outdoor
musical entertainment. Such local favorites as David Fernando
with his rumba Latin jazz perform there.
The outdoor shopping mall offers such restaurants as TuTu
Tango, Café Med and The Cheesecake Factory to delight
your taste buds as well as walk-up ice cream and lemonade
vendors. Shops include Azul Boutique, Banana Republic,
Victoria’s Secret and the Artist in Residence Gallery.
Evening entertainment is offered at Coco Walk restaurants,
and its Vision Night Club is a popular dance spot.
Lily Martinez of Los Angeles recently visited Coco Walk
and was impressed by its charm and diversity.
“It’s lovely to be able to stroll outside
from shop to shop in a beautiful environment and enjoy
the excellent weather,” Martinez said.
Also not to be missed in Coconut Grove is The Improv Comedy
Club & Dinner Theater at Mayfair in the Grove. A sidesplitting
show at the Improv is a great way to spend at least one
evening of a weekend stay, and a cold one at Wet Willie’s
Daiquiri Bar is a nice way to begin or end the outing.
Mayfair is also known for its shopping, including Out
of Africa and United Colors of Benetton.
One street over on the Biscayne Bay waterfront is the
Barnacle State Park featuring the oldest home in Miami-Dade
County and one of the last remaining stands of Miami hardwood
hammock. The historic home of pioneer Ralph Middleton
Munroe offers a nostalgic journey back to the late 1800s.
A five-minute drive or cab ride away is Vizcaya. Its 34
elegant rooms are filled with European art, furniture
and tapestries collected by Deere during his travels.
North American and Asian art donated by patrons is also
on display.
The old world beauty of the main house continues throughout
the grounds, which are graced by 10 acres of exquisite
gardens and reflecting ponds with views of Biscayne Bay.
Orchid lovers will want to visit the David A. Klein Orchidarium
to the north of Vizcaya’s main house.
And for more botanical delights the Grove also is home
to a national tropical garden, The Kampong, a haven for
fruit and flowering tropical species from across the world.
While model-rich Miami Beach and its glamorous Art Deco
resorts tend to get more press, those who visit the Grove
are privy to Miami’s historic beauty and grace.
