Miami Neighborhoods Tips
Read these 11 Miami Neighborhoods Tips tips to make your life smarter, better, faster and wiser. Each tip is approved by our Editors and created by expert writers so great we call them Gurus. LifeTips is the place to go when you need to know about Miami Real Estate tips and hundreds of other topics.
Coral Gables
Coral Gables is known as "The City Beautiful" and was developed in 1925 by George Merrick. It's only about 14 square miles and is populated by 43,000 Floridians in charming single family Miami homes and Miami condos alike. The median home value is around $700,000.00 and Coral Gables features golf courses, parks, public tennis courts, boating facilities and 36 miles of waterways.
Coral Gables is also the Miami neighborhood that is home to the University of Miami which brings youth and culture to this charming neighborhood. Finally, you don't want to miss Miracle Mile with outdoor cafes, unique shopping and gorgeous Mediterranean style architecture. This is a lovely Miami neighborhood and a wonderful place to live as a young couple or as a single.
South Beach
South Beach is truly one of the playgrounds of the rich and famous. It features casual and elegant fine dining, hot nightspots, hotels and Miami condos. South Beach is also the Miami neighborhood that features some of the best examples of Art Deco architecture in the U.S.
You'll also find terrific boutiques, shopping and people watching opportunities all over South Beach. And don't forget the beach itself! Miles of fine white sand and sparkling ocean draw thousands of sun worshippers each year.
South Beach is known as quintessential Miami neighborhood. Depending on your lifestyle and needs, South Beach may be just the right Miami neighborhood for you.
Pinecrest and Palmetto
Pinecrest and Palmetto represent the wealthier examples of residential living in the Miami area. These Miami neighborhoods are located south of Coral Gables and are usually mentioned in concert with one another as they are in close proximity and they share schools. Pinecrest was officially incorporated in 1996 and houses about 20,000 people in it's 8.1 square miles.
The Pinecrest and Palmetto schools are universally acknowledged as being some of the best in the state. They include:
- Palmetto Elementary
- Pinecrest Elementary
- Palmetto Middle
- Miami Palmetto Senior High.
If you are looking for private schools in the area, you have the following from which to choose:
- Bet Shira Congregation
- Gullivar Preparatory
- Kendall United Methodist
- Pinecrest Presbyterian
- St. Louis Covenant
- Temple Beth Am.
The Pinecrest median household income is around $100,000.00 and the median Miami home value is approximately $393,000.00. Pinecrest and Palmetto are naturally beautiful and have several park areas. They are ideal neighborhoods for families with school aged children and they offer a wide variety of single family Miami home from which to choose.
Key Biscayne
Key Biscayne is an exclusive and wealthy enclave in Miami. It is actually a barrier island that is four miles long and two miles wide situated opposite Coconut Grove and Brickell Avenue on one side and Miami Beach on the other. Key Biscayne is connected to the mainland by a causeway and the City of Miami is about 7 miles away.
This Miami neighborhood currently houses about 10,000 people in approximately 1,300 single family Miami homes and 5,022 multi family units, or Miami condos. Key Biscayne has local schools through grade 8 and then students can proceed to Coral Gables Senior High School or they can apply to magnet schools throughout Miami Dade County.
The median household income is around $85,000.00 per year while the median home value is around $615,000.00. This is an amazingly beautiful Miami neighborhood abutting gorgeous park area and offering incredible views of downtown Miami and the Atlantic Ocean. If you can afford the Miami real estate on Key Biscayne, it will be well worth your while to explore.
Miami Beach
Miami Beach is a great example of the ideal south Florida lifestyle. It is located across from Bicayne Bay and has everything from high rise condos to gorgeous single family Miami homes, terrific shopping, gorgeous beaches and amazing restaurants. It is a great place to live, but it is also a huge tourist attraction with 187 hotels and over 20,000 hotel rooms.
Miami Beach has an incredibly high population density because of it's ideal location and amazing reputation. The local schools include Fienberg Fisher Elementary, South Pointe Elementary, North Beach Elementary, Biscayne Elementary, Nautilus Middle School and Miami Beach Senior High School. If you choose this Miami neighborhood you can find the best of all worlds - a terrific night life for the swinging single or a lively neighborhood for a family.
North Beach
North Beach was designed in 1917 and is laid out in a clean fashion. It boasts historic architecture, local shopping and fabulous Miami condos. North Beach has a large shopping mall at 163rd Street, a 9 hole golf course in Greynolds Park and activities like kayaking and picnicking in the Oleta River State Recreation area.
One highlight of this Miami neighborhood is the Ancient Spanish monastery that was brought over piece by piece by William Randolph Heart in 1954. Although it landed in the US in the 1950's, the monastery actually dates back to 1141.
North Beach is a great neighborhood with plenty of diversity in natural, Residential and Commercial historical landmarks.
Coconut Grove
Coconut Grove was settled early on by artists and bohemians and it retains a lot of that special charm today. It boasts tons of funky shops, restaurants and bars that are spiced up by great bands playing jazz, rock and salsa. The waterfront parks of Coconut Grove attract manatee watchers and don't miss the promenade of sailboats.
If you are looking for history and culture, you can find it in the Coconut Grove City Hall and the 110 year old Barnacle - the historic home of Ralph Munroe, Commodore and pioneer. The Vizcaya Museum and Gardens offer 10 acres of formal gardens and an Italian style villa built in 1916 by James Deering.
You can also find the Miami Museum of Science & Space Transit Planetarium with family friendly exhibits and light shows. Because of the history, art and entertainment, Coconut Grove is a sought after Miami neighborhood. You'll find charming single family homes and Miami condos.
Kendall
Kendall is the largest and oldest suburb of Miami. It offers a wide variety of reasonable prices Miami homes and Miami condos. Kendall's current population stands at around 75,000 residents. It spans 16.1 square miles and sits inland of Coral Gables and South of downtown Miami.
The median household income is at about $50,000.00 per year and the average home value stands at around $175,000.00. This is an ethnically diverse and welcoming Miami neighborhood that houses (or is quite close to) several Universities including Miami Dade College, Florida International University and the University of Miami.
Kendall is also home to Tamiami Airport. If you are looking for a reasonable entree into Miami real estate, this may be the neighborhood for you.
Choosing Your Miami Neighborhood
You may like the Miami area, but it is enormous and diverse, so you are going to need to narrow down your needs and preferences to choose a neighborhood. Where do you begin?
- Look online. Many towns within a city area will have their own websites with information about their town and their residents. Miami neighborhoods like Coconut Grove and Coral Gables, for example, have excellent websites that highlight information about their towns and the people that live there. They also give you a good feel for what that town is trying to be - the direction in which they are going.
- Local Newspapers - Try and pick up some local papers. These will give you an idea of the local news, events and feeling of a given community. You'll also see local real estate ads and you may find out valuable information about local developments and communities.
- State Website - Check out the state website for city and town profiles. Look at the Department of Education and check out overall test scores and school evaluations. 4. Call the Local Police - Although the polics are limited in the information they can give out, they can give you local crime statistics and a feeling for the overall safety of the neighborhood.
- The Drive By - Go and look at these Miami neighborhoods personally. Check out the downtown area and the local shops. Identifiy the parks, playgrounds and local areas that appeal to you.
File all of this information together and you'll be well prepared when it comes time to shop for your Miami home.
South Miami
South Miami spans about 2.3 square miles and houses approximately 11,000 people. This is a neighborhood that is largely native born is their government is very focused on redevelopment and growth.
In fact, in April of 2005, South Miami's Historic Preservation Board received an award for securing a historic designation for the Cambridge Lawns district of South Miami. The homes were built in the late 1920's and early 1930's and this is the first area with this designation. They have also recently revitalized the downtown area and are creating more and more incentive programs to bring in businesses and new sources of revenue.
The current average South Miami income is approximately $43,000.00 per year with an average home value of about $170,000.00. This is an up and coming neighborhood with a city commission with an eye toward redevelopment and growth.
Millionaire's Row
Millionaire's Row is an incredible Miami neighborhood. Because of it's central location, residents can reach North Beach or South Beach in minutes and it has perfect access in and out of the city. Millionaire's Row offers peace, security and privacy.
There are incredible single family homes and Miami condos, not to mention the 2,000 + units that are currently in development. This Miami neighborhood has always been known for sprawling homes and high end shopping and dining and now it is transforming again with the addition of a number of incredible luxurious Miami condominium towers.
It may not have the warm downtown feel of some Miami villages, but it offers opulence and options to the luxury Miami home shopper.
| Guru Spotlight |
| Susan Sayour |
