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 "The
Grove" has been dubbed "the village with a rhythm all
its own." During the 1960s, the neighborhood was a hotbed
of
"hippie culture," adding a bohemian patina that persists
to this day. Tolerant and free-wheeling, this lushly landscaped
enclave evokes the "anything goes" South Florida of Jimmy
Buffett and Carl Hiassen. While the Grove has lost its historic
status as the epicenter of South Florida gay culture to South Beach
and the Upper Eastside, its historic charm and 24 hour street life
maintains a continued appeal to gays and straights alike.
Located on Biscayne Bay just ten minutes south of Downtown Miami,
the Grove is unlike any other neighborhood in Greater Miami and
the Beaches. Coconut Grove's waterfront parks offer excellent vantage
points for observing wildlife and sailboats in Biscayne Bay. Dinner
Key now houses Miami City Hall. For some early Coconut Grove history,
visit the Barnacle, the 110-year old home of pioneer Commodore Ralph
Munroe.
Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, Coconut Grove's grandest home, is set
on 10 acres of formal gardens and fountains with Biscayne Bay as
the backdrop. This 70-room estate is filled with fabulous furnishings
and antiques. Vizcaya was purchased by Miami-Dade County in 1952
and opened to the public as museum. In the gay community, Vizcaya
is celebrated as the home of November's White Party, the crème
de la crème of circuit events. It is also notable that until
very recently, Madonna and Sylvester Stallone maintained Miami residences
nearby. Also nearby are the renowned Miami Museum of Science and
Space Transit Planetarium.
Festivals and street fairs such as the Coconut Grove Arts Festival,
the Coconut Grove  Food
and Music Festival, the Miami/Bahamas Goombay Festival and the Banyan
Arts Festival, add to Coconut Grove's excitement. The irreverent
and highly original King Mango Strut Parade, a good-natured spoof
of the venerable Orange Bowl Parade, is an annual tradition for
many a Miamian.
The specialty stores on the downtown streets of Coconut Grove
offer a wide range of merchandise. CocoWalk and The Streets of
Mayfair
offer shopping and entertainment. The nearby Coconut Grove Playhouse
is a world-class theater that hosts major musical and dramatic
productions.
Coconut Grove's variety and originality is reflected in the dining
choices offered by its fine restaurants, themes eateries, sports
bars and casual outdoor cafes. In the Grove, eating out is always
in good taste. Nightlife revolves around fun and funky neighborhood
bars livened up with jazz, salsa and reggae.
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