My daughters go to school right in the middle of what I call, “old Coral Gables,” at Granada Presbyterian Church. Coral Gables, Florida is one of the first planned communities in the United States developed in a Mediterranean Revival style during the roaring 1920s by a visionary named George Merrick.
I’ve been wanting to see a little bit more of the architecture so late last week I dropped the girls off at school and took off from there on an easy run down what our realtor described as one of their oldest promenades, Granada Boulevard.
When the modern-day cars weren’t zipping by (or honking… Miamians love to honk), I could imagine running down this street in 1929…. it was just gorgeous
This pink home is being remodeled.. I can’t wait to see the end result
This home is made of coral rock. I love the blue door!
The landscaping was spectacular both the new beds and the ancient trees.
What neighborhood have you been anxious to see in your home town? Well, what’s stopping you? Grab your running shoes and drive over there. You can run or walk while discovering something new.
Nice post. I haven’t been to Opa-Locka outside Miami, but I understand it is an architecturally unique community too, having the nation’s largest trove of Moorish Revival architecture. Might be worth a drive. You might also like some of my posts on Florida architecture over the last month: http://americantourismbook.com/2012/05/01/stateside-sevilles/, http://americantourismbook.com/2012/04/20/tourist-fantasies-loom-large-in-aia-florida-top-100/. I’m always fascinated by the design principles and styles in planned communities.