Category: Coral Gables

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Brickell/Downtown Miami Coral Gables Pinecrest Things To Do

Make A New Year's Resolution To Attend These Cultural Events In January

Happy 2014!  Add attending one of these cultural events to your 2014 Resolution List.  They take place in spectacular venues that many of us take for granted and help promote the arts throughout Miami-Dade County.

Miami’s cultural season did not end with Art Miami and Art Basel, it merely took a small break for the holidays and is now back in full swing.  Whether you like art, music, or theater, you are sure to enjoy.

Young Arts Week January 6 -12

Fairchild’s Garden Music Festival January 9-19

PAMM second free Saturdays January 11, 10:00 a.m-6:00 p.m.

Pinecrest Garden’s Jazz In The Gardens January 11, 8:00 p.m.

Pinecrest Garden’s Fine Arts Festival January 11 & 12 10:00 a.m-5:00 p.m.

Miami International Art Fair January 17-20

Beaux Arts Festival January 18 & 19

“The Complete Works of William Shakespeare” (comedy) at Pinecrest Gardens, January 24-26

The Complete Works of William Shakespeare {Abridged}

 

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Brickell/Downtown Miami Coral Gables Florida Life Pinecrest Things To Do

Make A New Year’s Resolution To Attend These Cultural Events In January

Happy 2014!  Add attending one of these cultural events to your 2014 Resolution List.  They take place in spectacular venues that many of us take for granted and help promote the arts throughout Miami-Dade County.

Miami’s cultural season did not end with Art Miami and Art Basel, it merely took a small break for the holidays and is now back in full swing.  Whether you like art, music, or theater, you are sure to enjoy.

Young Arts Week January 6 -12

Fairchild’s Garden Music Festival January 9-19

PAMM second free Saturdays January 11, 10:00 a.m-6:00 p.m.

Pinecrest Garden’s Jazz In The Gardens January 11, 8:00 p.m.

Pinecrest Garden’s Fine Arts Festival January 11 & 12 10:00 a.m-5:00 p.m.

Miami International Art Fair January 17-20

Beaux Arts Festival January 18 & 19

“The Complete Works of William Shakespeare” (comedy) at Pinecrest Gardens, January 24-26

The Complete Works of William Shakespeare {Abridged}

 

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Brickell/Downtown Miami Coconut Grove Coral Gables Florida Life Pinecrest Things To Do

5 Things To Do In November in Miami

Okay, we are starting to get busy toward the end of November with Thanksgiving and all of December’s holidays, so here are 5 things to do in South Florida this month.

  1. Fairchild Ramble November 8-10 at Fairchild Tropical Gardens
  2. Vizcaya to North Grove Bicycle Tour November 11 at Vizcaya Museum and Gardens
  3. Seraphic Fire at First United Methodist Church November 16
  4. Miami Book Fair International November 17-24
  5. Masquerade Ball in the Gardens November 23 at Pinecrest Gardens

If you still have time on your hands remember these free things to do in South Florida:  Wallcasts, Soundscape Cinema Series, Chopin for All Concert Series.

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Coral Gables Key Biscayne Neighborhood News Pinecrest Things To Do

Happy Halloween!

IMG_1295No bones about it…It’s Halloween!  If you want to do something before, after, or instead of trick-or-treating try one of the following:

 

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Aventura Coconut Grove Coral Gables Florida Life Miami Beach Palmetto Bay Pinecrest Things To Do

10 Things To Do In Miami In October

I love October in South Florida.  Not only does the weather start to tease with occasional cooler, drier temperatures, but it is the official start of our art season.  Although we now have cultural activities year-round with our monthly art walks, museum exhibits, and great musical programming at the Arsht Center and venues throughout South Florida, we really kick into high gear in October.  Here is a list of some venues to try in October:

  1. Soundscape movies every Wednesday starting in October through December 18 at the New World Symphony (free)
  2. Wallcasts October 5 & 25 at the New World Symphony (free)
  3. Sounds At Fairchild October 6, 13, & 20 at Fairchild Tropical Garden
  4. Barnacle Under Moonlight Concert October 11
  5. Diavolo’s Transit Space Dance October 12 & 13 South Miami Dade Cultural Arts Center
  6. Ruthless, the musical October 18, Actor’s Playhouse
  7. Artists At Vizcaya October 19 at Vizcaya Museum and Gardens
  8. Wine on Harvest Moon October 19 at the Deering Estate
  9. Jazz at Pinecrest Gardens October 26
  10. New World School of the Arts Repertory Dance Ensemble October 30 at the Aventura Art and Cultural Center

In case you have a free day in October with this calendar,remember most of our museums have free days every month.

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Buying Coral Gables

Waterfront Views Abount From Beautiful Unit 604 in Deering Bay’s Verona Building

The beautiful sanctuary of Deering Bay is located in South Coral Gables and features an Arnold Palmer Signature Design par 71-course, two marinas, tennis courts, pools, meandering paths, and a luxurious clubhouse with a fabulous restaurant.

Unit 604 in Deering Bay’s Verona, offers unobstructed views of the golf course, bay, and all the way to Key Biscayne and Elliot Key.  This 2740 square foot, 3 bedroom/3bathroom corner unit, has gorgeous Saturnia floors, impact resistant windows, granite countertops in the kitchen, and plenty of closet space.

deering small boat marina

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Buying Coral Gables

Waterfront Views Abount From Beautiful Unit 604 in Deering Bay's Verona Building

The beautiful sanctuary of Deering Bay is located in South Coral Gables and features an Arnold Palmer Signature Design par 71-course, two marinas, tennis courts, pools, meandering paths, and a luxurious clubhouse with a fabulous restaurant.

Unit 604 in Deering Bay’s Verona, offers unobstructed views of the golf course, bay, and all the way to Key Biscayne and Elliot Key.  This 2740 square foot, 3 bedroom/3bathroom corner unit, has gorgeous Saturnia floors, impact resistant windows, granite countertops in the kitchen, and plenty of closet space.

deering small boat marina

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Brickell/Downtown Miami Buying Coral Gables Miami Beach Neighborhood News Palmetto Bay Pinecrest Selling

Properties Close To Public Transportation Popular During and After The Recession

Brickell Trolley
Brickell Trolley

Properties that were in communities near public transportation with frequent routes did 42% better in maintaining their value than those that were not near public transportation.  As real estate sales in Miami continue to rise, neighborhoods near public transportation are some of the areas with the tightest inventories.

Many communities, such as Brickell and Coral Gables, have added trolleys and many suburban communities, such as Pinecrest and Palmetto Bay, have added People Movers.

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Coconut Grove Coral Gables Florida Life Key Biscayne Palmetto Bay Pinecrest Things To Do

Bike 305 Aims To Form An Interconnected System of Greenways, Bike Lanes and Trails

I recently visited Ecuador and enjoyed running on the Chiquinan Trail, a 20 km bike and running trail converted from an old railway trail.

Chaquinan Trail
Chaquinan Trail

While I was running, I thought it would be great if Miami-Dade had something similar.  I was thrilled to find out it does, though most of it is still in the making.  It is called Bike 305 and so far 130 miles, out of the 5o0 planned, have been completed.  The current routes include Key Biscayne, Coconut Grove, Coral Gables, Pinecrest, Palmetto Bay and Cutler Bay.  I have run along several of the routes, without even knowing it was part of a grander plan to interconnect greenways, bike lanes, and trails.  I look forward to running more portions of the route as they come on line!

Bike 305

Categories
Buying Coral Gables Luxury Real Estate Miami Beach

Preservation vs Private Property Rights

Ceiling In Alfred Browning Parker designed home

Several recent  articles have highlighted the issue of preservation vs private property rights.  I want to clarify that I am for historic preservation of relevant buildings but I think if it is done retroactively, it infringes on private property rights.

Both the Miami Herald building, sold to Genting Malaysia, and a Robert Browning Parker home in Gables Estates, currently listed for sale by Helen Nicastri of Coldwell Banker, have come before preservation boards with different outcomes.

A home in north Gables on Minorca and another in Miami Beach on Star Island are further examples of preservation boards trying to designate properties as historic when new owners purchased the property and applied for demolition permits.

If a property is designated as historic, it cannot be torn down and there are restrictions on the amount and type of  renovations that can be done.  You can check with local preservation boards to see if the property you are purchasing is on their list prior to purchasing, but if it is not on the list should a local board be able to designate it when you apply for permits to demolish or refurbish?  To protect your investment, if you are planning to purchase a property built in the 1920’s-1960’s (Old Spanish, Art Deco and MiMo architectural styles) and want to renovate or demolish it, contact the local historic preservation board during your due diligence/inspection period.