Ariel W.
Yelp
Coconut Grove is the oldest permanent settlement in Miami-Dade. Located on the shores of Biscayne Bay, many people were drawn to the area from the Bahamas and the Keys by the Homestead Act in the late 1800s. By 1919 it became its own city and the spelling was changed from Cocoanut Grove to Coconut Grove. In 1925 it was annexed by the City of Miami. The neighborhood is bounded by North Prospect Drive to the south, LeJeune Road to the west, South Dixie Highway and Rickenbacker Causeway to the north, and Biscayne Bay to the east.
Many famous people have called The Grove home. David Crosby, Jimmy Buffett, Tennessee Williams, Robert frost, Alexander Graham Bell, Howard Hughes, Christian Slater, and Madonna have at one time all been residents. It was the home of Marjory Stoneman Douglas, author and environmentalist whose seminal book The Everglades: River of Grass brought awareness to the importance of the Everglades which preserved it from development. You can still see her tiny cotswold cottage, although it is not open to the public.
Today you can enjoy restaurants, sidewalk cafes, chic boutiques, parks, and a shoreline dotted by sailboats. Some of my favorite places are Fireman Derek's Bake Shop, Peacock Park, Plymouth Congregational Church, The Kampong, The Barnacle Historic State Park and Vizcaya. One of the most popular events held is the annual Coconut Grove Arts Festival. Shop at CocoWalk and many other unique shops and boutiques.
One of my favorite things about visiting Coconut Grove is the peacocks. Native to India, they have been here as long as anyone can remember. Some people think early developers Henry Flagler or Carl Fisher brought them in while others think they are a result of pets escaping. The subtropical climate of south Florida is the perfect breeding ground for them. Only the males are actually called peacocks. The females are peahens and together they are peafowl. They have been known to screech loudly, poop on sidewalks, fornicate everywhere, and get aggressive with people. Some folks consider them foul fowl. I still love them though. You can find a large population of them on historic Evangelist Street.
Speaking of Peacocks, that just happens to be the last name of some of the earliest settlers to Coconut Grove. The Peacock family consisting of Jack Peacock, his brother Charles, and his wife Isabella came to the area in the 1870's and opened a hotel in what is now present day Peacock Park which is named for them. So if you come to Coconut Grove expect a lot of peacocks. Look for the real birds or the fiberglass peacocks painted in 2010 by local artists as part of a public art project that you can find scattered around.
I love the history that is all around in Coconut Grove. You can print out a self guided walking tour map and see some of Miami's earliest history. When you are done you can explore all of the great places, to eat, shop, relax. Just beware of that beautiful street gang of peacocks ruling The Grove with their iron beaks.