Downtown Gables

Home to trendy eateries, businesses and entertainment options, Downtown Gables also comprises single and multifamily homes ideal for central city living.

A walk or bike ride through Downtown Gables and surrounding communities displays very clearly that Coral Gables, also known as the City Beautiful or, simply, the Gables, is a well-loved area with quite a few things going for it. Developed in the 1920s by George Merrick, this city echoes its past through historic Spanish Revival architecture and mature, hundred-year-old oaks and palm trees that shade suburban streets. "People are always walking around outside, and many feel safe doing that at any hour," says Trent Alvarado. "And downtown, you have the Miracle Mile, a block of family-friendly entertainment." All the Miracle Miles' attractions and hubs, including museums, theaters, playhouses, bookstores, bars and restaurants, are highly accessible for downtown residents, even those living on the south fringes where lush suburbs meet the city.

Single-family, HOA-free, ranch-style properties hug the southern edges of Downtown Gables, salient with old Florida charm. Many of these lots are shrouded in tropical greenery, and if the young palm trees staked by the sidewalks are evidence enough, more mature verdure is to come. "Neighborhoods in the Gables are beautiful," says Lindsey Brown, a local Realtor with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices EWM Realty. "The area is known for its architecture. It has a lot of really beautiful old Spanish, Mediterranean homes, which recently many people have refurbished. This architecture is a big part of the community, and it gives it some nice character." Spanish eclectic and Revival architecture run as rampant in Downtown Gables as they do throughout the rest of the city, especially since many of these homes date back to the 1950s. Single-family properties here come onto the market infrequently, but you can expect to pay at least $980,000 for a two-bedroom, two-bathroom, 1,300-square-foot residence; a third bedroom or more square footage can knock the price up to around $1.3 million. Multifamily properties, typically condos, stretch from the heart of Downtown Gables to the north side. These homes range in price from approximately $300,000 to $650,000. Do note that condo buildings and complexes usually utilize an HOA.

Downtown Gables is home to a combination of residential and commercial spaces, so folks can stay in the neighborhood to shop, dine or explore if they want to; there are plenty of fun and delectable spots just steps away from home. Take Gables Juice Bar and Muscle Pizza, for example. This health food spot is a fun choice for breakfast or lunch with a menu of smoothies, juices, muscle pizzas and more. And just what makes a muscle pizza different from any ole pizza? Dough made with whole wheat flour, flaxseed, quinoa, oatmeal, brown sugar-stevia, chia and hemp protein.

Students living on Downtown Gables' north side can start their academic career less than a mile from home at Coral Gables Preparatory Academy, a uniform K-8 school with an A-minus rating on Niche. They can stay there until eighth grade or, alternatively, they may attend Ponce De Leon Middle, rated with a B on Niche, for grades six through eight before moving on to Coral Gables Senior High. Rated with a B-plus on Niche, this high school is home to various magnet programs and academies. So, students have the opportunity to enrich their curriculum with a subject, study or career path that interests them. For example, the Academy of Finance educates students on entrepreneurship, banking and credit, financial planning, international finance and so much more in addition to the Sunshine State Standards. Students living on the south side of Downtown Gables can start school at George Washington Carver Elementary, rated with an A-minus on Niche, and then join their northside neighbors at Ponce De Leon Middle and Coral Gables Senior High.

As for local green space, Ponce Circle Park is a pocket park right in the center of main thoroughfare Ponce De Leon Boulevard. It's perfect for a picnic under the shade of trees, and it's also a nice scenic place to wait for the Coral Gables Trolley, an aesthetically charming — and free — transportation service offered by the city.

As the beating heart of Coral Gables, Downtown Gables is as central as it gets in one of South Florida's most desirable cities.

Written By

Dustin Pacheco

Photography Contributed By

Daniele Giuseppe Del Gaudio

Video By

Jeffrey Knight