Only a stone's throw from the Magic City of Miami, West Miami is a small, residential city that offers easygoing suburban living. "It's high demand for rentals," says Barbara Alvarez, a Realtor with Homes 4 You. "It's popular with people since it’s close to Coral Gables; they like being near that area." While being near the amenities of Coral Gables, including historic destinations like the Venetian Pool, is a treat in and of itself, being close to this community comes with another benefit. The mature, tropical greenery that Coral Gables is praised for doesn't begin and end with that area's borders; lush and vibrant verdure also stems into surrounding communities. Though West Miami certainly has a more city-suburb feel than Coral Gables — primarily due to smaller lot sizes — this community is packed with oak, palm and banyan trees, making it unique from communities farther north, closer to the airport.
The neighborhood of West Miami offers easygoing suburban living close to the city.
Due to its proximity to downtown, homes in the West Miami area range from $600,000 to $3.5 million.
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Access to the Tamiami Trail
A central location is another draw to West Miami. "It's very convenient and practical with all the highways close by," says Alvarez. "And it’s 15 minutes from downtown Miami." The Palmetto Expressway and the Dolphin Expressway, which connects to Interstate 95 due east, sit less than 3 miles from West Miami. Furthermore, U.S. Route 41, referred to by locals as the Tamiami Trail, runs right along the community's north side, making for easy commutes into the city. For farther travel, the Miami International Airport is a little over 5 miles north of West Miami.
Midcentury homes
Except for some apartment complexes on the west side, West Miami is largely occupied by HOA-free single-family homes. Many of which were built in the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s, so you'll find that ranch-style homes are the most popular build in the area. Architecturally, as is typical of the Florida vernacular, Spanish eclectic characteristics run rampant along these streets, such as arches, stucco siding, earthy tones and terracotta barrel roof tiles. That said, Minimal Traditional architecture and bilevel residences are blended into the area. Market prices for these homes range from the low $600,000s to $3.5 million. This vast range of prices is due to the addition of new construction homes, most leaning toward modern and contemporary styles. For $725,000, you can land an updated, 1964-built, four-bedroom, three-and-a-half-bathroom ranch-style home on a 5,720-square-foot lot.
HOA-free single-family homes largely occupy West Miami.
Spanish eclectic characteristics run rampant along West Miami's residential streets.
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Miami-Dade County Public Schools
West Miami is home to two Miami-Dade County public schools: Sylvania Heights Elementary and Somerset Academy Gables. Teaching students from kindergarten to eighth grade, Somerset Academy Gables is a well-regarded charter school and is just one campus within Somerset Academy's network of high-achieving academic institutions. On the other hand, students can start school at Sylvania Elementary School, rated with a B on Niche, before attending West Miami Middle and graduating from South Miami Senior High, which boasts an excellent multimedia broadcasting program. Students can elect to focus on television or film production, and alongside their regular curriculum, their coursework can involve anything from drafting screenplays to creating newscasts and documentaries.
Sylvania Heights Elementary is located in West Miami.
South Miami Senior High in South Miami, FL, is a great school to enroll your child.
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Cooper Park
As for local green space, Cooper Park is a quaint and quiet nook featuring a fitness area and playground. For more recreational options, West Miami's Recreation Center is only blocks away. Here, local athletes may enjoy a pickup game of basketball or tennis.
West Miami's Cooper Park has multiple playgrounds for children to choose from.
The City of West Miami Recreational Center offers many amenities and hosts events.
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Tamiami Trail has restaurants
For a quick bite, there are a few options off Route 41. El Mago De Las Fritas has been a local staple since 1984. This restaurant specializes in Cuban Fritas. If a shoestring potato-topped chorizo and beef burger sounds good to you, definitely stop by this local favorite. Next door, Happy Wine Calle Ocho has discounted wine, live music and delicious tapas. This shop and restaurant is popular for its festive atmosphere. While there aren’t too many commercial areas in West Miami, necessity retailers such as Publix and CVS are right in the community.
El Mago de las Fritas is a casual dining spot in West Miami offering delicious Cuban food.
Happy Wine is a popular, casual restaurant located in West Miami.
Iliana Abella’s 30-plus-year career has been punctuated by many great successes, which included the ownership of a private brokerage, where she specialized in luxury residential real estate in the Greater Miami area. Her endeavors have led to exciting collaborations on renowned projects, working with celebrity clients including professional athletes, diplomats, and foreign nationals. Highly sophisticated, knowledgeable, and ethical, Iliana is currently the Chair of South Florida's top residential realtor organization Master Brokers Forum, and has been part of that prestigious group’s Board of Directors since 2005. Iliana takes great pride in providing clients with a personalized high-quality service, the evidence of which is clear a long history of repeat and referral business.
She believes real estate is more exciting than ever, using technology communications to elevate the client relationship experience in coordination with a cutting-edge company like Compass. Making a mutually beneficial match between buyers and sellers is always exhilarating. Still, it doesn’t outshine the day-to-day enjoyment of working with new and interesting people on new and interesting deals. The cosmopolitan nature of South Florida makes the region an inspiring place in which to live and work, Iliana considers herself fortunate to love what she does truly. The work is dynamic, the relationships engaging, the opportunities continuously regenerating. When not working hard on behalf of clients, Iliana’s preferred pastimes are boating, fishing, and skiing.
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