A CITY WITH HISTORY
George Merrick, the founder of Coral Gables, envisioned his creation as a "Beautiful City" that would be soberly planned and inspired by Mediterranean Revival architectural styles.
Thus, early planners combined this vision with the aesthetic influences of the "City Beautiful Movement" that spread throughout America in the early XNUMXth century. By the way, the motor of this movement was the landscape architect Frederick Law Olmstead, designer of Central Park in New York.
Thanks to the influence of The City Beautiful Movement, the development of wide tree-lined avenues, monumental buildings, green spaces, beautiful plazas and ornamental fountains was encouraged in Coral Gables.
Many properties in the city are on the National Register of Historic Places, and more than 1,000 are on the Coral Gables Register of Historic Places. The sumptuous Biltmore Hotel, for example, has been declared a National Historic Landmark.
THE COSMOPOLITAN CITY
From its inception, Coral Gables was designed to be a city open to the world. Today, it is home to more than 20 foreign consulates and government offices and more than 140 multinational corporations. As early as 1925, city founder George Merrick predicted that Coral Gables would be like "a gateway to Latin America."
To strengthen its international ties, the City has forged sister relationships with six cities: Aix-en Provence, France; Cartagena Colombia; Grenada, Spain; Antigua Guatemala, Guatemala; Province of Pisa, Italy; and Quito, Ecuador.
DYNAMIC SOCIETY
Coral Gables is an important center of employment and in turn has a community with high purchasing power. Coral Gables' economy is powered by a conglomerate of more than 13,000 firms, mostly in the professional, financial, commercial, and sales and distribution services sectors.
The City is especially desirable for business activity due to its proximity to the Miami International Airport, the Port of Miami and the Miami business hub. In addition, the city offers an important selection of residential and commercial real estate properties as a result of the thriving dynamism of the local construction sector.
The city is home to representations of the most important financial institutions in the country, internationally famous medical-hospital services, important transnational companies and first-rate academic centers. The University of Miami, the pride of Coral Gables, is the city's largest employer.
As a picturesque detail, but very useful, Coral Gables offers free transport services in trolley-type buses that connect with the most important shopping centers and urbanizations of the city.
TRADE AND SERVICES
Coral Gables is a city rich in retail stores and boutiques. Miracle Mile is an avenue-boulevard in Coral Gables prestigious for numerous businesses that have made it one of the most coveted shopping destinations in South Florida. It has quality shops, art galleries, boutiques, restaurants and a live theater in a setting of lush gardens with tree-lined streets. Shoppers will find jewelry, apparel, home furnishings, unique salons and spas, and other specialty stores. World-renowned restaurants offer food from around the world and serve dinner late into the night. The area is known for its commitment to quality and personalized service. The center of a true downtown district and is internationally known as the place where brides find answers to all of their wedding clothing and accessory needs.
The Merrick Village Park, meanwhile, is a sleek 780,000-square-foot retail, residential and office center anchored by Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom. It features more than 100 select retailers, including Tiffany & Co., Burberry, Carolina Herrera, Coach and Gucci.
Coral Gables' hospitality industry is positioned to satisfy high-end corporate and leisure travelers through its network of restaurants and hotels where the Biltmore Hotel stands out as a symbol of local heritage.
The City supports a new art museum and cinema on Aragón Avenue, across from the renowned Books & Books bookstore. Additionally, Coral Gables has the distinction of having four live theaters, as well as many art galleries. The University of Miami's 230+ acre campus also provides the community with access to lectures and performances, as well as an art house theater and the Lowe Museum of Art.
Visitors and residents also enjoy the Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, as well as various festivals and performances held throughout the year, such as the Tropical Baroque Festival and the Beaux Arts Festival. Coral Gables is one of the few cities in the area to offer a scholarship program that supports local non-profit cultural programming as well as a public art program to benefit the community.
The University of Miami (UM), a prestigious research university, ranks 50th among top-tier institutions in the nation. Also within the city is the renowned MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at NorthWestern University.
Coral Gables High Schools offer strong academic and international programs including an International Baccalaureate Program at Coral Gables Senior High and Gulliver Preparatory School. Coral Gables Preparatory Academy received the Elementary School of Excellence Award from the US Department of Education.
The City is also home to the first international public-private partnership in the nation with Miami-Dade County Public Schools, the City of Coral Gables, and the French, Italian, and Spanish ministries of education coming together to open the Miami-Dade Preparatory Academy. International Studies dedicated to international studies.
In addition to exciting varsity sports like UM's football, baseball and basketball games, the city has 22 recreational parks and 33 public tennis courts. Plus, two public and two private golf courses, as well as hiking and biking trails, the Matheson Hammock Park and Marina, and the Venetian Pool, which was named by Travel & Leisure magazine among the "World's Most Enjoyable Pools."
The City offers excellent municipal services, including an accredited Police Department, a Class 1 Fire Department, and a Class 1 Buildings Division. Coral Gables has also been named an American Tree City for the past few years. 31 years in a row by the National Arbor Foundation, and has also been selected by the non-profit organization Kaboom for eight years in a row as "America's Most Festive City."
Excellent municipal services, a high quality of life, harmonious growth and a diversified economy make Coral Gables a highly desirable place to live, work and play.
SOME STATISTICS OF INTEREST
Coral Gables has an area of 96.65 Km and is part of Miami-Dade County. The city's population was 2018 by mid-50,999, of which 38,5% were foreign-born, and 58,4% were of Hispanic or Latino origin.
The bulk of the population of Coral Gables (62,7%) has some degree of higher education. The average per capita income for 2017 reached the figure of $61,063.
AN ALLY OF BUSINESSMEN
The Department of Economic Development, under the Mayor's Office, promotes economic growth and quality of life in the City of Coral Gables. The Department's focus is on promoting activities that stimulate the growth of the local economy, including the marketing of investment opportunities; quality of life improvements; the creation of public and private associations; supporting existing businesses and incorporating new businesses; and the negotiation and administration of certain contracts on City property.
The activity of the Department of Economic Development contributes greatly to reinforcing the good image of the City and collaborating with the business community in the achievement of its objectives. This involves promoting business programs, city development initiatives, and participating in various marketing efforts.
The contact information for this important engine of local development is as follows:
Department of Economic Development
City of Coral Gables
2121 Ponce de Leon Blvd., Suite 720
Coral Gables, FL 33134
Phone: 305-460-5311
Fax: 305-445-9623
Email: EconomicDevelopment@coralgables.com
________________________________________________________________________________________________________Source: www.coralgables.com