We went to see several movies here including the Odyssey, F1, Maria Callas etc. The staff are…read morefriendly and helpful including if you arrive late and have to get tickets for a later show. The theatre is conveniently located at the Shops at Merrick Park so you can eat and shop when you go to the movies. We like the reclining seats in some of the movie rooms here.

First and last time there! When we first walked in it seemed just as hot outside as it was inside,…read morethe AC was definitely not working in the lobby. We were hoping the theater would have the AC working or we would then ask for a refund. The bartender was very pleasant and engaging but the service at the counter was mediocre at best. Once we were able to go into the theater, we were not allowed to enter as it was still not clean. When we finally got to our seats, we noticed that the AC was working but not as it should be but well enough to tolerate to watch the movie. In addition to all of the above the seats were dirty and the recliner only worked on some of the seats and not on others as we tried to move around to seats not reserved to get the full experience. We eventually just went back to our non-reclining seats because of the view. For such an amazing and high end shopping center, this theater falls beyond short - we do not recommend!

The coolest pool in town...literally! Venetian Pool is filled with water from the Biscayne aquifer…read more Its infamously cool waters can feel a little frigid to us locals, but it's a great place to beat the heat of summer in Miami. This beautiful public pool recently re-opened after extensive renovations. They have a small pool designated for children, and the main pool which is divided into shallow water and deep water. Also be sure to explore the grotto and the waterfalls. They will stop admitting guests once they reach capacity, so try to arrive early. There are plenty of lifeguards around to keep everyone safe. The facility is well-outfitted with ample parking, a casual café, and M/F locker rooms with showers.

Was turned away at the entrance because apparently you can't bring children under three. Drove an…read morehour just to swim at this pool with our nine and one year old. When you look up the business on Google and yelp it does not say there's an age requirement. You have to physically go on the website to see that information. Waste of time. Used the bathroom before leaving and they were dirty and had no soap aside from one dispenser. Waste of time. Information should be clear.

Coral Gables offers a charming blend of history and architecture for visitors to enjoy. The tower…read morestands out as a true masterpiece, capturing the attention of photography enthusiasts looking for the perfect subject.

in a sophisticated residential area, this attraction may seem modest at first glance, yet it…read moreundeniably offers a tranquil and exquisite setting. The ambiance is calming and inviting, making it well worth a visit. On this particularly gorgeous day, the clear blue skies served as the perfect backdrop for capturing stunning photos, some of which I have shared for you to appreciate. If you enjoy what you see, feel free to show your approval by liking this post!

Coral Gables has some precious lights. These ones are located outside The Coral Gables library…read more Once upon a time - back in the early 1920s - "White Way" streetlights illuminated eight miles of streets, boulevards and avenues in Coral Gables. "The person who sees the White Way for the first time will appreciate it not for its iron and steel, but for its beauty and grandeur," a 1922 advertisement touted. Most of the streetlights were in the Arcadian style, a one-piece cast iron pole weighing 250 pounds. They stood on Alhambra Circle, North Greenway Drive, Granada Boulevard, Coral Way and Country Club Prado. Two of them stood in front of Coral Gables' first public building, the Coral Gables Golf and Country Club. 500 ornamental bases were commissioned for the "White Way" streetlights in Coral Gables. They were designed by Denman Fink and Phineas Paist. At each of the four sides of the base, there is a head in relief symbolic of the life of Coral Gables. Each of these faces represents a different character. "Art and Architecture" and "Horticultural Planting" reliefs are of beautiful women with their appropriate symbolic implements. "Labor" and "Industry" reliefs are represented by men with strong features, also with symbolic implements and tools. Alternating between the heads are the Spanish castle and rampant lion, both important symbols used often in Coral Gables designs. Encircling the top of the base, in raised letters are the words, "Coral Gables-The Miami Riviera, Fla." Presently only 78 of the ornamental bases remain in Coral Gables

Coral Gables was founded in 1925 by George Merrick who designed his city in an opulent…read moreMediterranean style. Merrick took his inspiration from the City Beautiful Movement that was popular in the 1900s. In 1926, he commissioned 500 ornamental bases for the "White Way" streetlights in Coral Gables. They bases were designed by Denman Fink and Phineas Paist. Denman Fink was George Merrick's uncle and artist and magazine illustrator. In addition to the light bases he designed the gates to the city, the Venetian Pool, and the Alhambra Water Tower. He served as the artistic adviser for the City of Coral Gables but he was not a licensed architect. Architect Phineas Paist had to sign off on all his work. On all of the four sides of the base of the lights, there is a head that is supposed to symbolize life in Coral Gables. "Art and Architecture" and "Horticultural Planting" reliefs are women and "Labor" and "Industry" are men. The same theme is used in the City Hall dome murals and in the relief panels that depict the sculptures on the Desoto Fountain. Between the heads are the Spanish castle and Lion Rampant which were often used in the designs of Coral Gables. Around the base are the words "Coral Gables -- The Miami Riviera, Fla.." The lampposts were made of cast iron and originally painted verdigris green. Later on the color was changed to silver. The lights can be found along University Drive and Riviera Drive from Granada Boulevard past Ponce de Leon Boulevard. Today only 78 of the 500 bases are left. The ornamental "White Way" streetlights were designated a City Historic Landmark in 1981. You can learn more about the White Way streetlights at the Coral Gables library where there is a historical sign that was installed in 2015 near one of the lights. The Historical Preservation Association of Coral Gables is working on a plan to restore the remaining light bases.

Marjorie Stoneman Douglas lived in this home in Coconut Grove. It was built in 1926 by George Hyde…read moreand is designed to look like an English Cotswolds country cottage. The house looks like it is out of a fairy tale. The house is extremely small, barely 900 feet. Marjorie considered it more of a workshop than a home. It is a single story wood frame T shaped structure with a stucco, brick, and half-timbered exterior walls and a sloping roof covered in wood shingles. The interior has hardwood flooring, plaster walls, and plaster ceilings with exposed beams. The interior has one large room that used to be dominated by Marjorie Stoneman Douglas's desk. The other rooms are a little bedroom and a tiny kitchen that only held a hot plate and toaster. Furnishings in the home were very simple. The house didn't have a driveway because she never learned to drive or central air conditioning. Marjorie did much of her writing in the home including the 1947 book The Everglades: River of Grass which spawned a movement to save the Everglades from development. The state of Florida purchased the house in 1991. Marjory was allowed to live out the rest of her life in her home which she did until she passed away at the age of 108 in 1998. The house was designated a national landmark in 2015. The house sits vacant as the people in the neighborhood have fought any attempts at turning the house into a museum fearing the traffic it would bring to the area. With the shooting that took place at the high school named in Marjorie Stoneman Douglas's honor in Parkland her name has been thrust back in the spotlight and there is renewed interest in finally doing something with the house. It seems like the neighbors may finally be coming around to allowing access to the house on a limited basis. Before that can happen the state needs to repair termite damage and mold caused by an air conditioner leak. Some of the ideas for the house are to turn it into a museum to honor Marjory or to allow a writer to live there in residence. A plan that has been scraped is to move the house to Fairchild tropical Gardens where there is a statue of Marjory Stoneman Douglas sitting on a bench. I am a long time Marjory Stoneman Douglas fan. As someone who loves the Everglades I appreciate her and everything she did to save it from development. I have seen many lovely pictures of her outside her home usually with a cat. Visiting her house was a thrill. I especially loved discovering the seahorse on the outside fireplace and the hand shaped doorknocker on the front door. I truly hope the neighbors and the state can come to an agreement to allow people access to the property. Right now you can easily park in front of the house and take a peek in the windows. Marjory Stoneman Douglas created a lasting environmental legacy and her home deserves to be protected and maintained. Maybe even more so after what happened in Parkland. The house belongs to all of us and we should be able to pay our respects to her there.

I love discovering old places, and if they are abandoned even better for me! It is surely worthy of…read morea trip - lets hope they GET ON WITH RESTORING IT, and stop wasting money on just maintaining it!! (its been owned by the state since 2007 after all!!!) Here is some more information and history about this house (sourced from https://www.visitflorida.com/en-us/things-to-do/arts-history/marjory-stoneman-douglas-house.html) Almost 68 years after Marjory Stoneman Douglas' "The Everglades: River of Grass" changed the popular conception of the Everglades from worthless swamp to treasured ecosystem, the Stoneman Douglas house in Miami's leafy Coconut Grove neighborhood will be designated a national historic landmark. During his first visit to Everglades National Park in April 2015, President Barack Obama declared the protective designation for the conservationist's modest 1926 cottage at 3744 Stewart Ave. No plans have been announced yet for opening the stucco-covered, wood-frame Stoneman Douglas house to the public, although fans still can go by the historic one-story home, now surrounded by million-dollar mansions. Preservationists and environmentalists have argued for years with neighbors over the fate of the bungalow and concerns that turning it into an education center or attraction would overwhelm the area with traffic and violate residential land use codes. A plan to move the house three miles from its South Grove location to Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden was scrapped in 2006. The Stoneman Douglas house and property have been owned by the State of Florida and since 2007 has been maintained by the Florida Park Service as a lasting memorial to a remarkable "woman who saved the Everglades." As a 34-year-old divorced woman living with her father, buying her own house represented independence to Douglas. In her autobiography, "Voice of the River," she wrote about her desire to have a place of her own. I didn't need much of a house, just a workshop, a place of my own. All I wanted was one big room with living quarters tacked on. I knew an architect, George Hyde, who drew up some plans. He mostly built factories, which was fortunate, because I hoped my little house would be as stout and as sparse as a factory with not much to worry about. Because she never learned to drive, the house had no driveway (or air conditioning, electric stove or dishwasher). Part Tudor Revival and part Medieval Revival in design, the house, created by well-known architect George Hyde, is noted for its hip roof, half-timbering, post-hurricane wood floors, elegant detailing, and cast bronze hardware. Starting out as a young writer working for her father at The Miami Herald in 1915 following her brief marriage, Marjory Stoneman Douglas eventually produced more than 100 short stories for popular magazines. "River of Grass," published in 1947, was her most influential work. Later in life, she became a relentless crusader for the natural preservation and restoration of the nature of South Florida. She recognized that the Everglades was a system that depended not only on the flow of water from Lake Okeechobee into the park, but also upon the Kissimmee River which feeds the lake. To add a voting constituency to her efforts, in 1970 she formed the Friends of the Everglades, and was active as the head of the organization. Dubbed the "Grande Dame of the Everglades," she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Upon her death at the age of 108 in 1998, The Independent in London stated, "In the history of the American environmental movement, there have been few more remarkable figures than Marjory Stoneman Douglas." Today, Everglades National Park, the largest subtropical wilderness in the United States, protects over 1.5 million acres. It's the third-largest national park in the lower 48 states, behind Yellowstone National Park and Death Valley National Park. There are three ways to access the park by car. The main entrance in Homestead connects visitors to the Royal Palm Area and the Flamingo Area of Everglades National Park. The Shark Valley entrance is in Miami and the Gulf Coast Entrance is in Everglades City.

Coral Gables is known for it's numerous plazas, entrances, and fountains from 1920's. That's why I…read morefind it so interesting to see what current works of art are being added. Anything new needs to harmonize with the beautiful features that George Merrick added in when he created the city. In 2014 the city approved two sculptures to be installed at the traffic circles along Segovia Street. They were designed by New York-based artist and sculptor Alice Aycock. The two installations are the first public art pieces to be added since George Merrick was alive. The sculptures are inspired by the passion flower and are constructed of more than 4,000 pieces of metal. The two sculptures are different. The sculpture on Biltmore is larger and has two flower designs. The Coral Way sculpture is designed to mimic a flower flowing in the breeze. More than 180 submissions were judged before a panel selected Aycock's design. The flowers have received mixed reviews from the community. Many feel that the modern art is not in keeping with the look of the city. A group of residents tried to have the sculptured removed but did not muster enough signatures for the ballot. Some of the complaints are that the sculptures are not Mediterranean and that accidents have increased at the traffic circles since the sculptures were installed. Others complain bitterly that they are not even able to choose a paint color for their house yet the city has moved away from the Mediterranean look of the city without consulting them. The city has decided to keep the sculptures despite the protest of some people who do not care for the look of modern art in their 1920's Mediterranean Revival city.

Interesting new metal art located near the golf course and situated on two roundabouts. There are…read moretwo pieces one on each roundabout - They are passions flowers. Other people here have told the history about them so I will leave it at that. However what I did read about on the net and thought was amusing - was some local residents were not very happy with them, thinking they did not represent Coral Gables mediterranean image, so they started a petition to get them remove. They did get over a thousand signatures but no where near enough to make an impact and get them removed. Looks like they are here to stay. I was not too keen when I first saw them and had a little chuckle to myself as the largest one is situated in front of a plastic surgery office (HE HE)...(apt? - you decide). However after walking around and actually really looking at them, the location, the area, they started to grow on me!...Let me know what you think - when you go for a look!

The 1920s brought the planning & establishment of Coral Gables. City founder Rev. George Merrick…read moreestablished the business section of Coral Gables & embarked on development. In the 1940s, as the city began to develop, a few developers and businesses filled a 4 block commercial strip of Coral Way between LeJeune & Douglas Road. In the 1950's, the Gables was rebranding the area as a high-end shopping destination "Miracle Mile". George Zain the "Father of Miracle Mile." he leased the land to the City for off-street parking garages. In the 1960s, the City dedicated a plaque in his honor located at the western entrance of Miracle Mile. The Miracle Mile is actually a 1/2 a mile long. Coral Way is the Central Business District between LeJeune Road & Douglas Road. It's synonymous with great customer service, international cuisines, award-winning cultural programming & unique, independent sho9ps. Brides come from all over the world to shop for wedding dresses, & jewelry;Miracle Mile is known as the premier destination for bridal shops. Miracle Mile's allure lies in its blend of Mediterranean architectural styles with stucco facades & arches. Wide vibrant sidewalks created with quartz pavers resemble the sky. Outdoor sidewalk cafes, elegant boutique shops are perfect to stroll & people watch. The Miracle Theatre was built in 1948 & now houses the Actors' Playhouse. Towering palm trees line the median & large oaks line the sidewalk providing shade and a tropical ambiance. Art walks, shopping crawls, musical performances & holiday celebrations are high points .

It was a beautiful day but Miracle Mile is a sad area these days. I remember every time we were…read moreout I will tell my husband to drive me by Miracle Mile to see all the stores to me it was heaven . More than half the stores are closed, I guess rents and taxes are super high. I remember when there were boutiques, women's clothing stores, restaurants, and shoe stores in every corner. Now most of it is closed even restaurants. The Miracle Theater is still there and the Barnes and Noble. We were dumbfounded. We walked from 37 Ave to LeJeune and back in half an hour. The only street that still has good open restaurants is on Ponce de Leon. The City should help this area to bring it back.

I love taking in the historic sites around Coral Gables. One such place is the Coral Gables…read moreWaterway. Historic marker F-453 detailing the history of this important waterway was installed in 2012 by the Florida Society Children of the American Revolution, the Miami Chapter Sons of the American Revolution, and the Florida Department of State. When George Merrick designed Coral Gables he marketed it as having 40 miles of waterfront property. He wanted all of the city landmarks to be connected by water. He offered gondola rides from the Biltmore to the Cocoplum neighborhood to prospective home buyers. The historic Coral Gables Waterway is 8 miles long and it runs from Biscayne Bay through the beautiful neighborhoods of Coral Gables. The waterway travels west into the city, passing Cartegena Plaza which is where Old Cutler Road, Sunset Drive, Ingraham Highway, Cocoplum Road and LeJeune Road all intersect. The waterway then continues north along Riviera Drive until it reaches the Biltmore Hotel. Another leg of the waterway travels west through the University of Miami large lake and then east to Granada Boulevard. Underneath the LeJeune Road bridge there are limestone cliffs that rise 20 feet. The Coral Gables Museum and the Bridge Renaissance Organization run boat and canoe tours of the waterway. Whether viewing it from a boat or one of the lovely bridges spanning it the Coral Gables Waterway is just one of the features that makes the Coral Gables the city beautiful.

Worthy of a look if you are in the area. You can see some yacht, boats and nice homes from the red…read morebridge. You can also walk beneath the red bridge, where fishing takes place sometimes. This is also near a nice park which is located at the same address.

I first saw - and entered El Jardin in 1982/83. At that time it contained the office of Father…read moreRoger Radloff, a Catholic priest and Jungian psychologist which he used in relation to a private practice that he maintained in addition to being the "shrink for the diocese" as he put it. His assistant at that time was Eugene Ritter. I believe Radloff also offered services to students at the adjoining Carrollton School, which owned the gatehouse. As with all Miami revival architecture, El Jardin is at one with the earth, looks organic, and is built with color, shapes and textures as well as stone.

I went to coconut Grove to see as many historical places as possible, and spotted this one. See…read moreinfo I got from the net regarding it. El Jardin is a house located at 3747 Main Highway in Miami, Florida. It is listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. El Jardin is now home to Carrollton School of the Sacred Heart in Miami, Florida. It was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places on August 30, 1974. Built in 1918 along a ridge of oolitic limestone, El Jardin expresses the broad training of its architect, Richard Kiehnel of Kiehnel and Elliott, and the experience of its owner, John Bindley, then president of Pittsburgh Steel. Kiehnel, in a September 1928 article for Tropical Home and Garden, referred to the house as a "progenitor of the Modern Mediterranean style home." Kiehnel relocated to Miami from Pittsburgh and became the architect for many landmark buildings, including the Coral Gables Congregational Church, Miami Senior High, and the Coral Gables Elementary School.

The kids and I had so much fun swinging through parrot jungle together! The frozen lemonade was…read morehelpful given how hot it was. They have really cool outdoor parks and a few cool animals you get to encounter as you stroll the park. Luckily for me I caught two love birds sharing a pec

I love a historic building and this storybook looking structure was once the site of the original…read moreentrance into the attraction Parrot Jungle. 1936 an Austrian named Franz Scherr rented the site of a former nudist colony for $25 a year. He used to visit Monkey Jungle offering unsolicited advice until the exasperated owner told him to open his own jungle. He did just that charging 25 cents to tour his garden and visit his birds. Parrot Jungle did very well for many years especially through the 1970's. Famous visitors include Winston Churchill, US President Jimmy Carter, and Steven Speilberg. During its 66 years of operation, a million people visited the attraction. It was eventually designated a historical landmark making it difficult to make changes to the park to keep up with the changing tastes of consumers. Attendance began to drop due to hurricanes and larger theme parks opening. The decision was made to move the park to Watson Island where it opened in 2003. It has struggled ever since, never finding the following it once had in Pinecrest. Jungle Island closed to visitors during the pandemic and never reopened except for events in the ballroom and camp groups. The land for the park is owned by the city and the operators of the park are unable to pay back the millions of dollars of debts it owes. I have heard many rumors surrounding Jungle Island like plans to turn it into an action park and to build a hotel on the property. What a sad turn of events for the once beloved attraction. Meanwhile back in Pinecrest on December 17, 2002, the Village of Pinecrest, with grant assistance from the Florida Communities Trust and Miami-Dade County were able to purchase the former Parrot Jungle site and turn it into a lovely garden which opened on March 8, 2003. In 2011 this site was added to the National Register of Historic Places as the Parrot Jungle Historic District. Although the parrots are gone the winding paths and beautiful plants remain along with the Parrot Bowl which now hosts community performances. You can still see the original attraction entrance on Red Road as you drive up to the gardens. It was built from Dade County pine, impervious to termites and it had a palm-thatched modeled after the roofs on the Seminole chickee huts. In the 1940s, the roof was replaced with clay tiles and the building front was covered in natural coral rock. According to the historic marker out front, the entrance was damaged by fire in 1994. It is nice to see that although the birds are gone, Franz Scherr's gardens still thrive.