Coral Gables bucket list: Do these things since you can’t afford to live there
Coral Gables is the City Beautiful. And the city does not want you to forget this fact.
Also it doesn’t want you to even think about moving here and painting your house some insane color to express yourself.
But let’s be real. You are unlikely to ever be able to purchase one of the lovely Mediterranean-style homes in the Gables, so like the rest of us, you will have to settle for just visiting.
Which is OK! There are many reasons to visit this city. Here are a few of them.
Breathe in nature at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden
There’s a chocolate festival. An orchid festival. A mango festival (enter at your own peril). There are workshops and a lovely butterfly garden. But mostly, there are plants and trees. Eighty-three acres of plants and trees at this garden, from habitats all over the world, from the Spiny Forest of Madagascar to the Rainforest to the Tropical Fruit Pavilion. It’s a reminder of how nice Miami used to be before we all got here.
Dine at Cafe Abbracci
There are no windows, but there’s plenty of history at this landmark Italian restaurant, which has been home to big shots and heavy hitters for 30 years. Pretend you’re one, too.
Shop for reading material at Books & Books
Find your next good book at Miami’s favorite independent book store, which also features a cafe and live music in the outdoor courtyard on the weekends.
Watch a movie at Gables Art Cinema
You might see a new indie film or a cult classic at this art house theater. Maybe a foreign favorite or documentary or an old summer blockbuster.
Take a swim in Venetian Pool
Built in 1923 from a coral rock quarry, the 820,000 gallon pool is filled with spring water from an underground aquifer, with towers, waterfalls and a couple of grottos so you can feel like the mermaid or merman you are.
Go see a show
The COVID pandemic closed the Gables theaters — GableStage at The Biltmore, Actors’ Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre; Area Stage on U.S. 1. — but they are slowly reopening. Area Stage produced a version of “Annie” in the spring, while “Fuacata!: or A Latina’s Guide to Surviving the Universe” opened in August at Miracle Theatre. Check theaters for future schedules.
Visit ‘Restaurant Row’
The revamped Giralda Plaza became a destination during the pandemic because of the abundance of outdoor dining available. There are restaurants to sate every possible appetite: Thai, Vietnamese, Mexican (both sit-down and street food), Italian, burgers, pizza, two coffee shops and a sports bar.
Look at rich people’s houses and wish you lived in them
You can’t afford this house. May as well drive around and look at all the places you’ll never live. Be sure to keep Waze on; you’ll never get out of here if you go old-school and try to rely on the street signs, which are at a worm’s eye level.
This story was originally published September 5, 2019 at 6:00 AM.