Coral Gables

Coral Gables was formally incorporated as a city on April 29, 1925. It was and remains a planned community based on the popular early twentieth century City Beautiful Movement. The city is a Mediterranean-themed planned community known for its historic and affluent character reinforced by its strict zoning, popular landmarks, and tourist sights. Coral Gables is home to the University of Miami, one of the nation's top private research universities whose main campus spans 240 acres (0.97 km²) in the city. As of the 2020 U.S. census, it had a population of 49,248. With 16,479 faculty and staff as of 2021, the university is the largest employer in Coral Gable's and the second largest in all of Miami-Dade County. It is bordered on the north by Tamiami Trail, the south by Old Roads, and the east by Ponce de León Boulevard and Cutler Road. In the north, the city is located at 25°N 16°W (West 80°16°), except for a small section that extends north of 8th Street for eight blocks between it and Douglas Road (West 37th Avenue) (On the east, it is located on the west side of Red Road, except for the small section between Red Road and Douglas Boulevard). In the south, it's bordered by Cutler Road, the north side of Old Road, and Old Roads south of Sunset Drive (South 72nd Street and Old Road) (on the east side of Sunset drive, it lies between Old Road and Old Drive). It is located 7 miles (11 km) southwest of Downtown Miami.

History

Coral Gables was formally incorporated as a city on April 29, 1925. It was and remains a planned community based on the popular early twentieth century City Beautiful Movement. The city was developed by George Merrick, a real estate developer from Pennsylvania, during the Florida land boom of the 1920s. By 1926, the city covered 10,000 acres (4,000 ha) and had netted $150 million in sales, with over $100 million spent on development. Merrick meticulously designed the city with distinct zones. For example, he designed the Downtown commercial district to be only four blocks wide and more than 2 miles (3.2 km) long. Coral Gables Villages were designed to expand the city's architecture beyond Spanish influence to include Italian, French, and Dutch South African among others. The City used to have an electric trolley system, which was replaced by the popularity of modern automobiles, but now a new free circulator trolleySystem, initiated in November 2003, runs down Ponce de León Boulevard. The University of Miami was constructed on 240 acres (97 ha) of land just west of U.S. Route 1, approximately two miles south of Downtown Coral Gabled. By the fall of 1926, first class of 372 students enrolled at the university. During World War II, many Navy pilots and mechanics were trained and housed in Coral Gable's during the war. In 1973 the city passed its first preservation ordinance in 1973. Further ordinances were enacted in the 1980s establishing the Historic Preservation Board and in the 1990s establishing a Historic Preservation Department, now called the Historical Resources & Cultural Arts Department.

Geography

Coral Gables is located at 25°4342N 80°1616W. It is bordered on the west by Red Road (West 57th Avenue) north of Sunset Drive (South 72nd Street) and West 49th Avenue and Old Cutler Roads south of Sunset drive. On the north by Tamiami Trail/U.S. Route 41 (South 8th Street), except for a small section that extends north of 8th St for eight blocks between Ponce de Leon Boulevard and Douglas Road (West 37th Avenue). On the east, it is borders by Douglas Road north of South 26th Street, Monegro Street, Ponce De Leon Boulevard, LeJeune Road, and Biscayne Bay south of Battersea Road. The city has a total area of 37.2 square miles (96 km²) of which 13.1 sq miles (34 km²), is land and 24.0sq miles (62km²) (64.64%) is water. According to the Census Bureau, the city's population in 2010 was 2,715,000 (36.2% of the city total). The city is located in the Miami-Dade County Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Coral Gables, Coral Springs, Hialeah, and Coral Springs. It has a population of 2,816,000. The population of Coral Gable is 1,716,500 (32.2%).

Demographics

As of the 2020 U.S. census, there were 49,248 people, 17,921 households, and 11,181 families residing in Coral Gables. In 2000, 24.45% had children under the age of 18 living with them. The average household size was 2.36, and the average household had 1.68 vehicles. As of 2000, Spanish was spoken at home by 51.06% of residents, while English was the only language spoken atHome by 43.83%. Other languages spoken by the population were French 1.09%, Portuguese 0.80%, Italian 0.72%, and German speakers made up 0.53% of the populace. In 2015, estimated income figures for the city were as follows: median household income, $93,934; average household income, $150,808; per capita income,$57,195. About 7.6% of citizens were estimated to be living below the poverty line. Coral Gable's population had the eighteenth highest percentage of Cuban residents in the US, with 28.72% of its population. It also had the sixty-fourth highest percentage. of Colombian residents inthe US, at 2.27%. It had the sixteenth highest percentage, of Venezuelan residents, at 1.17%. The city's population consisted of 51.31% females and 48.69% males. The median age was 39.44 years, with 17.4% under 18, 14.58% from 18 to 24, 25.02% from 25 to 44, 27.01% from 45 to 64, and 16% who were 65 years of age or older.

Tourism

Coral Gables is a pedestrian-friendly destination four miles from Miami International Airport. The "City Beautiful" has around 140 dining establishments and gourmet shops, and many notable international retailers. Among Coral Gables landmarks are the Venetian Pool, Douglas Entrance, and Miami Biltmore hotel.

Economy

Coral Gables holds several of the wealthiest zip codes in the United States. The University of Miami is the largest employer in Coral Gables since the city's founding (16,479 faculty and staff employees as of 2022) American Airlines maintains Ponce de Leon Travel Center at 901 Ponce De Leon Boulevard. MasTec, the second largest Hispanic-owned company in the nation, is located at 800 South Douglas Road. MoneyGram has its Miami Office at One Alhambra Plaza, and Fresh Del Monte Produce has its headquarters at 2701 Le Jeune Road. The city is also home to Hammock Oaks, Old Cutler Bay, Gables Estates, Tahiti Beach, Snapper Creek and Lakes, Cocoplum, and Gables By The Sea. It is located in the Miami-Dade County Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes parts of Broward County, Palm Beach County, and Doral. It has a population of 2.2 million (as of 2012), making it one of the most densely populated cities in the U.S. and the second most populous city in the state of Florida. It also has the highest per capita income in the country (at about $28,000 per year) and is home to a number of high-tech companies, including IBM, ExxonMobil, Capital Bank Financial, Intelsat, and Bacardi, which has its United States headquarters with 300 employees at 2700 Le Jeunes Road. It was founded in 1883.

Transportation

Coral Gables is served by Metrobus throughout the area, and by Miami Metrorail at: Douglas Road (SW 37th Avenue and U.S. 1) and University. Coral Gables provides a free trolley service, with a trolley running a continuous circuit up and down Ponce de Leon Boulevard during the day. The city is also served by rapid transit on Douglas Road at Douglas Road station at the University of Miami at University Station near Sunset Drive and Red Road at South Miami station, which connects the city with Downtown Miami and Miami International Airport. It is home to the Miami Dolphins baseball team, the Miami Heat, and the Miami Marlins basketball team. The Miami Dolphins are the most successful Major League Baseball team in the city's history. The Dolphins are also the most popular Major League Soccer team, winning the most games in the history of the franchise in 2008 and 2009. The Marlins are the second most popular major league franchise in the United States, behind only the New York Yankees, who won the 2008 World Series. The Heat are the only team to have won the World Series more than once in each of the last five years. The team has won the title three times in a row, the most recent of which was in 2009 and 2010. The last time the Dolphins were in the top 10 was in 2007 and 2008, when they won the Super Bowl title for the first time since the 1990s. The game was also the first in the franchise's history to be won by a Miami Dolphins team member.

Diplomatic missions

The Taipei Economic and Cultural Office maintains Taiwan's diplomatic mission at 2333 Ponce De Leon Boulevard in Coral Gables. Several countries have honorary consulates located in the area, including Australia, Belize, Hungary, Senegal, St. Kitts & Nevis, Togo, and Thailand. The U.S. State Department maintains a consulate in Miami Beach, Florida, at the State Department Center for International Affairs at the University of Miami. The State Department also maintains a Consulate General in Miami, Florida at the Florida State Guest House at the Miami Beach International Airport at the intersection of Ponce de Leon Boulevard and Miami Beach Boulevard. The Consulates of the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, and the United Kingdom also have consulates in the Miami area. The United States has a consulate at the Fort Lauderdale International Airport in Florida, which is located on the Florida Turnpike. The Monaco has a consulate in Miami and an honorary consulate in St. Lucia. The Uruguay consulate is located in Miami; the Monaco also has an honorary Consulate at the St. Vincent and the Grenadines, which also has a honorary consulate at Miami Beach; and the Uruguay consulate in Montevideo, which has a diplomatic mission in Monte Carlo. The Uruguayan consulate is also located at the Monte Carlo International Airport, which sits on the Atlantic side of the Florida turnpike and is known as the "Monaco Port of Entry" The Monaco consulate has a mission at the Monaco International Airport.

Education

Coral Gables schools are part of the Miami-Dade School District. The University of Miami, a private university, is located in Coral Gables. The district also has several high schools and a K-8 school. The lower campus of Riviera Schools is also located in the area. Coral Gable's public library system operates a branch in the town. It also has two middle schools: George Washington Carver Middle School and Ponce de Leon Middle School. The historic St. Theresa Catholic School, a Pre-K8 school is located near Coral Gabled Biltmore Hotel. St. Philip's Episcopal School, French-American School of Miami and St. Thomas Episcopal Parish School, all Pre- K5 schools, are also located. The management offices of Gulliver Schools were formerly located in coral Gables, and are now in Miami, Florida. The school district also operates a public library in the city. It is located on the east side of U.S. Route 1 on Augusto Street on land donated by George Merrick, who donated the land for the middle school in the 1940s. It has two public high schools, one for grades nine through 12, and one for K6 and K8. The public high school is Coral Ganes Senior High School, which is also in the district. The private high school, Coral Gages Preparatory Academy, is in the same district. It educates students in grades 9 through 12. The pre-K-8 private school, Marian C. Krutulis Campus, is on the same campus.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Coral Gables, Miami-Dade County, Florida = 65.3. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 50. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 10. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in Coral Gables = 7.2 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 49,248 individuals with a median age of 41.5 age the population grows by 1.04% in Coral Gables, Miami-Dade County, Florida population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 3,804.56 residents per square mile of area (1,469.32/km²). There are average 2.29 people per household in the 16,986 households with an average household income of $83,155 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 7.30% of the available work force and has dropped -4.51% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 23.68%. The number of physicians in Coral Gables per 100,000 population = 262.3.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Coral Gables = 61.6 inches and the annual snowfall = 0 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 104. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 248. 90 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 59.5 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 30, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in Coral Gables, Miami-Dade County, Florida which are owned by the occupant = 60.03%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 49 years with median home cost = $398,870 and home appreciation of -11.19%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $14.71 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $5,069 per student. There are 17 students for each teacher in the school, 605 students for each Librarian and 358 students for each Counselor. 6.57% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 27.33% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 30.93% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).