Coral Way Corridor Offers Central Location, Authenticity

Above: Spanish restaurant on Coral Way

Usually when people come to Miami Beach 411 asking where to relocate, they are advised to look into South Beach, Coral Gables, Coconut Grove or Brickell Avenue.

After all, those areas are trendy, centrally located neighborhoods that are safe. At least for Miami standards.

But they can also be pricey.

The affordable alternative

A more affordable alternative that is often overlooked is the Coral Way Corridor, which is smack in between the Gables, the Grove, Brickell and Little Havana, making it one of Miami’s most central neighborhoods.

“Everybody was telling me I should live on South Beach,” said Veronica Castillo, a 31-year-old woman who moved to Miami from Peru two years ago and settled in the Coral Way Corridor neighborhood.

“But that’s too crazy for me. I like something a little more relaxed.

“And I like the restaurants in this area, especially the Peruvian restaurants.”

The Coral Way Corridor is the area along Coral Way that connects Coral Gables to Brickell Avenue, which connects to downtown Miami.

Back in the 1920s, which is ancient history in Miami, a street car ran along Coral Way, connecting downtown Miami to Coral Gables.

Now Coral Way is lined with banyan trees, providing a nice canopy from the harsh Miami sun.

It is one of Miami’s most authentic, walkable and historical neighborhoods lined with mom-and-pop stores as well as a diverse selection of independent restaurants.

Housing

With a mixture of high-rise luxury condos, 1970s style apartments and various non-cookie-cutter style houses, the Coral Way Corridor offers something for most everybody’s price range.

For example, a one-bedroom, one-bathroom second floor apartment in a well-maintained 1970s building was renting for $850.

A two-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment in the same building was renting for $950.

And a one-bedroom condo on the sixth floor in the Gables Marquis high-rise is currently renting for $1,200.

A two-bedroom, two-bathroom unit on the 11th floor of the Gables Marquis is currently renting at $1,650.

Single family homes range from 1920 Spanish mission and bungalow style homes to 1930s art deco style homes to simple post World War II homes, according to the City of Miami’s neighborhood profile web page.

Unlike South Beach, this area is not overrun with tourists, which can get old after awhile.

And while it might not have the throbbing nightlife of South Beach, it has a wide range of restaurants and it is only a short drive to the Grove, Gables or Brickell area.

It is also served by three Metrorail stations, the Coconut Grove, Vizcaya and Douglas Road stations.

While these are not exactly within walking distance, they are only a short drive away.

It is also takes less than 15 minutes to drive to Miami International Airport or if you prefer, a $20 cab ride.

Like most of Miami, the area is made up of mostly Hispanics, but you will never have a problem communicating if you only speak English. Even in the Cuban restaurants.

Here are some stats obtained from Wikipedia:

The area covers 6.697 square miles. As of 2000, there were 32,879 males and 36,162 females. The median age for males were 38.6 years old, while the median age for females were 43.3 years old. The average household size had 2.5 people, while the average family size had 3.1 members. The percentage of married-couple families (among all households) was 42.3%, while the percentage of married-couple families with children (among all households) was 15.7%, and the percentage of single-mother households (among all households) was 7.1%. The percentage of never-married males 15 years old and over was 14.6%, while the percentage of never-married females 15 years old and over was 12.1%.[3]

One way to get a taste of a neighborhood’s character is through its restaurants, which are plentiful along the Coral Way Corridor.

Check out the photos below to get a taste.

Photos by Carlos Miller


Above: Peruvian restaurant

Above: Latin lounge


Above: Argentine sandwich shop

Above: Greek restaurant

Above: Colombian restaurant

Above: Peruvian restaurant

Above: Middle Eastern restaurant

Above: Portuguese restaurant

Above: Pizzeria

Above: Cuban restaurant

Above: Greek restaurant

Above: Uruguayan restaurant

Above: Spanish restaurant

Above: Sushi restaurant

Above: Cuban nightclub

Above: Cuban restaurant

Related Links: Jada Coles Brings Hipness to Coral Way Corridor Working in Coral Gables and Living in Brickell? Related Categories: Miami: Local News, Carlos Miller is a featured writer at Miami Beach 411. He also operates Photography is Not a Crime, a blog about photographer rights, New Media and First Amendment issues. See more articles by Carlos Miller. See more articles by Carlos Miller Was This Post Helpful? Please Share It With Others! Tweet

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