Coconut Grove Leaders Want To Strengthen Retail District Improve Mix Of Businesses by at MiamiTodayNews.com. By Yudislaidy Fernandez With retail complexes in nearby Brickell and Coral Gables stealing the spotlight, Coconut Grove business and civic leaders agree the...
.
Coconut Grove, the oldest community in Miami enjoys a rich heritage of independent free-spirited residents. In 1825, the Cape Florida Lighthouse was established and immigration ensued. In 1882, the first hotel in South Florida, the Bay View Inn, later named the Peacock Inn after Charles and Isabella Peacock was built by Bahamians, the first black settlers, were fundamental in creating the charmingly, quaint Grove community. Over the years, the Grove has become synonymous with an artistic, bohemian culture and in the 1960’s was a nucleus for the youth counterculture movement. That unconventional, eccentric attitude and casual vitality is what makes the Grove unique today. Visitors enjoy the Grove’s rich history, restaurants featuring many ethnic cuisines, quirky boutiques, a festive and funky nightlife and outrageous festivals such as the world-renowned Coconut Grove Arts Festival, the Great Taste of the Grove Food and Wine Festival, the irreverent Mango Strut, and the Goombay Festival, a joyful, vibrant fete of Bahamian culture.