Coral Gables ... ?

[doggiebus]

Originally Posted by PlainWhite

Do all the kids go to private schools? The public schools zoned for CG get terrible ratings.

For the most part the wealthy people send your children to the top private schools which aren't to far.

[croatbob]

crime is bad there. the last 2 years they have had so many break and enters. its an epidemic

[straight shooter]

Originally Posted by croatbob

crime is bad there. the last 2 years they have had so many break and enters. its an epidemic

I think crime has always been higher in Coral Gable than what most people think. They would brush it under the rug by doctoring the crime stats. Not so much now since some well connected individuals homes were burglarized and demanded that action be taken. Most if not all municipalities in Miami-Dade County do this. The county seems to be more honest when it comes to reporting crime statistics.

Coral Gables has always been a very nice area but it has always been faced with one problem, it borders some questionable neighborhoods north of it, east of it, and south of UM.

[bale002]

Originally Posted by straight shooter

Coral Gables is nice but the glory has died a bit. Pinecrest has larger homes and lots, the schools are much better, and even though it is expensive you still get more for your money than in Coral Gables.

I agree with this. The only drawback would be a slightly longer commute if you work in Brickell/downtown.

To my knowledge, Coral Gables has three public schools under a "controlled choice" system: a child is guaranteed placement in one of the three, but not necessarily the one closest to the child's place of residence.

In my experience, in one of the three, in the northern part, the person answering the phone did not have perfect command of English and also certain pages of its website contained errors in English. Another one is ensconced in a rough neighborhood, though I have heard good things about it academically. The third, located in the south in a very nice setting, seems to be the best, but it also goes by magnet schools rules, so no guarantee of admission.

As far as I know, no issues with the two public elementary schools in Pinecrest, not so sure about middle and high school, and most of the private schools are located in Pinecrest/Palmetto Bay anyways.



Having said that, if I were single, I might consider living in a small condo in downtown Coral Gables.

Originally Posted by elchevere

Thus, Coral Gables...wondering if it would be a good place for me--I would be bringing my corporate sales job of 28+ years with me to Florida. I am a youthful, 55YO white professional, active, and single...is there decent nightlife during the week (i.e. restaurants) between 6:30 - 10PM as well as on the weekends (not a club guy, but like a good bar, good bar with music, cigar club--or is that illegal in Gables...hah)?.....what are the demographics? (I prefer a mixed, international crowd...if predominantly white, please tell me they are more open minded than the crowd in Boca/Delray Beach).....are there single women in the 35-45YO age bracket there or is it a younger crowd and/or classic suburbia with predominantly families?...I see they have an Equinox--hopefully, this location is an actual Equinox unlike the crappy one in SoBe...or, are there other upscale gym options?....I would be working out of my condo, so commuting is not an issue...ideally, I could find a condo within walking distance to Starbucks, restaurants, bars, etc....finally, does Coral Gables get a breeze or is it noticeably warmer than the beach (on my last visit, I noticed Office Depot HQ's on Military Drive in Boca was dramatically warmer on an August afternoon than Sunset Harbour)

I can't answer those detailed questions, but I am guessing that the answer to at least most of them is yes, except the summer breeze thing, and in any case it is probably worth further investigation.

Good Luck!

[oronzous]

I don't find Coral Gables to be THAT walkable. Yes some streets are, but outside those you are either walking on grass or on very narrow sidewalks

[elchevere]

I'm selfish and it's only me who would be moving there--no kids (or, none that I am aware of). I like what I have read so far--ritzy, mixed population--not homogeneous, and well educated.

Originally Posted by straight shooter

Coral Gables is nice but the glory has died a bit. Pinecrest has larger homes and lots, the schools are much better, and even though it is expensive you still get more for your money than in Coral Gables.