Coconut Grove Spotlight

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Coconut Grove Spotlight News and Features About Coconut Grove, Florida

The evening typically starts with carb-heavy pasta — a smart choice for the night ahead – and a classic frozen drink at ...
21/11/2025

The evening typically starts with carb-heavy pasta — a smart choice for the night ahead – and a classic frozen drink at Greenstreet Café. 

Or maybe it’s cheap tacos and a margarita (or two) at BarTaco, a new hotspot for the college kids who fill the Center Grove on Thursday nights.

By this point, it’s gotten late. The sidewalk cafes have closed up and the Grove’s daytime crowd of dogwwalkers, strollers and ice cream seekers have tucked into bed for the night. The Grove’s hidden “after hours” personality is stirring to life. 

A constant slew of Ubers pulls to the curb outside Fuller Street, dropping off students by the handful, many from the University of Miami, for a night of drinking. 

“Thirsty Thursday” is underway. 

Story and visuals by Jenny Jacoby

Thanks to your generous support on Give Miami Day, the Coconut Grove Spotlight exceeded its goal and can continue sharin...
21/11/2025

Thanks to your generous support on Give Miami Day, the Coconut Grove Spotlight exceeded its goal and can continue sharing the stories that make Coconut Grove such a special place — whether it’s preserving our history, inspiring creativity, or bringing neighbors together. Your contribution ensures that the Spotlight remains a trusted source of local news, bringing us all closer to the heart of our community. Thank you.

For more than 100 years, three cemeteries in West Coconut Grove have been the final resting place for the men and women ...
20/11/2025

For more than 100 years, three cemeteries in West Coconut Grove have been the final resting place for the men and women prominent in building and leading what had long been one of South Florida’s most vibrant Black communities. 

Among those buried in above-ground crypts are many of the city’s original Bahamian settlers, including Ebenezer Woodbury Franklin Stirrup, a real estate developer, and his wife Charlotte Jane Stirrup, for whom one of the burial grounds is named. 

But also interred beneath the live oaks and gumbo limbo trees are hundreds of West Grove residents whose names and legacies lie buried in unrecorded graves that are unmarked, painted over or so weathered by time that inscriptions have been worn away.

“We were surprised to learn that so many graves are unknown,” said Paulette Culmer, speaking for herself and her twin sister Paula, both retired federal employees, and lifelong Grove residents. 

Enter Grove resident Lea Nickless, an artist and researcher who has been distributing a “call for participation,” inviting the community to join her project centered on the West Grove’s three historic cemeteries, on three adjoining parcels between Charles and Franklin avenues at Douglas Road

Read more at the link in bio.

Story by Mike Clary
Photos by Patrick Farrell

The best stories don’t come from city hall — they come from the sidewalk, the park bench, the conversation between two n...
20/11/2025

The best stories don’t come from city hall — they come from the sidewalk, the park bench, the conversation between two neighbors fixing a gate. That’s where The Spotlight finds much of its inspiration.

When we covered Divided No More: Neighborhood Pathway Restored, it wasn’t about concrete or fencing; it was about reconnection — how a reopened path stitched a community back together. And in A Neighborhood Celebrates the Restoration of Twin 1939 Homes, we found the joy of craftsmanship, history, and shared pride in a place well cared for.

That’s the heart of local news: ordinary people making daily life extraordinary. The Spotlight exists to notice those moments and share them with neighbors who might otherwise miss them.

For Give Miami Day, we hope you’ll help keep that storytelling alive. Your support ensures that local coverage remains open to everyone — accessible, accurate, and grounded in the rhythm of this community we share. Because the Grove isn’t just where we live. It’s where we belong.

Donations can be made at the link in bio or www.givemiamiday.org by searching for the Coconut Grove Spotlight.

The Miami City Commission on Thursday will consider creating a new “Resilience Trust Fund” that would let developers pay...
18/11/2025

The Miami City Commission on Thursday will consider creating a new “Resilience Trust Fund” that would let developers pay into a city-run account to finance flood-control and climate projects – and, in return, build twice as much as current zoning allows.

The measure would establish a system where developers in designated “Resilience Fund Areas” — high-demand neighborhoods that often overlap with coastal and storm-surge zones — could build up to 100 percent more housing than currently permitted. 

In exchange, they would contribute to a city-run fund earmarked for projects like pump stations, elevated roadways, seawalls, rain gardens, and native tree plantings.

City officials frame the plan as a two-for-one solution to Miami’s housing shortage and growing climate risks. The proposal cites the city’s “known affordability crisis” alongside its vulnerability to rising seas, arguing that linking denser development to resilience upgrades can add housing without worsening flooding.

Read more at the link in bio.

Story by Dave Villano and Jenny Jacoby

Billionaire hedge fund manager Ken Griffin, new to Miami but already a power player in terms of local philanthropy, has ...
11/11/2025

Billionaire hedge fund manager Ken Griffin, new to Miami but already a power player in terms of local philanthropy, has donated $20 million to Vizcaya Museum and Gardens to support the restoration of the estate’s historic farm village.

Vizcaya announced the gift on Friday, describing it as a “defining moment” for the future of the Miami landmark, but the collaboration doesn’t end there.

Griffin wants to uproot and relocate Villa Serena, a historic home he owns nearby that is part of a waterfront estate he acquired from Adrienne Arsht in 2022 for $106.9 million. 

Vizcaya has agreed to support that move – by placing Villa Serena inside Vizcaya Village, opening the house to the public, and maintaining the structure, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, with a $5 million endowment from Griffin.

Vizcaya said Griffin’s $20 million gift for Vizcaya Village is not contingent on the relocation of Villa Serena, which must be approved by Miami-Dade County and the City of Miami, and which is likely to invite intense public scrutiny.

Read more at the link in bio.

Story by Don Finefrock

Few would call U.S. 1 one of Miami’s prettier boulevards, but one spot along the six-lane, chronically congested highway...
31/10/2025

Few would call U.S. 1 one of Miami’s prettier boulevards, but one spot along the six-lane, chronically congested highway has caught the frustration of Center Grove resident David Rosen.

At the corner of U.S. 1 and Virginia Street sits a crumbling, two-foot-high pink wall with peeling paint and a sagging chain-link fence. Overgrown with weeds and tagged with graffiti, it greets drivers with what Rosen calls an eyesore at the entrance to the neighborhood he loves.

“Why do we have this major eyesore that is riddled with graffiti, that is a danger, that is horrible looking as one of our entrances to our beloved Coconut Grove?” Rosen said.

The disheveled property is home to Grove Princess Apartments, a privately owned, five-story multifamily building constructed in 1967 and valued at $11.8 million, according to county records.

Rosen, who drives past the intersection most days, says the wall drags down property values, invites crimes such as graffiti and deters people from turning into Coconut Grove.

It’s also a code violation.

Read more at the link in bio.

Story by Jenny Jacoby

At a time when many families are struggling to make ends meet, the cost of living in Miami has emerged as a major campai...
30/10/2025

At a time when many families are struggling to make ends meet, the cost of living in Miami has emerged as a major campaign issue in next week’s mayoral election.

A recent study by the United Way of Miami found that more than 39% of all working families in Miami-Dade County are struggling to cover basic expenses – to pay for housing and healthcare, groceries, transportation and childcare. Another 15% live in poverty.

Against that backdrop, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is pushing to reduce or eliminate property taxes statewide, and the Florida Legislature appears poised to act in 2026 with a passel of its own tax-relief proposals. One or more of those proposals could be on the ballot next year for voters to approve.

In the meantime, the Miami City Commission added its voice to the debate last week, passing a resolution “strongly” urging state lawmakers to approve a ballot measure that would deliver property tax relief to older homeowners who meet certain income limits.

The issue of affordability – especially the cost of housing – has taken center stage in recent political forums as well, where the leading candidates for Miami mayor were asked what they would do to make the city more affordable.

Read more at the link in bio.

Story by Don Finefrock

Emilio Gonzalez said he chose to resign as Miami’s city manager in 2020 because he refused to do Miami Commissioner Joe ...
28/10/2025

Emilio Gonzalez said he chose to resign as Miami’s city manager in 2020 because he refused to do Miami Commissioner Joe Carollo’s dirty work. 

Almost six years later, the 26-year military veteran says he’s running for mayor to clean up – among other things – the commissioner’s mess. The election is Tuesday Nov. 4. 

“Joe Carollo has been the most toxic official, possibly ever, in the City of Miami,” Gonzalez said. “And he’s portrayed a visceral hatred for me, for no other reason than I testified against him, and I refused to do his bidding when I thought it was unethical.” 

That bidding, according to Gonzalez, involved siccing city code enforcement on Carollo foes William Fuller and Martin Pinilla, a pair of Little Havana businessmen. 

The businessmen sued Carollo in return and were awarded a $63.5 million verdict two years ago by federal jurors who found Carollo had violated their First Amendment rights.

Now, almost six years after leaving City Hall, Gonzalez is in a heated battle to reach a likely runoff election in December – possibly against Miami-Dade County Commissioner Eileen Higgins, if political pundits and private polling are accurate. 

Read more at the link in bio.

Story by Charles Rabin

Coconut Grove’s once-gritty working waterfront is generating millions in rent for the City of Miami as an upscale entert...
24/10/2025

Coconut Grove’s once-gritty working waterfront is generating millions in rent for the City of Miami as an upscale entertainment zone. But a close look at the lease shows the city may be shortchanging itself — with favorable terms for the developer, missing improvements, and lost revenue that could add up for decades.

Read more about the Spotlight’s investigation at the link in bio.

Story by Dave Villano and Jenny Jacoby

On any given Sunday morning, a line of diners stretches down Commodore Plaza and Main Highway. They’re hoping to score a...
22/10/2025

On any given Sunday morning, a line of diners stretches down Commodore Plaza and Main Highway. They’re hoping to score an outdoor table for brunch at Greenstreet Café, a Coconut Grove institution. 

For owner Sylvano Bignon, sidewalk seating has been synonymous with his brand since opening in 1990. “We have such a beautiful corner location that gives us great exposure,” Bignon tells the Coconut Grove Spotlight. “It is working extremely well.”

In fact, sidewalk cafes have become part of Coconut Grove’s identity as much as its tree-lined streets and brick-paved walkways. 

For more than 30 years, restaurateurs have staked out patches of public right-of-way, turning sidewalks from mere pedestrian throughways into outdoor dining areas. 

But how much of a good thing is too much? For some Grove residents, the outdoor tables, decorative planters, menu boards, and electric fans that accompany sidewalk cafes have become a nuisance.

Read more at the link in bio.

Story by Francisco Alvarado and Jenny Jacoby

Over 10 days last April, fans of the French luxury brand Hermès, maker of the $14,000 Birkin handbag and other high-end ...
17/10/2025

Over 10 days last April, fans of the French luxury brand Hermès, maker of the $14,000 Birkin handbag and other high-end consumer goods, descended upon the Coconut Grove waterfront for a “cinematic and poetic performance,” as promotional materials described it, a dazzling multimedia production highlighting the quality and craftsmanship of Hermès products.

Wings of Hermès is but one in a long list of high-profile events staged at The Hangar at Regatta Harbour, part of a larger entertainment complex on seven acres of city-owned property on historic Dinner Key. Over the past two years the venue – built in 1934 to house seaplanes — has hosted concerts, art fairs, wine tastings, fundraisers, sumo wrestling, boxing matches and much more. 

And the list is growing. In June, at the urging of Miami District 2 Commissioner Damian Pardo, the city commission unanimously agreed to exempt, for all of 2025, The Hangar from rules that limit city-owned facilities to ten special events per year.    

But the growing lineup of events underscores a larger question: How did a city-owned facility pitched to voters more than a decade ago as a marine retail store — selling bait, fishing gear and boating accessories, in support of a broader working waterfront — become a high-capacity special-event venue for, among others, luxury brands and their wealthy clientele?

Read more at the link in bio.

Story by David Villano and Jenny Jacoby

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