Coconut Grove

Resort area of southwestern Miami, Florida, on Biscayne Bay. Coconut Grove was the winter home of may well-known artists and writers in the early 20th century, and is now a centre for local arts and crafts.

Settled in the early 19th century, Coconut Grove was officially established in 1873, and became the site of south Florida's first hotel in 1882. By the early 1890s it was the largest community in the region, and was incorporated into Miami in 1925. Some of its early buildings, such as the ‘Barnacle’ (1891; a State Historical Site) were built from the timber of shipwrecks. Coconut Grive now thrives as an affluent residential community and popular tourist spot. It has a noted playhouse and an abundance of fashionable shops and restaurants, elegant malls, and luxury hotels, as well as several waterside parks.