Nicknamed "City Beautiful", Coral Gables, which is directly south of Miami, holds the distinction of being one of the first planned communities in the world. For generations it has also been home to many of Florida's most elegant estates and respected residents, including notable figures from the entertainment, fashion, and financial services industries. Designed around the famed 'Miracle Mile' shopping and dining district, which is bisected by scenic Coral Way and Ponce de Leon Boulevard, Coral Gables is also beloved for the easy access its residents have to auspicious boutiques, highly refined restaurants, and firms that conduct business throughout the world.
Crafted almost entirely according to the Mediterranean Revival style, Coral Gables' luxurious homes also benefit from one of the most professionally enforced zoning ordinances in the United States. Due to the care with which city officials maintain the area, every homeowner is assured that their neighborhood, and property, is safeguarded from market fluctuations or a sudden decline in real estate value.
Aesthetically, there are numerous landmarks that raise Coral Gables far above the level of the average upscale American suburb. With charming sites like the oft-photographed DeSoto Fountain, the Phineas Paist-designed Douglas Entrance, and the breathtaking Venetian Pool, the city has long carried a reputation for evoking a grand, yet tasteful, European sensibility. Its natural position within the most comfortable part of a tropical zone has not been overlooked, either, as Coral Gables is also celebrated for carefully landscaped, immaculately maintained public gardens, including the John C. Gifford Arboretum and the Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden. When combined with the area's pristine housing stock and high standard of living, these sights have truly made Coral Gables worthy of the title "City Beautiful".