Coral Gables Advertisement – The Miami News – Aug 23, 1925
87 years ago today, an advertisement ran in the Miami Daily News promoting the sale of property in the Biltmore and Country Club VI Sections of Coral Gables. This ad offers a unique view of Miami’s first planned community, Coral Gables, designed by George Merrick during the 1920′s land boom. Coral Gables was developed entirely upon the City Beautiful movement, featuring grand civic spaces, public monuments, and prominent architectural symbols such as the Biltmore Hotel.
While at the time of publishing the Coral Gables Trolley line already linked the suburb with Downtown Miami via Flagler Street, Merrick had grander transit visions:
“These two fine sections will be linked inseperably with the center of Miami, and with the Riviera Section of Coral Gables, by the proposed Coral Gables Rapid Transit Electric Line which will run through the center of both sections.”
The Rapid Transit Electric Line was eventually built, and offered a faster route, along Coral Way, into Central Miami. Perhaps what is most interesting about this advertisement is to read Merrick’s vision for Biltmore Way:
“The outstanding feature of the Biltmore Section is Biltmore Way – an impressive 100 foot Boulevard leading off from Coral Way, at its Northeast corner and running into DeSoto Boulevard, the main drive to the Miami-Biltmore Hotel and Country Club on the West.”
“Biltmore Way from Coral Way to Segovia Street is traversed by the rapid transit rail line. It is one-half mile in length and is planned as the Fifth Avenue Business Street of Coral Gables.”
“Biltmore Way is planned as the shopping center for the discriminating women buyer or Coral Gables and Greater Miami. No stores in the Metropolitan district of Miami will excel in beauty or display the stores to be established on this boulevard. …such a thoroughfare could well be a composite reproduction of Fifth Avenue of New York, Michigan Avenue of Chicago, Rue de la Paix of Paris, and Old Bond Street of London.”
Merrick’s Vision is brimming with optimism. Influenced by grand boulevards across the world. Its no wonder that property in Coral Gables today remains one of the more sought after in the region. While Biltmore Way never achieved its full potential, he laid the foundation for a community that could grow and adapt to future growth, which is more than can be said for the current development ailing our urban fringes.
Biltmore Way, Coral Gables
2 Responses to Today in History: The Greatest Sale of the Year!
Leave a Reply
Contact Us!
Planetizen- Taking the Guesswork out of Designing for Walkability May 21, 2013Summary: The lack of adequate pedestrian behavior models means that designing for walkability has largely remained a matter of intuition. However, agent-based simulation can provide insight into the keys for creating pedestrian-friendly places. […]
- Annual Search Begins for UK's Ugliest Building May 21, 2013Oliver Wainwright solicits contenders for this year's Carbuncle Cup, Building Design magazine's annual search for the UK's worst "crimes against architecture". […]
- High Above Hollywood, Buying Into the Glamour Without the Grittiness of the Boulevard May 21, 2013With new luxury high-rises sprouting in a densifying Hollywood, and many more on the way, those hawking penthouses priced between $1-$45 million play up the unique amenities and play down the messy reality of a changing neighborhood. […]
- Take Your Kids to the Park and Leave Them There...Seriously May 21, 2013Apologies for being a little late on this one, but apparently last Saturday was the fourth annual 'Take Our Children to the Park...and Leave Them There Day.' Sounds crazy right? Lenore Skenazy argues why it may be the smartest thing you do all week. […]
- Environmental and Transportation Challenges Await New L.A. Mayor May 21, 2013Whoever is victorious in today's election to choose L.A.'s next mayor, the celebrating may be short lived. Pressing needs to strengthen the city's water supply, maintain transit momentum, and relieve toxic hotspots await the city's next leader. […]
- Greenest Building in UK Approved May 21, 2013Norwich, England will soon be home to the "greenest building in the U.K.," reports Mark Wilding. […]
- Planning Fatigue Plagues San Diego Outreach Efforts May 21, 2013After participating in at least 27 planning processes over the last 15 years, residents of City Heights can be forgiven for wanting to actually see something built. Plentiful funds for planning, but meager funds for building, are causing frustration. […]
- Environmentalists Told to Get With the Fracking Program May 21, 2013Environmentalists charged that the new federal rules guiding hydraulic fracturing do not protect the environment and inform the public about the fracking process. The new Secretary of the Interior, Sally Jewell, appeared prepared for their comments. […]
- Step Aside California, Michigan Modernism Gets a Spin in the Spotlight May 21, 2013During the post-war years, the Wolverine State gave the world much more than just elegant automobiles. A new exhibit explores Michigan's under-appreciated contributions to the design world. […]
- Comprehensive Planning off the Beaten Path May 21, 2013Liven up your comprehensive planning effort Texas style. Matthew Lewis, Development Director for the city of San Marcos, used everything from Legos to "design rodeos" (i.e. Texas charrettes) to get to common ground. […]
- Taking the Guesswork out of Designing for Walkability May 21, 2013
- Green Mobility Network
- An error has occurred, which probably means the feed is down. Try again later.
Great article! George Merrick truly was a visionary! I am proud to live in Coral Gables!
“…he laid the foundation for a community that could grow and adapt to future growth…” I don’t see how it can grow without using eminent domain. And I don’t see it adapting as future projects will be restricted to the city’s particular architectural style. I think Merrick originally did a lovely job. But a lot of the quotes above have less to do with urban planning and more to do with selling real estate.