Coconut Grove, Where Miami Began

Coconut Grove is where Miami began. Although incorporated in 1919, it actually goes back to 1825 when the Cape Florida lighthouse was built. Northerners, plus British and Bahamian immigrants, began arriving in Coconut Grove from the mid 1800's. A British couple by the name of Mr and Mrs Peacock arrived from the Bahamas with their Bahamian servants and opened the Peacock Inn about that time, at the site of the present Peacock park. The Peacock Inn established Coconut Grove as an early tourist attraction..

Farther north, another town by the name of Miami had been established and was growing. The railroad was extended to Miami, which grew rapidly and finally annexed Coconut Grove and most of the adjacent town of Silver Bluff in 1925. In the late 1920's Pan American World Airways built their seaplane base at Coconut Grove, which was active until about World War 2. That became the present Dinner Key marina, and the old passenger building is today Coconut Grove City Hall. Sailing is big here, with the Miami Sailing Center and the Coconut Grove sailing Club. Today it's one of Miami's most popular attractions, with the CocoWalk shopping complex, Hotels, outdoor and dockside restaurants, Plus the historic Coconut Grove Playhouse, now about half a century old and still packing them in.