Talk of the Town : June 2026

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Saving the Oaks

The tree canopy of Coral Gables is considered a sacred part of its identity. The city maintains a database of some 40,000 trees in public spaces (mostly in the swales), keeping track of location, species, height and health. Mess with one of those, and you’re in trouble. But trees on private property are not similarly protected.

Moving One of Four Oaks at 2900 Segovia St.
Left to Right: Dean Colson, Architect Frank Martinez, Landscape Architect Herbert (Bud) Martin, and Venny Torre

It is therefore highly commendable when developers preserve trees by relocating them, rather than simply cutting them down. Such was the case for MG Developer when their Village at Coral Gables was built on Malaga Avenue – several trophy trees were relocated.

The latest such move took place last month at 2900 Segovia Street, where two duplexes are scheduled to be constructed. At a cost of $100,000, builder Venny Torre (and partner for the project Dean Colson) moved four mature Oak Trees from the property to swales on Catalonia and Palermo avenues. “Sonia Blair [a well-known local realtor] lived there until she passed away,” says Torre. “So, these trees are for Sonia to see from above, that they are being saved.” Says Vice Mayor Rhonda Anderson, a perennial advocate for saving trees, “I hope that more developers follow this example, because it’s one of the things that sets our city apart from all others.” –J.P. Faber

Course Correction

At 101 years old, the Granada Golf Course is one of Coral Gables’ oldest public amenities. But the latest debate over the historic nine-hole course came down largely to arithmetic: how many people are using it, how much they are paying, and how much the city can afford to subsidize. At issue was underfunding and overuse, which dramatically deteriorated the condition of the course.

In order to restore the course and save some $600,000 annually, the City Commission adopted a new usage, fee, and membership structure in March, which they approved in April. Resident tee times increased from $22 to $30, while non-resident tee times rose from $28 to $39. The old Granada golf membership was also restructured. Previously, for a fee of $921, its 86 members were allowed unlimited play – accounting for about 24 percent of total course usage while generating only 6.5 percent of revenue. Under the new plan, golf members are required to join the Country Club for $2,100, for which they receive 30 complimentary rounds per year, cart included, plus a $5 discount on additional rounds, with seven-day priority booking.

The master plan, according to City Manager Peter Iglesias, is to reduce the current unsustainable usage of 69,000 annual rounds to roughly 50,000 rounds. At an average of $30 for each round, that will produce $1.5 million each year, sufficient to both upgrade and maintain the course at a professional level. Golfers who were used to low fees subsidized by the city pushed back, especially the women’s groups that rely on dedicated tee times. In the end, the Commission in May voted to preserve those reserved blocks (see pg. 18) while keeping the new $30 resident fee in place. – Yousra Benkirane

A World Record at Chewy Bark Park

Chewy Bark Park, the 17,000-square-foot dog park at the intersection of Ponce and LeJeune, just made dog history. At the Chewy Summer Social event last month, Chewy officially set the Guinness World Record for the largest dog pool party ever, with 277 dogs splashing around in pop-up pools. A Guinness adjudicator was on site to make it official, counting every dog.

The summer social brought local pet parents and their dogs together for a summer kick-off filled with poolside fun, games, and prizes. Dogs got to cool off in the pools, try pupsicles, and sample

Chewy’s new Get Real food line, while pet apparel Frisco’s new summer collection was on display. Chewy Bark Park opened in January as a partnership between the City of Coral Gables and Chewy, Inc. The space features cooling turf, separate areas for small and large dogs, and hydration stations throughout. It sits within Phase 3 of The Underline, the ongoing project transforming underutilized land beneath the Metrorail into public green space. – Amanda Martell

Gulliver Prep Turns 100

Gulliver Preparatory School is a co-educational, nonprofit institution serving approximately 2,200 students from pre-K3 through 12th grade. Modeled after Northeastern preparatory institutions, it was founded in 1926 by Arthur Gulliver. In the early 1950s, educator Marian C. Krutulis purchased the school and expanded its academic and extracurricular programs, earning recognition from the U.S. Department of Education as a Blue Ribbon School (the Marian C. Krutulis PK-8th Campus is located on Red Road in the Gables). 

Over the past century, thousands of students have been educated through its programs. To recognize the milestone, Gulliver has launched The Next 100: The Centennial Campaign for Gulliver, a $100 million initiative focused on faculty support, student well-being, and future facilities, including new buildings dedicated to science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics. As President Simon Hess notes, the school measures success not only by academic outcomes, but by the character and direction of its students. – Amanda Martell

Sacrebleu! Bachour is zee best!

We have long loved Bachour, the bakery-cum-restaurant catty-cornered from the Public Safety Building on Salzedo Street. It was lured to the Gables seven years ago by developer Armando Codina after proprietor Antonio Bachour was recognized as the best pastry chef in America by several hundred of his colleagues.

Now Bachour has another feather in his/its cap, being recently recognized as one of the 14 best French bakeries in the U.S. by Tasting Table, a digital media brand and website. Hmmm. We know it’s a great bakery, with “no ordinary croissants,” as they say, but French? With dulce de leche croissant and guava and cheese pancakes? On the other hand, those delicate little pastries in the glass showcases, each so sculpted and delicate, packed up for customers in those Tiffany-blue boxes… Oh là là! – J.P. Faber

A Blowout Gala

A RECORD ATTENDANCE TO HELP EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS

Each year the Actors’ Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre holds its Reach for the Stars Gala Auction to raise money for the theater. This year’s black-tie event was the 35th gala, attended by more than 500 guests and raising more than $150,000 to support the theater’s artistic and educational programming. The auction featured 323 items donated by 177 supporters; the food, beverages and floral arrangements were also donated. Guests enjoyed the “Tastes of the Coral Gables” that featured tasting stations from more than 30 local restaurants. These included Birdie’s Bistro, Bouchon Bistro, Café Abbracci, The Collab at THesis, Doc B’s, Francesco, JohnMartin’s Irish Pub, Kojin 2.0, Morton’s Steakhouse, Pincho Burgers, Salumeria 104, Sawa Restaurant, Tullio and Zucca.

The Marquee Lit Up for the Gala Night
Bottom: Vanessa Cereceda, Miami-Dade Commissioner René Garcia, and Actors’ Playhouse Executive Producing Director Barbara Stein

Guests were also regaled with a stirring rendition of “This is the Moment” from the Broadway musical Jekyll & Hyde, which is part of the recently announced 2026-2027 season at Actors’ Playhouse. It was sung by leading man E.L.Losada, who starred this season as Don Quixote in Man of La Mancha . And, not to be undervalued were the libations, provided by Gables corporate anchor Bacardi USA, which recently moved to The Plaza Coral Gables from its LeJeune Road mid-rise. Playhouse Executive Producing Director Barbara S. Stein is already planning for next year’s gala, which will also take place in late April. – J.P. Faber

Seniors to Seniors

RIVIERA PREP’S GRADUATING CLASS GETS LIFE ADVICE AND A LESSON IN “RIZZ” AT THE PALACE

100 Graduating Seniors From Riviera Preparatory School at The Palace for a Cultural Exchange That Featured an Intergenerational Q&A

Who better to advise the Class of 2026 than people who have already done the whole life thing? On April 21, about 100 graduating seniors from Riviera Preparatory School headed to The Palace on Andalusia Avenue for an intergenerational Q&A that turned out to be equal parts life advice, comedy hour, and cultural exchange.

The questions were big ones: How do you stay open to new people? What was the happiest time in your life? What do you do when life gets hard? One resident offered what may have been the most sanguine summary of aging: “Every phase of my life has brought joy.” Then, proving that fun is not exactly a novel invention, she added, “Going to college. Oh my goodness. I loved being in school. I loved partying. We used to say… Thursday was Thirsty Thursday.”

Another resident gave the students a practical formula for meeting people: “Listen, be interested in them… ask them questions. Don’t talk about you.” And when the subject turned to setbacks, one man delivered the line of the morning: “Never, never give up.”

Then came the really important business: slang. Residents took on words like “rizz,” “cap,” “sus,” and “cooked,” while students got a crash course in “greaser,” “sauced,” and other throwback vocabulary.Riviera senior Luke Para left with a fitting takeaway: “Life is kind of short, so you have to have fun in life and enjoy every single chapter.” – Yousra Benkirane

Groundbreakings

CORA AND SEVENTEEN GABLES ADD TO THE “AFFORDABLE” HIGH-END HOUSING STOCK

With prices for single homes skyrocketing in the Gables, it seems that nothing is available – not even a starter fix-up home – for less than $1 million. Filling the need for something a little more affordable are a pair of new mid-rise buildings which just broke ground, one on Douglas Road near the Alhambra Circle entrance (Seventeen Gables) and in the Merrick Park district across San Lorenzo Avenue from Nordstrom (Cora). Both are offering “attainable luxury,” with prices at Seventeen Gables starting in the mid-$600,000, and prices at Cora starting at $900,000.

A Rendering of Seventeen Gables
Right: The Rooftop at Cora

Seventeen Gables, a project by BAM Development and Ascendra Capital, is the larger project, with 117 units and the expected amenities of fitness center, sauna, pool, and lounge, along with integrated co-working spaces. The interiors are designed by Karen Asprea, a New York hot shot who now keeps an office on Miracle Mile. Her motto: “Thoughtful spaces for curated lives.” The sell here is also walkability to downtown Gables, starting with Bouchon Bistro, Bay 13, and Ró Steakhouse just a few blocks away.

Cora, a project by the Constellation Group and The Boschetti Group, is more boutique, with 74 units and a major investment in longevity design features – including circadian lighting, filtered air and water, hydrotherapy pools, red-light therapy, and shielding from electromagnetic frequencies. Besides its appeal to extended lifespans (along with pool, fitness center, etc.) is its adjacency to the Shops at Merrick Park. The building is designed by Arquitectonica, interiors by Urban Root and wellness features by Spanish firm Lamarca Well. – J.P. Faber