"When there is a big event in the Grove, we leave"

This letter is in reference to our story "Do we need all these events in Coconut Grove?"

We are retired and live on our boat at Dinner Key during the winter. We go to the Bookstore, shops and restaurants in the Grove everyday except we avoid all the events. How many retired people live in the Center Grove? We do not go to SoBe except to take our visitors there. We avoid crowds and noise. I think we are typical of our cohorts.

We eat out at least once a day and do not have to worry about the expense. When there is a big event in the Grove, we leave. It annoys us that access and egress are cut off or reduced during these events. We have to plan around them, if for example, we have to go to the airport.

We love the Strut. It is unique. The rest of the events will be found anywhere and if you see it once you have seen all there is to see. The pub crawls are for the 25 and younger crowd. That crowd drives the likes of us away. My family made it in the beer distribution business up north and we have sponsored more Grove-like business builders than any of us could count in the 70 years we were in the business.Take the money and energy spent on small promo events and use it to get the Playhouse open again. We are behind the competition in the performing arts area. The Playhouse is Grove.

The Beach, Gables and Calle Ocho have art film venues. The Playhouse would serve multiple audiences. We could have a small classical music venue to compete with the University of Miami. The single best investment the Grove could make. The Playhouse is an icon that people still remember fondly but it is a wasting asset.

I read your site every day as it keeps us up on Grove events during the up North months.

Terry Fruth
Coconut Grove