According to Curbed Miami, we have a new neighbor in the Coconut Grove. Christian Slater bought a home on St. Gauden's. He can be gleaming the cube right here in our hood. Details and pics here.
Thursday, May 23, 2013
Christian Slater moves to Coconut Grove
According to Curbed Miami, we have a new neighbor in the Coconut Grove. Christian Slater bought a home on St. Gauden's. He can be gleaming the cube right here in our hood. Details and pics here.
Some new things around town
The former restaurant/club space on Mary and Florida, across from the Bookstore, is being transformed into law offices and a small restaurant at one end, which is still available for rent. It was a large multi-level club space. I have a couple of businesses in mind for the restaurant, who have been trying to get into the Grove, but the high rents have kept them out. They're two very well known restaurants in other parts of the county that would like to expand into our market.
We have two new coffee shops on the verge of opening in the Grove. A Nespresso place is almost ready to open on Fuller Street, where the Design Bar home store was, Design Bar moved to the end of Commodore Plaza. Also, The Blonde Tulip flower shop has been working on a small coffee and pastry shop inside the flower shop. It's been in the works for awhile. No opening date set.
Noel, who owns the tattoo and piercing shops is now opening the "new" Yucky's. As you know the original Yucky's on Main Highway closed after being an institution for so many years. Noel bought the Yucky's name and is transforming the place into an "upscale smoke shop," in his words. Noel's got his own little red light district right here in Coconut Grove.
I stopped by yesterday, they are still in the painting and transforming phase, but it will be new from the ground up. Yucky's is quite well known in hippie circles and many tourists ask for it when in town.
We have two new coffee shops on the verge of opening in the Grove. A Nespresso place is almost ready to open on Fuller Street, where the Design Bar home store was, Design Bar moved to the end of Commodore Plaza. Also, The Blonde Tulip flower shop has been working on a small coffee and pastry shop inside the flower shop. It's been in the works for awhile. No opening date set.
Noel, who owns the tattoo and piercing shops is now opening the "new" Yucky's. As you know the original Yucky's on Main Highway closed after being an institution for so many years. Noel bought the Yucky's name and is transforming the place into an "upscale smoke shop," in his words. Noel's got his own little red light district right here in Coconut Grove.
I stopped by yesterday, they are still in the painting and transforming phase, but it will be new from the ground up. Yucky's is quite well known in hippie circles and many tourists ask for it when in town.
Sign up a team for Bed Race starting today!
This year, the race falls on Sunday, September 1, 2013. Be a part of Grove tradition. Sign up under Women's, Men's Co-ed or Corporate teams!
If you have never participated, this is the year! Join the crazy fun.
This year, the JCI Local Initiatives, Miami Children's Hospital and the Thanksgiving Food Drive are the beneficiaries.
For those of you who are new to this, here's a bit of the fun from previous years.
Halloween
Getting rid of Halloween is the subject in Coconut Grove again, it was brought up at the recent BID meeting and it's been an ongoing topic. For some reason, some people want to see it gone. They don't like thousands of people coming to the Grove on Halloween night. I'm not quite sure why, because it is a money maker for the restaurants and bars and most of the other businesses are not affected because they are closed at night.
While some think there is trouble, it's not really out of the ordinary for any big event, the police have said that themselves at many meetings, they call it business as usual. The fact remains that there is sometimes trouble, but nothing that affects the Grove itself. There is not damage to businesses, windows are not broken, nothing is vandalized and it's a good time. If any one entity would complain, it would be CocoWalk since they get so many people in one small location, but they are in favor of leaving Halloween as it is.
I asked at the BID meeting what the concern was, why does anyone care about the crowds? I was told that the trash is an issue and the cost for police is another issue -- over 100 police officers are deployed here that night. But this is not a sanctioned event. No one is claiming it, no one runs it. It is an event that just happens. People show up. So the Grove is not paying for the police or city services which is the case with so many events.
At the end of the night the city cleans the streets and at the end of the day, the police are paid by the city. The police are going to be paid by the city no matter what and trash is going to be picked up no matter what. I am sure that most communities that deal with Halloween deal with this, too. As the Grove is off the hook for any responsibility, what is the problem?
Years ago, Ft. Lauderdale got rid of Spring Break, almost overnight, I think they may regret it now. But regarding the city expense to clean up and the police expense, keep in mind that this expense may always exist for the City of Miami because if people are pushed out of the Grove, they may end up at Mary Brickell Village or Wynwood or Midtown and all these places are part of the City of Miami, so in the end, the city is still paying police and paying for clean up. If Coconut Grove was it's own city, like say Key Biscayne or Coral Gables, I would understand the issue with all the expenses. But this is the City of Miami's expense.
One interesting concept that came up was port-o-potties. There aren't enough now. So perhaps all the bars and restaurants can chip in for those and that will solve what probably is a major problem. But the businesses may be hesitant simply because no one wants to claim ownership to this mad night in Coconut Grove and if they pay for port-o-potties, are they claiming ownership in some way?
The Grove is the Halloween place to be for so many. Early in October, usually October 1 or 2, I write a Halloween story about Coconut Grove, even if I am not sure of all the activities that might be planned, because that's a top search term on Google. Starting October 1, people are searching "Coconut Grove Halloween," and so I put a story there for them to find.
That's how popular it is. While South Beach has their wild event, we still have our wildness here and people are planning on it.
While some think there is trouble, it's not really out of the ordinary for any big event, the police have said that themselves at many meetings, they call it business as usual. The fact remains that there is sometimes trouble, but nothing that affects the Grove itself. There is not damage to businesses, windows are not broken, nothing is vandalized and it's a good time. If any one entity would complain, it would be CocoWalk since they get so many people in one small location, but they are in favor of leaving Halloween as it is.
I asked at the BID meeting what the concern was, why does anyone care about the crowds? I was told that the trash is an issue and the cost for police is another issue -- over 100 police officers are deployed here that night. But this is not a sanctioned event. No one is claiming it, no one runs it. It is an event that just happens. People show up. So the Grove is not paying for the police or city services which is the case with so many events.
At the end of the night the city cleans the streets and at the end of the day, the police are paid by the city. The police are going to be paid by the city no matter what and trash is going to be picked up no matter what. I am sure that most communities that deal with Halloween deal with this, too. As the Grove is off the hook for any responsibility, what is the problem?
Years ago, Ft. Lauderdale got rid of Spring Break, almost overnight, I think they may regret it now. But regarding the city expense to clean up and the police expense, keep in mind that this expense may always exist for the City of Miami because if people are pushed out of the Grove, they may end up at Mary Brickell Village or Wynwood or Midtown and all these places are part of the City of Miami, so in the end, the city is still paying police and paying for clean up. If Coconut Grove was it's own city, like say Key Biscayne or Coral Gables, I would understand the issue with all the expenses. But this is the City of Miami's expense.
One interesting concept that came up was port-o-potties. There aren't enough now. So perhaps all the bars and restaurants can chip in for those and that will solve what probably is a major problem. But the businesses may be hesitant simply because no one wants to claim ownership to this mad night in Coconut Grove and if they pay for port-o-potties, are they claiming ownership in some way?
The Grove is the Halloween place to be for so many. Early in October, usually October 1 or 2, I write a Halloween story about Coconut Grove, even if I am not sure of all the activities that might be planned, because that's a top search term on Google. Starting October 1, people are searching "Coconut Grove Halloween," and so I put a story there for them to find.
That's how popular it is. While South Beach has their wild event, we still have our wildness here and people are planning on it.
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Call to artists for Poster Design Competition
The Dynamo Gallery at CocoWalk is having it's first Poster Design Competition.
The submission deadline is June 1 and the showing and announcement for the winners is in September.
1st prize is $1000; 2nd prize is $500 and 3rd prize is $300; People's Choice is $200.
Anyone can participate, the entry fee is $35 for two images, you can send them in as regular art or digitally. The subjects are Art, Technology, Humanity and Ecology.
All the info is at their website here.
The submission deadline is June 1 and the showing and announcement for the winners is in September.
1st prize is $1000; 2nd prize is $500 and 3rd prize is $300; People's Choice is $200.
Anyone can participate, the entry fee is $35 for two images, you can send them in as regular art or digitally. The subjects are Art, Technology, Humanity and Ecology.
All the info is at their website here.
Special Crime Watch Meeting
The Golden Pines Neighborhood Association is hosting a Crime Watch meeting on Tuesday, June 4 at 7 pm at Douglas Park (2755 Douglas Road in Coconut Grove).
The association would like me to remind everyone that crime is happening on both sides of US1. Mayor Regalado, Commissioner Sarnoff and the police will be attending this meeting, so many of your questions may be answered right on the spot.
Further, Commissioner Sarnoff started a petition here to get more police on the streets in the City of Miami.
The association would like me to remind everyone that crime is happening on both sides of US1. Mayor Regalado, Commissioner Sarnoff and the police will be attending this meeting, so many of your questions may be answered right on the spot.
Further, Commissioner Sarnoff started a petition here to get more police on the streets in the City of Miami.
The sour puss from West Kendall
Ok first off, please read this with a grain of salt. I actually love the whole county, all of South Florida in fact. I have family in West Kendall and I am just responding because I have received a lot of rude comments here from people who live outside the Grove, telling us all how horrible the Grove really is. I'm not sure why they feel the need to do that, but I suspect they secretly deep down wish they lived here. There is something interesting psychologically about people who continue to read the Grapevine when they don't have to, and then put down Coconut Grove in the comments section.
I've been blocking a lot of nasty comments that have been left mostly about our little Red Headed Bamby and Clyde group (thanks Sandi for that name). Apparently, according to the comments, most people who don't live in the Grove enjoy crime free lives and beautiful sunny days 365 days a year. They live among rainbows and angels and God shines his light on them and has forsaken Coconut Grove. This is basically their words if you read between the lines.
This one comment that didn't go through was: "I'm in West Kendall and I love it. You don't see the stuff you guys go through here. Why would anybody want to live in the Grove. It's so boring and surrounded by a terrible neighborhood and Miami Police are way corrupt not to mention you get way more for your buck here. I am so glad I only rented while I was in the Grove and never bought there."
I am bringing back the Sour Grapes Award from a few years back, because if anyone deserves it this person does. I can smell those mushy sour concords all the way from his/her cookie cutter community out in the Everglades, I mean West Kendall. I think if he/she was so proud of his/her community, they would have signed their post and not been an Anonymousposer poster.
No offense to West Kendall, but if anyone ever tries to drag me out there, I beg you, shoot me in the middle of my head and dump me in the bay, yes, beautiful Biscayne Bay, which we all see glistening out our windows daily in our beautiful little tree lined village, with the red brick winding sidewalks, where everyone knows your name and where life is really pleasant and beautiful; where we don't need cars and can just walk outside to galleries, outdoor cafes, the gym, and the movies; where you can actually walk or ride bikes, rollerblades or skateboards down the street and most people who pass by know you by name and call out "hello" to you, including the police, who know us all by name.
We can sail, run, and enjoy our many parks, and just dwell in our misery (according to our commenter). We can be miserable as we enjoy happy hour at the 100 year old Taurus bar or watch the sunset from the roof of the Mayfair or Sonesta, or watch the games at the Sandbar, Barracuda and The Grove Spot. And of course it's always annoying waiting for a table at Lulu, LoKal or Greenstreets, because they are always so crowded with West Kendallites who seem to like to share our Grove misery with us.
We Grovites, must endure the Bed Races, the King Mango Strut, Halloween, the Arts Festival and all those pesky things that don't happen out in West Kendall. Oh yea, most of the 5K's and marathons pass through or little village, so we're stuck waving and passing out water to those people that run by, but hey, it's part of quaint village life, we deal with it.
We also have to deal with all the trees and grass and cottages (and dog parks) and again, the bay, right there out our door with the large yachts, small crafts and sailboats, with Key Biscayne and Stiltsville in the distance. We have to deal with Hollywood film and tv companies taking over very often and Burn Notice does block the streets a lot, but hey, they'll be gone soon.
As for boating, we do deal with all those boaters from West Kendall, too, who feel that the free Seminole Boat Ramp is theirs to use on weekends. They come in by the droves, blocking our streets, you know, South Bayshore Drive and SW 27th Avenue. Maybe we should start charging for that so they are not forced to come here and be part of our horrible little village.
Speaking of boaters, we have to also deal with thousands of sailors every year as we are the largest regatta area in the country, for six months we deal with these luxurious people who enter the village and fill the waterfront with sailboats and races and all that sporting life stuff, reminds us of New England, but we deal with it. We also have that old rat trap the 150 year old Barnacle and it's huge front lawn filled with picnics and barn dances and cars shows that goes down to the bay, you are lucky to deal with your oldest dwelling only being circa 1990s in West Kendall, we have to deal with actual Florida history here.
In Coconut Grove, we have to deal with the easy proximity to Coral Gables, South Miami, Brickell, Wynwood and South Beach where we are part of culture within minutes. We have to be miserable in all this, because alas, we don't live in West Kendall like our illustrious Anonymous commenter.
And yes, we bitch and moan and argue with each other, but that's what families do, you see, unlike many neighborhoods, we all know our neighbors, who are our friends (and family), so we do family things like argue, disagree and bitch and moan. It's part of life. If we didn't know each other and didn't care about our community, we wouldn't be so passionate.
For those of you who love and live in beautiful downtown West Kendall, more power to you. I prefer to dwell in my misery here. I like having an actual community, a village with an actual name.
Oh, and no comments will be published on this post that are put downs to our little Grove community, because frankly, if you don't have something nice to say then don't say anything.
We don't post put downs in the West Kendall Gazette. If we are stupid enough to live here in little old Coconut Grove, why make fun of us? Huh? Anonymous person from West Kendall? Why? Ignorance is bliss. We are happy being ignorant. Leave us in our bliss.
From Living the Law of Attraction: "Whenever somebody puts you down, keep in mind that they are speaking from within the boundaries of their own limitations. Ignore them."
I've been blocking a lot of nasty comments that have been left mostly about our little Red Headed Bamby and Clyde group (thanks Sandi for that name). Apparently, according to the comments, most people who don't live in the Grove enjoy crime free lives and beautiful sunny days 365 days a year. They live among rainbows and angels and God shines his light on them and has forsaken Coconut Grove. This is basically their words if you read between the lines.
It looks like it's open season on us Grovites from people who have lived here and left here or people who don't live here yet feel it is their duty to read the Coconut Grove news (the Grapevine) and then comment negatively on our little village. I'm not sure why, I don't read their local news, yet they feel the need to come back daily to read every detail of our lives. Go figure.
This one comment that didn't go through was: "I'm in West Kendall and I love it. You don't see the stuff you guys go through here. Why would anybody want to live in the Grove. It's so boring and surrounded by a terrible neighborhood and Miami Police are way corrupt not to mention you get way more for your buck here. I am so glad I only rented while I was in the Grove and never bought there."
I am bringing back the Sour Grapes Award from a few years back, because if anyone deserves it this person does. I can smell those mushy sour concords all the way from his/her cookie cutter community out in the Everglades, I mean West Kendall. I think if he/she was so proud of his/her community, they would have signed their post and not been an Anonymous
No offense to West Kendall, but if anyone ever tries to drag me out there, I beg you, shoot me in the middle of my head and dump me in the bay, yes, beautiful Biscayne Bay, which we all see glistening out our windows daily in our beautiful little tree lined village, with the red brick winding sidewalks, where everyone knows your name and where life is really pleasant and beautiful; where we don't need cars and can just walk outside to galleries, outdoor cafes, the gym, and the movies; where you can actually walk or ride bikes, rollerblades or skateboards down the street and most people who pass by know you by name and call out "hello" to you, including the police, who know us all by name.
We can sail, run, and enjoy our many parks, and just dwell in our misery (according to our commenter). We can be miserable as we enjoy happy hour at the 100 year old Taurus bar or watch the sunset from the roof of the Mayfair or Sonesta, or watch the games at the Sandbar, Barracuda and The Grove Spot. And of course it's always annoying waiting for a table at Lulu, LoKal or Greenstreets, because they are always so crowded with West Kendallites who seem to like to share our Grove misery with us.
We Grovites, must endure the Bed Races, the King Mango Strut, Halloween, the Arts Festival and all those pesky things that don't happen out in West Kendall. Oh yea, most of the 5K's and marathons pass through or little village, so we're stuck waving and passing out water to those people that run by, but hey, it's part of quaint village life, we deal with it.
We also have to deal with all the trees and grass and cottages (and dog parks) and again, the bay, right there out our door with the large yachts, small crafts and sailboats, with Key Biscayne and Stiltsville in the distance. We have to deal with Hollywood film and tv companies taking over very often and Burn Notice does block the streets a lot, but hey, they'll be gone soon.
As for boating, we do deal with all those boaters from West Kendall, too, who feel that the free Seminole Boat Ramp is theirs to use on weekends. They come in by the droves, blocking our streets, you know, South Bayshore Drive and SW 27th Avenue. Maybe we should start charging for that so they are not forced to come here and be part of our horrible little village.
Speaking of boaters, we have to also deal with thousands of sailors every year as we are the largest regatta area in the country, for six months we deal with these luxurious people who enter the village and fill the waterfront with sailboats and races and all that sporting life stuff, reminds us of New England, but we deal with it. We also have that old rat trap the 150 year old Barnacle and it's huge front lawn filled with picnics and barn dances and cars shows that goes down to the bay, you are lucky to deal with your oldest dwelling only being circa 1990s in West Kendall, we have to deal with actual Florida history here.
In Coconut Grove, we have to deal with the easy proximity to Coral Gables, South Miami, Brickell, Wynwood and South Beach where we are part of culture within minutes. We have to be miserable in all this, because alas, we don't live in West Kendall like our illustrious Anonymous commenter.
And yes, we bitch and moan and argue with each other, but that's what families do, you see, unlike many neighborhoods, we all know our neighbors, who are our friends (and family), so we do family things like argue, disagree and bitch and moan. It's part of life. If we didn't know each other and didn't care about our community, we wouldn't be so passionate.
For those of you who love and live in beautiful downtown West Kendall, more power to you. I prefer to dwell in my misery here. I like having an actual community, a village with an actual name.
Oh, and no comments will be published on this post that are put downs to our little Grove community, because frankly, if you don't have something nice to say then don't say anything.
We don't post put downs in the West Kendall Gazette. If we are stupid enough to live here in little old Coconut Grove, why make fun of us? Huh? Anonymous person from West Kendall? Why? Ignorance is bliss. We are happy being ignorant. Leave us in our bliss.
From Living the Law of Attraction: "Whenever somebody puts you down, keep in mind that they are speaking from within the boundaries of their own limitations. Ignore them."
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