The trolley is thisclose to the Center Grove

We seem to be the only neighborhood in the City of Miami where the free city trolley does not come. Let me correct that, the Center Grove and South Grove and most of the North Grove, do not benefit from the trolley system, but part of the North Grove does. And of course the ironic thing is that Village West is fighting off the Coral Gables trolley station.

I live in the far North Grove and actually have the convenience of the trolley! It stops at Mercy Hospital as its last southern stop and it really is a convenience. In December, we had a family wedding and most of our relatives and friends stayed at a downtown hotel, where the wedding was being held, and during that week, my relatives and friends were able to hop on the trolley and take it to Mercy and then just walk over to my house.

On King Mango Strut day, some of my cousins took the trolley from downtown, they got off at Mercy and then took a cab into the Center Grove to join me, one problem was that the hospital was pretty dead on that holiday Sunday, so it wasn't easy getting a cab, but before that point, it was easy for them to navigate their way from downtown.

I used the trolley with friends during Art Basel week, we took it all around Midtown and Wynwood, it was hop on and hop off, very convenient.

I did ask about the trolley coming to Center Grove, it's in the works. I was told that the city only has  set number of trolleys and they are being used in the other neighborhoods now. As traffic is assessed and they see which lines are being used and which aren't, the trolley routes will be moved around to other neighborhoods.

I think they feel that we all have cars in the Grove and don't need a trolley, but to be honest, I would leave the Grove more often if I could just hop on and off a passing trolley and I really think it will benefit the Grove in that people will take the trolleys into the Grove from the other areas. I could easily seeing people hop on and come to the village from other neighborhoods, especially when parking is an issue like during the Arts Festivals or Taste of the Grove or things like that. I think more people would come if it was made easier for them.