Drive along the banyan-ruled streets of Coral Gables past bubbling fountains and Mediterranean piazzas, and chances are you’ll forget you’re in the center of Florida’s largest metropolis. Instead, some faraway European city may come to mind, and that’s just how developer George Merrick wanted it. Named after the native rock where Merrick came of age in Massachusetts, Coral Gables was incorporated in 1925 as a planned city with areas designated for business, leisure and residential activities. Mediterranean Revival architecture, known for its arches and Roman loggias in the terra-cotta and sienna shades of the European seaside (which help counteract the effects of the sun), was meticulously chosen and quickly set the oldworld mood that makes this city of 42,000 stand out.
Source: www.floridatravellife.com
