El Portal

Spanish speakers will immediately recognize the name of the El Portal neighborhood as the Spanish word for gate. But don’t take that to mean that El Portal is a gated community. Instead, the name is a reference to the two wooden gates that once marked the entrance to this South Florida village a few miles north of Miami, which today is a welcoming and diverse neighborhood. The original gates were removed in the 1940s, but the neighborhood retains its quietude. The diversity of architectural styles you’ll find in the neighborhood is matched by the diversity of the natural surroundings. El Portal is not the typical Miami neighborhood dominated by ranch-style homes beneath towering palm trees. Of course, you’ll find both of those things in El Portal – it is South Florida, after all – but you’ll also find plenty of two-story Mediterranean-style homes, alongside Craftsmans and Art Deco-inspired bungalows. Palm trees stand side-by-side with gumbo limbos, live oaks and royal poincianas. This creates a visual effect best described as upscale Bohemian. This ethos permeates the neighborhood as a whole, in part because the entire village is a designated bird sanctuary. “It’s really almost an organic kind of neighborhood,” says Realtor Lori Brandt of Compass Real Estate. “The vegetation is lush, you’ll see peacocks walking down the street, and it’s just a cool place to live.”

The median real estate price in El Portal hovers around $920,000, and buyers should be prepared to pay an average of $630 per square foot. A two-bedroom/one-bathroom bungalow can sell for as low as $485,000, and prices can go as high as $2.5 million for a newly-constructed chic four-bedroom/four-bathroom contemporary-style home. “The price points in the area are higher than Miami as a whole, but Miami is such a big city. If you compare it to more similar areas like Miami Shores, El Portal is more affordable than most of those areas,” says Brandt.

Students in El Portal can attend Miami Shores Elementary, Horace Mann Middle and Miami Edison Senior High School. Miami Shores earns a B on Niche.com, Horace Mann earns a C+ and Miami Edison earns a B-. Parents can also send children to any of the highly-rated private schools in the area, including Ransom Everglades and Miami Country Day, ranked as the 4th and 9th best private schools in the state respectively.

Tucked into a corner in southeast El Portal is Sherwood Forest Park, a sort of homage to the natural beauty so prevalent in the neighborhood. Visitors won’t find a playground or basketball courts or even much land to speak of. In fact, it’s little more than a median dividing 85th and 86th Streets. But despite its small size, Sherwood Forest Park embodies El Portal. You’ll find a relaxing oasis where you can rest in the shade on one of the benches encircling a small fountain. Supplementing the nature theme of the neighborhood is the El Portal Nature Trail that spans approximately 7 miles as it winds its way through the neighborhood. The trail is perfect for leisurely strolls, bird-watching, taking the dog for a walk or jogging. And for those who want a little more excitement in their recreation, SkateBird Miami offers skaters the opportunity to grind and kick-flip their way through two different skating areas appropriate for all skill levels. Of course, since this is South Florida, it’s only customary that there be a few beach days thrown in for entertainment, so it’s a good thing that El Portal is only 5 miles from the snow-white sands of Miami Beach. “One of the things I love about the area is how convenient it is to everything,” says Brandt. “You can get to the beaches, to the stores, to school all really easily. And there are new shops and restaurants coming in, which is just making it better.”

All play and no food tends to make one very hungry, so it’s a good thing there are plenty of places to get food in El Portal. The nearby Shores Center is home to Publix for groceries and Walgreens for any medical needs, and Target is less than 15 minutes away by car for any household necessities. When you just can’t bring yourself to cook at home, check out Pura Vida for refreshing salads and poke bowls, as well as their famous all-day breakfast selections. For some casual fried food, head over to Snappers Fish & Chicken for a Cuban sandwich, fried gator bites and conch fritters, along with their signature fried fish and chicken offerings.

Living in El Portal, don’t be too surprised if you see a peacock strutting its way down the street or a manatee floating lazily down the river along the neighborhood’s southern boundary. They’re just part of the charm that comes along with life in this nature lover's paradise.

Written By

Andrew Spencer

Photography Contributed By

Daniele Giuseppe Del Gaudio

Video By

Tyler Belile