Only a stone's throw from the Magic City of Miami, West Miami is a small, residential city that offers easygoing suburban living. "It's high demand for rentals," says Barbara Alvarez, a Realtor with Homes 4 You. "It's popular with people since it’s close to Coral Gables; they like being near that area." While being near the amenities of Coral Gables, including historic destinations like the Venetian Pool, is a treat in and of itself, being close to this community comes with another benefit. The mature, tropical greenery that Coral Gables is praised for doesn't begin and end with that area's borders; lush and vibrant verdure also stems into surrounding communities. Though West Miami certainly has a more city-suburb feel than Coral Gables — primarily due to smaller lot sizes — this community is packed with oak, palm and banyan trees, making it unique from communities farther north, closer to the airport.
The neighborhood of West Miami offers easygoing suburban living close to the city.
Due to its proximity to downtown, homes in the West Miami area range from $600,000 to $3.5 million.
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Access to the Tamiami Trail
A central location is another draw to West Miami. "It's very convenient and practical with all the highways close by," says Alvarez. "And it’s 15 minutes from downtown Miami." The Palmetto Expressway and the Dolphin Expressway, which connects to Interstate 95 due east, sit less than 3 miles from West Miami. Furthermore, U.S. Route 41, referred to by locals as the Tamiami Trail, runs right along the community's north side, making for easy commutes into the city. For farther travel, the Miami International Airport is a little over 5 miles north of West Miami.
Midcentury homes
Except for some apartment complexes on the west side, West Miami is largely occupied by HOA-free single-family homes. Many of which were built in the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s, so you'll find that ranch-style homes are the most popular build in the area. Architecturally, as is typical of the Florida vernacular, Spanish eclectic characteristics run rampant along these streets, such as arches, stucco siding, earthy tones and terracotta barrel roof tiles. That said, Minimal Traditional architecture and bilevel residences are blended into the area. Market prices for these homes range from the low $600,000s to $3.5 million. This vast range of prices is due to the addition of new construction homes, most leaning toward modern and contemporary styles. For $725,000, you can land an updated, 1964-built, four-bedroom, three-and-a-half-bathroom ranch-style home on a 5,720-square-foot lot.
HOA-free single-family homes largely occupy West Miami.
Spanish eclectic characteristics run rampant along West Miami's residential streets.
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Miami-Dade County Public Schools
West Miami is home to two Miami-Dade County public schools: Sylvania Heights Elementary and Somerset Academy Gables. Teaching students from kindergarten to eighth grade, Somerset Academy Gables is a well-regarded charter school and is just one campus within Somerset Academy's network of high-achieving academic institutions. On the other hand, students can start school at Sylvania Elementary School, rated with a B on Niche, before attending West Miami Middle and graduating from South Miami Senior High, which boasts an excellent multimedia broadcasting program. Students can elect to focus on television or film production, and alongside their regular curriculum, their coursework can involve anything from drafting screenplays to creating newscasts and documentaries.
Sylvania Heights Elementary is located in West Miami.
South Miami Senior High in South Miami, FL, is a great school to enroll your child.
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Cooper Park
As for local green space, Cooper Park is a quaint and quiet nook featuring a fitness area and playground. For more recreational options, West Miami's Recreation Center is only blocks away. Here, local athletes may enjoy a pickup game of basketball or tennis.
West Miami's Cooper Park has multiple playgrounds for children to choose from.
The City of West Miami Recreational Center offers many amenities and hosts events.
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Tamiami Trail has restaurants
For a quick bite, there are a few options off Route 41. El Mago De Las Fritas has been a local staple since 1984. This restaurant specializes in Cuban Fritas. If a shoestring potato-topped chorizo and beef burger sounds good to you, definitely stop by this local favorite. Next door, Happy Wine Calle Ocho has discounted wine, live music and delicious tapas. This shop and restaurant is popular for its festive atmosphere. While there aren’t too many commercial areas in West Miami, necessity retailers such as Publix and CVS are right in the community.
El Mago de las Fritas is a casual dining spot in West Miami offering delicious Cuban food.
Happy Wine is a popular, casual restaurant located in West Miami.
He is the top producer for sales (Residential and Commercial) for Florida Realty of Miami since 2003. Their company is the largest real estate firm in South Florida. He specializes in the areas of Coral Gables, South Miami, Pinecrest, Miami Beach, Downtown Miami, and other waterfront, luxury, high end areas of Miami Dade County for the last 21 years. He has also been working with Short Sales and Foreclosure (REO) listings for the past 15 years. As a full time, Real Estate Professional, he represents buyers, sellers, and investors in both residential and multi-family properties. Some other specialties include luxury estates, waterfront properties, condominiums, homes, vacant lots(land), investments, negotiating contracts, leasing (residential and commercial), listing properties for sale, property management, buying and selling businesses, corporate relocations, exchanges, income producing properties, and consulting. Whether searching for a home or marketing a property for sale he applies his expertise to negotiate the best possible price and terms, then facilitates the complexities of closing in a calm and organized manner.
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