Where is Commodore Plaza?
Yesterday, when I went out to get a photo of the Commodore Plaza sign for this story, I noticed that there is no sign at Grand Avenue and Commodore Plaza. The photo I took was at Commodore and Main Highway.
I didn't think much of it, but ironically, this morning, a lady stopped me as I walked from the post office across to Havana Grove on Commodore Plaza. She stopped me right on the corner and asked me where Commodore Plaza was.
I pointed to the street and said, "Right here." She asked, "Where?" And I said, "Right here, this street is Commodore Plaza." She went on to tell me that she had been driving back and forth looking for it. She was looking for the Arts and Minds School and I guess she thought it was on an actual plaza. Come to think of it, why is Commodore Plaza called a "plaza?" It's not a plaza.
Anyway, I think we need a sign up on that corner, and fast.
I didn't think much of it, but ironically, this morning, a lady stopped me as I walked from the post office across to Havana Grove on Commodore Plaza. She stopped me right on the corner and asked me where Commodore Plaza was.
I pointed to the street and said, "Right here." She asked, "Where?" And I said, "Right here, this street is Commodore Plaza." She went on to tell me that she had been driving back and forth looking for it. She was looking for the Arts and Minds School and I guess she thought it was on an actual plaza. Come to think of it, why is Commodore Plaza called a "plaza?" It's not a plaza.
Anyway, I think we need a sign up on that corner, and fast.
posted by Tom Falco at 1:00 PM
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14 Comments:
good point grape! I better draw a map and post it before all these geeks get lost next week for refresh.
There used to be a sign that said Green Street. Hence, I would assume, the name of the restaurant at the corner of that street?
GreenStreet Cafe was named after a men's clothing store that occupied the space waaay back before the present restaurant.
They should change the name of that street, and put the proper signs:
Commodore Street or something.
A plaza is a plaza. People, tourists will look for a Plaza. Not a street. It's like calling Dinner Key "Dinner Airport" or something..
....for instance, we have Cartagena Plaza (aka "The Circle" or Cocoplum").
Now that's a Plaza, albeit technically at the beginning of Coral Gables:
"Cartagena Plaza (Cartagena Circle) is a traffic circle at the edge of the Coral Gables Waterway in the city of Coral Gables, Florida.
It connects with the southern terminus of Southwest 42nd Avenue (LeJeune Road) to the north, the easternmost terminus of Southwest 72nd Street (Sunset Drive) to the west, the northeastern terminus of Old Cutler Road to the southwest, Cocoplum Road to the southeast and Ingraham Highway (as one with LeJeune Road for roughly one eighth of a mile until it veers east toward Coconut Grove).[1]
It is named for the city of Cartagena, Colombia, Coral Gables' first sister city. Symbolic of the relationship these two “sisters” share, is a pair of old shoes in the form of a large sculpture. They are based on the poem entitled “My Old Shoes” by Colombian-born Luis Carlos and interpreted through the artistry of Tito Lambrano. The original sculpture remains in Cartagena, Colombia. A replica was presented to Coral Gables in the mid 1980’s and is prominently displayed at the circle near the Cocoplum entrance, one of Coral Gables’ wealthiest residential areas"
To Anon 4:36PM......got any more nuggets we need to know.....
Anon at 4:48: Sure! Dinner Key used to be an Airport, PanAm base.
btw, "GreenStreet" sounds great, instead of "Commodore" Highway, Plaza or whatever..
BTW, why did they name this street "Commodore Plaza" I tried googling it up to no avail. I guess a better question would be: Who was the honored sailor or "commodore" and when/where was the "plaza" mirage? Carlos I.
"Definition:
1. navy naval officer: a title for a very senior captain in the U.S. Navy who is assigned command responsibilities generally lesser than those of a rear admiral but generally greater than those of a captain
2. navy merchant navy captain: a captain in command of a merchant fleet
3. sailing president of yacht club: the head of a yacht or boat club"
Hehehehehe.....
He copied it off of Wikipedia hence the [1] on the third paragraph...
:)
Every Grovite knows the Commodore in Commodore Plaza is Commodore Ralph Middleton Munroe, who lived in the Barnacle almost at the end of Commodore Plaza. The "plaza" is the confusing part. Not who the Commodore was.
Let's just turn Commodore Plaza into a plaza - if only for weekends to start.
Every Friday nite Commodore Plaza becomes a pedestrian-only street, blocking trffic from Grand and Main for the weekend.
Sunday nite it opens again for vehicles.
Imagine that - a pedestrian-friendly area in the Grove.
Not hard to do. There's an alley on each side of Commodore that services the businesses.
I'd vote for Commodore Place then.
On second thought, if it actually is closed all summer, it will feel a heck a of a lot like a Plaza!
I think the fairies got the sign. heh hee... I saw them do it!
Just kidding, I actually like the name, but never noticed the missing sign... that explains why people can't find it when I give them directions from grand.
What do we do to get one up? Is there a committee we should be contacting or a petition we should be signing?
I LOVE the idea of it being a walking street. The only trouble I see is not having an obvious way to loop around to get back to Grand.
BUT - I'd love to see a big circle just by Franklin so that tourists could turn back around and wouldn't block up Main every time they realize they are about to go into a neighborhood.
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