Where are the people?
Why was Mary Brickell Village packed last Thursday and the Grove was only so-so? Were you at Mary Brickell Village last week? If so, why did you choose that over the Grove?
I am told by some that it is an insulated group, that all of the condo dwellers on Brickell are just staying in their own neighborhood. I am also told that crime is rampant and there have been many thefts and even worse, rapes.
There is a big police presence there now. So maybe we should be careful of what we ask for.
I am told by some that it is an insulated group, that all of the condo dwellers on Brickell are just staying in their own neighborhood. I am also told that crime is rampant and there have been many thefts and even worse, rapes.
There is a big police presence there now. So maybe we should be careful of what we ask for.
posted by Tom Falco at 2:00 PM
YOU MAY NOT LIFT THE PHOTOS & TEXT. IT'S COPYRIGHTED INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY. YOU CAN HOWEVER SHARE A STORY ON SOCIAL MEDIA BY USING THE LINKS HERE.
For linking to this one story, just click on the time it was posted & just this story will open for sharing - only through social media. Not copying and pasting.
23 Comments:
Mary Brickell Village is packed because it's hip. It's happenning.
The Grove is not packed because it needs something.
Jazz clubs? Parking? Tutu Tango? ..... Who knows?
Hey, wait a minute. Actually there is nothing wrong with the Grove. It's pretty cool right now, the way it is. I'm pretty sure that anything that you want to do can be done in the Grove besides bowling and surfing.
I'm 26 and used to live in the Grove. I still go to the grove every once in a while to go out but it was it was way more popular when i was in college. I live in Brickell now and i either stay in brickell or head to south beach. It's definitely where all the young professionals are hanging out now. Also, a lot of people are finding the south miami area to be a better choice than the grove since all those new bars opened.
I still love the grove but its just gotten boring to me.
I work downtown, am a young professional, and it's easier to just stay in the area after work and meet other friends that live and work down here. You can walk amongst numerous bars/restaurants that all have different feelings (River Oyster Bar, Tobacco Road, then all the places in Mary Brickell). I don't live in Brickell area but I'm much more apt to come here to go out than I am the Grove.
Plus it's better networking at Mary Brickell/Brickell area because you see more people you are familiar with because of the sheer amount of banks, law firms, corporations that have large offices in downtown.
Like I said, it's few and far between when I go to the Grove and I definitely don't go after work.
The Grove just feels old and seems to cater to two distinct crowds people in their 40's/50's (trying to restart Taurus) and the "in-college" crowd (Tavern/Sandbar).
Take a trip and see what the downtown area is about about if your wondering why people are here and not in the Grove.
People who read this site will probably disagree with me, but I think my thoughts encapsulate what young professionals think about the Grove.
The metromover is another reason--the walk from metrorail to the grove is a flirt with death
I absolutely agree with the previous comment. Whenever I go to the Grove it either feels old (Dueling Pianos?) or college drunken crowd. Neither one appeals to me. Brickell/Downtown demographics are a lot younger and have been since Novecento opened.
BTW Grape, I know you love the Grove and all, but slurring other neighborhoods with the "crime and rape" brush is not going to win you any converts. It's just not true.
I have the police reports to prove what I posted. I am not slurring the neighborhoods.
I live in the Grove and work on Brickell. The Grove is old. The crowds are old and grumpy. I'd rather go to Brickell after work or go to South Miami.
I'd like to see the crime reports. Can you post a link?
I agree with the post of ANON 2:57....I live in the Grove....I,m seventy years young.....when I go out it,s to Lincoln Road or someplace else. The Grove is dead and seems to be controlled by the soon to be dead......I ain,t dead yet !
There's actually more to the Grove than the nightlife! I live in North Grove, love walking to Center Grove, meeting up with a bunch of locals at Starbucks, looking around in the stores and art galleries, buying groceries at Milam's and the Fresh Market, walking back toward home via S.Bayshore, Peacock Park, the Sailing Club, Dinner Key, City Hall, Kennedy Park. At night there're all the wonderful restaurants, the movie theater, etc. What's not to LOVE about the Grove?!
I live in the grove- and as far as the crime goes, 2 weeks ago while walking home from our Saturday night block party- the cops stopped me and told me to get home quickly that there had been another string of robberies ("3 in the last 20 minutes"). Since I've already been robbed living here, I got my butt home.
I wasn't trying to put down Mary Brickell Village here, I was just trying to say with many more people comes much more crime, so maybe we need to rethink trying to grab the Mary Brickell Village crowd or anyone else's crowd for the Grove. The Grove has enough crime as it is.
If police were busy Patrolling the Streets, instead of spending the day hiding out behind stop signs and trying to give stupid traffic tickets, leisurely, there would certainly be less crime. I mean on foot, police presence in the Streets, the Old Fashioned way, and we all know all too well where the hot spots are.. Guess what? No A/C there and the pay is the same as doinfg nothing in safer, cooler places dishing out tickets.
To ANON 5:35.....what wonderful restaurants ? what theater....what etc ? daily walks to buy groceries and drink high priced coffee at Starbucks and gaze in store fronts....WOW!
Are we forgetting about the Sailing Club, the Barnacle, the Kampong, Shake a Leg - great sightseeing. Hang out at Scotty's, Monty's - walk or bike ride into the village and stop at one of our unique and fine restaurants. We now have some interesting art galleries, an antique market, farmers market, always some event going on at Cocowalk - if you skip the Grove you are missing a lot.
The Grove is for college kids. Mary Brickell is for the 25 and over set.
The Grove needs to evolve like other districts .... it's a shame that it is ruined by a small group (who basically run everything in the Grove) trying so hard to keep it like it is. The 70's are gone people, hello that is why the Grove is such a failure and other districts are up and coming!!
to anon 2:57 I totally agree with you! Thirty something!!LOL
I have lived in the Grove for 18 years, Back in the late 70's early 80's the Grove was a funky village with cool bars, clubs and restaurants. I remember that cruising the Grove with your music really loud was cool and fun.
What make me move to the Grove back then was that fun, funky, different energy the Grove had. It is all gone! of course back then South Beach was a slum, but we have really killed the Grove with too many rules and regulations...BORING!
Anon @ 2:57 nailed it. The Grove has simply put its eggs in the "baby boomer" basket. There is a vocal group of people who want the Grove to be what it was years ago and that is fine but its also going to turn off people who arent into that sorta thing (or werent alive for that era). Ive lived in the Grove for 6 years and watched it decline. The Grove used to be packed but at that time it catered to a heavy college crowd. The 3am closings played a hand in driving that crowd away thanks to curmudgeons griping about noise. College kids dont wanna hang out where they are gonna be hassled all the time. Now the Grove has restaurants with higher price points than the past and with all the art galleries it just seems to cater to an older, wealthier crowd. Again, there's nothing wrong with that. It does limit the Grove's attractiveness to that one group though.
I try to go out in the Grove to support the community as much as I can. That typically ends up being dinner at Jaguar, Georges, etc, but thats about it. When I want to go out and do more than just meet friends for a meal, I head to Brickell or Miami Beach or even the Design District. I think the fact that the Grove lacks office space when compared to other areas also limits the amount of people who choose to go there.
All that said, I still enjoy living in the Grove. Its a nice central location to all of the other areas of Miami that I like to go to and its also a quaint little area with peace and quiet.
Did anyone think of why the change? Prior to the McMansions we had a neighborhood. We knew our neighbors. Now everyone lives behind bars. Talk about up tight.
A couple reasons why the Grove doesn't get as many people as Brickell or Downtown:
1. Over 60,000 people live in Downtown and Brickell, many of which already work there. About 200,000 people work in Downtown, so with a great Metromover system, it's easy to get to where you want to go for free and meet up with people.
2. Downtown/Brickell has Metromover and nearby Metro stations. Many people get around via Metro, I know I do, and for me, it's so convenient to get off at Brickell Station and just walk everywhere, than having to drive to the Grove.
If I can take the Metro somewhere, I'll go there than having to drive somewhere else. Metro > Car.
3. Downtown/Brickell is the fastest growing neighborhoods of Miami, so naturally, it's getting more popular, with new restaurants opening up literally every week.
4. The Grove's charm is that it's quiet, it's quaint, and it's more historic as a small village feel, not a bustling city centre like Downtown, it's going to be quieter.
Well stands to reason that if population is up crime is up. Just goes with the territory. Rapes included. I wouldn't wander far off from MBV ladies. Stay in the crowded areas.
the cops harass people. if you even look a little "different"
they are harassing you.
That's a reason why people stop going. Getting poulled over EVERY single Saturday isn't fun.
Post a Comment
<< Home