She's looking for ideas on opening a guest house

Looks like the plan to rezone part of Charles Avenue to allow a bed and breakfast and restaurant at the historic Stirrup House is going to happen. Neighbors were concerned, but apparently it will happen.

Speaking of B&B, my friend Sonja Sanguinetti has had this idea for years. You all know Sonja, here she is at a King Mango Strut party, she's a big part of Coconut Grove.

Sonja feels that there are so many cool old houses in Coconut Grove that would be perfect for visitors wanting to get away and stay in our little village for a while. She feels that the house should be somewhere with "true Grove atmosphere.""A place where visitors or business people can come, feel relaxed and enjoy their stay in our beautiful Coconut Grove," says Sonja.

She calls it "A tropical short term stay Bed & Breakfast." It won't be a hotel, but a guest house with a minimum of a one week stay, with Grove-style ambiance.

I always felt that Charles Street, our most historic street where the Stirrup house is, would be perfect for this type of thing, including galleries and little shops, which would highlight the area and bring history to light.

Sonja is looking for a partner to help her create her vision. Maybe someone with a house in the area that can be converted, or an investor of some sort. Sonja has a business in the Grove and South Miami where people rent fully furnished properties from her and people tell her that they want to stay in Coconut Grove but not in large hotels. This is a select few, not everyone. They sort of want to live like a native for a week.

Sonja's idea is to offer guests an option to do their own thing or to join a dinner party or tour special spots, go to local events and historical places and getting special discounts from local merchants and restaurants

Sonja wants to hear your input on this if you have any ideas and would like to brainstorm. You can call her at 305-386-2911.