Palmetto Bay

Just south of Pinecrest lies the village of Palmetto Bay. This area of Miami-Dade is loaded with history. A migration of Florida’s first settlers brought them to high ground along the shores of Biscayne Bay. What is known today is the Deering Estate property, early inhabitants established a camp 10,000 years ago.

 

Palmetto Bay’s current population is over 25,576 as of the 2020 census. Palmetto Bay includes two neighborhoods, Cutler and East Perrine. The Village also has its own newspaper, The Palmetto Bay News, which is published bi-weekly and is part of Miami Community Newspapers.

 

Many homes in this area are filled with lush greenery and spacious back yards making it an ideal home for growing families. With such close proximity to major roads like US1 and Old Cutler Road, it is at a perfect location for those who commute to the city for work.

 

Homes in this area range from all different price points but are more moderately priced and range from different styles like traditional and charming to modern and new. Palmetto Bay residents can enjoy one of Miami’s most beautiful parks, Deering Estate. Created by Charles Deering, this park offers over 400 acres of land with access to Biscayne Bay views, bike trails, hiking, and top locations for yearly festivities like concerts, annual seafood festivals, and many more family-friendly activities. Other great parks in the neighborhood include Bill Sadowski Park and Nature Center, which offers three distinct habitats within thirty acres; pineland, tropical hardwood hammock, and a drained Everglades slough. The main building houses a live animal exhibit of native freshwater fish, arthropods, reptiles, and amphibians, including a newly dedicated 822-gallon freshwater aquarium. A nature trail leads visitors through various plant communities to a canal where canoeing and fishing are available.

 

Encompassed within the park grounds are also a native tree arboretum and a bird-watching area. The Thalatta Estate is another beautiful area in Palmetto Bay, a Mediterranean Revival-style house built in 1926 and preserved as a park by the Village. Covering 4 acres of lush land it offers a myriad of educational and fun programs for all members of the family, which can also be used as a venue for beautiful weddings and other special events.

 

Coral Reef Park is another popular park that hosts free outdoor movies for residents throughout the year as well as tennis, baseball, and beach volleyball. The Coral Reef Park also offers outdoor picnic areas, covered gazebos, children's playgrounds, and a preserve.

 

Getting around Palmetto Bay has become increasingly easier with public transportation. In 2006, Palmetto Bay launched a much-needed intra-village bus service in accordance with the requirements of the Citizens’ Independent Transportation Trust program. Operation of the I-Bus service is paid for with funding from the People’s Transportation Plan. The I-Bus service was designed to increase the number of destinations that can be reached by a fixed route schedule throughout Palmetto Bay and surrounding areas and to connect with Miami Dade Transit routes. All Village buses are air-conditioned, wheelchair accessible, and bike rack equipped and the bus ride is free!

 

Palmetto Bay also offers its residents its own Public Library. The branch in Palmetto Bay not only offers countless genres of books, but also activities for children and families, including a toddler reading and singing time, a teen games club, a painting class for senior citizens, and a By the Bay book club.

 

Some of Miami’s top schools are also located here in Palmetto Bay like Palmetto Senior High School. Miami Palmetto was built in 1958 and enjoys strong support from the municipal governments of the two primary areas zoned to Palmetto Senior, the Village of Pinecrest, and the Village of Palmetto Bay. The diverse curriculum offers a choice of twenty-eight AP courses, and students have the highest pass rate for AP exams in the county. Westminster Christian School is a private PK3-12 Christian school, which sits on 31 acres near the Charles Deering Estate. Alexander Montessori and Palmer Trinity School is an independent, college preparatory, coeducational Episcopal day school located on 55 acres of land. It has the largest grounds than any other independent school in Miami-Dade County.