Pinecrest

 

Twenty minutes from Downtown Miami, but a world away, is the Village of Pinecrest. One of Miami’s newer incorporated communities, Pinecrest is home to big yards and idyllic suburban planned living. Top-of-the-line schools, both public and private, and an extensive park system make Pinecrest Homes the perfect place to raise a family. Top-of-the-line private schools in the area are Gulliver Prep School, Beth Shira Congregation, Kendall United Methodist, and Pinecrest Presbyterian. Many great public schools surround the areas as well, Pinecrest Elementary being one of them has been opened since 1954 and has remained an “A” school since its inception. Palmetto Elementary is another great school offering Cambridge Education Assessment courses for its students.

 

Pinecrest Gardens, once home to the Parrot Jungle attraction, and known as Pinecrest’s “crown jewel” now features a very popular farmer’s market on Saturday, horticulture classes, art tours, and summer camps. A green plan for the Village means that there are lots of bike paths and other open spaces to enjoy the beautiful Miami weather.

 

The village of Pinecrest offers five large parks for the neighborhood, Veterans Wayside Park sits on a 4.5-acre park with a freshwater lake and open recreation areas. Suniland Park has 10 acres with baseball and football fields, batting cages, a recreation center, basketball courts, an area for toddlers, and a gazebo with Wi-Fi. Evelyn Greer Park also has 10 acres with multipurpose athletic fields, batting cages, a rec center, and a community gazebo with Wi-Fi. The Evelyn Greer Park was formerly known as Pinecrest Park, but it was re-designated on November 9, 2004, in recognition of Pinecrest’s first mayor. Coral Pine Park, a 9-acre park with a recreation center, six lighted tennis courts, an all-purpose field, and an area for toddlers. Coral Pine Park was a former Miami-Dade County park before being transferred to Pinecrest in 1998. Lastly, Pinecrest has Flagler Grove Park. This 3-acre facility has a lighted youth soccer field, a playground, parking, and restrooms. With so much tranquility and nature surrounding Pinecrest who wouldn’t want to live here?

 

Home styles in Pinecrest are largely family-oriented, including single-family homes in the $700,000 range to villas priced at upwards of $2.5 million making it an easy place to find homes at various price points. Ranch homes, modern architectural styles, and brand-new construction abound. There are condos available as well, in luxury resort-style complexes with beautiful landscaped grounds and amenities or low-rise buildings that could easily blend in on the Mediterranean coast.

 

Pinecrest is bordered by US 1 to the north, Red Road to the east, 136th Street to the south, and Old Cutler Road to the east, making this neighborhood extremely accessible and easy to get to from different directions. With a population of 18,657 from a 2011 census, the Village of Pinecrest is not large but makes it very exclusive while still offering a full lifestyle of amenities. Minutes from the center of Pinecrest are Dadeland Mall, and South Miami’s Shops at Sunset, both of which are surrounded by pedestrian-friendly shopping and dining areas. The Village of Pinecrest has its own newspaper, “The Pinecrest Tribune“, which is published bi-weekly and is part of the Miami Community Newspapers. This is a great way for residents to know of current activities, markets, and festivals occurring in the neighborhood. Miami Dade Public Library also has a branch in Pinecrest allowing families and children to come and enjoy a vast variety of books. The Pinecrest branch library sits adjacent to the Pinecrest community center which offers many activities for adults varying from yoga classes, fitness memberships, and salsa lessons. For youths, there are also many activities to take on like gymnastics, guitar, and dance lessons, as well as SAT Prep courses and soccer classes. Many parents also take advantage of all the summer camps offered at the Pinecrest community center, many of which include science, soccer, tennis camps, and many more!

 

The Village of Pinecrest can be easily accessible through the metro by two different stops on the metro, the Dadeland North or Dadeland South stations, It is also adjacent to Coral Gables, one of Miami’s oldest and most historic cities.