Even as areas such as Edgewater, Downtown Miami, and Brickell are becoming more and more popular as top Miami neighborhoods to live in, two of the Magic City’s older and more established neighborhoods have tremendous appeal to families and those who seek the ultimate tropical coastal living experience. 

We’re of course talking about Coconut Grove and Key Biscayne, two of Miami’s best-known waterfront neighborhoods, each with marvellous housing and lifestyle options. Here in this blog, we’ll explore their key differences and similarities to help you choose the best one for your lifestyle.

— Lifestyle: Coconut Grove vs. Key Biscayne

Coconut Grove (Bay)

Coconut Grove is one of Miami’s oldest neighborhoods. It has a distinctly laid-back, Caribbean feel, and its streets line miles of the coastline along Biscayne Bay. Because of this location, the Grove appeals to those who love living on the water and having easy access to the bay—it’s a haven for sailing, water sports, and boating.

Coconut Grove has also always been a top spot for artists, design types, and plant lovers who want a life right on the bay—many of Miami’s developers and architecture firms have headquarters here. Known for its canopies of tropical shade trees, Coconut Grove is home to various exotic bird species such as wild macaws, quaker and Amazon parrots, and even wild peacocks!

Key Biscayne (aerial) at sunset

On the other hand, Key Biscayne is an island off of the mainland Miami between Brickell and Coconut Grove and accessible via the Rickenbacker Causeway extending well into Biscayne Bay. It’s a very scenic drive to get to and from home, a favorite for cyclists, and has an even more laid back vibe than Coconut Grove. 

With luxurious semi-private beaches, it also has a state park at its very tip, with a favorite lighthouse and open-air cafe to watch perfect sunsets. Known as a bicyclist’s paradise and very family friendly, Key Biscayne provides the quiet isolation and coastal tranquility of a small island separated from the busy, bustling crowds of the city, and most of its beaches are reserved for residents only. Don’t be surprised to see kids riding their bikes or families traveling around the key by golf cart. 

— Boating and Marinas: Coconut Grove vs Key Biscayne

Coconut Grove Marina

In terms of boating and living a lifestyle on the sea, both of these neighborhoods are absolute winners, even considering all of Miami’s neighborhoods. Because Coconut Grove has two marinas right in the heart of the village, and a major sailing and yacht club where national and international regattas are held, it edges out Key Biscayne slightly.

Key Biscayne Marina

But Key Biscayne also has the Key Biscayne Yacht Club and several marinas, including the Rickenbacker Marina, and Crandon Park Marina, as well as many small waterways and single family homes where you can keep your boat. And, even if you live in a condo on the island, you can easily access your boat, sailboat, or yacht to get on the water.

— Business: Coconut Grove vs Key Biscayne
 

Coconut Grove

Both Coconut Grove and Key Biscayne are primarily residential neighborhoods. So the main businesses you’ll find in these areas are restaurants, hotels and other service-oriented businesses that cater to residents. 

Both neighborhoods are home to many small professional businesses as well, such as doctors, attorneys, specialized design professionals and architects, and real estate agents. They also have small boutiques and art galleries, health food stores, yoga studios, and fitness centers. 

Neither of these neighborhoods is known as a corporate hub, and for many, this is what makes them so appealing. You’ll perhaps have a few more options in Coconut Grove, and easier access to other businesses in nearby Coral Gables and Brickell, however. Which makes Coconut Grove a winner for those working in these two nearby neighborhoods as well. 

— Walkability and Transportation: Coconut Grove vs Key Biscayne

Key Biscayne - Biking

If you love walking, riding your bike, or generally getting about without using your car, Coconut Grove and Key Biscayne are excellent choices. Both neighborhoods have always encouraged walking and bicycling as a local lifestyle option, and both offer free trolley service for getting around in the neighborhood, as well as a local bus service to areas outside the neighborhood.

Miami Metro Mover

Coconut Grove is definitely more accessible by public transportation simply because it is part of mainland Miami, and is adjacent to Brickell. If you want to leave the immediate area, both Metrorail and free Metromover offer service.

Because it is an island some seven miles off of mainland Miami, getting in and out of Key Biscayne you’ll need a car, as the only route by land to Key Biscayne is the Rickenbacker Causeway, with very limited bus service. That said, once on the island, there is little need for a car and the vehicle of choice is often a golf cart. 

— Parks and Greenspace: Coconut Grove vs Key Biscayne

Vizcaya Estate and Gardens

If you love parks, green space, and the open air, you’ll feel right at home in either of these popular Miami neighborhoods. Both are winners! 

Coconut Grove has plenty of great outdoor greenspaces, including tree-lined streets where you can walk beneath shady canopies, and parks such as Kennedy Park and Peacock Park, with outdoor sports like volleyball and kickball, waterfront access, and lots of pet-friendly parks. Boating and sailing are beloved local pastimes in Coconut Grove, as well as kayaking, waterboarding, and snorkeling. 

The Grove also boasts great parks and historic sites such as Barnacle Historic State Park, the Kampong National Tropical Botanic Garden, and the nearby iconic Vizcaya Estate and Gardens, where you can travel in time and enjoy nature in the same location. However, if you need easy beach access, Coconut Grove might not be ideal as it hasn’t got any beaches, even though it is waterfront.

Key Biscayne

In contrast, Key Biscayne is a small key that contains a vast, unspoiled stretch of natural Floridian coastline encompassing Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park and Crandon Park, where you can enjoy natural wilderness with very little human development and public access to natural beaches perfect for fishing, swimming, snorkeling, kitesurfing or kayaking, as well as mangroves, walking and biking trails. 

Key Biscayne also has a challenging and well regarded 18-hole, public golf course at Crandon Golf, as well as excellent tennis facilities, as it was the former site of the Miami Open Masters 1000 tennis tournament.  

There’s even the abandoned ruins of the former Metro Zoo, where peacocks, swans, and other bird species roam wild, and iguanas sun themselves undisturbed. Many of the beaches are private and require key fob access, making it very desirable for residents. There are also great smaller parks to enjoy on the Key, adding to the natural charm of this exclusive island community.

— Arts and Culture: Coconut Grove vs Key Biscayne

The Great Taste of the Grove Food & Wine Festival

What’s a good life without arts and culture, you ask? Well, the neighborhoods of Coconut Grove and Key Biscayne provide arts and culture offerings such as street fairs, local artists’ studios, antique stores, and art galleries. But Coconut Grove, which encompasses a larger area, probably wins this category. 

The Grove is home to several historical sites, including the impressive Vizcaya Museum, with its unique collection of antique artifacts housed in an amazing early 20th-century mansion and surrounded by elegant European-designed gardens and a natural mangrove forest. Although Vizcaya is also easily accessible to residents of Key Biscayne, it is much easier to get to from the Grove. 

Coconut Grove also hosts an array of popular street fairs including the long-running Coconut Grove Arts Festival, the King Mango Strut, the Goombay Festival, and The Great Taste of the Grove Food & Wine Festival. 

Key Biscayne features local festivals such as the Key Biscayne Arts Festival and the Key Biscayne Wine and Food Fest, too.

— Eating and Shopping Options: Coconut Grove vs Key Biscayne

Rusty Pelican

Coconut Grove and Key Biscayne both have awesome and eclectic eating and shopping options, but if you’re a foodie, the Grove will have more to offer your palate than Key Biscayne in this department. 

Coconut Grove is home to several outdoor cafés, hotel and luxury condo restaurants, and sports bars. The recently renovated open-air mall CocoWalk also features an array of eateries, shops, and places to enjoy a great cocktail. 

Some of the best dining options in the Grove include: 

• Ariete for exceptional New American cuisine. 
• Taste the best of traditional French flavors in Le Bouchon du Grove.
• Los Félix is a Mexican cantina offering a lively environment with even livelier food.
• Try a twist on the classic diner experience with a Cuban flavor in Chug’s Diner.
• Lokal for just plain but oh-so-tasty good old burgers.
• Sample authentic Indian cuisine at the popular Bombay Darbar.

Key Biscayne has somewhat fewer eateries and bars but is also home to some very unique restaurants and boutiques. Some favorite dining options in the Key include:

• The Rusty Pelican, which also made our list of the best restaurants in Miami to dock and dine.
• Flour & Weirdoughs is where you’ll want to get your daily loaf and other baked goods. 
• Costa Med Bistró + Wine is a traditional favorite, run by a Key Biscayne local with a great selection of wines and fine food. 
• Upscale eateries such as Novecento are always a surefire choice for prime cuts and Argentinian flare.
• The Ritz Carlton Key Biscayne Resort selection of restaurants, which include favorites Lightkeepers and Cantina Beach.

— Schools: Coconut Grove vs Key Biscayne

Both Coconut Grove and Key Biscayne are great for families with children, and the two areas are close enough to one another that students from one neighborhood can actually go to school in the other. And both neighborhoods boast some of Miami’s top schools.

Coconut Grove encompasses a larger area than Key Biscayne and is home to some of Miami’s best private schools, such as the nationally ranked Ransom Everglades School, Carrollton School of the Sacred Heart, Saint Hugh, Saint Stephen’s Episcopal School, Coconut Grove Montessori, the Vanguard School, and LaSalle High School. Public schools include Coconut Grove Elementary, Frances S. Tucker Elementary, and George Washington Carver Elementary and Middle Schools. 

Key Biscayne is home to excellent public schools such as the famed MAST Academy, which has been ranked as a top public school in Miami thanks to its excellent magnet program in marine biology and natural sciences and is the only high school in Key Biscayne. Another option is the renowned Key Biscayne K-8 Center, also known as the Key Biscayne Community Day School, which has grades until middle school.

Private schools in Key Biscayne include Key Biscayne Community Church Day School, St. Agnes Catholic School, and Key Biscayne Presbyterian School, which serves preschool students. Students living in Key Biscayne also attend schools in neighboring Coral Gables and Coconut Grove, including some of the schools named above.

— Architecture and Real Estate: Coconut Grove vs Key Biscayne
 

Two Park Grove - Coconut Grove

Coconut Grove contains a great mix of old and new real estate, with newer high-rise and boutique condos alongside nostalgic beach bungalows, luxurious single-family homes, and waterfront mansions set within gated communities such as Cocoplum. 

Some of the most luxurious properties you can find here include Grove at Grand Bay, Two Park Grove, and One Park Grove. Among the newer options, you’ll find the recently finished Mr. C Residences Tigertail Tower and Mr. C Bayshore Tower. And there are also plenty of pre-construction condos including the first residence-exclusive Four Seasons Coconut Grove, Vita at Grove Isle, Arbor, Opus Coconut Grove, and Residences in the Grove.

For a better overview, we recommend watching our video on top five pre construction projects in Coconut Grove.

Key Biscayne is also a luxury enclave, mixing older condos housed mostly in luxurious mid-century buildings with dazzling coastal views and beach access, along with some newer ultra-luxury condo buildings, like Oceana Key Biscayne. 

On the bayside of Key Biscayne, you’ll find friendly streets lined with spacious single-family residences, many with waterfront access. Finally, there aren’t as many new developments in this area, the only one being the townhomes of Key Cassa.

— Cost of Living: Coconut Grove vs Key Biscayne

Miami skyline from Key Biscayne

Both Coconut Grove and Key Biscayne are favored by elite homeowners and those seeking luxury waterfront properties in a tranquil, safe, and elegant residential community. 

Average listings in Key Biscayne hover around $1,123,613, or $586 per square foot, while higher-end listings can be as high as $10,500,000, or $2,813 per square foot.

Average Coconut Grove listings range around $1,797,595, or about $861 per square foot, while higher-end listings can run as high as $20,500,000 or $3,313 per square foot.

You can find all available listings for both neighborhoods using our exclusive search engines for Coconut Grove or Key Biscayne. 

If you’d like to know more about what it’s like to live in Miami in general, we recommend reading our article about the cost of living in the Magic City.

— Which Neighborhood Should You Choose? Coconut Grove or Key Biscayne?

Coconut Grove and Key Biscayne are somewhat similar to one another, but each has its own unique vibe and lifestyle. If you want to be on the mainland, surrounded by gorgeous tree canopies, and close to a wide array of dining and shopping options and areas like Downtown Miami, Coconut Grove may be more suitable for you. 

If you need to be close to the beach and want to live away from most of the bustle of Miami, have a tight-knit community where kids are free to ride their bikes almost everywhere on an unspoiled island paradise, you may end up falling in love with Key Biscayne.

If you’re interested in more of our neighborhood comparisons such as Coconut Grove versus Coral Gables, check out these below: 

• Edgewater vs South Beach
• South Beach vs Miami Beach 
• Edgewater vs Downtown Miami
• The Miami Beaches: South vs Mid-Beach vs North Beach
• Brickell vs South Beach
• Brickell vs Brickell Key 

If you’d like more help to decide which Miami neighborhood is best for you and suits you the most, contact us and our team of multilingual experts will be happy to help you find the best area and property! Let us show you our variety of listings in the neighborhoods you’re most interested in and help you decide where to buy or rent to live your best Miami life.

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