Ever walked down a seemingly ordinary street and felt a shiver of the past run down your spine? Right here, beneath this very road, lie the ghostly tracks of the Coral Gables Rapid Transit System. Unearthed in 2011 during routine roadwork, these tracks offer a tangible link to the city’s glamorous past. Imagine a time when pink, 52-passenger rail cars, proudly bearing the “Coral Gables” name, glided through these streets. It’s hard to picture now, with cars whizzing by, but from 1925, the Coral Gables Rapid Transit was a symbol of the city’s aspirations. This ambitious system, dreamed up by Coral Gables founder George Merrick, promised a new era of urban transportation. The sleek rail cars whisked residents and visitors alike from downtown Miami to the heart of Coral Gables via Coral Way. However, the dream was short-lived. By 1932, only the Coral Way line remained operational, and in 1935, the last of the pink cars made their final journey. The Great Depression and a particularly damaging storm proved to be the final nails in the coffin for this ambitious venture.
Glenn Hubert Library
What secrets lie hidden within the walls of a university library? Right here in North Miami, the Glenn Hubert Library