With all the revitalization projects happening in Coconut Grove—new high-rises, streetscape improvements, CocoWalk’s forthcoming transformation—little has been done to the neighborhood’s historic Bahamian quarter. But this fall, the intersection of Douglas Road and Grand Avenue (steps away from where Muhammad Ali used to train and where Michael Jackson reportedly filmed the video for “Thriller”) gets its first big development in decades: MKTplace at Goombay Plaza (3685 Grand Ave; mktplacemiami.com).
Built using five modified shipping containers (with funding from the Knight Foundation), the integrated community market will house seven established vendors as well as provide affordable space for neighborhood entrepreneurs. “We’re displaying the cultural nuances of Coconut Grove and the people whose families settled it,” says MKTplace curator Nick Bernal, who has combed the area in search of essential eats. “The best conch fritters I’ve ever tasted were made by a local guy who can only work one day a week—he’ll be there.”
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