Ponce Park vs The Village at Coral Gables: A Floor-Plan-First Guide to New Luxury in Coral Gables
Quick Summary
- Two boutique takes on Coral Gables luxury
- Ponce Park: 11 stories, 58 residences
- The Village: 3-story, 48 residences
- Compare plans by interior vs total SF
Coral Gables, two definitions of modern luxury
In Coral Gables, new luxury is increasingly less about spectacle and more about control: control of privacy, control of light, and control of how a home actually lives. That is why two projects, each with a distinct format, are drawing plan-first buyers who know what they want from South Florida and want it delivered with discretion.
On one side is Ponce Park Coral Gables, a proposed 11-story condominium with 58 residences at 3000 Ponce de Leon Blvd. Developed by Allen Morris Company and positioned as boutique, bespoke residences, it presents the refined vertical expression of Coral Gables living.
On the other is The Village at Coral Gables, a low-rise, 3-story residential development at 535 Santander Ave with a marketed total of 48 residences. Its defining idea is not a single tower, but a village-like plan with courtyards and paths, paired with a mix of flats, lofts, townhomes, and villas.
Both belong in the new-construction conversation for buyers who value walkable elegance, lower noise, and architectural intent. The decision is rarely about which is “better.” It is about which format aligns with how you want to arrive home, host, and fully switch off.
At a glance: vertical boutique versus village typologies
The clearest way to separate these two is to look at how each concentrates, or distributes, the residential experience.
Ponce Park is marketed as an 11-story, single-building condominium with 58 residences. The unit mix is presented primarily as 2- to 5-bedroom residences, including penthouse layouts, with marketed residence sizes ranging roughly from 1,900 to 6,500 square feet depending on plan. In a tower-format building, circulation typically consolidates into a vertical core. The shared moments are more standardized, while the differentiation is delivered through plan design and finishes.
The Village at Coral Gables is marketed as a 3-story, low-rise development with 48 total residences, but the defining feature is typology variety: 24 condominiums (flats), 16 townhomes, 4 lofts, and 4 villas. That mix is not just a marketing point. It gives buyers a structural choice in how the home lives, whether that is a flatter, lock-and-leave rhythm, or a multi-level cadence with garage entry and internal stair runs.
If you think in terms of “stack” and “exposure,” Ponce Park will read as familiar. If you think in terms of “front door,” “courtyard,” and “garage access,” The Village reads more like a compact neighborhood.
Floor plans and square footage: the only comparison that matters
In luxury, square footage is a headline. In a purchase decision, it is a math problem. Sophisticated buyers start by confirming the measurement basis before they compare anything else.
Ponce Park markets multiple “Residence” floor plans through a published floor-plan library, and the plan PDFs make it easier to separate interior area from outdoor area. One published example, Residence 2C, is shown at 2,059 square feet of interior plus a 313 square foot terrace for 2,372 square feet total. That kind of disclosure matters because it clarifies whether the “extra” area supports daily life or simply inflates the headline.
The Village’s marketing also signals that plan categories can be reported differently. Its Flats, for example, are positioned as 2-bedroom, 2.5-bath residences with approximately 1,698 square feet of air-conditioned interior area. That is a more apples-to-apples interior baseline than “total” figures that may fold in garages or exterior areas.
As you compare, keep three questions front and center:
- What is air-conditioned interior versus total area?
- Where is the outdoor area located, and how functional is its shape?
- How much of the footprint is consumed by circulation (elevators, halls, stairs)?
If you value grand, single-level entertaining, the interior plate often matters more than the total number. If you value outdoor living, terrace area only counts when it operates like a real room.
Privacy and arrival: elevator entry versus ground-oriented living
Privacy is not an amenity. It is an architectural decision that shows up the moment you come home.
Ponce Park’s layouts are marketed with private elevator entry for individual residences. For buyers who prioritize discretion, that arrival sequence changes the psychology of ownership. It reduces shared hallway time, supports seamless entertaining, and sharpens the feeling of control at the threshold.
The Village, by contrast, leans into a site plan described as village-oriented, with courtyards and paths. Instead of a single vertical core, the project is marketed around multiple home types, which inherently changes how you meet neighbors and how your home relates to the outdoors. The Lofts are marketed as 3-story residences with 2 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, and a 2-car garage, suggesting a more house-like transition: car to garage to interior stair to living spaces.
Neither approach is universally superior. Elevator privacy suits buyers who want condominium ease with maximum discretion. Ground-oriented entry suits buyers who want the familiarity of a true front door and a rhythm closer to a single-family home.
Outdoor living as a design brief
South Florida luxury is often judged by its ability to blur inside and out without feeling improvised. That requires outdoor space that is usable, not just visible.
Ponce Park’s plans are marketed with deep terraces designed for outdoor living and entertaining. In plan terms, depth is the difference between a terrace that stages well and a terrace that functions. A deeper outdoor zone can accommodate real furniture layouts and a more natural flow from living room to open air.
At The Village, the outdoor experience is implied through the “village” concept itself: courtyards, paths, and a lower-rise massing that tends to place more residences closer to the ground plane. Even without overpromising specific private outdoor dimensions, the overall format points to an outdoor rhythm that is not limited to a balcony moment.
If your priority is a polished, elevated terrace that reads as an extension of the living room, the condominium format can be compelling. If your priority is a more garden-adjacent lifestyle, the low-rise approach and typology mix can feel more organic.
Matching the project to the buyer profile
These two developments can coexist because luxury buyers are optimizing for different versions of calm.
Ponce Park tends to suit buyers who want:
- A boutique condominium scale with a single address identity
- Larger plan options marketed up to roughly 6,500 square feet
- A high-privacy arrival sequence via private elevator entry
- Terrace-forward living where outdoor space is designed to be used
The Village at Coral Gables tends to suit buyers who want:
- A low-rise environment marketed as 3 stories
- Choice among distinct home types: flats, lofts, townhomes, villas
- Home-like features such as the marketed 2-car garage in the Lofts
- A neighborhood feeling created by courtyards and paths
It is also worth noting The Village’s product ladder. Flats are marketed around approximately 1,698 square feet of air-conditioned space, while villas are marketed at approximately 4,760 to 4,803 square feet. That range can allow a buyer to stay within one community concept while selecting a materially different day-to-day footprint.
A Miami Beach parallel: when the “format” is the decision
Coral Gables is not Miami Beach, but the decision logic often travels. Many buyers first learn their preference by living with two fundamentally different building formats: the service-oriented tower and the more boutique, residence-forward environment.
If your instinct gravitates toward the energy and skyline orientation of tower living, you may recognize that preference in places like Five Park Miami Beach, where verticality and a strong sense of address are central to the lifestyle proposition. If you are more drawn to a curated collection feel, Shore Club Private Collections Miami Beach may resonate as a different expression of luxury.
The point is not to compare features across neighborhoods without clean data. The point is to notice what you repeatedly choose: elevator-driven verticality, or a closer-to-the-ground sense of arrival. Once you know that, Coral Gables options become simpler to evaluate.
Due diligence checklist for plan-driven buyers
Buyers who purchase well in boutique developments typically do three things early.
First, they read the plan PDFs, not just the marketing images. Ponce Park’s published floor-plan library is a practical starting point because it shows how interior and terrace areas combine in a specific residence type.
Second, they normalize square footage. If one plan is reported as air-conditioned interior and another as total, you are not comparing like-for-like. This becomes especially relevant when terraces, garages, or other non-conditioned areas are a meaningful part of the offering.
Third, they map privacy and circulation. Private elevator entry, courtyard adjacency, the number of internal stair runs, and the transition from car to home all shape whether a residence feels serene or exposed.
For boutique buyers, these are not secondary details. They are often the reasons to buy.
FAQs
Where is Ponce Park located? 3000 Ponce de Leon Blvd, Coral Gables.
How tall is Ponce Park and how many residences are planned? It is marketed as an 11-story building with 58 residences.
What size range is marketed for Ponce Park residences? Roughly 1,900 to 6,500 square feet, depending on plan and including penthouses.
Does Ponce Park offer private elevator entry? Yes. Private elevator entry is marketed for individual residences.
What is The Village at Coral Gables and where is it located? A low-rise, 3-story luxury residential development at 535 Santander Ave, Coral Gables.
How many residences are marketed at The Village? 48 total residences.
What home types are offered at The Village? It is marketed as 24 flats, 16 townhomes, 4 lofts, and 4 villas.
How large are The Village Flats? They are marketed at approximately 1,698 square feet of air-conditioned interior area.
What defines The Village Lofts? They are marketed as 3-story residences with 2 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, and a 2-car garage.
What is the simplest way to compare these two projects? Start with plan PDFs and confirm whether square footage is interior-only or total, including outdoor areas.
For a discreet, plan-first buying approach, work with MILLION Luxury.
Million Luxury
Million Luxury
Welcome to MILLION, an exclusive luxury real estate boutique nestled in the heart of South Florida’s most desirable locations. Specializing in high-end properties, we provide a sanctuary for discerning clients including top Fortune 500 executives, affluent families, celebrities, and professional athletes from across the globe. At MILLION, we understand the unique demands of our elite clientele and offer a seamless blend of confidentiality and personalized attention. Our commitment to privacy is unwavering; we ensure that every transaction and interaction is handled with the utmost discretion and according to stringent confidentiality protocols. Our concierge service embodies the pinnacle of white-glove care, offering tailored assistance that transcends traditional real estate support.
