Florida Home With a Cameo in ‘Miami Vice’ Lists for $29.9 Million
A historic Roaring Twenties residence in Florida’s Coconut Grove neighborhood that was one of the locations used in the hit 1980s TV series “Miami Vice” is on the market for $29.9 million after undergoing a $12 million restoration.
Reimagined by famed interior designer Bunny Williams, the Miami estate is owned by a limited liability company that purchased it in October 2022 for $14.7 million, according to property records.
A beamed ceiling and a light color scheme bring drama to a bedroom.
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“The seller, who owns several homes, looked for over eight months to find the right property,” said Renier Casanova of Compass Florida, who listed it last week. “She had no intention of selling, but I kind of twisted her arm—one of the houses down the block recently sold privately for $50 million, and that set the ceiling.”
Built in 1929, the Mediterranean Revival house overlooking Biscayne Bay is in the prestigious and private gated community of the Moorings, which has only 35 houses.
Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas in “Miami Vice”
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The residence was designed by Miami architect Walter De Garmo, whose most prominent works include Miami City Hall and the Women’s Club of Coconut Grove.
The estate was featured in “Main Squeeze,” the 11th episode in the fifth and final season of “Miami Vice,” which starred Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas as undercover police detectives and ran from 1984 through 1989.
There are several fireplaces that are organically integrated into the architecture.
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“There were interior and exterior shots of the house,” Casanova said. “There’s a scene with Rita Moreno in the living room. The interior decoration looked a lot different then.”
Sited on two-thirds of an acre, the grand residence, at the mouth of the marina, covers 6,268 square feet and has six bedrooms, six full bathrooms and one half bath.
Outside, the lush landscaping, worthy of an oasis, is punctuated by a swimming pool and spa, a fountain and a koi pond.
“It’s magical—it has history, charm and offers the Coconut Grove lifestyle,” Casanova said.
He noted that under a previous owner the house had been restored by Portuondo Perotti Architects in the early 2000s and that Williams “has given the house a renaissance, doing justice to the time and architecture and the contemporary lifestyle.”
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The Moorings is one of the few gated communities in Coconut Grove. “You can walk to the village center for dinner and shopping,” Casanova said, adding that the estate is right next door to Carrollton School of the Sacred Heart, a highly sought-after private college prep for girls.
He added that Coconut Grove is a coveted community because “you’re in the middle of the city but you’re living a small-town life.”
The house sold twice in quick succession before the current seller bought it. In February 2021, it went for $9.5 million, in January 2022, it changed hands for $12.4 million, according to property records.
