Living in Florida's Space Coast
North Grove
North Grove is a small early nineties subdivision on North Tropical Trail above Hall Road, north of the Barge Canal. Every lot in it is the same size, 0.34 of an acre. Homes run 1,980 to 3,168 square feet, mostly single story ranch plans in stucco. There is a pond with a fountain and a community gazebo, dues are $530 a year, and the ZIP is 32953.
North Grove In Merritt Island, Florida
The names tell you what was here first. North Grove, Northgrove Drive, Murcott Avenue. A murcott is a citrus cultivar, the honey tangerine, and North Merritt Island was grove land long before it was residential. When the plat went in around 1990 the developer kept the reference and kept much of the mature tree cover with it. Homes on Murcott Avenue back to a pond with a fountain and a community gazebo at the water's edge.
What is unusual about this subdivision is its uniformity. Every parcel is 0.34 of an acre. Not roughly, not on average. The plat was laid out with a consistent lot and it stayed that way, which means the difference between two homes here comes down to the house, the orientation and whether the back yard faces water, trees or another back yard. Corner lots and homes with nothing directly behind them are the ones people want.
The houses went up between 1990 and 1995. Stucco exteriors, shingle roofs, single story ranch plans, two car garages, three to five bedrooms with two or three baths. Living area runs 1,980 to 3,168 square feet, typically about 2,190. Several have added hurricane impact windows and storm shutters. Interiors have been widely updated, so you will find original 1992 kitchens and fully remodeled ones on the same street at very different prices.
Dues run $530 a year on every home, collected by North Grove Homeowners' Association, Inc., which has been on the Florida corporate register as an active nonprofit for decades. That funds the pond, the fountain, the gazebo and the common ground. Nothing else is bundled in: no gate, no clubhouse, no community pool, no age restriction. Public water serves the neighborhood and every home is on its own septic system, which is standard for this part of North Merritt Island.
Pricing runs $400,000 to $760,000 with the middle near $496,500 and about $222 a square foot, the lowest per foot figure of any subdivision I track on the island. Homes take roughly 106 days to go under contract and sellers have been settling near 89 percent of their original asking price. North Merritt Island is a longer drive to almost everything, and this is what that costs the seller and saves the buyer.
North Grove At A Glance
North Grove at a glance, and note the ZIP code, which is 32953 rather than 32952.
| Detail | What you get |
|---|---|
| Location | North Merritt Island on North Tropical Trail above Hall Road, north of the Canaveral Barge Canal, ZIP 32953 |
| Built | 1990 to 1995, most homes around 1992 |
| Home size | 1,980 to 3,168 square feet, about 2,190 typical |
| Bedrooms | 3 to 5, most commonly 3 |
| Bathrooms | 2 to 3, commonly 2 |
| Lot size | 0.34 acre on every parcel |
| Construction | Stucco over block and frame, shingle roofs, ranch styling. Impact windows and storm shutters added on several homes |
| Levels | Predominantly single story |
| Garage | 2 bays |
| Association | North Grove Homeowners' Association, Inc., an active Florida nonprofit corporation. Mandatory, $530 a year on every home |
| Amenities | Community pond with a fountain, a gazebo at the water and maintained common ground. No pool, clubhouse or gate |
| Pools | Private in ground pools on a majority of the homes, several screened |
| Water frontage | Pond frontage on a small number of lots. No navigable water and no docks |
| Views | Pond and fountain views on the lake lots, mature tree cover elsewhere |
| Utilities | Public water with septic tank sewer |
| Streets | Northgrove Drive and Murcott Avenue |
| Gated | No, and not age restricted |
| Price range | $400,000 to $760,000, around $222 per square foot |
North Grove Details
The Cheapest Square Foot On The Island
At roughly $222 a square foot, North Grove is the lowest per foot figure among the subdivisions I follow on Merritt Island. You are trading drive time for space. If your work or your habits do not require being ten minutes from State Road 520, the arithmetic here is hard to argue with.
One Lot Size, Fewer Surprises
Every parcel is 0.34 of an acre. That uniformity makes value comparison genuinely straightforward, because lot area is off the table as a variable and you can focus entirely on the house, the orientation and what sits behind the back fence.
A Pond That Belongs To Everyone
The community pond with its fountain and gazebo is maintained by the assessment, so the water feature is shared rather than confined to the handful of lots that front it. Most small subdivisions treat a retention pond as drainage and nothing more.
Manatee Cove Park Up The Road
Manatee Cove Park at 4905 North Tropical Trail is a 29.49 acre county river park with a natural canoe launch, a walking trail around a lagoon where manatees shelter, a large pavilion and shoreline fishing. It is close enough to walk to from parts of the subdivision.
Kennedy Space Center Commute
North Merritt Island is the short side of the drive to Kennedy Space Center and the SpaceX and Blue Origin operations at the Cape. North Courtenay Parkway runs straight north. For anyone working on that side, this end of the island removes twenty minutes each way.
Real Negotiating Room
Sellers here have been settling near 89 percent of their original asking price, and homes take about 106 days to go under contract. Very few Merritt Island neighborhoods give a buyer that much space to work in, and it is a direct consequence of the location.
Homes For Sale In North Grove
Current availability in North Grove. It is a small plat on two streets, so inventory is thin, and homes that do come up tend to sit long enough that you can think them over.
North Grove Frequently Asked Questions
What are North Grove's HOA dues?
Five hundred thirty dollars a year on every home, collected by North Grove Homeowners' Association, Inc., an active Florida nonprofit corporation. The money maintains the pond, the fountain, the gazebo and the common ground. There is no pool, clubhouse or gate.
How big are the lots?
Every lot in the subdivision is 0.34 of an acre. That consistency is unusual and it makes comparing two homes here much cleaner than in a plat with varied parcel sizes. Corner lots and lots with nothing behind them are the ones that draw the most attention.
Where does the name come from?
North Merritt Island was citrus grove land before it was residential. Murcott, the name on one of the two streets, is a citrus cultivar known as the honey tangerine. The subdivision kept the grove reference and much of the mature tree cover.
Is there a lake or waterfront?
There is a community pond with a fountain and a gazebo. A small number of homes back directly to it. There is no navigable water, no dock and no boat access from inside the subdivision. The Indian River is a short distance west along North Tropical Trail.
What ZIP code is North Grove in?
32953, not 32952. North Merritt Island above the Barge Canal uses 32953, and that distinction matters when you are running searches or setting up insurance quotes, because it will change the results you see.
What is the commute like from here?
North Courtenay Parkway runs north to Kennedy Space Center in about twenty minutes and south to State Road 528 in about twelve. From 528 it is roughly fifteen minutes to Port Canaveral and about an hour to Orlando International Airport. Cocoa Beach is around twenty five minutes.
Why do homes take longer to sell here?
About 106 days to contract, with sellers landing near 89 percent of their original asking price. North Merritt Island is farther from the retail and commuting corridors than the central and south island, and the market prices that in. It is one of the better positions a buyer can be in.
Is the subdivision on septic?
Yes. Public water serves the neighborhood and each home runs its own septic tank and drainfield. On a third of an acre that is workable. Have the system inspected and pumped during due diligence and ask when it was last replaced.
Northgrove Drive, Merritt Island 32953
North Grove sits on North Merritt Island in the 32953 ZIP code, north of the Canaveral Barge Canal on the Indian River side of the island. From North Courtenay Parkway you head north past the canal to Hall Road, turn west, then right onto North Tropical Trail and right again into the subdivision on Northgrove Drive. Murcott Avenue branches off it and runs along the community pond. Manatee Cove Park is a short distance up the Trail.
This is the quiet end of Merritt Island and the drive times split cleanly by direction. North Courtenay Parkway runs straight north to Kennedy Space Center in around twenty minutes. Going south, State Road 528 is about twelve minutes, which puts Port Canaveral near fifteen and Orlando International Airport at roughly an hour. State Road 520 and the retail corridor are around fifteen minutes south, and Cocoa Beach is about twenty five.
Near North Grove In Merritt Island
Considering North Grove?
The question with North Grove is always the same: is the drive worth what it saves you. For someone commuting to Kennedy Space Center it is not even close, and for someone commuting to Melbourne it usually is not worth it at all. My partner Nichole and I will run your actual routes at your actual times before you decide. Call or text (321) 212-7676 and we will look at it honestly.
