Puerto Rico Vacation Spot

El Condado is an oceanfront, tree-lined pedestrian-oriented community in San Juan, Puerto Rico. A primarily middle to upper class community, El Condado is located east of the historic colonial district of Old San Juan. It is one 40 "sub-barrios" of Santurce. The land area measures 0.82 km² (824,791 m²), with a resident population of 6,170 as of U.S. Census of 2000. The eastern border is marked by De Diego Avenue and its straight extension towards the Atlantic coast. On the south, the district is bounded by Wilson Street, Aldea Street, Expreso Baldorioty de Castro, Piccioni Street and Delcasse Street, and by the Condado Lagoon (from east to west). The western-most point is the "Puente Dos Hermanos", where Ashford Avenue ends and leads into Old San Juan. In the north are the beaches of the Atlantic Ocean. The meaning of the Spanish word condado is county.

Its location close to historic Old San Juan, beaches, hotels and other attractions such as nightclubs, casinos, shops and restaurants make the district of El Condado one of Puerto Rico's primary tourist destinations.

History

El Condado began its process of urbanization in 1908 by the Behn Brothers, two American industrialists. Its growth and development was mostly shaped by transportation-influenced suburbanization and developed on a grid plan. El Condado became a typical "Streetcar suburb" to the traditional urban center of Old San Juan. Coordinates: 18°27′23″N 66°4′16″W  /  18.45639°N 66.07111°W  / 18.45639; -66.07111

El Condado experienced a boom in the first decades of the 20th century when some of the wealthiest families built their homes in the area. The Vanderbilts built a summer home in 1919 which today has been converted into the Condado Plaza, a luxury hotel. The Behn brothers, El Condado's developers and founders of the Puerto Rico Telephone Company which later spawned ITT, also built their home in the area as well as the bridge which honors their name, "Two Brothers Bridge" (Puente Dos Hermanos), and constructed, among other things, for the new electric streetcar line that linked El Condado to Old San Juan. Ashford Avenue, named after another well-known Condado resident Dr. Bailey Ashford, runs through the district and leads toward the Puente Dos Hermanos.

The 1950s-60s saw another boom in El Condado, with the rapid industrialization of Puerto Rico, El Condado was becoming a popular tourist destination. Large hotels, mainly sponsored by the government as part of Operation Bootstrap were built. These included the Caribe Hilton, and La Concha hotels. A convention center was built which hosted many activities. Many Puerto Rican families started to move into the area and high-rise apartment buildings began to be built.

El Condado today

El Condado looks quite different from what it did at the turn of the century. Some of the luxurious homes which still remain nestled between the high-rise condominiums have been converted into small Inns, shops, museums or restaurants. Dr. Bailey Ashford's home has been remodeled and there are plans to turn it into a museum.

International celebrities are often sighted in the area, as well as well-known Puerto Ricans who have called El Condado home - José Miguel Agrelot, and Lourdes Chacon (sister of the also famous dancer Iris Chacon) are among them. Marvin Hagler was sighted vacationing there in 1983 after his fight against Roberto Duran. El Condado has also been the scene of tragedies such as the Karl Wallenda televised tight rope fall in 1978, and the Dupont Plaza Hotel fire which killed 97 people on December 31, 1986. Today it is also common to see couples taking strolls down "El Paseo de Don Juan", a sea side street to enjoy the sunset and children playing in some of the many parks in the area.

El Condado's success as a popular residential and tourist spot is taking a toll on the infrastructure and residents. While properties in El Condado tend to be expensive, it is also often traffic congested and residents have to contend with high noise levels even at late hours due to the nightclubs and other attractions. Plans are currently underway to attempt to alleviate the traffic congestion with the improvement of bridges and provide more pedestrian social spaces for residents and visitors.

A new public space system designed by architect Andres Mignucci FAIA includes the Antonia Quiñones Park (also known as the Placita del Condado), the Parque del Indio, the Plaza del Ancla and Plaza Las Nereidas. Its most prominent park, "La Ventana al Mar" designed in 2004 serves as the center piece of El Condado's rehabilitation which includes the restoration of the district's landmark hotels, The Vanderbilt and La Concha.

El Condado hosts today many high-fashion boutiques such as: Salvatore Ferragamo, Louis Vuitton, Dior, Cartier and Gucci.

Over the last decade, Condado has been known as a gay village.

El Condado will continue it's expansion process including the addition of new towers (including Trump Condado), new hotels and new stores.

References

1. ^ Cangrejos - Santurce - Authors; Aníbal Sepúlveda, Jorge Carbonell, Centro de Investigaciones CARIMAR, Oficina Estatal de Preservación Histórica. (Spanish)
2. ^ http://travel.gay.com/2009/03/puerto-rico-gateway-to-the-gay-caribbean.html
3. ^ http://vacation.away.com/attractions/travel-ad-cid327488-condado-attid287098-condado-and-ocean-park-gay-beaches-attraction.html

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