El Condado is an oceanfront, tree-lined, vibrant pedestrian-oriented community
in
San Juan, Puerto RicoSan Juan is the capital and largest municipality in Puerto Rico. As of the 2000 census, it has a population of 433,733, making it the 42nd-largest city under the jurisdiction of the United States. San Juan was founded by Spanish colonists in 1521, who called it Ciudad de 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
SanturceSanturce is a district in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The name Santurce comes from St. George. The original Santurce is a town near Bilbao, in Spain ....
. 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
SpanishSpanish or Castilian is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that originated in northern Spain and gradually spread in the Kingdom of Castile, evolving into the principal language of government and trade in the Iberian peninsula...
word
condado is
countyA county is a land area of local government within a country. A county may have cities and towns within its area. Originally, in continental Europe, a county was the land under the jurisdiction of a count .Counts are called earls in post-Celtic Britain, Ireland and France—the term is from Old...
.
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 begins 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 planThe grid plan or gridiron plan is a type of city plan in which streets run at right angles to each other, forming a grid. In the context of the culture of Ancient Greece the grid plan is called Hippodamian plan.-Ancient grid plans:...
. El Condado becomes a typical "
Streetcar suburbA streetcar suburb is a community whose growth and development was strongly shaped by the use of streetcar lines as a primary means of transportation. The earliest suburbs were served by horsecars, but by the late 1800s cable cars and electric streetcars, or trams, were used, allowing residences to...
" to the traditional urban center of Old San Juan.
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
VanderbiltsThe Vanderbilt family is a significant international family with Dutch origins, who were highly prominent during the 1800s due to the family patriarch Cornelius Vanderbilt, the tenth wealthiest person in history, who created railroad and shipping empires...
built a summer home in 1919 which today has been converted into the Condado Plaza, a luxury hotel. The
BehnBehn is a family name and may refer to:* Aphra Behn, a prolific dramatist of the English Restoration* Ari Behn, an author married to Princess Märtha Louise of Norway* The Behn Brothers, founders of the Puerto Rico Telephone:** Hernan Behn** Sosthenes Behn...
brothers, El Condado's developers and founders of the
Puerto Rico Telephone CompanyPuerto Rico Telephone is the largest Puerto Rican telecommunications services company. It is headquartered in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico and has operated for almost a century offering voice, data, long distance, broadband, directory publishing and wireless services for the island residents and businesses...
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) constructed among other things for the new electric
streetcar lineElectric streetcars, often called trams outside North America, once served transit needs in scores of North American cities. Most municipal systems were dismantled in the mid-20th century....
that linked El Condado to Old San Juan. Ashford Avenue, named after another well-known Condado resident Dr.
Bailey AshfordColonel Bailey K. Ashford was born in Washington D.C. in 1873 and died in 1934. He was one of five children in the family of a prominent physician. His general education was obtained at the public schools and at Columbian University in Washington D.C....
, 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 RicoPuerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is a self-governing unincorporated territory of the United States located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of the Virgin Islands...
, El Condado was becoming a popular tourist destination. Large hotels, mainly sponsored by the government as part of
Operation BootstrapOperation Bootstrap is the name given to the ambitious projects which industrialized Puerto Rico in the mid-20th century. Teodoro Moscoso is referred to as the architect of Operation Bootstrap. Under this program, which began in 1948, the island became increasingly industrialized...
were built. These included the
Caribe HiltonThe Caribe Hilton Hotel, located in San Juan, Puerto Rico, is one of the best-known hotels in the Caribbean. It was the first facility ever operated by Hilton Hotels outside of the continental United States....
, 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 AshfordColonel Bailey K. Ashford was born in Washington D.C. in 1873 and died in 1934. He was one of five children in the family of a prominent physician. His general education was obtained at the public schools and at Columbian University in Washington D.C....
'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 AgrelotGiuseppe Michael Agrelot , better known as José Miguel Agrelot, was a Puerto Rican comedian, radio and television host and media icon of Italian descent...
, and Lourdes Chacon (sister of the also famous dancer
Iris ChaconIris Chacón is a dancer, singer, and entertainer. She enjoys great popularity in Puerto Rico and in Latin American countries, as well as in mainland US cities such as New York, Miami, and Los Angeles.-Career:Chacon has been known by various nicknames, such as "La Bomba de Puerto Rico" Iris Chacón...
) are among them.
Marvin HaglerMarvelous Marvin Hagler , is a former Undisputed Middleweight boxing champion of the world. Hagler's record is 62-3-2 with 52 knockouts.- Early life and amateur career :...
was sighted vacationing there in 1983 after his fight against
Roberto DuranRoberto Durán is a retired professional boxer from Panama, widely regarded as one of the greatest boxers of all-time. A versatile brawler in the ring, he was nicknamed "Manos de Piedra" during his career....
. El Condado has also been the scene of tragedies such as the
Karl WallendaKarl Wallenda was the founder of The Flying Wallendas, an internationally known daredevil circus act famous for performing death-defying stunts without a safety net.-Personal life:...
televised tight rope fall in 1978, and the
Dupont Plaza HotelDupont Plaza Hotel has been the name of several hotels, including:*DuPont Plaza Hotel *Hotel Dupont Plaza in San Juan, Puerto Rico, site of the Dupont Plaza Hotel arson, now the San Juan Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino...
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 MignucciAndrés Mignucci FAIA is a Puerto Rican architect and urbanist. His work has received recognition for its integration of the disciplines of architecture, urban design and landscape architecture in the creation of public spaces with a sense of place, human scale, and environmental responsibility...
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 FerragamoSalvatore Ferragamo was a florentine and Italian shoe designer. He worked with many Hollywood stars in the 1920s, before returning to Italy to found the eponymous company making unique hand-made footwear. His scientific and creative approach to shoes spawned many innovations such as the wedge heel...
,
Louis VuittonLouis Vuitton Malletier, commonly referred to as Louis Vuitton, or shortened to LV, is an international French fashion house specializing in trunks, leather goods, ready-to-wear, shoes, watches, jewelry, accessories, sunglasses, and books. Known the world over for its iconic LV monogram and logo,...
,
DiorDior can mean:* Christian Dior SA, a French clothing retailer* In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional Middle-earth legendarium:**Dior Eluchíl, a Half-elven of the First Age**Dior , a Steward of GondorDior is a surname, and may refer to:...
,
CartierCartiers SA is a French jeweller and watch manufacturer that is a subsidiary of Switzerland's Compagnie Financière Richemont SA. The corporation carries the name of the Cartier family of jewelers whose control ended in 1964 and who were known for numerous pieces including the "Bestiary" , the diamond...
and
GucciThe House of Gucci mane, better known as Gucci , is a Florentine fashion and leather goods label, part of the Gucci Group, which is owned by French company Pinault-Printemps-Redoute...
.
El Condado will continue it's expansion process including the addition of new towers (including Trump Condado), new hotels and new stores.