Liguanea
Encyclopedia
Liguanea is a historically significant area in the island of Jamaica
in the West Indies. Its name came from the language of the pre-Columbian Taino
people who inhabited the island and named it after the iguana lizard that is endemic to the island, and an important source of food
for the Taino.
Geographically, the Liguanea Plains are the fertile flat lands of alluvium
spreading south towards the Kingston Harbour
, but the area known as Liguanea is only a small part in the Kingston Corporate Area, a section of the parish of St Andrew. From a socioeconomic point of view, Liguanea is the name of a distinct commercial district: east to west, between Half-Way-Tree (up to Jamaica House) and Papine (UTech's front gate); north to south, between Millsborough (Barbican Road) and New Kingston (Mountain View Road to Trafalgar Road).
The heart of the Liguanea suburban commercial district is Matilda's Corner, the only intersection of Hope & Old Hope Roads. Activities here serve the immediate neighbourhoods as well as the adjoining area of Papine. The origin of the name Matilda's Corner is unknown. Enclosing residential areas include Mona, Wellington, Mona Heights, Hope Pastures, Trafalgar Park, and Beverly Hills. The "small communities," also known as ghettoes or "deep urban areas," nearby are Sandy Gully, Stand Pipe and Chambers Lane/Air Pipe.
Within three miles of Matilda's Corner - you can also find these notable places:
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
in the West Indies. Its name came from the language of the pre-Columbian Taino
Taíno people
The Taínos were pre-Columbian inhabitants of the Bahamas, Greater Antilles, and the northern Lesser Antilles. It is thought that the seafaring Taínos are relatives of the Arawak people of South America...
people who inhabited the island and named it after the iguana lizard that is endemic to the island, and an important source of food
Food
Food is any substance consumed to provide nutritional support for the body. It is usually of plant or animal origin, and contains essential nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals...
for the Taino.
Geographically, the Liguanea Plains are the fertile flat lands of alluvium
Alluvium
Alluvium is loose, unconsolidated soil or sediments, eroded, deposited, and reshaped by water in some form in a non-marine setting. Alluvium is typically made up of a variety of materials, including fine particles of silt and clay and larger particles of sand and gravel...
spreading south towards the Kingston Harbour
Kingston Harbour
-External links:**Photos:...
, but the area known as Liguanea is only a small part in the Kingston Corporate Area, a section of the parish of St Andrew. From a socioeconomic point of view, Liguanea is the name of a distinct commercial district: east to west, between Half-Way-Tree (up to Jamaica House) and Papine (UTech's front gate); north to south, between Millsborough (Barbican Road) and New Kingston (Mountain View Road to Trafalgar Road).
The heart of the Liguanea suburban commercial district is Matilda's Corner, the only intersection of Hope & Old Hope Roads. Activities here serve the immediate neighbourhoods as well as the adjoining area of Papine. The origin of the name Matilda's Corner is unknown. Enclosing residential areas include Mona, Wellington, Mona Heights, Hope Pastures, Trafalgar Park, and Beverly Hills. The "small communities," also known as ghettoes or "deep urban areas," nearby are Sandy Gully, Stand Pipe and Chambers Lane/Air Pipe.
What's in Liguanea?
- of Religious interest: a number of places of worship - including Anglican, Roman Catholic, Church of God,Apostolic/Pentecostal Seventh-day AdventistSeventh-day Adventist ChurchThe Seventh-day Adventist Church is a Protestant Christian denomination distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the original seventh day of the Judeo-Christian week, as the Sabbath, and by its emphasis on the imminent second coming of Jesus Christ...
, New Testament, Methodist - the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese in Jamaica, a Methodist cemetery, and an Anglican columbariumColumbariumA columbarium is a place for the respectful and usually public storage of cinerary urns . The term comes from the Latin columba and originally referred to compartmentalized housing for doves and pigeons .The Columbarium of Pomponius Hylas is a particularly fine ancient Roman example, rich in...
; - of Commercial interest: 3 large scale and even more small-scale shopping malls, 3 banks, a building society, a newly built Post Office & mall, 5 supermarkets, 4 pharmacies, a few music stores, 7 beauty and barber salons, 2 exercise clubs, including a Bally Fitness Club, a number of newspaper peddlers, 2 shoe repair businesses and 3 photo shops;
- of Educational interest: 2 major universities, 7 secondary schools - Campion College, Jamaica CollegeJamaica CollegeJamaica College is a prominent, all-male secondary school located in Kingston, Jamaica. It provides traditional classroom education to its students in a variety of subject areas.The institution caters to students aged 11 to 19 years...
, Priory High (closed in 2007), Ardenne High, American International School of Kingston, Papine High and Mona High - and 5 primary schools - New Providence Primary, Sts. Peter and Paul Preparatory, Priory Prep. (closed), Mona Prep. & Mona Primary; 3 Basic Schools - Providence Methodist Early Childhood Institution, Shady Grove Basic School, NWC Basic School. - of Culinary interest: The greatest concentration of Chinese restaurants in Jamaica - 8, 4 pizza stores - Pizza Delite, Pizza Hut & Dominoes, 6 Jamaican patty stores - Bigga's, Mother's, Juici Patties, Pat-A-Kake, Sugar and Spice, Le Bon Bakery, .A local Jamaican Bakery providing Jamaican pastries, cakes and puddings - The Cake Shoppe. 3 authentic Jamaican restaurants - The Everglades, Starapple, Stand Pipe Fish restaurant, American restaurants - Wendy's, Popeye's (closed), Burger King, 3 gaming lounges and nighttime clubs, such as The Village, Christar's Las Vegas and Hope Tavern;
- of Automotive interest: 3 service stations, a tyre repair shop, 2 wheel-balancing shops, a garage, and an auto electrician;
- The Society for the Blind H.Q.;
- The US Embassy in Jamaica.
Other Facts
- Postal Code: Kingston 6
- Population: approximately 10,000
- Famous Persons from Liguanea:(none)
- Oldest building in Liguanea: the triangular Fabricare cleaning building.
- Oldest institution: Providence Methodist Church on Old Hope Road, between Liguanea Lane Plaza and Photo Express.
- Notable dates: The day the Guango tree was cut down - 1997
Within three miles of Matilda's Corner - you can also find these notable places:
- Ministry of Agriculture and Mining,
- Management Institute of National Development (MIND),
- The University of the West Indies - known for schools of Medicine, and other Sciences,
- The University of Technology, Jamaica - known for schools of Engineering, Computing, Architecture and Pharmacy,
- The National Chest Hospital,
- The University Hospital of the West Indies,
- Andrews Memorial Hospital,
- Campion College
- Kingsway United Church,
- Andrews Seventh-day Adventist ChurchSeventh-day Adventist ChurchThe Seventh-day Adventist Church is a Protestant Christian denomination distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the original seventh day of the Judeo-Christian week, as the Sabbath, and by its emphasis on the imminent second coming of Jesus Christ...
, - St. Andrew Parish Church,
- St. Margaret's Church - Anglican,
- Sts. Peter and Paul Church - Roman Catholic,
- St. Thomas Aquinas Centre - Roman Catholic,
- Church of the Ascension - Anglican,
- Mona Baptist Church,
- The Office of the Commissioner of the Jamaica Constabulary ForceJamaica Constabulary ForceThe Jamaica Constabulary Force is the police force of the island nation of Jamaica. The official JCF staff numbers 9,930 plus 55 auxiliary positions, making a total of 9,985; its current strength is 8,441. Its commissioner is Owen Ellington, M.Sc, B.Sc, CD...
(soon to be relocated on Duke Street, Downtown), - Carberry Special School,
- Lister Mair School for the Deaf,
- National Children's Home,
- The Chinese Benevolence Association (CBA) building
- Vocational Technical Development Institute.
- The Water Resources Authority of Jamaica
Places to See & Things to Do
- Royal Botanical Gardens & Zoo - home to lush gardens, ponds, and Jamaica's only lions!
- Vale Royal - official residence of the Prime Minister
- Jamaica House - office of the Prime Minister
- King's House - official residence of the Governor-General
- Sovereign Centre - includes 2 cinemas (click here for current Palace Cineplex showings)
- Liguanea Post Mall - newly built shopping centre
- Contemporary Arts Centre
- Sts. Peter & Paul Church
- Bob Marley Museum
- Jamaica Carnival - road march through the streets of Liguanea, Half-Way-Tree and New Kingston the Sunday after Easter
- Joker's Wild/Bacchanal J'ouvert - road march through the streets of Liguanea and New Kingston the Friday after Easter
- Liguanea Arts Festival held annually
- CooYah Clothing - a local clothing brand
- La Pluma Negra - another local clothing brand
- Medusa - popular hang out spot. Famous for its Wednesday Night all inclusive for only JA$1000