Levittown, a community in the
San Juan MSA and part of the municipality of
Toa Baja
Toa Baja (, ) is a town and municipality of Puerto Rico located in the northern coast, north of Toa Alta and Bayamón; east of Dorado; and west of Cataño. Toa Baja is spread over five barrios, including Toa Baja Pueblo (the downtown area and ...
, is one of the largest planned communities in
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and Unincorporated ...
. Per the
2020 census, the population was 25,591.
It was developed by
Levitt & Sons
Levitt & Sons was a real estate development company founded by Abraham Levitt and later managed by his son William Levitt. The company is most famous for having built the town of Levittown, New York. The company's designs and building practices rev ...
in 1963.
Levittown is divided into eight sections called ''secciones'' (the eighth section was renamed Urb. Fronteras) and several sub-divisions called ''urbanizaciones''. Part of what is known as Levittown is located in the municipalities of Toa Baja and Bayamon(8th Section now known as Fronteras de Bayamon). Levittown is known for its large, light blue painted water tower (now converted into a public library) that was one of the first water towers in Puerto Rico used to provide potable water to residences. To the west sits Levittown Lakes or Los Lagos de Levittown, a small man-made lake formed by draining the marshland over which Levittown was built. The drainage canal that feeds the lake is called Caño El Hato, which extends into the center of Levittown. To the east, the Bayamon River divides Levittown from the fishing village of Palo Seco, next to the Cataño municipality.
It has a
Blue Flag-rated public beach known as Punta Salinas and also one of the bigger public sports centers of the metropolitan area of San Juan with tennis courts and a stadium for track and field meets. Its Olympic-sized pool has been in use since its construction in 1977. Its high school, Dr.
Pedro Albizu Campos
Pedro Albizu Campos (September 12, 1891Luis Fortuño Janeiro. ''Album Histórico de Ponce (1692–1963).'' p. 290. Ponce, Puerto Rico: Imprenta Fortuño. 1963. – April 21, 1965) was a Puerto Rican attorney and politician, and the leading fi ...
High School, was built in 1970 and is named after an important political figure on the island. The school's football team, the Levittown Spartans, have been among the top high school football teams on the island. In 1975 they became the co-champions along with the Pirates from Antilles High School, in Fort Buchanan. Also, the Spartans track teams, coached by Wilfredo Meaux (who would later on coach the team from
University of Puerto Rico at Bayamon
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, the ...
) were perennial powers during the 1970s and 80s. Levittown High's Basketball team has produced several excellent players including
Ramon Rivas, who played for the
NBA with the
Boston Celtics. In 2018, the Levittown Baseball Team was the world champions for the first ever Colt World Series Championship, beating the Seoul, Korea team 5 -4
Colt World Series Archives
Levittown's main avenue is "Bulevar de Levittown". It has the largest collection of small business in the community. Los Dominicos Avenue is the second main avenue and connects Levittown to other areas, e.g., Sabana Seca sector and the city of
Bayamón. Levittown has more than three shopping centers, including Plaza Davison and
Rio Hondo Mall. Highway 165 connects Levittown with the towns of
Toa Baja
Toa Baja (, ) is a town and municipality of Puerto Rico located in the northern coast, north of Toa Alta and Bayamón; east of Dorado; and west of Cataño. Toa Baja is spread over five barrios, including Toa Baja Pueblo (the downtown area and ...
,
Cataño and
Dorado, Puerto Rico
Dorado () is a town and municipality in the northern coast of Puerto Rico, west of San Juan and is located in the northern region of the island, bordering the Atlantic Ocean, north of Toa Alta, east of Vega Alta, and west of Toa Baja. Dorado ...
. Punta Salinas' radar domes and
El Morro can be seen from this route. At night, the
Morro Castle's lighthouse and the
Palo Seco power plant are visible. The coastal area along the road near the Bayamon River is popular with local surfers and is known as Cochino Beach (Pigs Beach), probably because of the brownish waters caused by the sediments flowing out from the river.
Punta Salinas, the public beach, is home to a
Puerto Rico Air National Guard
The Puerto Rico Air National Guard (PR ANG) — es, Guardia Nacional Aérea de Puerto Rico— is the aerial militia of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States of America. It is, along with the Puerto Ri ...
unit, the 140 ADS, that provides air traffic control support to the
FAA
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is the largest transportation agency of the U.S. government and regulates all aspects of civil aviation in the country as well as over surrounding international waters. Its powers include air traffic m ...
, military and law enforcement operations. It is also the home of a
Civil Air Patrol squadron, one of several in the municipality of Toa Baja.
Levittown has tropical weather all year round. The water tower, also known by pilots as the "Levittown Water Tank" provides a visual navigational checkpoint to aircraft flying either to
Isla Grande Airport
Fernando Luis Ribas Dominicci Airport , also commonly known as Isla Grande Airport, is an airport in Isla Grande, a district in the municipality of San Juan, Puerto Rico. It is owned by the Puerto Rico Ports Authority and is adjacent to the Pu ...
or to
Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport
Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport ( es, link=no, Aeropuerto Internacional Luis Muñoz Marín) is a joint civil-military international airport located in suburban Carolina, Puerto Rico, southeast of San Juan. It is named for Luis Muñoz ...
. The area around Lago De Plata suffered some flood damages due to the rising water levels during Hurricane Maria.
Transportation
It is served by Route D37 of the
Puerto Rico Metropolitan Bus Authority
The Autoridad Metropolitana de Autobuses (AMA, English: Puerto Rico Metropolitan Bus Authority) is a government-owned corporation and public transport bus service based in the San Juan metropolitan area. It is part of the Puerto Rico Department ...
and private commuter buses connecting the community with Cataño and the
Tren Urbano
The ''Tren Urbano'' (English: Urban Train) is a fully-automated rapid transit system that serves the municipalities of San Juan, Guaynabo, and Bayamón, in Puerto Rico. The Tren Urbano consists of 16 stations operating on of track along a ...
Rapid Transit station in Bayamon. The neighborhood is patrolled by the Toa Baja Municipal Police Department with a precinct in the western part of the neighborhood, and the 271st precinct of the
Puerto Rico Police Department
The Puerto Rico Police Department ( es, Policía de Puerto Rico), officially the Puerto Rico Police Bureau, is a law enforcement agency with jurisdiction over the entire Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. It is a division of the Puerto Rico Department ...
located behind the water tank and the high school.
Demographics
Prior to the
2020 U.S. Census
The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to of ...
, the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...
changed the name of the community from ''Levittown'' to ''Mansión del Mar''.
2020 census
''Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.''
2010 Census
As of the census of 2010, there were 26,960 people living in the community. The average family size was of 3.09. The population density was 13,279/mi
2. There were 11,701 housing units. The racial makeup of the area was 73.9% White, 13.7% African American, 7.7% from other races, and 3.7% from two or more races. The majority (98.6%) were of Hispanic ethnicity. Of those, 93.5% were Puerto Rican, 0.5% Cuban, 0.3% Mexican and 4.4% of other Hispanic ethnicity.
In the community the population was 53.5% females and 46.5% males. The median age of the population was 38.4 years. The mean income for a family in the community for 2010 was $36,605. 24.2% of families were below the federal poverty level. The community was generally a lower-middle-class and working-class neighborhood. From 2008 to 2010, 81 percent of people 25 years and over had at least graduated from high school and 21.6 percent had a bachelor's degree or higher. On the average, 62.9% of its college-age population attend institutions of higher learning. 66.5 percent of Levittown workers drove to work alone in 2010, 17.4 percent carpooled, 3.7 percent took public transportation, and 11.5 percent used other means. The remaining 0.9 percent worked at home. Among those who commuted to work, it took them on average 38.0 minutes to get to work. Among the most common occupations were: Sales and office occupations, 36.1 percent; Management, professional, and related occupations, 30.0 percent; Service occupations, 17.3 percent; Production, transportation, and material moving occupations, 9.3 percent. 69.8 percent of the people employed were Private wage and salary workers; 23.5 percent was Federal, state, or local government workers; and 6.4 percent was Self-employed in own not incorporated business workers.
Notable people
*
Justo Betancourt Justo Betancourt (born December 6, 1940) is a Cuban singer famous for his interpretation of "Pa' bravo yo". He was born in Matanzas, Cuba, but has lived a significant amount of time in __Betancourt_led_a_group_called_Borincuba_(Conjunto_Borincuba) ...
- Salsa musician, lived in Levittown
*
Oscar Cartaya - Bass player for Spyro Gyra
*
Kany García
Encarnita "Kany" García de Jesús (born September 25, 1982) is a Puerto Rican singer and songwriter. Born in Toa Baja, Puerto Rico, García first appeared on television in 2004 as a contestant on ''Objetivo Fama''. She is widely considered the m ...
- Songwriter
*
José Huertas "Invader #1" - Professional Wrestler
*
Sixto Lezcano
Sixto Joaquin Lezcano Curras (born November 28, 1953) is a Puerto Rican former professional baseball outfielder, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for 12 seasons (1974–1985). He played for five MLB teams and won a Gold Glove during ...
- Major League Baseball Player
*
Ray Reyes
Ray Reyes León (March 13, 1970 – April 30, 2021) was a Puerto Rican singer who was a member of the Puerto Rican boy band Menudo.
Career
He was born in New York City and was raised in Levittown, a neighborhood in Toa Baja, Puerto Rico. He ...
- Singer and ex-Menudo, raised in Levittown
*
Ramón Rivas
Juan Ramón Rivas Contreras (born March 16, 1966
basketball-reference.com) is a Puerto Rican retired professional ...
- NBA Basketball Player, grew up in Levittown
*
Jerry Rivera
Jerry Rivera (born Gerardo Rivera Rodríguez on July 31, 1973) is a Puerto Rican salsa singer and songwriter.
Early years
Rivera was born in Humacao, a town located on the eastern coast of Puerto Rico. He moved with his family to Levittown i ...
- Salsa musician, raised in Levittown and
Sabana Seca
*
Edwin "Chapo" Rosario - former World Boxing Champion
*
Julita Ross
Julita Ross (March 21, 1919 – June 29, 1981) was a singer of Puerto Rican music, Puerto Rican danzas, also known as "The Great Lady of the Danzas".
Early years
Ross was born in Arecibo, Puerto Rico. Her parents Ramon and Clemencia moved to ...
- National Folk Ballad Singer, aka "La Dama de la Danza"
*
Olga Tañón
Olga Teresa Tañón OrtizIn this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is ''Tañón'' and the second or maternal family name is ''Ortiz''. (born April 13, 1967) is a Puerto Rican singer-songwriter. Over the course of her career, she has ...
- Merengue & Latin Pop Singer
Gallery
Levittown, Puerto Rico.jpg
Cochino-beach-levittown.jpg, Pier at Cochino Beach
Comfort Inn Levittown.jpg, View of the Levittown Comfort Inn Hotel (right)
See also
*
List of communities in Puerto Rico
*
List of barrios and sectors of Toa Baja, Puerto Rico
References
Toa Baja and its communities, United States Census Bureau2008-2010 American Community Survey 3-Year EstimatesPhoto of original Model HomesFHA Commissioner Philip N. Brownstein and other federal government officials touring Levittown in 1965Utility poles go up in 1st Section of Levittown in 1965, Water Tank in backgroundPuerto Rico High School Football League
External links
*{{Commons category-inline
Toa Baja, Puerto Rico
Levittown