Santurce (, meaning

Saint George Saint George (;Geʽez: ጊዮርጊስ, , ka, გიორგი, , , died 23 April 303), also George of Lydda, was an early Christian martyr who is venerated as a saint in Christianity. According to holy tradition, he was a soldier in the ...

from

Basque Basque may refer to: * Basques, an ethnic group of Spain and France * Basque language, their language Places * Basque Country (greater region), the homeland of the Basque people with parts in both Spain and France * Basque Country (autonomous co ...

Santurtzi Santurtzi (; ) is a port of Bilbao, port town in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of Basque Country (autonomous community), Basque Country, Spain. It is located in the Bilbao Abra bay, near the mouth of the Nervión river, on it ...

'') is the largest and most populated

barrio ''Barrio'' () is a Spanish language, Spanish word that means "Quarter (urban subdivision), quarter" or "neighborhood". In the modern Spanish language, it is generally defined as each area of a city delimited by functional (e.g. residential, comm ...

of the

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...

San Juan San Juan, Spanish for Saint John (disambiguation), Saint John, most commonly refers to: * San Juan, Puerto Rico * San Juan, Argentina * San Juan, Metro Manila, a highly urbanized city in the Philippines San Juan may also refer to: Places Arge ...

, the capital city of

Puerto Rico ; abbreviated PR), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a Government of Puerto Rico, self-governing Caribbean Geography of Puerto Rico, archipelago and island organized as an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territo ...

. With a population of 69,469 in 2020, Santurce is also one of the most

densely populated Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

areas of the main island of Puerto Rico (13,257.4 persons per square mile (5,178.6/km²)) with a population larger than most municipalities of the territory. Founded as San Mateo de Cangrejos in the 1760, Santurce officially became part of the municipality of San Juan in 1863. From its original settlement, its history has been marked by diverse waves of immigration, particularly of Afro-Puerto Rican, Chinese,

Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

and Dominican communities who have left a cultural imprint in the area.Society For Crypto Judaic Studies, Harry Ezratty
Profile
, cryptojews.com; accessed March 18, 2015. In the 20th century, it grew as a key economic and cultural center of San Juan with an influx of businesses, theaters, and hotels, making it one of the most significant cultural districts in Puerto Rico. Today, Santurce's neighborhoods like Condado and Miramar have become popular tourist and commercial areas.

History

16th–18th centuries

The history of the settlement of Santurce is closely linked to that of

Old San Juan Old San Juan () is a historic district located at the "northwest triangle" of the San Juan Islet, islet of San Juan in San Juan, Puerto Rico, San Juan. Its area roughly correlates to the Ballajá, Old San Juan, Ballajá, Catedral, Old San Juan, ...

due to its location as the closest entry point from the Islet of San Juan to the Puerto Rican mainland and for its location between the

San Juan Bay San Juan Bay () is a Bay#Types, semi-enclosed bay, estuary, and harbor connected to the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean in the northeastern coastal plain of Puerto Rico. Surrounded by the capital Municipalities of Puerto Rico, municipality o ...

and the Atlantic coast. San Antonio Bridge, the first bridge connecting the islet to the main island was built across Condado Lagoon in the 1560s, during a period of infrastructural and military development of San Juan that also saw the edification of its

city walls A defensive wall is a fortification usually used to protect a city, town or other settlement from potential aggressors. The walls can range from simple palisades or earthworks to extensive military fortifications such as curtain walls with to ...

. Fortín San Antonio was also built during this time in order to defend the city from both northeast foreign invaders and land-based indigenous attacks. The area that would become Santurce was first settled between the end the 16th-century and throughout the 17th-century by both freed and escaped slaves coming from both rural Puerto Rico and other islands throughout the

West Indies The West Indies is an island subregion of the Americas, surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, which comprises 13 independent island country, island countries and 19 dependent territory, dependencies in thr ...

. The town of San Mateo de Cangrejos ("

Saint Matthew Matthew the Apostle was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus. According to Christian traditions, he was also one of the four Evangelists as author of the Gospel of Matthew, and thus is also known as Matthew the Evangelist. The claim of his g ...

" of the Crabs) was officially founded in 1760 by Basque settlers who formally acquired the land around what are today the subbarrios of San Mateo, Pulguero and Minillas. The area around what is today Isla Grande was also developed during this time with projects such as the Miraflores armory, established as part of military infrastructure developments by Alejandro O'Reilly. Santurce was captured by the British under the command of

Ralph Abercromby Lieutenant-general (United Kingdom), Lieutenant-General Sir Ralph Abercromby, (7 October 173428 March 1801) was a British Army officer, politician and colonial administrator who served as the governor of Trinidad in 1797. Rising to the rank ...

on April 18, 1797, during the early stages of the 1797 siege of San Juan, but it was later liberated on May 1.

19th century

Santurce saw further urban growth during the early decades of the 19th century thanks to the establishment of the '' Camino Real'', a military road between San Juan and the town of

Río Piedras Rio or Río is the Portuguese and Spanish word for "river". The word also exists in Italian, but is largely obsolete and used in a poetical or literary context to mean "stream". Rio, RIO or Río may also refer to: Places United States * Rio, Flo ...

(then called El Roble) built in 1810; this stretch of road now known as Ponce de León Avenue would prove to be of extreme importance in the urban history of the city of San Juan. The town church, San Mateo de Cangrejos of Santurce Parish, would also be established during this time in 1832. The establishment of the telegraph network in 1858 further modernized the town,Gilberto Aponte Torres, ''San Mateo de Cangrejos: Notas para su Historia'' (1985) which by 1863 was formally annexed to the municipality of San Juan. In 1876, an engineer from the port town of

in Spain's autonomous Basque Country region known as Pablo Ubarri arrived on the island to help in the construction of a railroad system and a steam tramway between San Juan and the town of Río Piedras through the center of San Mateo de Cangrejos. He was later granted the title of Count of Santurce by the Spanish Crown. With the newly acquired title and influence, the district was renamed after his title, county of Santurce (''condado de Santurce''), a decision that has caused controversy ever since. The tourist district of Condado (Spanish for 'county') traces its etymology to this title. The steamway service developed by the count in 1878 further helped the population of the barrio to considerably grow. Other key developments during this time were the construction of a civil hospital in 1885 (today the location of the Museum of Art of Puerto Rico), the establishment of street lighting and the electric grid in 1893, the installation of phone infrastructure in 1897, and the inauguration of both railway service and the Carretera Central linking San Juan to Ponce in 1898. The Treaty of Paris in 1898 saw the culmination of the Spanish-American War, with Puerto Rico now becoming a colony of the United States. In 1899, the

United States Department of War The United States Department of War, also called the War Department (and occasionally War Office in the early years), was the United States Cabinet department originally responsible for the operation and maintenance of the United States Army, als ...

conducted a census of Puerto Rico, finding that the population of Santurce was 5,840.

20th century

The

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

established Camp Las Casas, in the area of Las Casas in 1904. The camp was the main training base of the ''Porto Rico Regiment of Infantry'' (on January 15, 1899, the military government changed the name of Puerto Rico to ''Porto Rico'' and on May 17, 1932, U.S. Congress changed the name back to "Puerto Rico") The ''Porto Rico Regiment of Infantry'' was a U.S. Army Regiment which was later renamed the "

65th Infantry Regiment The 65th Infantry Regiment, nicknamed "The Borinqueneers" during the Korean War for the original Arawak Native American name for Puerto Rico (Borinquen), is a Puerto Rican regiment of the United States Army. The regiment's motto is ''Honor et ...

". The 65th Infantry Regiment was segregated. However, a separate division called the 375th Regiment enlisted Black soldiers. The base continued in operation until 1946, when it was finally closed. Residencial Las Casas would later be developed on this location."Historia Militar de Puerto Rico"; by Héctor Andrés Negroni; pg. 370; Teatro Ambassador panorama

The district of Condado continued to rapidly grow after the construction of Dos Hermanos Bridge in 1910, connecting the district to San Juan Antiguo. This period of population growth brought prosperity to many of the neighborhoods of Santurce with high urbanization in Miramar, Ocean Park, Sagrado Corazón and the formal establishment of a local marketplace, for example, also in 1910. Tourism industry in Puerto Rico is formally born during this time with the establishment of

Condado Vanderbilt Hotel The Condado Vanderbilt Hotel is a historic luxury hotel built in 1919 and located on Ashford Avenue in the district of Condado in San Juan, capital city of the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico. It was listed on the National Register of Historic ...

in 1917,Flores, Ronald. "New Hotels on the Horizon". (February/March 2009) ''¡Qué Pasa!''.

Puerto Rico Tourism Company The Puerto Rico Tourism Company (, or simply ''Turismo'') is the government-owned corporation in charge of tourism matters and regulations in Puerto Rico. The company was created during Governor Luis A. Ferré's administration (1969-1973) to coo ...

. something that would quickly prompt the opening of numerous hotels, restaurants and other businesses in the area of Condado in order to cater to the increasing number of tourists and visitors from overseas. Between 1937 and 1948, Santurce became one of the most vibrant areas of the capital. Numerous museums, art galleries, music venues also opened during this time. The district, notably Miramar and Sagrado Corazón, also experienced an architectural boom as vernacular ''Criollo'' style interacted with imported styles such as

Art Deco Art Deco, short for the French (), is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design that first Art Deco in Paris, appeared in Paris in the 1910s just before World War I and flourished in the United States and Europe during the 1920 ...

Prairie School Prairie School is a late 19th and early 20th-century architectural style, most common in the Midwestern United States. The style is usually marked by horizontal lines, flat or hipped roofs with broad overhanging eaves, windows grouped i ...

and

Spanish Revival The Spanish Colonial Revival architecture (), often known simply as Spanish Revival, is a term used to encompass a number of Revivalism (architecture), revivalist architectural styles based in both Spanish colonial architecture and Spanish archi ...

. Some of these areas have been designated by the Puerto Rico State Historic Preservation Office as protected historic zones today.At its population peak in 1950, Santurce had a population of 195,007 inhabitants, making it more populated than every other municipality in the island at the time. This figure together with the annexation of Río Piedras a year after, brought the population of the municipality of San Juan to 451,658 by 1960, making it the second largest city in the Caribbean (after

Havana Havana (; ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

descent.The Virtual Jewish History Tour Puerto Rico
''Jewish Virtual Library'', Retrieved November 12, 2008. Additionally, a large influx of Jewish Cubans also arrived immediately after the

Cuban Revolution The Cuban Revolution () was the military and political movement that overthrew the dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista, who had ruled Cuba from 1952 to 1959. The revolution began after the 1952 Cuban coup d'état, in which Batista overthrew ...

in 1959. With the establishment of a more robust island-wide roadway infrastructure, Santurce however began to experience a rapid population decline starting in the 1960s decade as large numbers of residents began to move outward from the city and into the newly emerging suburbs of Bayamón, Carolina, Guaynabo, and

Levittown Levittown is the name of several large suburban housing developments created in the United States (including one in Puerto Rico) by William J. Levitt and his company Levitt & Sons. Built after World War II for returning white veterans and thei ...

, for example. This period also saw a shift in business and commercialization away from Santurce, which before functioned as one of the main urban cores of the city, towards Hato Rey, and its newly developed

central business district A central business district (CBD) is the Commerce, commercial and business center of a city. It contains commercial space and offices, and in larger cities will often be described as a financial district. Geographically, it often coincides wit ...

that is popularly known as the Golden Mile (''la Milla de Oro''). By the end of the 20th century, Santurce had a population of only 95,000 inhabitants and, with the exceptions of districts such as Condado, Miramar and Ocean Park, was experiencing extreme

urban decay Urban decay (also known as urban rot, urban death or urban blight) is the sociological process by which a previously functioning city, or part of a city, falls into disrepair and decrepitude. There is no single process that leads to urban decay. ...

21st century

Despite notable developments such as the Puerto Rico Convention District and the

Tren Urbano The ''Tren Urbano'' (English language, English: Urban Train) is a List of automated urban metro subway systems, automated rapid transit system serving the San Juan–Bayamón–Caguas metropolitan area, main metropolitan area of Puerto Rico ...

, early 21st century Santurce saw a continuation of a period of economic decline now coupled with the

financial crisis A financial crisis is any of a broad variety of situations in which some financial assets suddenly lose a large part of their nominal value. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, many financial crises were associated with Bank run#Systemic banki ...

of the local banking and mortgage system. The district however began a period of cosmopolitan revival and economic growth in 2009, as many new local establishments such as bars, clubs and restaurants opened their doors due to the resurging importance of trade and tourism prompted by a decrease in rent which attracted both artists and entrepreneurs to the area. Since then, Santurce began experiencing a new wave of

gentrification Gentrification is the process whereby the character of a neighborhood changes through the influx of more Wealth, affluent residents (the "gentry") and investment. There is no agreed-upon definition of gentrification. In public discourse, it has ...

and is now hailed by many as Puerto Rico's " hipster haven". In 2018, twenty-two murals were painted in and around Santurce to illustrate Santurce's culture and history, which inspired the annual ''Santurce es Ley'' arts festival, the largest mural and arts festival in the Caribbean and one of the largest of its kind in Latin America.

Geography

Santurce is located along the north-eastern coast of Puerto Rico. It lies south of the Atlantic Ocean, east of

and west of Isla Verde. The district occupies an area of of land and 3.46 (8.96 km2) of water. It is surrounded by six bodies of water:

, Condado Natural Lagoon, the Martín Peña Channel, San José Lagoon, Los Corozos Lagoon, and the Atlantic Ocean with its respective beaches and estuaries. Geographically speaking, Santurce is a

peninsula A peninsula is a landform that extends from a mainland and is only connected to land on one side. Peninsulas exist on each continent. The largest peninsula in the world is the Arabian Peninsula. Etymology The word ''peninsula'' derives , . T ...

connected to the Puerto Rico mainland in the east, where it borders with the Isla Verde district of Carolina. It is 7.6 km long from west to east, and up to 3.0 km wide in the eastern part. The peninsula is bounded by the Atlantic Ocean in the north, with more than five km of beaches from the Condado peninsula in the west, to a point 600 m east of ''Punta Las Marías'', where it borders on the Isla Verde area, and '' Laguna San José'' and its northern embayment, ''Laguna Los Corozos'' to the east. To the south is the Martín Peña Channel, which separates Santurce from the northern barrios of former municipio

: Hato Rey Norte, Hato Rey Central, and Oriente. To the west is

, where three bridges, Dos Hermanos Bridge (Ave. Ashford), G. Esteves Bridge ( Ave. Ponce de León) and San Antonio Bridge (Ave. Fernandes Juncos) connect Santurce with '' La Isleta'' (small island) where

is located. It has a total area of composed of of land and of water area. The

topography Topography is the study of the forms and features of land surfaces. The topography of an area may refer to the landforms and features themselves, or a description or depiction in maps. Topography is a field of geoscience and planetary sci ...

is mainly flat with low hills toward the central areas and swampy areas to the south along the Martín Peña Channel and to the east near the ''Laguna San José'' (San José Lagoon). The highest point is at Monteflores at above sea level.

Cityscape

Architecture

Structures of architectural value and historical importance are located mainly throughout Avenida Juan Ponce de León, Avenida Ashford and Avenida Fernández Juncos. * Central High School,

Spanish Renaissance The Spanish Renaissance was a movement in Spain, emerging from the Italian Renaissance in Italy during the 14th century, that spread to Spain during the 15th and 16th centuries. This new focus in art, literature, Quotation, quotes and scienc ...

-style building from 1925: Designed by Adrian Finlayson, Architec
(Project I-5)
* Colegio de Arquitectos, 225

Parque Street Parque is the Galician, Portuguese and Spanish word for "park", and may refer to: * Parque (TransMilenio), a metro station in Bogotá, Colombia * Parque (Lisbon Metro), in Portugal * Parque (Santurce), a subbarrio in San Juan, Puerto Rico * Battle ...

: Designed by Carlos del Valle Zeno, Architec
(link)
*

style hotel from 1919 *

Convention Center A convention center (American and British English spelling differences, American English; or conference centre in British English) is a large building that is designed to hold a Convention (meeting), convention, where individuals and groups ...

, Isla Grande Boulevard * La Casabella, Spanish influence from 1898 * La Concha Resort, a renaissance hotel: Designed by Toro Ferrer, Architect
(link)
* Residencia Aboy-Lompré, 1919 house designed by Miguel Ferrer

Public spaces

* La Placita de Santurce: The historical marketplace building, encompassing Campo Alegre, Alto del Cabro, and the Plaza del Mercado (a farmers' market full of local vendors with a social environment, bars, & restaurants), La Placita de Santurce is one of the most popular nightlife areas in San Juan. * La Ventana al Mar (2004): Designed by Andrés Mignucci * Plaza Antonia Quiñones (also known as Stella-Maris Square and Placita del Condado; 2000); designed by Andrés Mignucci

Beaches

* Condado Bridge Beach * Ocean Park

Seaport

Port of San Juan The Port of San Juan () is the largest seaport facility in Puerto Rico, located in and around San Juan Bay in San Juan, the capital municipality of the archipelago and island. The Port of San Juan consists of multiple public and private passen ...

Demographics

Santurce is one of the top ten most-populated areas of Puerto Rico. It includes the neighborhoods of Miramar, Loíza, Isla Grande, Barrio Obrero, and Condado, which are cultural hot spots for

art Art is a diverse range of cultural activity centered around ''works'' utilizing creative or imaginative talents, which are expected to evoke a worthwhile experience, generally through an expression of emotional power, conceptual ideas, tec ...

music Music is the arrangement of sound to create some combination of Musical form, form, harmony, melody, rhythm, or otherwise Musical expression, expressive content. Music is generally agreed to be a cultural universal that is present in all hum ...

cuisine A cuisine is a style of cooking characterized by distinctive ingredients, List of cooking techniques, techniques and Dish (food), dishes, and usually associated with a specific culture or geographic region. Regional food preparation techniques, ...

, fashion,

hotels A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a dresser, a refr ...

, technology, multimedia,

film A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, sinc ...

, textile and

startups A startup or start-up is a company or project undertaken by an Entrepreneurship, entrepreneur to seek, develop, and validate a scalable business model. While entrepreneurship includes all new businesses including self-employment and businesses tha ...

. The 2010 U.S. Census recorded a total population of 81,251 people living in an area of . It is the most populous borough (''barrio'') in Puerto Rico and one of the most

areas of San Juan, at 15,447.0 residents per square mile (6,931.2/km²). Santurce is home to one of the largest Jewish communities in

and the Caribbean with over 1,500 people attending two local synagogues. Jews were officially prohibited from settling in the island through much of its history, but many managed to settle in the island as secret Jews. Many arrived from

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

, the

Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...

, Saint-Barthélemy and

Curaçao Curaçao, officially the Country of Curaçao, is a constituent island country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located in the southern Caribbean Sea (specifically the Dutch Caribbean region), about north of Venezuela. Curaçao includ ...

after

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. A minor portion are descendants of Jewish Cubans who came to establishment after

Fidel Castro Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz (13 August 1926 – 25 November 2016) was a Cuban politician and revolutionary who was the leader of Cuba from 1959 to 2008, serving as the prime minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976 and President of Cuba, president ...

of 1959. Like in many former Spanish colonies founded soon after the

Spanish Inquisition The Tribunal of the Holy Office of the Inquisition () was established in 1478 by the Catholic Monarchs of Spain, Catholic Monarchs, King Ferdinand II of Aragon and Queen Isabella I of Castile and lasted until 1834. It began toward the end of ...

, there are some Puerto Ricans who are

Crypto-Jews Crypto-Judaism is the secret adherence to Judaism while publicly professing to be of another faith; practitioners are referred to as "crypto-Jews" (origin from Greek ''kryptos'' – , 'hidden'). The term is especially applied historically to Spani ...

. Recent DNA ancestry has identified a number of Portuguese descendants who arrived in Puerto Rico after the start of the Portuguese Inquisition in 1536. These are descendants of

Converso A ''converso'' (; ; feminine form ''conversa''), "convert" (), was a Jew who converted to Catholicism in Spain or Portugal, particularly during the 14th and 15th centuries, or one of their descendants. To safeguard the Old Christian popula ...

families. There are some who maintain elements of Jewish traditions, although they themselves are, or were raised as Christians. Santurce also has a very big Dominican community, along with Cuban, Colombian,

Argentine Argentines, Argentinians or Argentineans are people from Argentina. This connection may be residential, legal, historical, or cultural. For most Argentines, several (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their ...

and Chinese communities.

Subdivisions of Santurce

Santurce has a community of 81,251 of inhabitants living in a land area of . It is subdivided into 40 "subbarrios" (sub-districts). # Alto del Cabro # Barrio Obrero # Bayola # Bolívar #

Buenos Aires Buenos Aires, controlled by the government of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Argentina. It is located on the southwest of the Río de la Plata. Buenos Aires is classified as an Alpha− glob ...

# Campo Alegre # Chícharo # Condadito # Condado # Figueroa # Gandul # Herrera # Hipódromo # Hoare # Isla Grande # La Zona # Las Casas # Las Marías #

Las Palmas Las Palmas (, ; ), officially Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, is a Spanish city and capital of Gran Canaria, in the Canary Islands, in the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital city of the Canary Islands (jointly with Santa Cruz de Tenerife) and the m ...

# Loíza # Machuchal # Marruecos # Martín Peña # María Moczó #

Melilla Melilla (, ; ) is an autonomous city of Spain on the North African coast. It lies on the eastern side of the Cape Three Forks, bordering Morocco and facing the Mediterranean Sea. It has an area of . It was part of the Province of Málaga un ...

# Merhoff # Minillas # Miramar # Monteflores # Ocean Park # Parque # Pozo del Hato # Pulguero # Sagrado Corazón # San Juan Moderno # San Mateo # Seboruco #

Shanghai Shanghai, Shanghainese: , Standard Chinese pronunciation: is a direct-administered municipality and the most populous urban area in China. The city is located on the Chinese shoreline on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the ...

# Tras Talleres # Villa Palmeras

Population

For centuries "barrios" were the primary administrative division of Puerto Rico's municipalities, however, presently they primarily serve statistical purposes for both the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, 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 U.S. Census Bureau is part of the U ...

& the Puerto Rico Planning Board. The most densely populated area lies to the southeast bordering the San José Lagoon and the Martín Peña Channel, while the least densely populated areas are found by the

mangrove swamp Mangrove forests, also called mangrove swamps, mangrove thickets or mangals, are productive wetlands that occur in coastal intertidal zones. Mangrove forests grow mainly at tropical and subtropical latitudes because mangrove trees cannot withs ...

s to the south surrounding the Martín Peña Channel, and the western area of Isla Grande, a decommissioned

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

military base. Densidad poblacional por sub-barrio de Santurce

Ingreso per capita por sub-barrio de Santurce

Transportation

Public transportation is provided by several bus lines (locally known as guaguas) operated by 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 o ...

and circulate along the main avenues of Ponce de León and Fernández Juncos among others. In the peripheries of Santurce there is a

rapid transit Rapid transit or mass rapid transit (MRT) or heavy rail, commonly referred to as metro, is a type of high-capacity public transport that is generally built in urban areas. A grade separation, grade separated rapid transit line below ground su ...

system called

. The Sagrado Corazón station is the terminus of the sole

metro system Rapid transit or mass rapid transit (MRT) or heavy rail, commonly referred to as metro, is a type of high-capacity public transport that is generally built in urban areas. A grade separated rapid transit line below ground surface through a tu ...

line of

, located in the southeast section of the district in the neighborhood of Martín Peña. Santurce is a few minutes away by car from the US territory's main airport,

Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (Spanish language, Spanish: ''Aeropuerto Internacional Luis Muñoz Marín'') , previously known as Isla Verde International Airport (Spanish language, Spanish: ''Aeropuerto Internacional de Isla Verde''), ...

, and from San Juan's secondary commercial airport, Isla Grande Airport.

Culture

Museums and galleries

Santurce is the main residence of two major museums on the island. * the Museum of Art of Puerto Rico * the Puerto Rico Museum of Contemporary Art * the Galería Casa Jefferson

Performing arts

* Ballets de San Juan * Luis A. Ferré Performing Arts Center, modern award-winning fine arts architectural masterpiece * In 2000 the Music Hall Theater in Santurce was renamed Teatro Victoria Espinosa after director Victoria Espinosa.

Education

Santurce is home to some of the most prestigious private education institutions in Puerto Rico. * Conservatory of Music of Puerto Rico * University of the Sacred Heart * Academia San Jorge * Academia Interamericana Metro * Perpetuo Socorro * Robinson School * Saint John's School It also includes notable public schools: * Padre Rufo School, bilingual public school * Central High School, built in 1925 and listed on the U.S.

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

Synagogues and cathedrals

* Episcopal Cathedral of St. John the Baptist (Catedral San Juan Bautista) * Nuestra Señora de Lourdes Chapel, Neo-Gothic style chapel from 1909 designed by Antonin Nechodoma * Sagrado Corazon Church (Parada 19) * Synagogue Shaare

Tzadik Tzadik ( ''ṣaddīq'' , "righteous ne; also ''zadik'' or ''sadiq''; pl. ''tzadikim'' ''ṣadīqīm'') is a title in Judaism given to people considered righteous, such as biblical figures and later spiritual masters. The root of the word ...

* Stella-Maris Catholic Church * Temple Beth Shalom
Parroquia San Vicente de Paúl
(Parada 24)

Sports

Santurce has the most modern swimming facilities in the Caribbean and fourth in the world. It is an Olympic aquatic sports facility used to host local and international events such as the 2nd A.S.U.A Pan American Masters Swimming Championship. The San Juan Natatorium is located in Santurce's Central Park. The district also has a baseball and a basketball team both known as the Santurce Crabbers (''Cangrejeros de Santurce'') because of the original name of the township. They have been part of the community for over 70 years. Both teams have enjoyed great domestic success, the baseball team is regarded as the ‘

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Am ...

’, largely in part to the accomplishments of its legendary players, such as

Roberto Clemente Roberto Enrique Clemente Walker (; August 18, 1934 – December 31, 1972) was a Puerto Rican professional baseball player who played 18 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Pittsburgh Pirates, primarily as a right fielder. On December ...

and

Willie Mays Willie Howard Mays Jr. (May 6, 1931 – June 18, 2024), nicknamed "the Say Hey Kid", was an American professional baseball center fielder who played 23 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). Widely regarded as one of the greatest players of ...

Health

Santurce has an extensive healthcare network which includes two of the finest hospitals on the island, Ashford

Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a historically Reformed Protestant tradition named for its form of church government by representative assemblies of elders, known as "presbyters". Though other Reformed churches are structurally similar, the word ''Pr ...

Community Hospital and Pavia Hospital.

Economy

Santurce experienced significant economic growth following World War II. During this period the district underwent an economic revitalization. Tourism is also a key industry based on Santurce's proximity to Puerto Rico's main international airport,

, and the smaller Fernando Luis Ribas Dominicci Airport. The concentration of hotels are primarily located in the Condado area where there are numerous luxurious hotels including La Concha Resort, Marriott and the Conrad Hotel.

Notable natives and residents

* Miguel Algarín, writer and poet * Miguel Arteta, film and television director * Pura Belpré, author *

Giannina Braschi Giannina Braschi (born February 5, 1953) is a Puerto Rican poet, novelist, dramatist, and scholar. Her notable works include '' Empire of Dreams'' (1988), '' Yo-Yo Boing!'' (1998), '' United States of Banana'' (2011), and '' Putinoika'' (2024). ...

, author * Tego Calderón,

reggaeton Reggaeton (, ) is a modern style of popular music, popular and electronic music that originated in Panamanian reggaetón, Panama during the late 1980s, and which rose to prominence in the late 1990s and early 2000s through a plethora of Puert ...

singer *

Wilmer Calderon Wilmer Calderon (born May 8, 1975) is a Puerto Rican actor of film and television. He is best known for his role as Diego in the Amazon Prime television series ''Borderline'', Detective Daniel Arias in the police drama series '' Bosch'' and as R ...

, Puerto Rican-American actor * Deborah Carthy-Deu, Miss Puerto Rico 1985, Miss Universe 1985; actress, television host * Lourdes Chacón, actress * Jessica Cristina, singer *

Carly Colón Carlos Edwin Colón Coates Jr. (born February 21, 1979), better known by his ring name Carlito Colón or simply Carlito, is a Puerto Rican professional wrestler. He is signed to World Wrestling Council (WWC), where he is the current WWC Puerto ...

, professional wrestler and performer * Christian Daniel, singer-songwriter and actor * Jack Delano, author and photographer *

Benicio del Toro Benicio Monserrate Rafael del Toro Sánchez (; born February 19, 1967) is a Puerto Rico, Puerto Rican actor. List of awards and nominations received by Benicio del Toro, His accolades include an Academy Awards, Academy Award, a British Academy ...

, actor and producer * Edgar Diaz, professional baseball player *

José Ferrer José Vicente Ferrer de Otero y Cintrón (January 8, 1912 – January 26, 1992) was a Puerto Ricans, Puerto Rican actor and director of stage, film and television. He was one of the most celebrated and esteemed Hispanic and Latino Americans, Hi ...

, actor, director and producer * Francisco Figueroa, professional boxer * Eddie Gómez, bassist *

Wilfredo Gómez Wilfredo Gómez RiveraSonia Gutierrez, educator, Hispanic rights activist. * Nathan Leopold, US murderer * Luis López Nieves, writer * Gilberto Monroig, singer * Andy Montañez, salsa singer for El Gran Combo * Antonin Nechodoma, architect * Ossie Ocasio, professional boxer * Cynthia Olavarria, Miss Universe Puerto Rico 2005 and first runner-up Miss Universe 2005 * Carlos Ponce; actor, singer and composer *

Jorge Posada Jorge Rafael Posada Villeta (born August 17, 1970) is a Puerto Rican former professional baseball catcher who played 17 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees. Posada recorded a .273 batting average, 275 home runs, and ...

, baseball player (

) * Ismael Rivera, salsa singer & performer * Ed Romero, baseball player *

Gilberto Santa Rosa Gilberto Santa Rosa Cortés (), nicknamed "El Caballero de la Salsa" (The Gentleman of Salsa) (born August 21, 1962), is a Puerto Rican bandleader and singer of salsa and bolero. He is a six-time Grammy Award winner and has sold over three mi ...

, band leader, salsa and bolero singer * Luis Rafael Sánchez, writer * Daniel Santos, singer and composer * Arturo Schomburg, writer & historian *

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. Over the course of her career, she has earned two G ...

, singer

References

External links

Official Government Site
{{Coord, 18, 26, 27, N, 66, 02, 50, W, display=title Historic districts in Puerto Rico Barrios of San Juan, Puerto Rico