# Santurce, San Juan, Puerto Rico

Santurce (Spanish pronunciation:, meaning Saint George from Basque Santurtzi) is the largest and most populated barrio of the municipality of San Juan, the capital city of Puerto Rico. With a population of 69,469 in 2020, Santurce is also one of the most densely populated areas of the main island of Puerto Rico (13,257.4 persons per square mile (5,178.6/km$^2$)) 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 and Dominican communities who have left a cultural imprint in the area. 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 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 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. 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 town of San Mateo de Cangrejos ("Saint Matthew" 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 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 (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, which by 1863 was formally annexed to the municipality of San Juan.
In 1876, an engineer from the port town of Santurtzi 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 conducted a census of Puerto Rico, finding that the population of Santurce was 5,840.

### 20th century

The United States Army 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 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.
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 in 1917, 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, Prairie School and Spanish Revival. 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) and the 29th largest city in the United States at the time. The population of the district became the most diversified at the time with large numbers of immigrant communities establishing businesses and institutions in the area. For example, the first synagogue in Puerto Rico, Sha'are Zedeck, was established here during this time in 1952 by William Korber, a wealthy Puerto Rican of German descent. Additionally, a large influx of Jewish Cubans also arrived immediately after the Cuban Revolution 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, 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 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.

### 21st century

Despite notable developments such as the Puerto Rico Convention District and the Tren Urbano, early 21st century Santurce saw a continuation of a period of economic decline now coupled with the financial crisis 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 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 Old San Juan and west of Isla Verde. The district occupies an area of 5.24 square miles (13.6 km$^2$) of land and 3.46 (8.96 km2) of water. It is surrounded by six bodies of water: San Juan Bay, 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 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 Río Piedras: Hato Rey Norte, Hato Rey Central, and Oriente. To the west is San Juan Bay, 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 Old San Juan is located. It has a total area of 8.70 square miles (22.5 km$^2$) composed of 5.24 square miles (13.6 km$^2$) of land and 3.46 square miles (9.0 km$^2$) of water area.
The topography 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 23 meters (75 feet) 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-style building from 1925: Designed by Adrian Finlayson, Architect (Project I-5)
* Colegio de Arquitectos, 225 Parque Street: Designed by Carlos del Valle Zeno, Architect (link)
* Condado Vanderbilt Hotel, Spanish Revival style hotel from 1919
* Convention Center, Isla Grande Boulevard
* La Casabella, Spanish influence from 1898
* La Concha Resort, a renaissance hotel: Designed by Toro Ferrer, Architects (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

## 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, music, cuisine, fashion, hotels, technology, multimedia, film, textile and startups.
The 2010 U.S. Census recorded a total population of 81,251 people living in an area of 5.24 square miles (13.6 km$^2$). It is the most populous borough (barrio) in Puerto Rico and one of the most densely populated areas of San Juan, at 15,447.0 residents per square mile (6,931.2/km$^2$).
Santurce is home to one of the largest Jewish communities in Puerto Rico 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, the Netherlands, Saint-Barthélemy and Curaçao after World War II. A minor portion are descendants of Jewish Cubans who came to establishment after Fidel Castro's Cuban Revolution of 1959. Like in many former Spanish colonies founded soon after the Spanish Inquisition, there are some Puerto Ricans who are Crypto-Jews. 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 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 and Chinese communities.

### Subdivisions of Santurce

Santurce has a community of 81,251 of inhabitants living in a land area of 5.24 square miles (13.6 km$^2$). It is subdivided into 40 "subbarrios" (sub-districts).
* Alto del Cabro
* Barrio Obrero
* Bayola
* Bolívar
* Buenos Aires
* Campo Alegre
* Chícharo
* Condadito
* Condado
* Figueroa
* Gandul
* Herrera
* Hipódromo
* Hoare
* Isla Grande
* La Zona
* Las Casas
* Las Marías
* Las Palmas
* Loíza
* Machuchal
* Marruecos
* Martín Peña
* María Moczó
* Melilla
* Merhoff
* Minillas
* Miramar
* Monteflores
* Ocean Park
* Parque
* Pozo del Hato
* Pulguero
* Sagrado Corazón
* San Juan Moderno
* San Mateo
* Seboruco
* Shanghai
* 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 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 swamps to the south surrounding the Martín Peña Channel, and the western area of Isla Grande, a decommissioned United States Navy military base.
| Nr. | Sub-barrio | Land Area (m$^2$) | Population (Census 2000) | Density km$^{−2}$ |
| 1 | Alto del Cabro | 156717 | 1164 | 7427.4 |
| 2 | Barrio Obrero | 1034200 | 11467 | 11087.8 |
| 3 | Bayola | 71645 | 564 | 7872.1 |
| 4 | Bolívar | 163417 | 1223 | 7483.9 |
| 5 | Buenos Aires | 446986 | 1303 | 2915.1 |
| 6 | Campo Alegre | 123061 | 942 | 7654.7 |
| 7 | Chícharo | 75355 | 722 | 9581.3 |
| 8 | Condadito | 62470 | 748 | 11973.7 |
| 9 | Condado | 824791 | 6170 | 7480.7 |
| 10 | Figueroa | 350927 | 1016 | 2895.2 |
| 11 | Gandul | 167753 | 2035 | 12130.9 |
| 12 | Herrera | 123369 | 1841 | 14922.7 |
| 13 | Hipódromo | 268195 | 2017 | 7520.6 |
| 14 | Hoare | 363490 | 3 | 8.3 |
| 15 | Isla Grande$^{1)}$ | 2039968 | 753 | 369.1 |
| 16 | La Zona | 379687 | 1280 | 3371.2 |
| 17 | Las Casas$^{2)}$ | 803500 | 6775 | 8431.9 |
| 18 | Las Marías | 242223 | 1172 | 4838.5 |
| 19 | Las Palmas | 316171 | 2772 | 8767.4 |
| 20 | Loíza | 323012 | 2139 | 6622 |
| 21 | Machuchal | 140008 | 1212 | 8656.6 |
| 22 | María Moczó | 106196 | 1964 | 18494.1 |
| 23 | Marruecos | 267165 | 0 | 0 |
| 24 | Martín Peña | 185692 | 415 | 2234.9 |
| 25 | Melilla | 129544 | 926 | 7148.2 |
| 26 | Merhoff | 300801 | 2992 | 9946.8 |
| 27 | Minillas | 215963 | 1484 | 6871.5 |
| 28 | Miramar | 632154 | 5440 | 8605.5 |
| 29 | Monteflores | 172397 | 1657 | 9611.5 |
| 30 | Ocean Park$^{4)}$ | 520891 | 1976 | 3793.5 |
| 31 | Parque | 299804 | 3251 | 10843.8 |
| 32 | Pozo del Hato | 176987 | 137 | 774.1 |
| 33 | Pulguero | 131613 | 1196 | 9087.2 |
| 34 | Sagrado Corazón | 345472 | 1646 | 4764.5 |
| 35 | San Juan Moderno | 91500 | 1083 | 11836.1 |
| 36 | San Mateo | 168864 | 1989 | 11778.7 |
| 37 | Seboruco | 167887 | 2198 | 13092.1 |
| 38 | Shanghai | 686961 | 11331 | 16494.4 |
| 39 | Tras Talleres | 168076 | 2453 | 14594.6 |
| 40 | Villa Palmeras | 163389 | 2648 | 16206.7 |
| | Santurce | 13568557 | 81251 | 6932.7 |
| $^{1)}$recently named Puerto Rico Convention Center |||||
| $^{2)}$including "Isla Guachinanga" in the "Laguna San José" |||||
| $^{3)}$should be attributed to Merhoff Sub-Barrio (22) |||||
| $^{4)}$including "Isla Piedra" one km off the Atlantic coast |||||

## Transportation

Public transportation is provided by several bus lines (locally known as guaguas) operated by the Puerto Rico Metropolitan Bus Authority 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 system called Tren Urbano. The Sagrado Corazón station is the terminus of the sole metro system line of San Juan, 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, 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

## 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
* 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 of Puerto Rico’, largely in part to the accomplishments of its legendary players, such as Roberto Clemente and Willie Mays.

## Health

Santurce has an extensive healthcare network which includes two of the finest hospitals on the island, Ashford Presbyterian 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, Luis Muñoz Marín 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, author
* Tego Calderón, reggaeton singer
* Wilmer Calderon, 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, professional wrestler and performer
* Christian Daniel, singer-songwriter and actor
* Jack Delano, author and photographer
* Benicio del Toro, actor and producer
* Edgar Diaz, professional baseball player
* José Ferrer, actor, director and producer
* Francisco Figueroa, professional boxer
* Eddie Gómez, bassist
* Wilfredo Gómez, professional boxer
* Sonia 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, baseball player (New York Yankees)
* Ismael Rivera, salsa singer & performer
* Ed Romero, baseball player
* Gilberto Santa Rosa, band leader, salsa and bolero singer
* Luis Rafael Sánchez, writer
* Daniel Santos, singer and composer
* Arturo Schomburg, writer & historian
* Olga Tañón, singer