Machuelo Abajo is one of the 31 barrio

Barrio

Barrio is a Spanish word meaning district or neighborhood.-Usage:In its formal usage in English, barrios are generally considered cohesive places, sharing, for example, a church and traditions such as feast days...

s of the municipality

Municipality

A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...

 of Ponce, Puerto Rico

Ponce, Puerto Rico

Ponce is both a city and a municipality in the southern part of Puerto Rico. The city is the seat of the municipal government.The city of Ponce, the fourth most populated in Puerto Rico, and the most populated outside of the San Juan metropolitan area, is named for Juan Ponce de León y Loayza, the...

. Along with Canas Urbano

Canas Urbano

Canas Urbano is one of the 31 barrios of the municipality of Ponce, Puerto Rico. Along with Machuelo Abajo, Magueyes Urbano, Portugués Urbano, and San Antón, Canas Urbano is one of the municipality's five originally rural barrios that are now also part of the urban zone of the city of Ponce...

, Magueyes Urbano

Magueyes Urbano

Magueyes Urbano is one of the 31 barrios in the municipality of Ponce, Puerto Rico. Along with Canas Urbano, Machuelo Abajo, Portugués Urbano, and San Antón, Magueyes Urbano is one of the municipality's five originally rural barrios that are now also part of the urban zone of the city of Ponce...

, Portugués Urbano

Portugués Urbano

Portugués Urbano is one of the 31 barrios in the municipality of Ponce, Puerto Rico. Along with Canas Urbano, Machuelo Abajo, Magueyes Urbano, and San Antón, Portugués Urbano is one of the municipality's five originally rural barrios that are now also part of the urban zone of the city of...

, and San Antón

San Antón

San Antón is one of the 31 barrios of the municipality of Ponce, Puerto Rico. Along with Canas Urbano, Machuelo Abajo, Magueyes Urbano, and Portugués Urbano, San Antón is one of the municipality's five originally rural barrios that are now also part of the urban zone of the city of Ponce. It is...

, Machuelo Abajo is one of the municipality's five originally rural barrios that are now also part of the urban zone of the city of Ponce.

Location

Machuelo Abajo is an urban

Urban area

An urban area is characterized by higher population density and vast human features in comparison to areas surrounding it. Urban areas may be cities, towns or conurbations, but the term is not commonly extended to rural settlements such as villages and hamlets.Urban areas are created and further...

 barrio located in the southern section of the municipality, in the northeast portion of the city of Ponce, within the Ponce city limits, at latitude 18.024217 N, and longitude -66.600217 W.

Boundaries

Machuelo Abajo is bounded on the North by Tito Castro Avenue/PR-14 (roughly), on the South by Miguel Pou Boulevard (roughly), and Abaisin Street, on the West by Rio Portugues, and on the East by Los Negrones Hill, Rio Bucana

Río Bucaná

Río Bucaná, is a river in the municipality of Ponce, Puerto Rico. Rio Bucana has its origin in barrio Machuelo Arriba where it forms at an altitude of . It forms from the confluence of Rio Cerrillos and Rio Bayagan. It is also fed by Rio Portugues during its southernly run. Rio Bucana used to run...

, and Emilio Fagot Street (roughly).

In terms of barrio-to-barrio boundaries, Machuelo Abajo is bounded in the North by Machuelo Arriba

Machuelo Arriba

Machuelo Arriba is one of the 31 barrios of the municipality of Ponce, Puerto Rico. Along with the barrios of Magueyes, Tibes, Portugués, Monte Llano, Maragüez, and Cerrillos, Machuelo Arriba is one of the municipality's seven rural interior barrios....

, in the South by San Anton

San Antón

San Antón is one of the 31 barrios of the municipality of Ponce, Puerto Rico. Along with Canas Urbano, Machuelo Abajo, Magueyes Urbano, and Portugués Urbano, San Antón is one of the municipality's five originally rural barrios that are now also part of the urban zone of the city of Ponce. It is...

 and Sabanetas

Sabanetas

Sabanetas is one of the 31 barrios of the municipality of Ponce, Puerto Rico. Along with Magueyes, Tibes, Portugués, Monte Llano, Machuelo Arriba, Maragüez, and Cerrillos, Sabanetas is one of the municipality's eight rural interior barrios...

, in the West by Quinto

Quinto (Ponce)

Quinto is one of the 31 barrios of the municipality of Ponce, Puerto Rico. Together with Primero, Segundo, Tercero, Cuarto, and Sexto, Quinto is one the municipality's six core urban barrios.-Location:...

 and Sexto

Sexto (Ponce)

Sexto is one of the 31 barrios of the municipality of Ponce, Puerto Rico. Along with Primero, Segundo, Tercero, Cuarto, and Quinto, Sexto is one the municipality's six core urban barrios.-Location:...

, and in the East by Sabanetas

Sabanetas

Sabanetas is one of the 31 barrios of the municipality of Ponce, Puerto Rico. Along with Magueyes, Tibes, Portugués, Monte Llano, Machuelo Arriba, Maragüez, and Cerrillos, Sabanetas is one of the municipality's eight rural interior barrios...

.

Features and demographics

Machuelo Abajo is home to the communities of Jardines Fagot, La Rambla, La Alhambra, Flamboyanes, Bella Vista, Santa Clara, and Riberas del Bucana. In addition the communities of Dr. Pila, Villa Esperanza, and Valle Verde, make their home there as well.

Machuelo Abajo has 1.77 square miles (4.6 km²) of land area and 0.09 square miles (233,098.9 m²) of water area. In 2000, the population of Machuelo Abajo was 13,302 persons, and it had a density of 7,522 persons per square mile.

The highest point in Barrio Machuelo Abajo is Cerro Los Negrones at 397 feet, located northwest of Mercedita Airport

Mercedita Airport

Mercedita Airport is a commercial airport located three miles east of the central business district of Ponce, Puerto Rico. The airport covers and has one runway. Passenger movement at the airport in FY 2008 was 278,911, an astounding 1,228% increase over fiscal year 2003 and the highest of all...

.

Notable Landmarks

Río Bucaná

Río Bucaná

Río Bucaná, is a river in the municipality of Ponce, Puerto Rico. Rio Bucana has its origin in barrio Machuelo Arriba where it forms at an altitude of . It forms from the confluence of Rio Cerrillos and Rio Bayagan. It is also fed by Rio Portugues during its southernly run. Rio Bucana used to run...

 runs a stretch of its course (channalized) through barrio Machuelo Abajo. The new Hospital San Lucas is located in Machuelo Abajo where the old Ponce District Hospital was located on Puerto Rico Highway 14

Puerto Rico Highway 14

Puerto Rico Highway 14 is a main highway connecting Cayey, Puerto Rico to Ponce, Puerto Rico. The road uses the same path as the historic old Carretera Central.-Road description:...

.

Notable people from Machuelo Abajo

• Pedro Albizu Campos
  Pedro Albizu Campos
  Don Pedro Albizu Campos was a Puerto Rican politician and one of the leading figures in the Puerto Rican independence movement. He was the leader and president of the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party from 1930 until his death...
  
  
• Marta Romero
  Marta Romero
  Marta Romero is an actress and singer, who was one of the pioneers in Puerto Rican television.-Early years:Romero was born in barrio Machuelo Abajo of the city of Ponce, on the south coast of Puerto Rico. She is considered by many as a "natural performer" because she never took singing or acting...
  
  
• Héctor Lavoe
  Héctor Lavoe
  Héctor Juan Pérez Martínez , better known as Héctor Lavoe, was a Puerto Rican salsa singer. Lavoe was born and raised in the Machuelito sector of Ponce, Puerto Rico. Early in his life, he attended a local music school and developed an interest inspired by Jesús Sánchez Erazo. He moved to New York...