Paseo Atocha
Encyclopedia
Paseo Atocha is a pedestrian mall
in the Ponce Historic Zone
, a historic district
in Ponce
, Puerto Rico
. For over a century Paseo Atocha was a commercial street opened to motor vehicle
traffic. The street, which is now pedestrian-only, stretches over four block
s from Isabel
Street to Vives
Street. Both an active and a peaceful promenade, it is visited annually by thousands of people and is considered one of the city’s main places of interest.
Despite modifications undergone by many of the buildings throughout the years along this stretch of Atocha Street, a number of buildings continue to preserve the designs characteristics of Ponce’s traditional architecture. Whilst other unrenovated buildings are beginning to taken on a traditional character of bygone years.
In 1991, as part of the Ponce en Marcha (Ponce On the Move) plan, the government of the Municipality of Ponce
closed the street to vehicular traffic and converted into a promenade.
. Sunday nights, Atocha turns into a calm place, and sometimes serves as a gathering place for cultural activities.
are stationed at every block along the Paseo, making the promenade quite safe.
area more friendly to tourists and businesses, the City plans to install a reinforced crystal ceiling and air-conditioning system over the Paseo. Construction is planned to begin in 2009. The idea was something the city had been toying around with for the last two decades. It is expected to cost $5 million USD. The glass ceiling is expected to make Ponce’s Historic District more attractive to vacationers and locals alike. At the same time, officials hope that it will draw new people to the area, allowing businesses to extend their hours of operation, and thereby boosting the downtown economy
and stimulating nightlife
.
Pedestrian mall
Pedestrian malls in the United States are also known as pedestrian streets and are the most common form of pedestrian zone in large cities in the United States. It is a street lined with storefronts and closed off to most automobile traffic...
in the Ponce Historic Zone
Ponce Historic Zone
The Ponce Historic Zone is a historic district in downtown Ponce, Puerto Rico with construction that dates to the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The zone was originally designated in 1962, and then it only included the center core of the city, but it has since been expanded to...
, a historic district
Historic district
A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries, historic districts receive legal protection from development....
in Ponce
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...
, Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
. For over a century Paseo Atocha was a commercial street opened to motor vehicle
Motor vehicle
A motor vehicle or road vehicle is a self-propelled wheeled vehicle that does not operate on rails, such as trains or trolleys. The vehicle propulsion is provided by an engine or motor, usually by an internal combustion engine, or an electric motor, or some combination of the two, such as hybrid...
traffic. The street, which is now pedestrian-only, stretches over four block
City block
A city block, urban block or simply block is a central element of urban planning and urban design. A city block is the smallest area that is surrounded by streets. City blocks are the space for buildings within the street pattern of a city, they form the basic unit of a city's urban fabric...
s from Isabel
Isabella II of Spain
Isabella II was the only female monarch of Spain in modern times. She came to the throne as an infant, but her succession was disputed by the Carlists, who refused to recognise a female sovereign, leading to the Carlist Wars. After a troubled reign, she was deposed in the Glorious Revolution of...
Street to Vives
Salvador de Vives
Salvador de Vives Rodó was a Puerto Rican politician and Mayor of Ponce, Puerto Rico from 1840 to 1842 and then again from 1844 to 1845. He was the son of Quirse Vives and Ana Maria Rodo. He was a wealthy coffee plantation owner who established the now historic Hacienda Buena Vista. Under de...
Street. Both an active and a peaceful promenade, it is visited annually by thousands of people and is considered one of the city’s main places of interest.
History
Since the beginning of the 20th century, Atocha Street was the main commercial artery in Ponce.Despite modifications undergone by many of the buildings throughout the years along this stretch of Atocha Street, a number of buildings continue to preserve the designs characteristics of Ponce’s traditional architecture. Whilst other unrenovated buildings are beginning to taken on a traditional character of bygone years.
In 1991, as part of the Ponce en Marcha (Ponce On the Move) plan, the government of the Municipality of Ponce
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...
closed the street to vehicular traffic and converted into a promenade.
Uses
During the day, and especially on Saturdays, the street gets crowded with shoppers, both from Ponce as well as from surrounding towns. In the evenings and on Sundays the street becomes as peaceful and relaxing place. There are some benches along the mall, and it is a good place to stop, take a rest, and do some people watchingPeople watching
People watching or crowd watching is the act of observing people and their interactions, usually without their knowledge. This differs from voyeurism in that it does not relate to sex or sexual gratification...
. Sunday nights, Atocha turns into a calm place, and sometimes serves as a gathering place for cultural activities.
Shopping experience
The Promenade is a lively place, and shoppers can find almost anything they need here. There are many clothing, jewelry, electronics, souvenir, etc., stores and restaurants. Many merchants have booths or racks along the Paseo. Most of the stores have discounted merchandise. PolicePolice
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
are stationed at every block along the Paseo, making the promenade quite safe.
Future plans
In an attempt to make the downtownDowntown
Downtown is a term primarily used in North America by English speakers to refer to a city's core or central business district ....
area more friendly to tourists and businesses, the City plans to install a reinforced crystal ceiling and air-conditioning system over the Paseo. Construction is planned to begin in 2009. The idea was something the city had been toying around with for the last two decades. It is expected to cost $5 million USD. The glass ceiling is expected to make Ponce’s Historic District more attractive to vacationers and locals alike. At the same time, officials hope that it will draw new people to the area, allowing businesses to extend their hours of operation, and thereby boosting the downtown economy
Economy
An economy consists of the economic system of a country or other area; the labor, capital and land resources; and the manufacturing, trade, distribution, and consumption of goods and services of that area...
and stimulating nightlife
Nightlife
Nightlife is the collective term for any entertainment that is available and more popular from the late evening into the early hours of the morning...
.