Chinatown
Several readers have asked me to expand on the different neighborhoods in Havana, which I mention in nearly every article.
Without going too far into it, I’ll say that a neighborhood can be identified by economic, social, or topographical factors, and which engenders in its residents a strong sens of community and of belonging.
Many neighborhoods in Havana, like Jesus Maria, Cayo Hueso and Los Sitios are located right in the center of the city. There are other neighborhoods located further from downtown, like Pogolotti, Santos Suarez, Buenavista and Lawton. I have read that in other Latin American cities, like Caravas, neighborhoods serve as markers of poverty in the city, with precarious housing, a near-total lack of basic services, like in Brazilian favelas, or the shantytowns of Spain or Argentina. These sorts of areas exist in Havana, like El Fanguito, La Timba or El Romerillo, where you’ll find overpopulated streets with improvised houses and a lack of any sort of planning.
In Havana we also had, especially until the 50’s, neighborhoods like Colon, among others, that were dedicated to the world’s oldest profession. Another important neighborhood is Havana’s Chinatown, where many Chinese immigrants lived. Chinatown was home to many restaurants, dry cleaners, printer’s shops, and even theaters. There are not many Chinese residents left in Chinatown, but still has comercial and gastronomical vitality. I’ll speak further about Chinatown in another article.
When we use the term “reparto” in Havana, we use it to mean an urban development. They’re American-style residential demarcations, built for middle-class families, with gardens, patios, garages, a nice distance between homes, etc. Areas in Havana with repartos are Casino Deportivo, Vibora Park, Fontanar, Nuevo Vedado and Bahia, among others.
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