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Habana Centro © Robin Thom, panoramio
Centro Habana, where pedestrians rule, is particularly hairy. Indeed, we had to dodge several potholes
meandering down the middle of Reina like it was Obispo. Suddenly a loud rumbling came over ...
Conner Gorry - My Havana Valentine . Read on » 140218 «
OUR CASA LIST BEGINS HERE HABANA CENTRO MAP HERE
The changing face of inner-city Havana
In 1996, the community of Cayo Hueso ("Centro" for Habaneros) began an extensive project to improve housing and infrastructure in its neighbourhood.

Dubbed the "
Cayo Hueso Intervention" it quickly became a model in Cuba for fighting urban decay and ill-health. Today it’s used almost as a catch-phrase.

"
Fidel Castro even talked about doing a ‘Cayo Hueso Intervention’ in other communities around Cuba," says Dr Annalee Yassi, who led the University of Manitoba contingent. More on Canada's IDRC.CA page here
 
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CONCENTRO OF EDUCATION & HEALTH : SALUD !
Centro has the highest population density of the capital —locals can rely on una maternity centre (hogar materno) 24 daycare centres, 26 primary schools, 7 secondary, 6 special schools, una polytechnical institute, una optica clinica, una language school, una adult education centre and una ISDI, Cuba's own Superior Institute of Industrial Design
Centro's health units include 5 polyclinicos, una dental clinic, una center for epidemiology and hygiene, una maternity clinic, cinco homes for the elderly, una clinic against pain and una geriatric center.

 

Callejon de Hamel the most lively dead-end street : Havana’s AfroCuban culture - is packed todo el dia on Sundays with people celebrating AfroRoots from all over, and a-dancin' to the rumba music a-playin'.

It's called Peña de la Rumba. The short block is located between San Lazaro and Concordia and between Aramburu and Espada © Elio Delgado havanatimes.org

Buste de José Marti dans le Barrio Chino
José Marti in Barrio Chino

 

SEE.KNOW.DO - TOP 8 MUST-C
• 1 Callejon de Hamel {Photos}, a short stretch of pedestrian street with painted walls; on Sunday afternoons (only) from 12 to 15h30 : between San Lazaro and Concordia and between Aramburu and Espada • 2 Capitolio + Academia de Sciencias with a Galeria & Café • 3 Centro Cultural de España • 4 Galeria Galiano • 5 Museo de la Revolución • 6 Museo Nacional Palacio de Bellas Artes • 7 Palacio de Los Matrimonios • 8 Palacio Velasco.

RESTAURANTS [FULL LIST HERE]
Casa de Miglis
(Swedish); Tien Tan (Chinese); Castropol (Swedish); Prado y Neptuno, Prado, corner Neptuno (excellent pizzas, chic shock & chicas); Los Nardos, facing Capitolio (adopted by all, long line at door, wood paneling, candles, cheap); Paco Mer, corner Infanta and Neptuno (best bistec sandwiches); Portal del Malecon, (good burgers, drive-by jalopies); Sevilla Hotel, terrace on 9th floor over Parque Central, piano, chic, superb cuisine and views; Casa del Arroz (Cuban Creole);La Antonia Casa (International);

TOP DOS PALADARES IN TOWN
Traveller Fiona Dunlop recommends San Cristobal, a paladar (San Rafael 469, between Lealtad and Campanario tel 7-860-1705), "opened in December 2010 by its genial chef in his elegant, spacious home. The sunny patio is perfect for lunch while interior rooms done up in 1920s mode are better for candle-lit dinners. Definitely worth the detour." Web site here.

Best food in Cuba (so say many) at La Guarida Concordia 318, e/Gervasio y Escobar. If Rihanna, Beyoncé, the webmaster of this site, the Queen of Spain, Jack Nicholson, Sean Penn and Jodie Foster were impressed (not all together, maybe), why not you ? Web site here.

SUNDAY IN THE CALLEJON
Callejon de Hamel (an alleyway covered with brightly coloured murals, sculptures celebrating Havana’s AfroCuban culture and Cuban HQ of Santeria) is packed all day on Sundays with people from all over a-dancin' to the rumba music a-playin'. It's called Peña de la Rumba. The short block is located between San Lazaro and Concordia and between Aramburu and Espada

GUAGUA'ING AROUND
Bus travel in Havana is generally a bitch
"I suggest taking at least one bus to eavesdrop and to take the pulse of the population of Habaneros who will quibble and kvetch." > Here is Havana, a mighty fine blog


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WRINKLES OF THE CITY : most touching video we have seen about La Habana : 27 mins. of felicidad and admiration. © jr-art.net
RENT A BIKE ::: CICLOCUBA.COM AQUI
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Cruzando Lealtad © sogestour
"This panaderia on Neptuno is one of my favourite spots - open 24 hours. Love watching people getting their freshly baked bread and exchanging pleasantries and gossip, cars passing by, friends meeting up, strangers smiling at each other" Text and photo © Ania Krupotow ] Buena Vista Social Club's first album was recorded here, Egrem Studios, now called Egrem Patio calle San Miguel 410. The studio itself has moved to Playa but there's still memories; show skeds below in yellow box + the Bar de los Estudios de Grabación Areíto © sogestour
Callejon Cualquiera © sogestour
Callejon de Hamel wall art © Elio Delgado havanatimes dot org ] Tourist caleche waiting for a ride at Callejon entrance © sogestour
 Cuba's best music showplace — definitely the most beautiful
Teatro America arguably Cuba's best music showplace — definitely the most beautiful. Site of the Casa de la Musica Habana & Piano Bar Habaneciendo Calle Galiano, e/Concordia y Neptuno © andrew moore site on click ::: Teatro's web page here.
Building the world's tallest bike
Building the world's tallest bike this is Guirola Cepero showing (high) up and on the Malecon © Tod Seelie, BBC
Cuba Through Our Eyes a collective of 68 photographers
Hop, Skip and a Jump, a decisive moment captured in Cuba Through Our Eyes a collective of 68 photographers assembled by the Academia Arte y Fotografia Cabrales del Valle posted on issuu.com © Kenna A. Klosterman

Hey, you wanna manicure or you wanna stare at my butt ? © Juan Suarez, "A domicilio", for Havana Times

Houses on the Paseo de Prado, Havana © Michael Gage
GERRY'S POINT OF VIEWS
© Gerry Pacher cuba-havanna-impressionen/
© gerry pacher
cuba-havanna-impressionen

© Gerry Pacher cuba-havanna-impressionen/

© Gerry Pacher cuba-havanna-impressionen/

 

CULTURE - CENTRO
Centro Cultural Los Sitios (Calle Sitios No. 11 e/ Angeles y Rayo) Centro Provincial del Libro y La Literatura (Calle Zanja No.732 esq. Hospital) Conservatorio Amadeo Roldán (Calle Rastro No.1 esq. Belascoaín) Casa de Cultura Municipal Joseíto Fernández (Ave. Salvador Allende No.720 esq. Castillejo) Cine Mégano (Industria No 416 ) Cine Águila de Oro (Rayo No 108) Cine Finlay (Zanja 376) Cine Bayamo (Padre Valera No 352) Cine Astral (Calzada de Infanta No 501) Cine Cinecito (San Rafael No 68) Cine Favorito (Padre Valera No 813) Cine Pionero (San Lázaro No 1064) Cine Infanta (Calzada de Infanta No 353)

GALERIAS & MUSEOS
Galería Municipal (San Lazaro No. 661 e/ Gervasio y Belascoain) Galería de Arte Galiano (Calle Galiano No. 258 esq. A Concordia) Librería La Iliada Centro Cultural Habana (Calle San Rafael 256 e/ Águiar y Galiano) Libreria Kelly used books (Neptuno 607, e/Gervasio y Escobar) Museo Fragua Martiana (Calle Principe 108 esq.Hospital) Museo Lezama Lima (Calle Trocadero 162 e/Consulado e Industria) Museo Joseíto Fernández (Calle Gervasio 258 e/Estrella y Maloja) Museo Napoleónico (Calle San Miguel No.1159) Proyecto Concha Mocoyu (La California) (Calle Crespo e/ San Lazaro y Colón) Teatro America (Galiano No.253 esq. Concordia) Teatro Fausto (corner Prado y Colón) Taller de Arte (San Lázaro No. 663 e/ Gervasio y Belascoain)

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CASA DE LA MUSICA HABANA
PIANO BAR HABANECIENDO

in the extraordinary Teatro America, art deco, four bars, one upstairs, shows, absolute must. Calle Galiano, e/Concordia y Neptuno. Tel. (7) 860-8296 (7) 862-4165. Open to the public Tuesdays to Sundays from 16h00-19h00 and 22h00 to 02h00.
PIANO BAR SHOW SCHEDULE HERE

 
OTHER NIGHTLY MUSICAL & DANCE TREASURES

Casa de la Cultura Municipal Joseito Fernandez
, various shows at night, Salvador Allende 720, e/Soledad y Castillejo;

Casa de la Trova & Galeria Municipal, trova on stage, Fridays at 18h a must. San Lazaro 661, e/Belascoain y Gervasio;

Caseron del Tango, museum dedicated to tango (popular here in 30's and 40's,) founded by Edmundo Daubal, friend of Carlos Gardel, in 1980. Dancing with orchestra, mon 17h-20h. Calle Neptuno 305, e/ Aguila y Galiano; in Vieja, there is a same caseron located at Calle Jústiz 21, entre Baratillo y Oficios

Peña de la Yoya, Fridays (only) 22h00-01h00 : Yoya's sister Lucie and her filin group play ballads : calle San Lazaro 667, e/Belascoain y Gervasio.

Palacio de la Rumba
with courses during the day and shows at night + an annual festival in the first days of September : e/ Aramburu y Hospital

Peña de la Rumba at one end of a pedestrian street with high walls of nearby casas have been painted : this is Callejon de Hamel which comes alive (and hugely crowded) on Sunday afternoons (only) from Noon till 3:30 p.m. : e/San Lazaro et Concordia et entre Aramburu y Espada dans Cayo Hueso

El Jelengue de Areito, site of the Areitos Studios where most of the classic albums of the 60s, 70s and 80s were "grabados" (recorded), San Miguel 410 e/ Campanario y Lealtad, 17h-20h Tel (7) 862-0673

Patio del Egrem, in the mythical building of the first album of the Buena Vista Social Club. Mondays : Nueva Cancion; Tue: El Son Entero; Wed : Trovando; Thu : Tonda de Guaracheros and o Friday evenings : Rumba Abierta. Calle Neptuno 410


DISCOS FOR CHICOS N' CHICAS
Chang Disco, in Chinatown (Barrio Chino) - to dance and cruise. No shows here, other than chicas lined up at the door wanting to get in and make you sweat on the dance floor... Calle San Nicolás 517, entre Dragones y Zanja Discoteca Ribera Azul, in Hotel Deauville calle Galiano y Malecón Disco Oasis Unión Árabe in Union Arabe building. Paseo del Prado, corner Colón
 

FACES OF THE MALECON
At the start of the millenium after the old city along the port had almost been completely renovated, Havana's Historiador Eusebio Leal and his team started work on the Malecon, the long four-lane noisy and polluted boulevard and its wide seaside walk which extends from the Vieja to Miramar along the whole of Habana Centro.

Urgently needed was to support falling facades which were crumbling : some were in such dire state, they had to come down.
Corner Aguila & Malecón
Corner Aguila : Roberto Fabelo has imagined Mar Adentro, a fish and seafood restaurant.

 
Coner Belascoaín & Malecón
Corner Belascoaín : Esterio Segura suggested a fast-food airplane, El Sueño.
Corner Campanario & Malecón
Corner Campanario : Alfredo Sosabravo decorated La Algarabía serving ice cream and pastries.
Corner Gervasio & Malecón
Corner Gervasio : Arturo Montoto devised a vegetarian restaurant, El Desconcierto.
Corner Lealtad & Malecón
Corner Lealtad :