Miramar is one of the forty
subbarrios of
Santurce, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Santurce (, meaning Saint George from Basque language, Basque ''Santurtzi'') is the largest and most populated Barrios of San Juan, Puerto Rico, barrio of the Municipalities of Puerto Rico, municipality of San Juan, Puerto Rico, San Juan, the cap ...
. The neighborhood has many historic
Spanish Revival
The Spanish Colonial Revival architecture (), often known simply as Spanish Revival, is a term used to encompass a number of Revivalism (architecture), revivalist architectural styles based in both Spanish colonial architecture and Spanish archi ...
-style homes with patios and gardens, and it was listed on the
Puerto Rico Register of Historic Sites and Zones
The Puerto Rico Register of Historic Sites and Zones (Spanish language, Spanish: ''Registro Nacional de Sitios y Zonas Históricas'') is a Government of Puerto Rico, Puerto Rican government program adopted by the state Puerto Rico Planning Board, ...
in 2007 for its historical and architectural value.
History
The neighborhood is under the legal jurisdiction of
Santurce in the
municipality
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality' ...
of
San Juan San Juan, Spanish for Saint John (disambiguation), Saint John, most commonly refers to:
* San Juan, Puerto Rico
* San Juan, Argentina
* San Juan, Metro Manila, a highly urbanized city in the Philippines
San Juan may also refer to:
Places Arge ...
,
Puerto Rico
; abbreviated PR), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a Government of Puerto Rico, self-governing Caribbean Geography of Puerto Rico, archipelago and island organized as an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territo ...
.
It first appears in the 16th century as a spring that fed water to the Spanish outpost of
Old San Juan
Old San Juan () is a historic district located at the "northwest triangle" of the San Juan Islet, islet of San Juan in San Juan, Puerto Rico, San Juan. Its area roughly correlates to the Ballajá, Old San Juan, Ballajá, Catedral, Old San Juan, ...
. During the Battle of San Juan (17 April – 2 May 1797), the town of Miramar was the site of the British ill-fated British assault on the Spanish colonial port city of San Juan de Puerto Rico during the 1796–1808 Anglo-Spanish War.
In the 17th century a wide public street, the Central Highway, (today
Ponce de León Avenue) was built that ran through the spring. Commerce flourished since goods that arrived at the port of San Juan had to pass Miramar on their way to the rest of the island. Today two set of bridges known as San Antonio and Dos Hermanos connects the adjoining areas of
Old San Juan
Old San Juan () is a historic district located at the "northwest triangle" of the San Juan Islet, islet of San Juan in San Juan, Puerto Rico, San Juan. Its area roughly correlates to the Ballajá, Old San Juan, Ballajá, Catedral, Old San Juan, ...
and
Condado. Its land area measures 0.24 sq. miles (0.62 km²), and has a resident population of 5,440 according to the
2000 United States Census.
Miramar, since its beginnings had large wooden plantation-style homes with expansive land lots. In the 1950s well known architects from the time period built extravagant homes in Miramar that are still preserved.
Miramar is home to several structures registered at the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...
, such as
Casa Aboy-Lompré, a cultural center that was declared a historic building in the year 1989, focusing on the preservation and creation of photographic art. Another example is the
Our Lady of Lourdes Chapel, declared a historic building in the year 1984.
[www2.pr.gov](_blank)
United States Department of the Interior National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Retrieved 2016-10-26.''
MADMi.jpg, Museum of Art and Design in Miramar
Nuestra-senora-de-lourdes-4.JPG, Our Lady of Lourdes Chapel
Location
Miramar is situated on the northwestern part of Santurce, adjacent to Isla Grande where the
Puerto Rico Convention Center is located to the west. Baldorioty de Castro Boulevard and
Condado Lagoon are to the north,
Alto del Cabro barrios and
Gandul are to the east, and Hoare Street is to the south of Miramar.
Demographics

In
2000
2000 was designated as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the World Mathematics, Mathematical Year.
Popular culture holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium, because of a tende ...
, Miramar had a population of 5,540.
In 2010, Miramar had a population of 4,412 and a population density of 18,383.3 persons per square mile.
Neighborhood
Miramar is an exclusive residential neighbourhood where primarily middle to upper-class families reside, characterized by quiet streets lined with large, mature shade trees. There are still a handful of historical residences with the charm and atmosphere from the bygone era including several
Prairie School
Prairie School is a late 19th and early 20th-century architectural style, most common in the Midwestern United States. The style is usually marked by horizontal lines, flat or hipped roofs with broad overhanging eaves, windows grouped i ...
architectural style buildings by internationally renowned architect
Antonin Nechodoma. Miramar's rich architectural legacy is now protected by law as it was designated an historical district of Puerto Rico. The government of Puerto Rico has passed a law declaring Miramar a Historic Town.
Miramar's Residents Association has had two legal triumphs in the court system that have helped define zoning laws and development sustainability.
The Justice Department of Puerto Rico (which can be seen in the picture, third condo from right to left, dark colored] is located in Miramar, and had plans to expand their facilities. Expropriation processes were begun for adjacent lots. The Association took the matter to court and simultaneously began lobbying in the Puerto Rico Legislature. Their endeavors resulted in the passing of a law declaring the historic value of the area, and officially declaring Miramar a historic district. Thus, the courts ruled such zoning laws pertaining to historic districts prohibited the proposed expansion plans. To this day, the adjacent lots are empty, but the department has abandoned their proposed expansion.
The second victory for the Residents was in the halting of construction of a four-lane expressway that was begun on the south part of Miramar. The proposed plans were considered to be an abuse of the environment (hundred-year-old trees would have been cut down), the highway would not meet noise emission levels in regular traffic hours (as established by law for historic districts), and various condos and houses would become isolated from the rest of the town.
In an unexpected move, in 2010
Jorge Santini, Mayor Jorge Santini proposed that instead of building the highway, a green concept should be pursued and a light rail program called SaTour was to be built. The plan is part of the San Juan Walkable City proposed plan, which is intended to connect Miramar to the Train system already in place called
Tren Urbano. When completed, Miramar will have a direct access through train with
Hato Rey,
Guaynabo, and
Bayamón.
Miramar is home to the coeducational Catholic parochial school
Academia del Perpetuo Socorro, the
Puerto Rico Convention Center, the
Isla Grande Airport, the
Cruise ship
Cruise ships are large passenger ships used mainly for vacationing. Unlike ocean liners, which are used for transport, cruise ships typically embark on round-trip voyages to various ports of call, where passengers may go on Tourism, tours k ...
Pan-American Cruise Pier, the luxurious yacht harbor of Club Nautico, and the
Puerto Rico Conservatory of Music.
Miramar is located two miles from
Old San Juan
Old San Juan () is a historic district located at the "northwest triangle" of the San Juan Islet, islet of San Juan in San Juan, Puerto Rico, San Juan. Its area roughly correlates to the Ballajá, Old San Juan, Ballajá, Catedral, Old San Juan, ...
, three miles from shopping mecca
Condado, and four miles from the international airport
Luis Muñoz Marín.
Historical Battles
On 1797 Miramar witnessed the
English Royal Navy under the reign of
George III of the United Kingdom
George III (George William Frederick; 4 June 173829 January 1820) was King of Great Britain and Ireland from 25 October 1760 until his death in 1820. The Acts of Union 1800 unified Great Britain and Ireland into the United Kingdom of Great ...
and led by the mighty
Abercromby shell of the
Fortín de San Gerónimo in
Old San Juan
Old San Juan () is a historic district located at the "northwest triangle" of the San Juan Islet, islet of San Juan in San Juan, Puerto Rico, San Juan. Its area roughly correlates to the Ballajá, Old San Juan, Ballajá, Catedral, Old San Juan, ...
.
[Alonso, Mariá M. and Milagros Flores (1997). ''The Eighteenth Century Caribbean and the British Attack on Puerto Rico in 1797''. San Juan: National Park Service, Department of the Interior, Publicaciones Puertorriqueñas. ]
Gallery
Miramar, San Juan, 00907, Puerto Rico - panoramio (2).jpg, Street view of Miramar
Gustos Coffee Co. Miramar-01.jpg, Street café in Miramar
Spanish-style home in Miramar, Santurce, San Juan, Puerto Rico.jpg, Spanish-style home in Miramar
Miramar, San Juan, 00907, Puerto Rico - panoramio (3).jpg, View of Miramar
Miramar skyline.jpg, View of Miramar from a Condado building terrace
See also
*
List of communities in Puerto Rico
In the archipelago and island of Puerto Rico, there are 78 municipalities serving as second-level administrative divisions, and 902 barrios proper, consisting of 828 barrios and 74 barrios-pueblos, serving as third-level divisions. Barrios are s ...
References
External links
*{{Commons category-inline
Santurce, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico Register of Historic Sites and Zones