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Ponce, Puerto Rico

Coordinates: 18°00′N 66°37′W / 18.000°N 66.617°W / 18.000; -66.617
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Autonomous Municipality of Ponce
Municipio Autónomo de Ponce
The City of Ponce as seen from El Vigia
The City of Ponce as seen from El Vigia
Flag of Autonomous Municipality of Ponce Municipio Autónomo de Ponce
Flag
Official seal of Autonomous Municipality of Ponce Municipio Autónomo de Ponce
Seal
Nickname(s): 
"La Perla del Sur" , "Ciudad Señorial" , "Ciudad de los Leones", "Ciudad de las Quenepas"
Location of Ponce, Puerto Rico within Puerto Rico.
Location of Ponce, Puerto Rico within Puerto Rico.
CountryPuerto Rico
Non-incorporated Territory ofUnited States
Founded1692
Government
 • MayorDr. María Meléndez Altieri (NPP)
 • Sen. dist.5 - Ponce
 • Rep. dist.24, 25
Area
 • City193.61 sq mi (501.44 km2)
 • Land114.72 sq mi (297.13 km2)
 • Water78.88 sq mi (204.31 km2)
Elevation
[1][2]
160 ft (50 m)
Population
 (2000)
 • City186,475
 • Density1,625/sq mi (627.6/km2)
 • Metro
442,244
 • Racial groups
(2000 Census) [3]
83.6% White
5.3% Black
0.3% American Indian/AN
0.1% Asian
0.1% Native Hawaiian/PI
5.4% Some other race
5.2% Two or more races
Time zoneUTC-4 (AST)
ZIP codes
00715, 00716, 00728, 00730, 00731, 00732, 00733, 00734, 00780
Area code787
GentilicPonceños
Websitehttp://www.ponceweb.org
Anthem – "Perla del Sur"

Ponce (Template:Audio-es, Template:Pron-en[4], IPA: [ˈpɔnsɛ][5]) is both a city and a municipality in southern Puerto Rico. The city is the seat of the municipal government.[6]

The City of Ponce is the second largest city in Puerto Rico outside of the San Juan metropolitan area,[7] and is named after Juan Ponce de León y Loayza, the grandson of Spanish conquistador Juan Ponce de León. Ponce is often referred to as La Perla del Sur (The Pearl of the South), La Ciudad Señorial de Puerto Rico (The Noble City of Puerto Rico), and La Ciudad de las Quenepas (Genip City)[8][9]. The city of Ponce serves as the governmental seat of the autonomous municipality as well as the regional hub for various Government of Puerto Rico entities, such as the Judiciary of Puerto Rico.[10][11][12] It is also the regional center for various other Commonwealth and federal government agencies[13]. The city is also the seat of a Catholic Diocesis[14].

The Municipality of Ponce, officially the Autonomous Municipality of Ponce, is located in the Southern Coastal Plain region of the island, south of Adjuntas, Utuado, and Jayuya; east of Peñuelas; west of Juana Díaz; and bordered on the south by the Caribbean Sea. The municipality has a total of 19 barrios (wards), plus the urban area of the city including the historic Ponce Pueblo (the downtown area of the city), which is located approximately 3 miles inland from the shores of the Caribbean. Ponce is a principal city of both the Ponce Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Ponce-Yauco-Coamo Combined Statistical Area. The municipality of Ponce is the second largest in Puerto Rico by land area after the municipality of Arecibo.

History

File:Ponce town center (1900).jpg
Ponce's town center, circa 1900

Early settlers

The region of what is Ponce now belonged to the Taino Guaynia region, which stretched along the southern coast of Puerto Rico[15]. The region was led by cacique Agüeybana. He was one of the caciques that greeted Spanish conquistador Juan Ponce de León when he came to the island in 1508.

During the first years of the colonization, Spanish families started settling around the Jacaguas river, in the south of the island. For safety reasons, these families moved to the Portugués river, then called Barayama. In 1670, a small chapel was raised and dedicated in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe in the middle of the small settlement.

In 1692 Juan Ponce de León y Loayza (Juan Ponce de León's great-grandson) obtained a royal permit (cédula real) to formalize the founding of the hamlet. It was declared a villa in 1848, and obtained its city charter in 1877.

19th Century wave of immigrants

As a result of the Royal Decree of Graces of 1815, a strong influx of immigrants from Europe came to the region of Ponce, strengthening its economy and assuring its progress. Immigrants came from regions like Catalonia, the Balearic Islands, and other regions of eastern Spain, as well as from the United Kingdom (one of Vanna White's ancestors was mayor of the city once), Germany and France. Also, wealthy Spaniards who fled from the independence revolts in Cuba, Colombia and Venezuela came to Ponce.

Some of these immigrants made considerable fortunes in coffee, corn and sugar cane harvesting, rum production, banking and finance, the importing of industrial machinery, iron foundries and other enterprises. At a given time during the late 19th century, Ponce had more inhabitants and its many financial institutions were better capitalized than those of Puerto Rico's capital city, San Juan.

While Europe was celebrating its Belle Époque (Victorian Era), Ponce followed suit with its own exposition fair, the Ponce Fair. Following trends set in Europe and elsewhere, in 1877, Don Miguel Rosich conceptualized an exposition fair for Ponce. This was approved in 1880, and the exposition fair was held in the city in 1882, where several industrial and agricultural advancements were shown. "It is important to establish a relationship between the European exhibitions that I have mentioned and the Ponce Fair, as the Fair was meant as a showcase of the advancements of the day: Agriculture, Trade, Industry, and the Arts. Just as with the 1878 World Fair in Paris, the electric grid of the city of Ponce was inaugurated on the first day of the Ponce Fair. In this occasion the Plaza Las Delicias and various other buildings, including the Merchatile Union Building, the Ponce Casino, and some of Ponce's homes were illuminated with the incandescent light bulb for the first time".[16]

In 1883, Ponce was ravaged by an enormous fire. The fire threatened to destroy much of the south coast, but thanks to the firemen of Ponce (who operated from Ponce's Parque de Bombas fire station) Ponce and the south were saved. The Parque de Bombas fire station in the central plaza has since become a museum and tourist attraction. The station continued serving the Ponce community until 1990, when it was closed and the building's activities were entirely dedicated to a museum, which is still open to the general public.

Ponce in the 20th Century

At the time of the U.S. invasion and occupation of Puerto Rico, Ponce was the largest city in the Island. With a population of 22,000, Ponce had the best road in Puerto Rico, built by the Spanish for military purposes, and running from Ponce to San Juan.[17] The taking of Ponce by American troops "was a critical turning point in the Puerto Rican campaign. For the first time the Americans held a major port to funnel large numbers of men and quantities of war materiel into the island." Ponce also had underwater telegraph cable connections with Jamaica and the West Indies, putting the US forces on the island in direct communication with Washington for the first time since the start of the campaign.[18]

The Americans arrived on July 28, after marching from their landing at Guánica. There were skirmishes in the city, but no major battle was fought. On the Spanish side, three men were killed and 13 wounded, while four Americans were wounded. The American flag was raised in the town center that same day and most of the Spanish troops retreated into the surrounding mountains. The U.S. Army then established its headquarters in Ponce.[19]

After the U.S. Invasion of 1898 during the Spanish-American War, Americans chose to centralize the administration of the island in San Juan, the capital, starting a period of socio-economic stagnation for Ponce. This was worsened by several factors:

  • Hurricane San Ciriaco in 1899 had left the region in misery.
  • The opening of the Aguirre sugar mill in Salinas, and another one in Guánica, diminished the commercial and agricultural activity in Ponce.
  • The decadence in coffee plantations.
  • The loss of the markets of Spain and Cuba.
Police open fire upon unarmed Nationalists

This prompted the residents to initiate measures to attract economic activity back in the city. Also, a solid manufacturing industry surged that still remains. Examples of this are the Ponce Cement, Vasallo Industries, and Serrallés Distillery.

On March 21, 1937, Ponce was the scene of a violent incident, remembered as the "Ponce Massacre", in which nineteen unarmed Nationalist demonstrators, peacefully celebrating the 64th Anniversary of the Abolition of Slavery, were fatally shot by the Insular police under orders from the United States' CoIntelPro (Counter Intelligence Program) and the non-democratically elected military assigned Governor of the time, Major General Blanton C. Winship.

Despite this tragedy, Ponce has continued to be a hub of political activity in the Island, being the founding site of several major political parties. It has also been the birthplace of several important political figures of the island, including Luis A. Ferré and Rafael Hernández Colón, both former governors of Puerto Rico.

The Mameyes Landslide

Mameyes landslide

In October 1985, Ponce suffered a great tragedy, when at least 129 people lost their lives to a mudslide in an area known as Mameyes. International help was needed to rescue people and corpses. The United States and many other countries, including Mexico, France, and Venezuela, sent economic, human, and machinery relief.

Recent history

In recent years, Ponce has solidified its position as the second most important city of Puerto Rico due to its economic progress and increasing population. Ponce's mayor for 15 years (since 1989), Rafael "Churumba" Cordero, died in office on the morning of January 17, 2004, after suffering three successive brain strokes. He was succeeded by Francisco Zayas Seijo. In the general elections of 2008 María "Mayita" Meléndez was elected as the current mayor of the city of Ponce.

Symbols

Flag and coat of arms

The coat of arms of Ponce contains a red and black coloured shield. There is a five tower gold crown that indicates that Ponce is a city by royal decree. As an exterior frame to shield, there is a sugar cane plant on the right of the shield, and to the left a coffee tree branch.

The shield of Ponce is divided by a diagonal line that crosses straight from the superior end to the left inferior end. In this divided field is the color red (for the fire that almost destroyed the city), that covers the superior right portion and the color black (for the ashes after that fire). On that black and red background is a yellow lion with black mane, walking towards the left of the shield, facing right of the shield. The lion is on a bridge, meaning that you must cross a river to enter the city by any region. The shield is bordered by a coffee plant branch and a sugar cane plant, in which the early economy of the city was based.

Geography

Ponce's municipal territory reaches the central mountain range to the north and the Caribbean Sea to the south. Geographically speaking, the southern area of the territory is part of the Ponce-Patillas alluvial plain subsector and the southern coastal plain, which were created by the consolidation of the valleys of the southern side of the central mountain range and the Cayey mountain range. The central area of the municipality is part of the semi-arid southern hills. These two regions are classified as being the driest on the island. The southern part of the municipality is considered to be within the rainy western mountains. [20] The lowest elevation is sea level; the highest elevation is Cerro Punta at 1,338 meters (4,390 feet), the highest in Puerto Rico, located on the boundary between Ponce's Anón ward and Veguitas ward in Jayuya.[21]

Nineteen (19) barrios[22] comprise the rural areas of the municipality, and the topology of their lands varies from flatlands to hills to extremely mountaneos. The hilly barrios of the municipality (moving clockwise around the outskirts of the city) are these eight: Canas, Quebrada Limon, Marueño, Magueyes, Tibes, Portugues, Machuelo, and Cerrillos. The barrios of Coto Laurel, Capitanejo, Sabanetas, Vayas, and Bucaná also surround the outskits of the city but these are mostly flat. The remaining six (6) other barrios are further away from the city and their topology is rugged mountain terrain. These are (clockwise): Guaraguao, San Patricio, Monte Llano, Maraguez, Anón, and Real. This is because through these parts of the municipality runs the Central Mountain Range of the Island.[23]. The remaining barrios are part of the urban zone of the city.[24][25]

There is a sismic detector that the University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez Campus, has placed in Barrio Cerrillos. [26]

Barrio Anon is home to Cerro Maravilla, a peak that at 1,245 meters is Puerto Rico's highest peak outside of peaks within Jayuya.[27]

Land features

Elevations include Mount Punta at 1,338 meters (4,390 feet), the highest in Puerto Rico, located on the boundary between Anón ward in Ponce and Veguitas ward in Jayuya. Mount Jayuya, at 1,315 meters (4,314 feet) is located on the boundary between Anón ward and Saliente ward in Jayuya. Mount Maravilla, at nearly 1,210 meters (3,970 feet) above sea level, is located to the east of Anón ward. There are many other mountains at lower elevations in the municipality, such as the Montes Llanos ridge and Mount Diablo, at 680 meters (2,231 feet) and Mount Marueño, at 640 meters (2,100 feet), and Pinto Peak, among others. The Toro Negro Forest is located in Anón ward. Coastal promontories include Cuchara, Peñoncillo, Carnero, and Cabullón points. [28]

Water features

The following rivers comprise the hydrographic system of Ponce: Jacaguas, Inabón, Bucaná (Cerrillos), Portugués, Cañas, San Patricio, and Matilde (Pastillo). The Jacaguas River runs for a brief stretch on the southeast area of the municipality. The Inabón River springs from Anón ward and runs through the municipality for some 28.5 kilometers (18 miles); the tributaries of the Inabón are the Anón and Guayo rivers and the Emajagua Brook. The Bucaná River springs from Machuelo Arriba ward and runs for 29.5 kilometers (18.5 miles) into the Caribbean Sea. The tributaries of the Bucaná are the San Patricio, Bayagán, and Prieto Rivers and Ausubo brook. The Portugués River springs from the ward of that name in Adjuntas, and runs for 27.6 kilometers (17.3 miles) into the Caribbean sea at Ponce Playa ward. The Matilde River, also known as the Pastillo River, runs for 19 kilometers (12 miles); its tributaries are the Cañas River and the Limón and del Agua brooks. Lakes in Ponce include Bronce and Ponceña as well as lakes bearing numbers: Uno, Dos, Tres, and Cinco; and the Salinas lagoon, which is considered a restricted lagoon. Other water bodies are the springs at Quintana and the Ponce and El Tuque beaches. [29] There is also a beach at Deadman’s Chest island. Lake Cerrillos is located within the limits of the municipality. [30]

Geographic features of the coast include Cabullón inlet, and Ratones, Cardona, Gato, and Fríos keys. Deadman’s Chest island and Morrillito islet are located at the boundary between Ponce and Juana Díaz. There is a mangrove covering an area of approximately 40 hectares at Cabullón promontory and Fríos keys. The mangrove at Salinas lagoon covers an area of about 15 hectares. The Rita cave is located in Cerrillos ward." [31]

Climate

Ponce has winter highs averaging 87°F (30.5°C) and summer highs, 93°F (34°C). It has a record high of 100°F (38°C), which occurred on August 21, 2003,[32] and a record low of 51 °F (10.5°C) which occurred on February 28, 2004, tieing the record low of 51 °F from January 25, 1993. [33]

Cityscape

Architecture

During the 19th Century, the city was witness to a flourishing architectural development. Architects like Francisco Valls, Manuel Víctor Domenech, Eduardo Salich, Blas Saliva Boucher, Agustín Camilo González, Alfredo Wiechers, Francisco Porrata Doria and Francisco Gardón Vega used a mixture of creole and neoclassic styles to give the city a unique look. This can be seen in the various structures located in the center of the city like the La Perla Theater.

Many of the city's features (from house façades to street corners) are modeled on Barcelona's architecture, given the city's strong Catalonian heritage.

Barrios

The municipality of Ponce is made up of close to 40 barrios (wards/districts).[34]

The 2000 Census showed that Barrio Canas was the most populated ward of the municipality.[35]

A summary of all the barrios of the municipality is as follows: [36]:

Culture

Tourism

Parque de Bombas - Historic fire station in Ponce

Due to its historical importance throughout the years, Ponce features many points of interest for visiting tourists. Since the 1970s, and starting with the Ponce Holiday Inn, several hotels have been built to satisfy the tourism industry. Newer lodging additions include the Ponce Hilton Golf & Casino Resort, home to the new Costa Caribe Golf & Country Club, featuring a 27-hole PGA championship golf course.

In recent years an intensive $440 million dollar revitalization project has increased the city's historic area from 260 to 1,046 buildings.[37] A significant number of buildings in Ponce are listed in the National Register of Historic Places.[38] The nonprofit Project for Public Places [39] named the Historic Downtown Ponce City Center, in its 60 of the World's Great Places, for its "graciously preserved showcase of Caribbean culture".[40]

Downtown Ponce in particular features several landmarks. Plaza Las Delicias, the town's main square, features a beautiful fountain (namely, the "Lions Fountain"), the Ponce Cathedral, and Parque de Bombas. This plaza is also a usual gathering place for "ponceños". Other buildings around Ponce's main plaza include the Casa Alcaldía (city hall), the oldest colonial building in the city, dating to the 1840s. Nearby sits Casa Armstrong-Poventud, an example of the neoclassical architectural heritage of the island.

The Lions Fountain in Plaza Las Delicias.

Heading north from downtown lies the Serralles Castle and the Cruceta El Vigia, a 100-foot observation tower which overlooks the city. The hill on which the Cruceta is located was originally used by scouts to scan for incoming mercantile ships as well as invading ones.

In the outskirts, is the Tibes Indigenous Ceremonial Center discovered in 1975 after hurricane rains uncovered pottery. The center is the site of the oldest cemetery uncovered up to date in the Antilles. With some 200 skeletons unearthed from the year 300 AD it is considered[who?] the largest and the most important archaeological finding in the West Indies.

Also in the city outskirts is Hacienda Buena Vista, an estate built in 1833 originally to growing fruits. It was converted into a coffee plantation and corn mill in 1845. It remained in operation until 1937, but was restored by the government's Fideicomiso de Conservación de Puerto Rico. All the machinery works (the metal parts) are original, operated by water channeled from the 360 m Vives waterfall; there is a hydraulic turbine which makes the corn mill work.

La Guancha Boardwalk as seen from the Boardwalk's observation tower

La Guancha Boardwalk is located in the town's sea shore. It has kiosks which sell food and alcoholic beverages. There's also a Marina for boat owners and an open-space stage for activities. From the observation tower on the boardwalk, Cardona Island Light can be seen. A 45-minute boat ride is also available to Caja de Muertos (Coffin Island), a small beach island that features Caja de Muertos Light built in 1887.

The city is also building an aquarium, that will double as the "Oceanographic Studies Center of the Caribbean. [41] It is due for completion in early 2010.

As of 2008, the City had also engaged in the development of a Convention Center with a capacity for 3,000 people. It was also to include two major hotels, apartment buildings, and recreational facilities.[42]

Many large hotel chains are represented, including Hilton, Holiday Inn, Howard Johnsons, and Quality Inn. Melia, the most recognized hotel chain in Europe, has been in the city since the early days of this chain in 1956. Intercontinental is under refurbishment and will soon re-open its doors atop the hill near El Vigia as the Magna Vista Resort. "The Municipal government will also invest more than $1 million dollars in area renovations. Other hotel projects in the works include the Ponce Plaza Hotel, Four Points by Sheraton, Marriot Courtyard, and a yet unnamed project." [43]

Other attractions in Ponce include:

Music

The artistic development also flourished during this period. The surging of popular rhythms like Bomba and Plena took place in the south region of the island, mainly in Ponce. Barrio San Antón is known as one of the birthplaces of the rhythm. Every July, Ponce celebrates an annual festival of Bomba and Plena which includes various musicians and parades.

Ponce has also been the birthplace of several well-known singers and musicians. From opera singers like Antonio Paoli, who was renowned all around the world during the early 1900s, to contemporary singers like Ednita Nazario (pop) and Tempo (reggaeton). Also, countless Salsa singers like Héctor Lavoe, Cheo Feliciano, and Ismael Quintana also come from the city.

Ponce is the birthplace of one of the oldest carnivals celebrated in the Western Hemisphere called the Carnaval de Ponce. The carnival, celebrated in February, dates back to 1858 and probably earlier. It features various parades with masked characters representative of good and evil.

Arts

Ponce is also the birthplace of artists like Miguel Pou, Horacio Castaing, and several others in the fields of painting, sculpture, and others.

Ponce is home to the Museo de Arte de Ponce, founded in 1964 by then Governor and fellow "ponceño" Luis A. Ferré. The museum was operated by Ferré until his death at the age of 99. Designed by Edward Durrell Stone, renowned architect of the Museum of Modern Art (New York) and others, it is the only museum of international stature on the island, housing the most extensive art collection in the Caribbean.

Dating back to 1858, Ponce's Carnival is the oldest carnival in Puerto Rico, and acquired an international flavor for its 150th anniversary.[66]

Sports

File:LeonPonce.gif
Ponce Lions (Basketball team logo)

Most of Ponce's professional teams are called the Ponce Lions (or Lionesses) regardless of the sport.

The Ponce Lions basketball team is one of the leading teams of the island winning a total of twelve championships during their tenure. The team's venue is the Juan Pachín Vicéns Auditorium.

The teams of baseball and volleyball (male and female) have also been fairly successful. The baseball team venue is the Francisco Montaner Stadium. The stadium is located next to the Juan Pachín Vicéns Auditorium.

In 2007 Ponce was host to Club Atletico River Plate Puerto Rico futbol team, which currently plays in the Puerto Rico Soccer League. They play at Francisco Montaner Stadium and are expected to play in the United Soccer Leagues, Division 1, in 2008, becoming the second professional soccer team in Puerto Rico after the Puerto Rico Islanders.

Ponce was also the site of the Central American and Caribbean Games in 1993.

Economy

"Ponce is one of the most developed municipalities on the island, whose manufacturing sectors include electronic and electrical equipment, communications equipment, food processing, pharmaceuticals, concrete plants, and scientific instruments. Other industries include leather products, needlework, and fish flour. In the agricultural sector, the most import product is coffee, followed by plantains, bananas, oranges, and grapefruit, among others. Other economic activities include public and private services, finance, retail sales, and construction." [67]

Ponce is home to the Island's chief Caribbean port and is an agricultural, trade, and distribution center. Industries include tourism, the processing of agricultural products, rum distilling, canning, and diamond cutting. Manufactures include textiles, shoes, cement, paper, electrical devices, and metal products.[68]

In 2005, the municipality's budget was $152 million US dollars. [69]

Ponce is home to the Serralles rum distillery (home of the Don Q and Captain Morgan, and Parrot Bay rums).

Demographics

Historical population
YearPop.±%
189955,477—    
191063,444+14.4%
192071,426+12.6%
193087,604+22.7%
1940105,116+20.0%
1950126,810+20.6%
1960145,586+14.8%
1970158,891+9.1%
1980189,046+19.0%
1990187,749−0.7%
2000186,475−0.7%

Ponce has consistently ranked as one of the most populous cities in Puerto Rico. In fact, in1899 it was the largest city in the Island, including San Juan. Ponce's current population, according to the 2000 census, stands at 186,475, with a population density of 116.0 persons per square mile (278.4/km²), ranking third in terms of population among Puerto Rican municipalities (after San Juan and Bayamón).

Statistics taken from the 2000 census show that 83.6% of Ponceños have Spanish or White origin, and 5.3% are black, with peoples of Amerindian, Asian, Mixed and other origins making up the rest. At 83.6% vs. 76.2% for the Island as a whole, Ponce has the highest Spanish / white population concentration of any municipality in Puerto Rico.

Government

Ponce City Hall (above), built in the 1840s, is the oldest colonial building in the city.

Since its foundation in 1692, the city of Ponce has been led by a mayor. Its first mayor was Don Pedro Sánchez de Mathos. The current mayor is Dr. María Meléndez Altieri of the New Progressive Party, becoming the first woman to be elected for the office in the city's history.

Perhaps its best known mayor of recent years has been Rafael "Churumba" Cordero, who held office since 1989 until his sudden death on the morning of January 17, 2004, after suffering three successive brain strokes. After vice-mayor Delis Castillo finished his term, Francisco Zayas Seijo was elected mayor in 2005.

The city also has a municipal legislature that handles local legislative matters. It is composed of 16 civilians elected during the general elections, along with the mayor, state representatives and senators. The delegations are, until the 2012 general election, distributed as follows: 13 legislators of the New Progressive Party, 2 legislators of the Popular Democratic Party, and 1 legislator who represents the "Movimiento Autónomo Ponceño".

Ponce was the first municipality of Puerto Rico to obtain its autonomy in the mid-90s under a law enacted by the Puerto Rican legislature.

The Ponce City Hall has one of the most unusual histories of any city hall throughout the world. "Originally built in the 1840s as a public assembly hall, Ponce's current City Hall was a jail until the end of the 19th century. Current galleries were former cells, and executions were held in the courtyard. Four U.S. presidents spoke from the balcony - Theodore Roosevelt, Herbert Hoover, Franklin Roosevelt and George Bush." It is registered with the National Trust of Historic Sites.[71]

City Services

Fire Protection

The city's fire department has a history of firsts, including being the first organized fire department in the Island, and due to the city's then large population and de facto economic and social status, creating, in effect, the first Puerto Rican fire department. It also built the first fire station in the Island[72][73], which still stands to this day, and now open as a museum. Also, Ponce's native son, Raúl Gándara-Cartagena as a fire chief, in 1951, wrote a book on the firemen's service, which became a firemen's manual in several Latin American countries.[74]

Education

Front entrance of the of Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico.

Ponce is home to several public and private schools distributed through several regions. Public education is handled by the State Department of Education.

There are also several colleges and universities located in the city. Some of them are:

It also has several other technical institutions like the Instituto de Banca y Comercio, and the Ponce Paramedical College.

Fort Lauderdale, Florida, -based Nova Southeastern University has a School of Pharmacy campus in Ponce. [75]

Health Care

The city is served by a large number of clinics and hospitals. Among those providing the most comprehensive care are Hospital Dr. Pila, Hospital San Cristobal, Hospital San Lucas[76], Hospital de Damas, Hospital Oncologico Andres Grillasca, Ponce Regional Hospital, and the US Department of Veterans Affairs Outptient Clinic.[77] Hospital De Damas is listed in the US News and World Report as one of the best hospitals in the nation. [78]

Transportation

See Rail transport in Puerto Rico.

Due to its commercial and industrial significance, Ponce has consistently been a hub of transportation to the rest of the island. In 1907, a train line that ran from Ponce to San Juan was completed and used mostly for transporting sugar cane. The train was operated by American Railroad Corporation. Railroads, however, fell out of use once the island changed its economic focus from agriculture to manufacturing. Abandoned railroads can still be found at various places in the outskirts of the city. Around 1930, Ponce already boasted its own port facilities for large cargo ships. The port is still one of the busiest ports of the island for commerce. It is currently known as the Port of the Americas and is under expansion to convert it into a major international shipping hub.

International flights were once flown to Ponce's Mercedita Airport, coded PSE, by Eastern Air Lines and American Airlines, while intra-island operations were conducted by Prinair. Air service to Mercedita has increased rapidly during the past two years. Cape Air dba Continental Connection offers daily intra-island service to Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in Carolina, Puerto Rico. Recently, both Spirit Airlines and Jet Blue have started new jet service from Ponce to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. JetBlue also flies nonstop from the John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in New York City and the Orlando International Airport (MCO). Continental Airlines also offers daily nonstop service from Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR).

Puerto Rico Highway 52 (Interstate PR-1) provides access from Ponce to San Juan, Caguas, Salinas, and other municipalities in the center and south of the island. PR-2 grants access to southwestern and western municipalities as a full-access freeway. The PR-10 highway provides access to the north of the island (Arecibo) but it is still under construction.

Ponce's public transportation system consists of public cars and vans. Most of them depart from a terminal hub located in downtown Ponce. Taxis are also available around the town. There's also a trolley system reminiscent to the one from the 19th Century that travels through the downtown streets, mostly used by tourists. There's also a small train that can drive tourists from the downtown area to La Guancha Boardwalk.

Notable Ponceños

The following is a list of Ponceños who have distigushed themselves at the international or the national level.[79]

References

  1. ^ Gobierno de Puerto Rico. Elevacion Ponce
  2. ^ [1]
  3. ^ Demographics/Ethnic U.S 2000 census
  4. ^ Ponce - Definition and IPA pronunciation from Dictionary.com
  5. ^ Ponce - Definition and IPA pronunciation from Dictionary.com
  6. ^ Municipios de Puerto Rico y sus centros administrativos(in Spanish)
  7. ^ "Puerto Rico - Ponce, Puerto Rico". Retrieved 2007-06-16.
  8. ^ Ciudad de Las Quenepas - Genip is one of the common names in English for Melicoccus bijugatus. The word used in Puerto Rico is quenepa. Other Spanish-speaking countries call the fruit mamoncillo. Retrieved July 23, 2009.
  9. ^ A ready-to-be-eaten Quenepa Retrieved July 30, 2009.
  10. ^ Judiciary
  11. ^ Judiciary of PR, Regional Center
  12. ^ Neiboghring Municipalities
  13. ^ ARPE
  14. ^ Diócesis de Ponce.
  15. ^ Taino Map
  16. ^ Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña - Click on Opusculo de la Casa Armstrong-Poventud Retrieved July 23, 2009.
  17. ^ In 1898 Ponce was the largest city in Puerto Rico
  18. ^ The Spanish-American War Centennial Website
  19. ^ Library of Congress
  20. ^ Puerto Rico Encyclopedia Retrieved July 23, 2009.
  21. ^ Lowest and highest elevations (Puerto Rico Encyclopedia: Fundacion Puertorriqueña de las Humanidades.)
  22. ^ Map of Barrios of Ponce
  23. ^ Rural Barrios of Ponce
  24. ^ Barrios
  25. ^ Zona Urbana
  26. ^ UPRMC Sismic Detector. Barrio Cerrillos
  27. ^ Cerro Maravilla
  28. ^ Puerto Rico Encyclopedia Retrieved July 23, 2009.
  29. ^ Puerto Rico Encyclopedia Retrieved July 23, 2009.
  30. ^ Cerrillos Lake
  31. ^ Puerto Rico Encyclopedia Retrieved July 23, 2009.
  32. ^ The Weather Channel Retrieved July 26, 2009.
  33. ^ The Weather Channel Retrieved July 26, 2009.
  34. ^ Map of Barrios of Ponce
  35. ^ Barrio Canas Most Populated
  36. ^ http://welcome.topuertorico.org/maps/ponce.pdf
  37. ^ Downtown revitalization
  38. ^ National Register of Historic Places - buildings and structures
  39. ^ Project for Public Spaces
  40. ^ 60 of the World's Great Places
  41. ^ Aquarium and Oceanographic Studies Center of the CaribbeanRetrieved July 17, 2009.
  42. ^ Convention Center
  43. ^ Hotel Intercontinental Ret. July 29, 2009.
  44. ^ Cuartel de Infanteria by The Francisco Pancho Coibre Sport Museum at Lolita Tizol Street Retrieved July 29, 2009.
  45. ^ Wiechers-Villaronga Residence
  46. ^ Crystal Ceiling over Paseo Atocha
  47. ^ Map of Historic Ponce District. Adventure Guide to Puerto Rico, page 227. By Kurt Pitzer and Tara Stevens. Edison, New Jersey: Hunter Publishing. 2001. 420 pages. ISBN: 1-58843-116-9
  48. ^ Yacht Club
  49. ^ Casa Paoli Museum - Honoring the King of Tenors and the Tenor of Kings
  50. ^ Casa Paoli Museum
  51. ^ Francisco Pancho Coibre Sport Museum
  52. ^ Music Museum
  53. ^ Román Baldorioty de Castro National Pantheon
  54. ^ Parque de La Ceiba
  55. ^ [Silkwood Tree Park|Flindersia pimenteliana]
  56. ^ Ceiba Tree (Kapok) Park
  57. ^ Enrique Gonzalez Park in Ponce Bay?
  58. ^ Monagas Park
  59. ^ Tercennial Park Retrieved July 29, 2009.
  60. ^ Tercentenary Park Plaza
  61. ^ Dora Colón Clavell Urban ParkRet. July 29, 2009.
  62. ^ El Tuque
  63. ^ Farmers Market Retrieved July 29, 2009.
  64. ^ Music Museum
  65. ^ Architecture Museum
  66. ^ Ponce Carnival Retrieved July 29, 2009.
  67. ^ Ponce's Economy Retreieved July 23. 2009.
  68. ^ Economy of Ponce
  69. ^ [www.ponceweb.org/Estado_financiero2004_05.pdf Municipal budegt]
  70. ^ Ethnicity 2000 census
  71. ^ Ponce City Hall's most unusual history
  72. ^ Adventure Guide to Puerto Rico By Kurt Pitzer, Tara Stevens, page 226 Retrieved June 28, 2009.
  73. ^ First Fire Station Retrieved July 29, 2009.
  74. ^ Puerto Rico Encyclopedia: Fundacion Puertorriqueña de las HumanidadesRetrieved August 8, 2009.
  75. ^ NOVA University Ret. July 28, 2009.
  76. ^ Hospital San Lucas Retrieved July 28, 2009.
  77. ^ VA Clinic Retrieved July 28, 2009.
  78. ^ Hospital de Damas: one of the best Retrieved July 29, 2009.
  79. ^ Puerto Rico Encyclopedia. Fundacion Puertorriquena de la Humanidades Retrieved July 9, 2009.

18°00′N 66°37′W / 18.000°N 66.617°W / 18.000; -66.617

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