Fifth Avenue has never been a realistic reflection of Havana. It wasn’t in its opulent origins, back in the early decades of the 20th century, and it’s even less so now, when the overwhelming weight of the crisis has accentuated the city’s decline.
Heart of the bright and colorful Miramar neighborhood, this two-lane avenue with a median promenade is an exceptional face of the Cuban capital. With its mansions, gardens and parks, it presents an image that contrasts sharply with the vast majority of spaces, buildings and neighborhoods in Havana.
Initially called Avenue of the Americas, Fifth Avenue resulted from the displacement of Havana’s wealthy classes to the west of the city, beyond the mouth of the Almendares River. It was also a key element in the urbanization of that area.
Not only is it one of the city’s most beautiful avenues, but also one of its longest. Its route begins at the tunnel that connects it to Vedado and officially extends to the beginning of the Santa Fe district, where it becomes the Pan-American Highway. However, its most iconic images are associated with its first section, in the Miramar neighborhood.
Built in sections that create distinct visual differences, Fifth Avenue has historically been associated with wealth and opulence. The design of its most renowned section involved the participation of the U.S. architect John F. Duncan, who is the creator of two of its most emblematic features: the Fountain of the Americas, located at its entrance, and the famous clock tower.
Although this Havana avenue has not been inhabited by the bourgeoisie that populated it in its early days for many years, nor has it been able to completely escape the signs of deterioration, it remains an exceptional area in the Cuban capital and in the country’s landscape.
Many of the beautiful residences on Fifth Avenue were converted into embassies or venues of state entities. Over time, hotels, shops, restaurants and private businesses also emerged, maintaining an exclusive atmosphere compared to the streets overflowing with garbage and dilapidated buildings that proliferate in the rest of the city.
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This Sunday, photojournalist Otmaro Rodríguez brings us closer to its initial section, the one that appears just after passing through the tunnel and extends for several perfectly straight and aligned blocks before reaching La Copa, near 40th Street, through his photographs.
