Liguanea

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Liguanea is a historically significant area in the island of Jamaica in the West Indies. It's name came from the language of the pre-columbian Taino people who inhabited the island and named it after the iguana lizard that is endemic to the island, and an important source of food for the Taino.

Geographically, the Liguanea Plains are the fertile flat lands of alluvium spreading south towards the Kingston Harbour, but the area known as Liguanea is only a small part in the Kingston Corporate Area, a section of the parish of St. Andrew. From a socio economic point of view, Liguanea is the name of a distinct commercial district: East to West, between Half-Way-Tree (up to Trafalgar Road) and Papine (UTech's front gate); North to South, between Millsborough (Barbican Road) and New Kingston (Mountain View Road to Trafalgar Road).

The heart of the Liguanea suburban commercial district is Matilda's Corner - the only intersection of Hope & Old Hope Roads. Activities here serve the immediate neighbourhoods as well as the adjoining area of Papine. The origin of the name Matilda's Corner is unknown. Enclosing residential areas include Mona, Mona Heights, Hope Pastures, Trafalgar Park, and Beverly Hills. The "small communities" also known as ghettoes or "deep urban areas" nearby are Sandy Gully, Stand Pipe and Chambers Lane/Air Pipe.

What's in Liguanea?

• of Religious interest: a number of places of worship - including Anglican, Roman Catholic, Church of God, Seventh Day Adventist, New Testament, Methodist - the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese in Jamaica, a Methodist cemetery, and an Anglican columbarium;
• of Commercial interest: 3 large scale and even more small-scale shopping malls, 3 banks, a building society, a newly built Post Office & mall, 5 supermarkets, 4 pharmacies, a few music stores, 7 beauty and barber salons, 2 exercise clubs, including a Bally Fitness Club, a number of newspaper peddlers, a frequent road-side seller of fresh-cut roses & flowers, 2 shoe repair businesses and 3 photo shops;
• of Educational interest: 2 major universities, 6 public secondary schools - Campion College, Jamaica College, Priory High, Ardenne High, Papine High and Mona High - and 5 public primary schools - New Providence Primary, Sts. Peter and Paul Preparatory, Priory Prep., Mona Prep. & Mona Primary;
• of Culinary interest: The greatest concentration of chinese restaurants in Jamaica - 4, 4 pizza stores - Pizza Delite, Pizza Hut & Dominoes, 6 Jamaican patty stores - Bigga's, Mother's, Juici Patties, Pat-A-Kake, Sugar and Spice, Le Bon Bakery, 3 authentic Jamaican restaurants - The Everglades, Starapple, Stand Pipe Fish restaurant, American restaurants - Wendy's, Popeye's, Burger King, and TGIFriday's, 3 gaming lounges and nightime clubs, such as The Village, Christar's and Hope Tavern;
• of Automotive interest: 3 service stations, a tyre repair shop, 2 wheel-balancing shops, a garage, and a auto elecrician;
• The Society for the Blind H.Q.;
• The publicly contested, new US Embassy in Jamaica (near completion) & the private [American International School in Kingston].

Other Facts

• Postal Code: Kingston 6
• Population: approximately 10,000
• Famous Persons from Liguanea: none yet
• Oldest building in Liguanea: the triangular Fabricare cleaning building.
• Oldest institution: Providence Methodist Church on Old Hope Road, between Liguanea Lane Plaza and Photo Express.
• Notable dates: The day the Guango tree was cut down - 1997

Within three miles of Matilda's Corner - you can also find these notable places:

• Ministry of Agriculture and Mining,
• Management Institute of National Development (MIND),
• The University of the West Indies - known for schools of Medicine, and other Sciences,
• [The University of Technology, Jamaica] - known for schools of Architecture and Pharmacy,
• The National Chest Hospital,
• The University Hospital of the West Indies,
• Andrews Memorial Hospital,
• Kingsway United Church,
• Andrews Seventh Day Adventist Church,
• St. Andrew Parish Church,
• St. Margaret's Church - Anglican,
• Sts. Peter and Paul Church - Roman Catholic,
• St. Thomas Aquinas Centre - Roman Catholic,
• Church of the Ascension - Anglican,
• Mona Baptist Church,
• The Office of the Commissioner of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (soon to be relocated on Duke Street, Downtown),
• Carberry Special School,
• Lister Mair School for the Deaf,
• National Children's Home,
• The Chinese Benevolence Association (CBA) building
• Vocational Technical Development Institute.

Places to See & Things to Do

• Royal Botanical Gardens & Zoo - home to lush gardens, ponds, and Jamaica's only lions!
• Vale Royal - official residence of the Prime Minister
• Jamaica House - office of the Prime Minister
• King's House - official residence of the Govenor-General
• Sovereign Centre - includes 2 cinemas [(click here for current Palace Cineplex showings)]
• Liguanea Post Mall - newly built shopping centre
• Contemporary Arts Centre
• Sts. Peter & Paul Church
• [Bob Marley Museum]
• [Devon House], an architectural site, and local cuisine and crafts. Go for Kumba Mi Yabba - craft fair held in early December
• Jamaica Carnival - road march through the streets of Liguanea, Half-Way-Tree and New Kingston the Sunday after Easter
• Joker's Wild/Bacchanal J'ouvert - road march through the streets of Liguanea and New Kingston the Friday after Easter
• [Liguanea Arts Festival] held annually
• [CooYah Clothing] - a local clothing brand
• [La Pluma Negra] - another local clothing brand

Local Hotels

• Christar Villas
• Medallion Hall Hotel
• Terra Nova Hotel
• The Gardens Cottage

External links

• [Maps and Information about Linguanea]
• [Liguanea Cybercentre]
• [Caribbean Sculpture Park]
• [Kiwani's Club of Liguanea (out of date)]

 

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