Pocitos

The upscale neighborhood of Pocitos is one of the most modern and vibrant areas of the city. It is set along the coast, close to the Riverfront (Rambla) and it offers a very nice view of the bay and a wide and long beach. For than 100 years Pocitos Beach has been the most popular of the city, thanks to its proximity to Montevideo downtown.

In the 19th Century Pocitos was one of the first beachside resorts of South America. The name “Pocitos” means little wells, originating from a time when local laundry-women would dig small wells in the sand to get fresh water.
This neighborhood was given the name of Nuestra Señora de los Pocitos in 1886. Trams began to run in 1906 by S.C. de M (Sociedad Comercial de Montevideo – Montevideo United Tramways) creating links between neighborhoods and downtown and bringing hundreds of visitors to the first beach restaurant and hotel “Gran Hotel Pocitos”, which was partially destroyed by a windstorm in 1923.

By the 30’s Pocitos was already a very famous beachside resort and residential area. Urban development impacted positively on roads making access to other neighborhoods possible, and also spurring construction of houses and promoting growth.  Currently, Avenida Brasil and Bulevar España are considered the most important avenues in this neighborhood.

Eventually residences grew in number thanks to the efforts of housing developers Bello and Reborati, who influenced by Medieval Mediterranean architecture, constructed more than 400 houses in 1920’s in Pocitos. These houses are so special that each one is unique. By 1946 the number of buildings and houses exceeded the number of constructions in downtown, especially after the enactment of the Horizontal Property Act.
Pocitos is also home to many buildings of architectural interest, with works of Walter Pintos Risso, Luis García Pardo, Raúl Síchero, among others. Currently, the average cost of property sold per square metre in Pocitos is unsurprisingly the highest in Montevideo.

Although many beautiful houses remain standing, this beautiful neighborhood is characterized by apartment buildings and towers along the beachfront and avenues. You can find a great variety of cafes, international restaurants and entertainment as well as banks, schools, and designer shops. Today Pocitos is the most densely populated neighborhood of the capital city. During the summer, the beach is the definite star, and in winter you can stroll along the Riverfront which is a gathering place for lots of people, do gym, cycle or roller skate, or just enjoy a beautiful sight.

Material generated from the structure and information of Wikipedia, Pocitos (Montevideo), with url: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pocitos_(Montevideo) Creative Commons License: click here