Calle Linea (Vedado) Havana

             Linea is considered by many to be the most important street in Vedado and one of the most important in the city. It was the first street to be laid out in this part of Havana. In the 1930's it was called by it's number, 9th street, but by the 1950's it would be referred to as Linea. It was called Linea because of the streetcars that ran along this street. The streetcar tracks that used to be here on this road are called 'linea(s)' in Spanish, hence the new name that has stuck throughout the subsequent decades. It had been renamed a couple (In 1918 he was named President Wilson Avenue) of times but people kept calling it Linea and so it became official. Linea is and has always been a predominantly residential street with large homes and buildings that used to be more or less somewhat luxurious but was also dotted with it's fair share of restaurants and entertainment venues as it is today. Even though presently it's a little rundown and in need of a lot of repair in some cases, it's evident that the buildings along this avenue were once a site to behold. If you look beyond the crumbling structures and try to envision what it must have been like a half century ago you can imagine that it was once quite beautiful. Today many of these buildings, at least the lower floors, have been converted into some kind of business or service but back in the day they were homes to many of the rich and/or famous of the city, some of which were allowed to continue to live there after the revolution.
           Linea runs from the Malecon across to the steel bridge (next to the tunnel) that takes you over (or under) the Almendares River to Miramar where it turns into 31st Ave. It pretty much runs parallel to the Malecon for most of it's length.