Anyone who's visited Havana has either walked on or by Calle Neptuno. It runs from the Northwest corner of Parque Central, up to the Havana University. I couldn't find any history about this street on the internet but it's a major artery that's mapped in 3 districts of the city, beginning in Old Havana, running though Centro Habana and ending up in Plaza de La Revolucion (the district). It's lined with shops, restaurants and a multitude of residences. It's in varying degrees of disrepair, from dilapidated up to the well preserved. Many buildings could use a paint job, some are under repair and a few are actually closed completely. You'll find low rise and high rise and all sorts of different kinds of businesses, some of which might be surprising and refreshing....and many Casa Particulares (local room rentals). This is a street that contains one of the taxi routes for the Almendrones (Classic Car local transportation). Just wait for them to pass by and stick out a finger to flag it down to take you to the other part of the city (sometimes it's easier said than done). It's only a few kilometers long, I walked the length of it in about an hour. It's a great way to get a better idea of what the city is really like and how the locals live, away from all the touristic stuff. The architecture is beautiful, even if it's a little dirty and it's completely safe, at least during daylight hours. If you're spending more than just a couple of days in the city, I recommend taking a walk along Calle Neptuno, it's worth your while. The pictures below only depict a small part of what you'll find. The pictures start at one end, Prado, but after that they're in no particular order.
Prado y Neptuno
Just Leaving Prado
Almedrones (local taxis on their route)
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