Usaquén

Usaquén

Usaquén is a residential and commercial area in northern Bogotá, capital of Colombia. Although it is designated on maps with the number 1, it was a separate municipality of Cundinamarca until 1954, when it was annexed into the city. Today it is a middle-class to affluent neighborhood with a variety of housing styles and several shopping centers. The Cordillera Oriental forms a natural border to the east.

General information

Borders

North: The municipality of Chía
East: The municipality of La Calera
South: The locality of Chapinero
West: The locality of Suba

Points of interest

*The Zona Colonial (Colonial area), which consists of the Santa Barbara church (constructed in 1665 and modernized in the 20th century), the old country manor of the same name (now a mall), seminaries, schools, and the famous Mercado de las pulgas (flea market).
*Country Club, a golf club for Bogotá's upper class.
*Unicentro, one of the largest shopping malls in Colombia.

Transportation

Private buses run on the major roads, such as Carrera 7ª, Avenida Novena, Avendia 19, Carrera 15, and Calles 100, 127, 140, 163, and 170.

The TransMilenio system serves the locality only on its western border with Suba. The system runs along Autopista Norte to the Portal del Norte on Calle 170. Included in the next phase of construction is a line along Carrera 7, which would serve the heart of Usaquén.

Departing from the Zona Colonial, trains run routes to the north, serving the various localities on the northern plains.

History

The name comes from the cacique "Usaque", which was founded by indigenous peoples in 1539 and abandoned by Spanish decree in 1777. It was gradually repopulated by people from Bogotá, and was host to some fighting during the war for Colombian independence. It was re-founded as a municipality in 1846, and in 1860 it was the scene of a battle between government troops and Tomás Cipriano de Mosquera. After winning that battle, Cipriano took power of the country.

Until 1954, the municipality covered 71 km², starting from Avenida España in the south and ending at 12km on the road to Chía. It had traditionally been a spot for Bogotá's elites to maintain country homes. When it was integrated into the city, it maintained many of its municipal institutions, but with the supervision of Bogotá's mayor. Under the new constitution of 1991, Bogotá was reorganized into localities. Usaquén was numbered first of twenty.

On December 31, 1978, the guerrilla group M-19 took the military base called Cantón Norte, robbing the arsenal.

Neighborhoods and parks

Neighborhoods

Among the important neighborhoods are: Lijacá, Verbenal, San Antonio, Servitá, San Cristóbal Norte, Toberín, Cedritos, Bella Suiza, La Carolina, Santa Ana, Santa Barbara, San Gabriel Norte, Cantón Norte, Francisco Miranda, Las Margaritas, San Patricio and the old village of Usaquén.

Parks

Torca, located at the extreme north, is the locality's largest park.

External links

* [http://www.bogota.gov.co/bogota/histo.php?idh=1281&patron=1 City government site]
* [http://www.lopublico.redbogota.com/secciones/localidades/usaquen National University of Colombia site about Usaquén]
* [http://www.unicentrobogota.com Unicentro mall website]
* [http://www.haciendasantabarbara.com.co Hacienda Santa Barbara mall website]
* [http://www.pulgascarpediem.com Usaquen flea market website]


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать реферат

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Usaquén — Localidad de Usaquén Localidad de Colombia Entidad …   Wikipedia Español

  • Usaquén — Localisation du district d Usaquén à Bogotá. Usaquén est le 1er district situé en périphérie nord est de Bogotá (Colombie). Sa superficie est de 65,31 km² et sa population de 444 924 habitants, ce qui fait une densité de 4812,5 hab./km² …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Usaquén — es la primera localiadad del Distrito Capital de Bogotá, Capital de Colombia. Limita con el municipio de Chía al norte y de La Calera al oriente y con las localidades de Suba al occidente y de Chapinero al sur. Usaquén se encuentra en el… …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • Usaquén Art Suites — (Богота,Колумбия) Категория отеля: 5 звездочный отель Адрес: Carrera 5 # 117 07, 110010 Б …   Каталог отелей

  • Hotel Casona Usaquen — (Богота,Колумбия) Категория отеля: 3 звездочный отель Адрес: Calle 117 # 6 27 …   Каталог отелей

  • Hotel Tryp Bogotá Usaquen — (Богота,Колумбия) Категория отеля: 5 звездочный отель Адрес: Calle 120A N …   Каталог отелей

  • Hotel Hill House Usaquén — (Богота,Колумбия) Категория отеля: 4 звездочный отель Адрес: Calle 120A No …   Каталог отелей

  • Turismo en Bogotá — Santuario de Monserrate. La ciudad de Bogotá es la capital de la República de Colombia y uno de los principales destinos turísticos del país. A pesar de no contar con playas ni clima tropical, Bogotá es una metrópoli que cuenta con diversas… …   Wikipedia Español

  • Chapinero — Este artículo trata sobre la localidad bogotana. Para el corregimiento neivano, véase Chapinero (Neiva). Este artículo o sección necesita referencias que aparezcan en una publicación acreditada, como revistas especializadas, monografías, prensa… …   Wikipedia Español

  • Bogotá — Bogotá, D.C.   City   Bogotá Distrito Capital Downtown Bogota …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”