South El Paso: The Nation’s Best
by Cassandra Yardeni
The streets in El Paso may not be the biggest in the nation, nor the busiest, but according to a recent study conducted by the American Planning Association (APA), the Sun City boasts one of the very best streets in the United States.
The APA, an organization that provides leadership in the development of communities nationwide, recognizes South El Paso Street as one of America’s 10 Great Streets in 2008. According to the group, Downtown’s South El Paso Street “is noteworthy for its historic architecture, unique bicultural heritage, and community activism connected with protecting and maintaining the street’s unique character.”
This "unique character" is a result of the 150-plus years that El Paso has spent neighboring Juárez. Hosting two countries as diverse (and in some ways, as similar), South El Paso Street has come to possess a palpable energy distinctive to the neighborhood. Its rich history, claims the APA, has allowed the “street [to serve as] the center of attention for El Paso as its local economy has ebbed and flowed.”
South El Paso Street, now a part of the developing Downtown, was once a stomping ground for such famous folk as Wyatt Earp, Billy the Kid, Pancho Villa and U.S. President William Howard Taft, among others.
Now, the block is a medley of aged adobe buildings and beautiful historic structures that have as of late, become a hallmark of the Downtown Revitalization Plan. While retaining their classic aesthetic, buildings like the Camino Real Hotel (once known as the Hotel Paso del Norte) and the Plaza Theatre have helped to spur a new and more progressive era for the Sun City.
Also noted on South El Paso Street is the street’s Southern end, which connects to the Santa Fe Bridge and crosses the Rio Grande into Mexico. Here, the APA praises the market place feel of the area, in which friendly street merchants sell their goods to passerby.
And while the article mentions the economic setbacks Downtown has suffered, the APA concludes, “South El Paso Street remains an economic and cultural anchor, a place where commerce, culture and community combine to create a place that is uniquely El Paso.”
To celebrate this honor, the City of El Paso has contributed their own South El Paso Street story on page 11.
