Laureles Medellin
Across the river, to the west of the popular sector of El Poblado, lies the neighbourhood of Laureles Medellin. This strata 5 area of Medellin is becoming a popular place for entertainment, dining and living for many expats.
Laureles – Estadio is the 11th Comuna in Medellin and actually consists of the barrios of Carlos E. Restrepo, Suramericana, Naranjal, San Joaquín, Los Conquistadores, Bolivariana, Laureles, Las Acacias, La Castellana, Lorena, El Velódromo, Estadio, Los Colores, Cuarta Brigada, Florida Nueva.
The Barrio Laureles was the first neighbourhood organized west of the Medellin River. It was planned in 1943 by the well known Colombian artist, engineer, architect – Pedro Nel Gomez. The design was radical for the time and based on a French concept. It broke the typical straight line Spanish concept of organizing streets and was based on semicirular concentric avenues and diagonals with many trees and green spaces between the houses and sidewalks. Originally the barrio was named Ciudadela del Empleado but the inhabitants did not like the name. Instead they renamed their community from the many Laurel trees that line the streets.
Laureles is considered the second most exclusive area in Medellin after El Poblado. It also has the second highest income bracket in the city.
Some of the notable buildings in Laureles are the Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana, the United Nations library – La Biblioteca Pública Piloto de Medellin, the Plaza de Toros /La Macarena and the Atanasio Girardot Sports Complex .
Real Estate prices are less in Laureles than in El Poblado. New prices may be 3.200.000 COP per m2 rather than 3.600.000 – 4.000.000 per m2 in El Poblado. This is why more and more expats are considering this sector of the city. As it is a strata 5 the taxes and utilities are less as well. This area is flatter and at a lower altitude so it tends to be warmer. In Laureles proper there are many tree lined streets and this helps moderate the heat. The second park of Laureles, around which Pedro Nel Gomez created his design, has become a popular spot for restaurants and a replacement for Parque Lleras for the expats that don’t come for the nightlife offered in Lleras. The concentric design of the roadways make driving chaotic but Laureles is definitely worth considering for a visit or to live.
The map is licensed by SajoR through the Wikimedia Creative Commons.
CO Peso Exchange Rate
Laureles is great because its flat. You can walk to many different places. Driving is about 10 times better than it is in poblado (worst traffic by a mile or 10
). Laureles petty theft is probably higher than poblado because there are less cameras and many exit opportunities for thieves with a vehicle. I rate Laureles higher than Poblado simply due to much less traffic, lower prices, many more options for outdoor activities, and ability to walk anywhere without breaking your back up and down hills.
Arian,
Thanks for your comments. Personally for me, I find Laureles more congested because of the design of the streets within the barrios. Due to its flatter nature, the wider avenues do in general contribute to a better flow of traffic. In Poblado, being far more hilly, the city planners seemed asleep at the wheel when the road system was deigned and they did not take into the account the huge change in traffic density when they allowed most of the large homes to be replaced by apartment towers.
One of the other reasons probably for the petty theft incidence being higher in this area,in addition to the points that you raised is because of the proximity to the poorer barrios.