Cuba Street ... #283

This is one of the character buildings in Cuba Street ... no. 126. Cuba Street is an eclectic mix of cultures, architectural styles and ethnic food ... a great way to spend an afternoon is to wandar up one side and back down the other.

Location and Origin
Named after an early settler ship to New Zealand, the Cuba, it is to the south of the CBD, but still in the inner city. Cuba Street was once the route of the Wellington trams. Following the removal of the rails, the middle section of the street was closed to traffic in 1969, and is one of the busiest areas of pedestrian activity in Wellington.

Local People and Activities
It is one of the more bohemian areas of Wellington, and is the home to an eclectic collection of cafes, small fashion stores, art galleries and music shops. It is the centre of one of the four 'quarters' of downtown Wellington, the Cuba Quarter (the others being centred on Lambton Quay, Courtenay Place and Willis Street). The northern end is more commercial, and the southern end (known as the 'top' of Cuba Street, or upper Cuba) is more sparsely occupied.
Cuba Street is also one of the main hang-outs of Wellington's homeless community, including the Wellington icon Blanket Man. He can often be seen (when not in his more traditional hang-out of Courtenay Place) in Cuba Mall, at the intersection with Ghuznee Street. Also due its proximity to the Te Aro campus of Victoria University and by its very nature, it is heavily populated by students.
The street is regarded by most New Zealanders as a nexus of creativity and artistic production, featuring buskers, exhibition spaces, protests, stone carving, and other forms of expression. In 2005, the new Wellington Arts Centre was established in Abel Smith Street, a half block from upper Cuba Street. Within a few blocks are Enjoy Gallery, the Moko (Tattoo) Museum, Thistle Hall, Mary Newton Gallery, Victoria University of Wellington Faculty of Architecture and Design, and Access Radio.