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El Poblado - The wealthiest sector of Medellin
El Poblado (the Village) is the financial center of Medellin and without comparison, the area with the greatest concentration of wealth. It's fascinating to think that about 100 years ago, the Prado barrio used to be the where the wealthy lived and can still be discerned from the old mansions in that neighborhood.
- General info General info It is only in the last few decades that El Poblado has become what it is now with it's restaurants, high rises, upmarket shopping malls and of course, traffic. The higher you head into the hills toward Envigado to the South, the quieter is gets but the amount of construction that has occurred, especially in the last 10 years, has brought it's drawbacks both in terms of contamination and transportation. That said, it is easy to find a number of pockets of residential areas that are hidden away from the noise of the city, with magnificent views of the city and surrounding mountains.
Compared to a number of other city districts, El Poblado is like a different world altogether. It's modern with cafes, shopping, offices, banks, private clubs, bars and nightclubs, 5 star hotels, delicatessens, enormous supermarkets and anything else you associate with consumption. The main drawback that I see is the disappearance of stores and restaurants/ cafes throughout the area in favor of the shopping mall culture that has become huge in Medellin. The soon to be opened Santa Fe Mall will become Latin America's largest and is literally only a block away from San Diego that is fairly big in itself.
It can be difficult to become a member but the two major clubs are the Country Club de Ejecutivos and the Club Campestre. The Country Club is know as am excellent sports club with wonderful views over the city and magnificent clay tennis courts, squash courts, 25m swimming pools, gym, outdoor seating and and good food at the restaurants. The Club Campestre has two locations - in El Poblado and up in Llanogrande on the way to the airport. It is considered a little more upmarket in a sense and has a golf course.
My Mum has stayed at the Intercontinental and personally, I've stayed at the Park 10. Both are excellent but the Intercontinental has far more amenities but the Park 10 is a touch more stylish in my opinion. The best upper range hotels are: - Hotel Park 10 Restaurants The selection is increasing at an impressive rate and it now possible to find top-notch cuisine in Medellin, something that was virtually impossible only a few years ago. Suggestions: - Restaurant Carmen Cafes - Cafe de Lolita (multiple locations) Supermarkets These are all superb for fresh fruit, vegetables, meats and the seafood selection can be good too. Generally, the selection of a far higher quality than most US supermarkets as a point of comparison. - Pomono Shopping Malls Both Oviedo and El Tesoro have pretty much everything from supermarkets to cinemas, cafes, restaurants, furniture (at El Tesoro) and clothing stores. You can get everything you need but the prices are higher than elsewhere. On the plus side, there is parking, very high security, cleanliness and convenience. - Oviedo |
