Central Park is in the very midst of
Havana's social life and it is here
concerts are given by the Municipal
Band on Tuesday, Thursday, Satur
day and Sunday evenings and Sunday
afternoon. The feature which first
attracts attention in Central Park are
the laurel trees trimmed to formal
shapes. The under part of the foliage
is cut in a perfectly level and horizon
`tal plane square across the tree, form
ing a green roof above the walks and
flower beds and- benches. This mode
of trimming is extended to the laurels
of the Prado, and the effect is a unique
example of formal landscape garden
ing. There are royal poincianas, al
monds and other decorative trees, and
parterres of flowers and masses of
foliage trees contribute a wealth of
decoration in striking colors. Just
off from Central Park, in Manserrate
Plaza, stands the monument to Gen
eral Francisco de Albear, the distin
guished Cuban engineer whom Havana
holds in grateful memory as the de
signer of the Vento water system.
The Prado, famed as one of the
finest driveways in the world, consists
of a central double promenade lined
with seats and with a drive on each
side, the carriage course being up one
side and down the other in a continu
ous round. This is fashionable
Havana's parade ground on Sunday
afternoon, when the avenue is filled
with a concourse of smart equipages
and the promenades are crowded with
a gay and kaleidoscopic throng. The
residences which line the Prado are
among the handsomest houses in
Havana.
