Levittown, Puerto Rico

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Levittown, Puerto Rico
Bridge on Highway 165 leaving Levittown
Country	United States
State	Puerto Rico
Municipality	Toa Baja
Area	2.53 sq mi (6.6 km²)
- land	2.27 sq mi (5.9 km²)
- water	0.26 sq mi (0.7 km²), 10.3%
Center
- coordinates	18°26′55″N 66°10′49″W / 18.44861, -66.18028Coordinates: 18°26′55″N 66°10′49″W / 18.44861, -66.18028
- elevation	5 ft (1.5 m)
Population	30,140 (2000)
Density	13,279.12 /sq mi (5,127.1 /km²)
Time zone	Atlantic (AST) (UTC-4)
Postal code	00949
Area code	787
Location within the island of Puerto Rico
Location within the San Juan Metro Area

Levittown, Puerto Rico, part of the municipality of Toa Baja and a suburb of the San Juan MSA, is one of the largest planned communities in Puerto Rico. It was developed by Levitt and Sons in 1963.

View of the new Comfort Inn hotel

Levittown is divided into eight sections called secciones (The 8th section was renamed Urb. Pradera) and several sub-divisions called urbanizaciones. Part of what is known as Levittown is located in the municipalities of Cataño and Bayamón. Levittown is known for its large, light blue painted water tower (now no longer used) that was one of the first water tower in Puerto Rico used to provide potable water to residences. To the west sits Levittown Lakes or Los Lagos de Levittown, a small man-made lake formed by draining the marshland over which Levittown was built. To the east, the Bayamon River divides Levittown from the fishing village of Palo Seco, next to the Cataño municipality.

It has a Blue Flag rated public beach known as Punta Salinas and also one of the bigger public sports centers of the metropolitan area of San Juan with tennis courts and a stadium for track and field meets.Its Olympic-sized pool has been in use since its construction in 1977. Its high school, Dr. Pedro Albizu Campos High School was built in 1970 and is named after an important political figure on the island. The school's football team, the Levittown Spartans have been among the top High School football team on the island. Also, the Spartan track teams, coached by Wilfredo Meaux (who would later on coach the University of Puerto Rico at Bayamon) were perennial powers during the 70's and 80's.

Pier at Cochino Beach

Levittown's main avenue is Bulevar de Levittown. It has the largest collection of small business in the entire community. Los Dominicos Avenue is the second main avenue and connects Levittown to other areas, e.g., Sabana Seca and the city of Bayamon. Levittown has a professional bowling center (Tower Lanes) and more than three shopping centers including Plaza Davison and Rio Hondo Mall. Highway 165 connects Levittown with the towns of Toa Baja, Cataño and Dorado, Puerto Rico. It is a scenic route and provides a coastal view in which Punta Salinas' radar domes and El Morro can be seen. At night, the Morro's lighthouse and the Palo Seco power plant (Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority)are visible. The coastal area along the road near the Bayamon River is popular with local surfers and is known as Cochino Beach (Pigs Beach), probably because of the brownish waters caused by the sediments flowing out from the river.

Punta Salinas, the public beach, is also the home of a Puerto Rico Air National Guard unit, the 140 ADS, that provides air traffic control support to the FAA, military and law enforcement operations. It is also the home of a Civil Air Patrol squadron, one of several in the municipality of Toa Baja.

Levittown enjoys tropical weather all year round. The water tower, also known by pilots as the "Levittown Water Tank,(Isla Grande Flying School)" provides a visual navigational checkpoint to aircraft flying either to Isla Grande Airport or to Luis Munoz Marin International Airport.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there are 30,140 people residing in the community. The average family size is of 3.29. The population density is 13,279/mi². There are 11,299 housing units. The racial makeup of the area is 81.2% White, 9.0% African American, 6.6% from other races, and 3.2% from two or more races. 4.5% of the population is foreign born.

In the community the population is 53.1% females and 46.9% males. The median income for a family in the community for 1999 was $27,075. 22.2% of families are below the poverty line. The community is generally a lower-middle class and working class neighborhood. Of the population 25 years old and over, 76.1% have a High School diploma or some college and 19.7% have a College degree. On the average, 56% of its college-age population attend institutions of higher learning.