Gurabo

Gurabo (goo-RAH-bo) is a municipality (municipio) in eastern Puerto Rico located in the central eastern region, north of San Lorenzo; south of Trujillo Alto; east of Caguas; and west of Carolina and Juncos. Gurabo is spread over 9 wards and Gurabo Pueblo (The downtown area and the administrative center of the city). It is part of the San Juan-Caguas-Guaynabo Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History:Gurabo's history dates as far back as the 1600s, when Gurabo was actually part of Caguas. Then, the area was known as Turabo. By 1700, transportation, medical and economic trouble were crippling the population of the Turabo area; traveling to Caguas' center for business and medical help was not easy and took hours. This led to many of Turabos citizens to seek for the area to gain autonomy.
It would be long, however, before Gurabo was separated from Caguas. The separation movement was brought forward by an 1812 meeting of all 168 family leaders in Gurabo, who decided to have Luis del Carmen Echevarría lead them in their quest for autonomic independence, based on the large number of residents in Turabo.In 1815, Gurabo became a municipality. In 1822, the first Catholic church in town was erected. In 1903, the First Baptist Church opened its doors in Gurabo town.

Gurabo is also known as "La Ciudad de las Escaleras", or "city of the stairs", for which Gurabo is known today for. Located in the town center, the stairs are about twenty two floors high, and they are painted in bright colors. They cross an important business area of Gurabo. Gurabo's mayor is Victor M. Ortiz Diaz.

Agriculture: Dairy Farms

Industry: Manufacturing (metal, paper, plastics, chemistries, phamaceuticals, textiles, electrical and electronic equipment, and electrical machinery)

Landmarks and places of interest

• Centro de Exposición
• Cofresí Park
• Del Turabo University Museum
• Hacienda Mirador
• Loíza Lagoon

Festivals and events

• San José Patron Festivities - March
• Mapeyé Festival - October

Education

• Turabo University at Gurabo
• Puerto Rico Criminal Justice College- Gurabo campus (Puerto Rico Police Academy)

Sports

Gurabo has a baseball academy named [Puerto Rico Baseball Academy and High School (PRBAHS)][1].

Colegio Bautista de Gurabo (Sports: Volleyball, Soccer, Basketball, Softball, Track and Field.) colegiobautistadegurabo.com

References

• Gurabo and its barrios, United States Census Bureau