Bridgetown

Categories: Capitals in the Caribbean | Capitals in North America | Barbados | Cities in Barbados | Bridgetown | Coastal cities

Thee is also a Bridgetown North, Ohio in the United States and a Bridgetown in Devon in the United Kingdom.

The City of Bridgetown, population 5,928 (1990) metropolitan area 110,000 (2000), formerly the Town of Saint Michael, is the Capital city of the island nation of Barbados. Geographically the Bridgetown port is located at 13°7′ N 59°37′ W, on the southwestern coast of the island along the Caribbean Sea. The city is within the parish of Saint Michael, and shares a part of the border with the parish of Christ Church and the Parish of St. James.

The site of the present day city was founded by the British in 1628. Bridgetown is a major West Indies tourist destination, and the city acts as an important financial, informatics and convention centre in the Caribbean region.

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History

Although the island was totally abandoned or uninhabited when the British landed there, some of the only traces of an indigenous tribe's pre-existence on the island was a very primitive bridge constructed over the Careenage("Constitution River") in the centre of Bridgetown.

It is suspected that this bridge was created by a people indigenous to the Caribbean known as the Arawak Indians. Upon finding the structure the British settlers began to call what is now the Bridgetown area, Indian Bridge.

It is widely believed that the Arawaks were driven from Barbados to the neighboring island of Saint Lucia, during an invasion by another peoples indigenous to the region known as the Carib Indians tribe. Eventually after 1654 when a new bridge was constructed over the Careenage by the British, the town became known as The Town of Saint Michael and later Bridgetown, and the final name stuck.


Bridgetown serves as the principal centre of commercial activity in Barbados, as well as a central hub for the islands' public transport system. Many of the ministries and departments of the island's government are also located within the city limits of Bridgetown. The handsome Parliament Buildings, which stand at the heart of the city directly north of Heroes Square, house the third oldest parliament in the British Commonwealth. Indeed, at one point in its early history, Bridgetown was the most important city of all British possessions in the New World. Additionally, Bridgetown is the only city outside continental North America that George Washington visited. (George Washington House, the actual house where he stayed, is now apart of the Garrison Historic Area)

Bridgetown has the qualities of a fully modern and thriving city. There is access to many services including a pipe-bourne water supply (said to be naturally among the purest in the world), electricity, natural gas supply, cutting-edge telecommunications, wireless services, internet cafes, and a good overall infrastructure. The city is also served by an impressive conference facility ( though still unfinished after ten years) in the suburb of Two Mill Hill just beyond the city's eastern limits. The City of Bridgetown played host to the 1994 United Nations Global Conference on Sustainable Development of Small Islands States. Bridgetown has local branches to some of the largest banks in the world and English-speaking Caribbean and is internationally recognised as an emerging financial domicile. The city is currently experiencing a phenominal spurt of redevelopment in preparation for the 2007 World Cricket Cup Finals to be held at the historic Kensington Oval. The Oval is being renovated to a state-of-the-art sports facility that will accommodate 30,000 spectators. Live viewership for the 2007 event is estimated to be in the region of 2 billion.

For a city its size, Bridgetown is home to several prestigious educational institutions. The city serves as the seat of one of the three campuses of the University of The West Indies in the northern suburb of Cave Hill. The campus sits on a bluff offering a spectacular panorama of Bridgetown and its port. The Barbados Community College is located 3 miles east of the Central Business District in a suburb known as "The Ivy", while the sprawling campus of the Samuel Jackman Prescod Polytechnic is located just beyond the eastern limits of the city in a suburb known as "The Pine". In addition, the city houses such distinguished secondary schools as Harrison's College and Combermere.

The city has access to daily flights via the islands' lone Airport the Sir Grantley Adams International Airport (GAIA) located on the ABC Highway/Highway 7 in Seawell, Christ Church. Bridgetown was the only other city in the western hemisphere - after New York, U.S.A - to be served by regularly scheduled British Airways Concorde flights. Additionally, the GAIA has been chosen as one of only four global display sites for the retired supersonic aircraft. The Airport is currently in the final stages of a magnificent expansion project, which will also include the construction of an aviation museum that will house the Concorde.

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Around town

The main street which Bridgetown is known for is Broad Street which runs through the centre of the city, passes the Parliament Buildings and serves as a shopping area. Another major traffic artery into the city is Bay Street(which turns into Highway 7) and will lead you toward the South Coast of Barbados and the Parish of Christ Church. There are also other notable streets in Bridgetown.

Other notable streets in Bridgetown included:

  • Swan Street - which is parallel to Broad Street, to the north.
  • Roebuck Street - which leads towards Queens Park to the North, and East of Swan Street.

-and-

  • Tudor Street - which comes from the north, intersects Swan Street and runs perpendicular to Broad Street.
  • The Spring Garden Highway, which lies to the west of the city, plays host to over 85,000 bystanders and participants in the annual Kadooment Carnival Parade.
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The city

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Landmarks / points of interest

  • National Heros Square (formerly Trafalgar Square) and Fountain Garden [1]
  • Parliament Buildings of Barbados,
  • The Cathedral Church of Saint Michaels and All Angels,
  • The St. Mary's Anglican Church
  • The St. Patrick's Roman Catholic Cathedral
  • The Jewish Synagogue (one of the oldest in the Western world)
  • The Pelican Village and Craft Centre
  • Queen's Park
  • The Nelson Statue
  • The Barbados Museum
  • Kensington Oval (currently undergoing major refurbishment)
  • Carlisle Bay Beach
  • Cheapside market
  • The Tom Adams Financial Complex
  • The Frank Collymore Hall of the Performing Arts
  • The Cathedral Plaza
  • The Cave Shepherd Department Store (No.10 Broad Street)
  • The Sagicor Building (lower Broad Street)
  • The Cheapside Gardens
  • The Garrison Savannah and National Historic Area
  • The Hilton Hotel
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Attractions

  • Pierhead Development Complex
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Economy

Main article: Economy of Barbados

Barbados' main exports are Sugar, rum, and molasses. The island is also involved in other industries namely tourism and the offshore sector.

The City of Bridgetown also has a well regulated stock exchange which lists securities for native and Caribbean companies and corporations.

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Business / Specifics

Business: Banks are open 8am-3pm, Hours: Monday to Thursday, and 8am-5pm on Fridays.

The main banks are:

Cash dispensers (ATM)s are available.

Shops are open:

  • 8am-6pm weekdays and
  • 8am-noon Saturdays.

Payment cards are widely accepted.

Electricity: 110 volts AC, 50 cycles. Most hotels have 220 AC.

Telecommunications: the international dialling code for Barbados is 1-246 followed by seven digits. On the island, use the seven digits alone. When on the island, to call anywhere in the United States or Canada simply dial 1+(area code) + seven digit phone number.

Emergency Numbers: Police: 211 (emergency only) Fire: 311 Ambulance: 511 Coast Guard and Defense Force: (246) 427-8819

Time: GMT-4

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Transportation

Main article: Transportation in Barbados

All seven of Barbados's primary Highways begin close to the City of Bridgetown, in the Parish of Saint Michael, they all fan-out to the North, South and East to other parts of the island.

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Public Buses

For public buses that head northward, and many other locations in St. Micheal including the University of the West Indies - (Cave Hill Campus), and other locations north including Speightstown proceed to the "Lower Bus Stand" along Lower Broad Street to the west of the city centre. For points east and south proceed to the "Upper Bus Stand", which is along the Careenage and eastern end of the city near to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) Building.

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Route Taxis

Route taxis are privately owned mini vans that are a cross between taxis and buses. They follow certain routes around the island but there are no official stops as such. You can easily flag one of these down and for a low fare they'll take you pretty much anywhere.

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Harbour

The Bridgetown Port ("Deep Water Harbour") is capable of both hosting and berthing of cruise ships or the handling of cargos. The Deep Water Harbour lies northwest of the Careenage Canal along the Princess Alice Highway, and west of the city's centre.

The Harbour port acts as one of the major shipping and transhipment hubs from international locations for the entire Eastern Caribbean. Recently the Bridgetown Port was dredged to allow safe access and berthing for the new league of "super cruise ships". The dredging project was completed in 2002 and the city can now host many of the largest cruise ships in the world.

The port of Bridgetown also handles goods for the domestic needs of the island. The island's main exports of mainly agricultural products also make use of the Harbour facilities.

Bridgetown also has a smaller canal in the centre of the city which is an inlet from the Caribbean Sea named The Careenage. It is a more shallow canal but is just large enough for pleasure craft and fishing boats. The Careenage should not be confused with the Deep Water Harbour, The Careenage has two main bridges near city center which spans the shallow Careenage.

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Developments

  • In 2004 the capital of Bridgetown celebrated it's 375th Anniversary of Establishment, and did so with a year long calendar of events and twinning agreements with a town in Canada, and new city in the United States.
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See also

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Sister cities

Bridgetown is a sister city with some of the following cities:

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External links

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Facilities

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Shops and malls

  • The Pelican Craft Centre
  • Cave Shepherd
  • Colombian Emeralds
  • Little Switzerland
  • Diamonds International
  • S.Y.Adams and Sons
  • Harrisons
  • Da Costas Mall
  • Brydens
  • Tri Mart
  • Cafe Blue
  • Wild Pair Shoe Store
  • The Bionic Manshop
  • Chefette Restaurants
  • Norman Centre
  • The Nelson Arms
  • The Crystal Plaza
  • Nu Look
  • The Flame Store
  • NVN Plaza
  • Mall 34
  • The Broad Street Mall
  • City Centre Shopping Mall
  • Tudor Street
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Stock exchange

Maps of Bridgetown 13.0947° N -59.6175° E

See also MapQuest zoom levels 8, 9, and 10.da:Bridgetown de:Bridgetown es:Bridgetown eo:Bridgetown io:Bridgetown he:ברידג'טאון ja:ブリッジタウン pl:Bridgetown fi:Bridgetown nl:Bridgetown sv:Bridgetown