21/09/2017
LET'S VISIT LUCEA
The coastal town of Lucea is the capital of the parish of Hanover, Jamaica’s second smallest parish.
The picturesque rural town is nestled on the fringes of the Lucea harbour, 22 miles east of Negril and 25 miles west of Montego Bay.
The town houses a significant number of historical buildings and sites, many of which date back to the 1700s. Some sections of the town have been given nicknames by parishioners over the decades, after they became synonymous with particular types of activities.
“Lucea Verandah”: Here, is where the town's four main roads - Willie Delisser Boulevard, Hanover Street, Seaview and Miller's Drive intersect. It is the unofficial evening chill-spot particularly for men who use the area to relax, chat with their friends or watch the vehicles pass by before heading home.
Lucea Verandah is also a major Small Business hub. It is the area where jerk chicken vendors set up their mobile carts in the evenings, making the town come alive as people stop to patronize.
Mosley Drive, which is also known as Donkey Avenue, got its name as it was a “donkey parking and rest stop”, even up to the 1990s, when farmers - both men and women - from villages such as St. Simon, Fat Hog Quarters, Baulk and First Hill, who took their produce to the town’s food market, would tether the jackasses at the bottom section of the roadway.
Today, there are no more donkeys lining the roadway, since the liberalisation of motor vehicles in Jamaica. Instead about 60 metres along the stretch is designated as municipal paid parking areas. There are also a few small businesses in the area, including an internet service provider and a cook shop.
In close proximity is the Jamaica National Bank, a Rubis Gas Station, Uptown Mall which houses the commercial offices of the Jamaica Public Service Company, Victim Support Unit, National Housing Trust, The Insurance Company of the West Indies and the Electoral Office of Jamaica; and Kings Plaza also known as Kreamy King Plaza, which is home to other businesses including a medical facility and a land surveying office.
Bustamante Square (Lucea Square): This is the town centre, named in honour of the late National Hero and first Prime Minister of Independent Jamaica, Sir Alexander Bustamante who was born in Hanover.
Bustamante Square is home to the Tax Office, the Hanover Municipal Corporation, the post office and a Bill Express payment centre, as well as the Lucea police station. It was home for many years to Scotiabank; however that bank withdrew from the town and its former location is now being prepared to house the parish offices of the Ministry of Labour and Social Security.
Hanover Street or Main Street is the main commercial street in the town. It is home to several supermarkets, a farm store, a pub, haberdasheries, a cell phone store, and a bakery.
The Lucea Cleveland Stanhope Market is only occupied by a handful of vendors, as most have set up operations in what used to be the market’s car park. At the back of the market is the Lucea Fish Vendor market which is also adjacent to the Lucea Fishing Beach.
Lucea is JUTA Lucea's home town...we can surely take you there!
