The property market in Plaza de la Revolución: Vedado and Nuevo Vedado

Plaza de la Revolución is the municipality most sought after by people who want to live in the middle of Havana without giving up the trees. Vedado was laid out on a grid of shaded streets and continuous porches, and its housing stock mixes two very different things: eclectic and art deco houses from the early twentieth century, and apartment buildings from the 1940s and 1950s, some of them landmarks of Cuban modern architecture.

That mix explains why prices on the same block can differ so much. A detached house with a yard is valued on its floor area and its condition; a flat is valued above all on the building — whether the lift works, which floor it is on, the state of the common areas, and how much water pressure reaches the upper storeys. A good apartment in an abandoned building is a bad purchase.

Nuevo Vedado offers a similar profile with less noise and more houses from the 1950s and 1960s, many with a garage and a garden. Kohly and El Carmelo work as transition zones, with steady demand and slightly less of a premium than the heart of Vedado.

It is also the area with the most rental demand from students, professionals and long-stay visitors, thanks to the University of Havana, the hospitals and a large share of the country’s offices. That keeps prices firm even when the rest of the market cools.

Neighbourhoods and areas

• Vedado
• Nuevo Vedado
• Kohly
• El Carmelo
• Príncipe
• Plaza

What to check before buying here

• check_circleIn flats: the lift (whether it works, and who pays to fix it), the floor, and the state of the stairwell and common areas.
• check_circleWater pressure and schedule on upper floors; whether the building has its own cistern and pump.
• check_circleIn older houses: the roof, the timber floor structures and the original plumbing.
• check_circleExtensions and barbacoas: confirm the technical description matches what is actually built before agreeing a price.

Guides worth reading first