Living in Peru : your everyday companion

By Stuart Starrs
Additional reporting by Diana P. Olano

I still haven't gotten used to the fact that in Peru the poor are the ones who live in the oldest, most historic and most culturally valuable buildings in the country, and in some cases most of South America.

What's strange to Peruvians, especially those who live in these buildings that can be hundreds of years old, ia that in most other countries, these buildings would be snapped up by the richest of the rich and be worth millions if not tens of million of dollars.

Here, though, they are decaying, abandoned and occupied by those who have nowhere else to go. Not being able to pay for maintenance of any kind, soon all these buildings will be gone.

This street is in the area of Lima known as the Barrios Altos used to house the wealthy upper-middle classes and would once have been busy with horses and carts ferrying the residents to and from the nearby city center. Now it lays almost in ruins. If you continue walking straight ahead, you will reach the Quinta Hereen, which on the UNESCO World Monument Fund's top 100 most endangered buildings list.

Lima's incredibly famous balconies, an integral part of the city's history, are collapsing wherever you look. Originating from the Moorish customs of some Spanish immigrants, there's nothing more important to preserve in Lima's center. [More 1,600 balconies that were built in the viceroyalty era, as well as in the republic, are situated in the center.]



Luckily, closer to the city's Plaza de Armas, some of these balconies look destined to be saved as the Government finally managed to find funds to restore a few of the buildings. [In the mid-1990’s, a renovation initiative of the historical city center took place, with banks and private firms giving money for the “Adopt a Balcony” campaign that restored 300 colonial balconies in the center, at a cost of about $5,000 each. Companies such as Backus, Johnson and Johnson and Telefonica de Peru all took part in the program]

A street leading to the river front would be prime real estate elsewhere, but not here, located not far behind Peru's congress building. This building may only be a hundred years old or so and is a five minute walk from the river and the center of Government.





In Rimac, what was once the center of the city's night life and an important cultural center, is now ravaged with poverty and crime. Long gone are the bustling streets of this always-working class neighborhood on the other side of the river. Lima's wealthy now never come to party. Buildings as historic as those as in central Lima and older than those in the Barrios Altos fall apart on a daily basis.


More decay in Rimac. There's probably no saving this old balcony. In fact, it's near impossible to find a building that wouldn't be legally condemned if inspected.







This beautiful old building, painted in my favorite Limeñan color, is also in Rimac. It's doing all right for the moment, but with no maintenance, how will it be holding up in 20 years?






When the rich pulled out of the central areas (those mentioned above), they moved to new up-and-coming areas such as Breña, a 20 minute walk away. But here too, buildings less than 100 years old are now abandoned, cursed with “for sale” signs that will hang until the day they collapse.




No million-dollar price tag on this Breña building. When it collapsed not so long ago it was condemned. The four other buildings of the same age and design at the other end of the junctions are on the verge of going, too.






Lima’s historical city center was once home to the wealthy aristocracy who lived in the colonial buildings that now lie unmaintained and abandoned. Thanks to the “Adopt a Balcony” campaign and other aspects of the renovation initiative started in the early 90’s, Limeñans are now at least hopeful that future generations might be able to see what was once of the “City of Kings.

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Wow! This is pretty sad.

However, it is important to underscore the value these buildings have. 

They are PRIME REAL ESTATE!!!!

I hope young investors see the potential these forgotten jewels have. 

Can you imagine how beautiful Lima will be if these buildings are resurrected? 

Congratulations to the reporters. We need more stories lke this.

Great article.   I concur w/ David.  It is pretty sad.  I read an article in the NY Times Magazine about a young fellow who restores California based houses, that date back to the late 50s and early 60s which have certain vintage Hollywood style interior modeling (I'm paraphrasing here).  He has made quite some money in doing this.  It would be wonderful to see a similar real estate trend happen in Lima. 

Even re-reading my own work... its still shocking to think how many millions of dollars these buildings would be worth elsewhere. This is yet another example of Peruvians not realising the value of what they have.
If anyone is interested, I have some more photos and information about these beautiful old buildings and the areas in which they are located Here and Here.

I know what you're trying to say about the buildings not being taken care of etc, but I can't help but express my being annoyed at the tone. You say "these buildings would be snapped up by the richest of the rich and be worth millions if not tens of million of dollars."
Oh, do I really have to remind you that the majority of the people in Peru are the absolute opposite of the richest of the rich? There really aren't that many "richest of the rich" here, so who exactly would be snapping up these buildings?

You seem surprised that Peruvians don't seem to care too much about restoring these colonial buildings, well, maybe that's exactly because they're colonial! They were constructed by people that pillaged the entire country, and like it or not, many Peruvians still hold a grudge about that up until this day.

You say:"Its still shocking to think how many millions of dollars these buildings would be worth elsewhere."
But ofcourse my darling, things in a "developing" country do not have the same value as they do in a "developed" country, if Machu Picchu were in the US, the entry would be probably be about 800 bucks!

Ariadna,
Richest of the Rich is relative and does not mean rich on the scale of Donald Trump. If you give four people $1, and four others nothing, then to one of those first four $1 more s/he will become the richest of the rich. Is s/he a millionaire? No, and I didn't say anything like that.

Now I have explained I was speaking relatively, there are many thousands of individuals in Peru, especially in Lima, who are the richest of the rich, by Peruvian standards and some even by international standards. What I was saying is that in other countries, instead of buying nice houses in La Molina, and condos in the beaches of Asia, they'd have their penthouses in Barrios Altos and Rimac... refurbished apartments with 3-4 rooms that cost stupid amounts of money. Its just that that's how it works where I'm from and it interests me that it's not like that here.

No you don't "really have to remind" me that many people in Peru are poor. I noticed. I never once implied that they weren't poor. Do I really have to remind you that some people have plenty of money, nice cars, several houses etc? Have you seen some of the mansions in La Molina, have you seen a Cusqueño businessman walk in to a small restaurant for his 4 soles menu pull out a wad of maybe thirty S./100 bills to pay? I have.

I'm afraid you are quite wrong with regards to any anti-colonial feeling, at least along the coast of Peru where colonial-influenced culture runs strong and is dominant. These buildings are as much creole as they are "spanish". I doubt that many of the buildings still standing were built by a newly arrived Spaniard, thus most of these buildings are truly Peruvian (as the article says, many are post-colonial). Many in Lima are of mixed ancestry and are creole, so I doubt these people have a grudge against themselves for pillaging themselves.

I don't care how much entrance to Machu Picchu would cost if it were in the US, nor that Peru is a developing country in relation to others. If it pleases you, throughout my article, replace Dollars with Nuevos Soles. I hope I didn't give the impression that the buildings here would be worth exactly what they'd be worth in the US or Europe, that's not what I meant. But yes, there's certainly enough money in Lima for people to buy up some historic buildings a million or three Soles a piece, what interested me and inspired me to write what I did is that no-one here is all that interested in them. I'm not even saying that is bad! I'm just saying its different.

Interesting article.  Rich people should buy scores of these historic buildings for next to nothing from their current owners (some of whom may have been there for many generations).  They should restore them and then sell them for 1000 times what they paid for them.  Then the new owners should close the streets where these newly renovated buildings are located at so regular peruvians are not allowed inside these new compounds unless they can prove they live there.  Then these buildings will survive for the next generation of rich people, since they will be able to take good care of them.

I totally agree with Stuart Starrs’ statement.   When I went to visit Peru in February 2007, my mother took me to see where she grew-up, which was Lince.  She showed me the school, which she attended in av. Mariategui, Jesus Maria, C.N.M. Teresa Gonzalez De Fanning School.  It is a historic school building that just took my breath away, but sad to say it was not properly preserved by the staff.  Which I think it could be, but people in Lima are so money hungry that they rather put the money in their pockets!  Lince has very much historical homes/buildings that were not properly taken care for.  I understand most of the people that live in Lince are middle to lower class, but it’s still beautiful and I believe that the people whom live in Lince can work together to preserve the historical homes/buildings (their homes).  Just look at Barranco it has really changed and people whom live there preserve their area… Barranco has history to learn about.  BTW, La Molina is not all for the “rich,” I have seen some awful homes/apartments falling apart, that have lower class families.  When you say “La Molina,” I think you need to specify where exactly in La Molina. My parents now reside in Lima, Peruvian mother, American father.  Thank you Stuart for bring up the historical buildings in Lima.  

it is nice article, is to remind to anyone who is envolve with donation or filantropic organizacion, or universities in arquitecture area where the students practice restauracion Peru could be an importand work abroad.

I've seen a company with projects restoring historical buildings in Lima. We must consider, however, the following:

1. Peruvian real estate laws can at times be complex, especially for the foreign investor who may be accustomed to the "ease" of the Real Estate transactions in the developed world.

2. The owners of these buildings may not want to sell them.

3. What current initiatives is the government offering to the local and foreign investor to restore these buildings?

4. How do you evict the current residents? Where would they go? Remember, these buildings are occupied by the poor. They may not feel very happy about being "kicked out" by the "rich."

I agree that these buildings are worth saving, but remember an investor doesn't invest to lose, he invests to win.

What a nice article.  I enjoy everyone's point of view and they are all well taken.  As Peru continues to grow,develops and other contries invest in our country, we will see a change in the Real Estate as well.
I think is up to each ALCALDE (or what we call Mayor here) to take some responsability and accountability to give these poor people a decent place to live and restore these beautiful monumnets that regardless of how they came about, they are worth keeping.
The trade aggrement with the USA is about to be finalized and next year the investment in Peru as one of the STRONGEST allied to the USA is going to be huge.  So if anyone has any money to invest, do it now.
Here in the USA they have already announced that the flights to Latin America will increase by 50%
 

Stuart Starrs, your point is well taken, I admire your educated observations.
I just want to say that if anyone wants to profit from restoration, Lima is not the place to do it because after spending lots of money in a property it is still surrounded by so much poverty making it not such a wise investment. On the other hand if you want restoration for the historical value, to preserve it for future generations, the money spent would give you so much more in return when you take pride in that little piece of history, when you can actually retrace those colonial steps, and when your children can learn from seeing the real thing. I think that is what you are telling us and it is well worth it.

Like you i can't believe that there is no one interested in restoring old Lima yet, but by having people like you bringing awareness to the problem there is hope and hopefully it's not too late to make a difference.

Susy -- Very well said!

Thanks Stuart for your excellent article and I feel sorry for the buildings, they are beautiful and should be restored, but I feel even sorrier for the poor people living in those ruins in substandard conditions. I am originally from Lima, Los Barrios Altos and most of those buildings are familiar to me. Thanks again Stuart for sharing the photographs, I will save them.

 Diogenes Uceda

As a Limeña born at the Barrios Altos, thank you for writting this article. I will resent it around my fellow citizens and comment it in my radio program, in another attempt to SAVE LIMA. 
Mariana Mould de Pease  

Thanks, Stuart -- You've written a good story about an important heritage site.  You should be aware, however, that the World Monuments Watch List of 100 Most Endangered Sites is a program of the World Monuments Fund (WMF), not UNESCO.  WMF is a nonprofit organization that's based in New York and has offices + affiliates in London, Paris, Madrid, + Lisbon.  We've been rescuing important heritage around the world for more than 40 years -- we've helped save more than 450 sites in over 90 countries.  Every other year, we issue our Watch List which serves as a global call to action. We've put a number of sites in Lima on several different Watch Lists over the years; on this latest list, we grouped together five sites in the historic center that are all at high risk of being lost  Check us out at www.wmf.org.  Thanks, Holly

CONGRATULATIONS STUARD AND WMF:This type of articles and actions, needs the Historical Center Lima, specially BARRIOS ALTOS , MONSERRATE, BAJO EL PUENTE ........ marginalized districts, but with a patrimonial wealth and alive culture without comparison .........From Lima, we will support the diffusion of this blog, as space of debate and formulation of proposals, to obtain the Center of Lima soon, as Alive Center and authenticate.  SILVIA DE LOS RIOS, LIMA, PERU FELICITACIONES STUARD Y WMF: Este tipo de artículos y acciones, necesita el Centro Histórico de Lima, especialmente BARRIOS ALTOS, MONSERRATE, BAJO EL PUENTE.........barrios marginados, pero con una riqueza patrimonial y cultura viva sin comparación......... Desde Lima, apoyaremos la difusión de este blog, como espacio de debate y formulación de propuestas, para lograr en breve plazo el Centro de Lima, como Centro Vivo y Autentico.

That is so bad, I am from Lima, and can see day after day as these beautiful monuments they are destroyed,  is incredible!!!!

Mirko

The average Peruvian would be happy to see those classics bulldozed.
Wealth from rampant globalisation in Peru over the next twenty years
will likely save some of those buildings, but it will destroy much of the
cultural diversity of Peru that makes it a unique place at present.
This article certainly has a first world real estate investment perspective.

I live in a historical section of Detroit in the U.S. and see similar deterioration of beautiful historic structures here. Maybe this is why when I visit Lima I feel so much at home :)
It is a very complicated matter determining why some areas see restoration and others just fall apart. Good article though; the first step in reversing the trend is public awareness of the treasures being lost.

The cultural and historical value of all those buildings, of which there are thousands in Lima, is priceless. They are part of the limeño's heritage and identity, and we should all be proud of their architecture and beauty. These buildings were not built by "people who pillaged the country in colonial times".  They were built by peruvians of lower, middle and upper classes with the aim of creating an enviroment that expressed them and expressed their culture, as architecture always does. To save them is to save our past, our identity and our spirit. If they can be saved by real estate investment, that will be as good as any other way that can be found to save them.