El Paso’s original shopping district has long been the heart and center of downtown activity and is reflected in the designation of El Centro. The face of El Centro is El Paso Street, with its rich history, thriving culture and shops, it stretches all the way to the border.
Open-air market style shops line the streets of El Centro. The district hugs the border of Mexico as if old friends, co-existing for over 150 years. Cultures have blended in the district, bringing Lebanese, Korean and Mexican immigrants together, amongst others, to create a multi-cultural American atmosphere that makes itself known in the sights, sounds, and scents of El Centro.
Architecture in El Centro spans over a century in some instances, in others the remnants of signage from a post-war boom can be seen above bakeries, eateries and a multitude of retail businesses that still thrive today.
Pancho Villa, President Taft, Billy the Kid, and Wyatt Earp have been said to have stayed in El Centro at one time or another.
The bustling community in El Segundo Barrio, the Stanton Street Bridge into Mexico and the Sun Metro Transfer Center have created a steady stream of local, national and international flow throughout El Centro.
El Centro celebrates the essence of bi-cultural harmony with food, border shopping, history and culture you will only find in Downtown El Paso.