The Capitolio Nacional marks the boundary where Old Havana transitions into Centro Habana. The building itself — a near-replica of the US Capitol completed in 1929 — is the most dramatic piece of Beaux-Arts architecture in the Caribbean, its dome visible across the city and its grand staircase a favourite gathering spot for Havanans and tourists alike.
Parque Central in front of the Capitolio is the social hub of the area. The park is famous for the "hot corner" (esquina caliente) on its north side, where baseball fans gather every day of the year to argue about the national sport with an intensity that puts sports bars to shame. The surrounding hotels — the Inglaterra, the Telegrafo, the Parque Central — give the plaza a faded grandeur. Walking from here down Neptuno or Obispo gives a cross-section of Centro life in a few blocks.