Woodbrook, Port of Spain Woodbrook, Port of Spain The large Woodbrook district, west of Downtown, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, formerly a sugar estate owned by the Siegert family, was sold to the Town Board in 1911 and developed into a residential neighbourhood, with many of the north–south streets named for the Siegert siblings, some of whom were Carlos, Luis, Petra and Alfredo. In the last twenty years the main east–west thoroughfares, Ariapita Avenue and Tragarete Road, have become almost entirely commercialised, and Ariapita Avenue west of Murray Street has become a relatively upscale dining and entertainment "strip". A few small parks are
Port of Spain east with an estimated population of 600,000. The city serves primarily as a retail and administrative centre and it has been the capital of the island since 1757. It is also an important financial services centre for the Caribbean and is home to two of the largest banks in the region. Port of Spain was also the "de facto" capital of the short-lived West Indies Federation, which united the Caribbean. Caricom was established in Chaguaramas, west of Port of Spain. The city is also home to the largest container port on the island and is one of several shipping hubs