Immediately west of downtown, Little Havana is one of the city's liveliest and most exotic neighborhoods. Calle Ocho, or Eighth Street, vibrates with a spirited street life. Since the influx of Cubans escaping the Cuban revolution in 1959, Little Havana has remained a magnet for refugees as well as the political nerve center of the influential Cuban exile colony. Cuban history is remembered in places such as José Martí Park, named for the apostle of Cuban independence who was killed in Cuba in 1895. Before you leave, be sure to sample Little Havana's profusion of authentic Cuban restaurants.