Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Materializing mid-morning, inquisitive shoppers arrive en masse to finger and bag
the best produce, before sitting down for a hearty lunch in one of the square's many
family-run cafes.
At 5pm, with the market winding down for the evening, the square undergoes a
heady transformation, particularly on Fridays. Still dressed in their smart work attire,
groups of exhausted office clerks roll in to drink, chat, de-stress and unwind. As the
myriad bars fill up, ties are loosened, a salsa band lets rip from a makeshift stage, and
a bright and infectious energy infiltrates the humid yet congenial surroundings. It
doesn't take long for the dancing to start. A shimmy here, a holler there, and sud-
denly the whole square is alive with inebriated marketing reps kicking off their high
heels and slick-haired business analysts salsa-ing like repressed Ricky Martins into
the morning light. Come 6am and there's little left, save for a handful of all-night
revelers nursing premature hangovers and the familiar clatter of early-morning
traders setting out their wares for another day of business.
Entertainment
Old San Juan is the center of the city's nightlife, hosting what is popularly considered to be
the hottest and hippest entertainment scene in the Caribbean. Walk the aesthetic streets of
the historical quarter after dark and you'll encounter scores of people striding the cobble-
stoned streets (and sometimes hugging the curbs). For a condensed late-night scene, hit the
bars of San Sebastián or the trendy restaurant and cocktail lounges of SoFo's Fortaleza.
Beyond the old town, there's usually action at the major resort hotels, particularly
Condado's La Concha and Isla Verde's El San Juan. The gay nightlife scene has mostly mi-
grated to grittier Santurce, where there's a cluster of activity along the Av Ponce de León
corridor between Condado and Av José de León. Consider a taxi if you're going solo.
Live Music
A number of the resort hotels have live music in their lobbies, usually on weekends. Try
the El San Juan or the San Juan Marriott Resort in Condado for salsa and merengue bands,
and dancing from 8pm until late.
Nuyorican Café
LIVE MUSIC
