Siguiendo este reportaje sobre las restriccones a las fiestas de San Sebastián pueden adquirir mas información de parte de la Asociación de Vecinos del Viejo San Juan en un reporte del Nuevo Día por Yalixa Rrivera Cruz.

Agradecemos que dejen comentarios con sus ideas respecto al tema.

Aqui esta el articulo entero:

Restricción a las Fiestas podría causar más problemas

Asociación de Residentes del Viejo San Juan alerta sobre determinación de limitar horario de la celebración

EL NUEVO DIA
viernes 1 de enero de 2010

Por Yalixa Rivera Cruz

La Asociación de Vecinos del Viejo San Juan anticipó que la restricción de horarios de clausura de las Fiestas de la Calle San Sebastián podría verse como un acto de provocación entre los asistentes que acudan al tradicional evento que se celebrará del 14 al 17 de enero.

El licenciado Ramón Olivencia Gayá, portavoz del grupo de residentes, indicó que será muy difícil para la Policía controlar las decenas de miles de personas que asistirán a las Fiestas para que se retiren a una hora determinada.

“Nosotros entendemos que no había necesidad de imponer restricción en el horario de clausura de las Fiestas de la Calle San Sebastián porque hace bastantes años que ocurren en normalidad sin grandes incidentes que lamentar”, explicó Olivencia Gayá.

Las opiniones del portavoz surgen tras la aprobación ayer de una nueva enmienda a la ordenanza municipal que impone un horario de clausura a los comercios en operan en la ciudad amurallada.

Según establece la nueva ordenanza municipal el jueves los negocios deberán cerrar a la 1:00 a.m., mientras que el viernes y sábado podrán permanecer abiertos hasta las 2:00 a.m. El domingo el horario de clausura será hasta las 12:00 a.m.

El alcalde de San Juan, Jorge Santini, había expresado que esta fue determinación hecha a petición de los vecinos y comerciantes.

Sin embargo, Olivencia destacó que a ellos -como residentes del caso histórico- nunca se les consultó sobre la posibilidad de implementar esta medida.

“Reconocemos que se trata de un grupo de personas de alto poder adquisitivo, en su mayoría norteamericanos que se han mudado recientemente al Viejo San Juan y que pretenden hacer de este vecindario una urbanización cerrada”, explicó el residente, que lleva más de 13 años viviendo en el Viejo San Juan.

El también abogado expresó que las fiestas son una tradición cultural de gran arraigo entre los puertorriqueños ala que asisten niños, jóvenes y familias para compartir en armonía, por lo que no hay necesidad de establecer restricciones.

“No obstante, hay muchos residentes que sí estaríamos de acuerdo en que se limite la publicidad excesiva de alcohol, se establezca un servicio de transporte público expreso tipo machina por la AMA, se aprovechen las lanchas de Cataño y Acuaexpreso, y se amplíe la oferta cultural”, añadió.

El hecho de que se haya aprobado la medida no significa que la Asociación de Residentes desiste en su intención de que se elimine el mandato municipal. “Nos mantendremos atentos, y alertamos al Alcalde a que desista de imponer los horarios limitados”, comentó.

On Saturday August 1,2009 the alley located at the top of the La Tanca street welcomed dusk with the bombastic rhythms of Bomba and Plena. The narrow sidewalk that houses two bars one in front of the other, was mobbed with revelers of all races and ages, dancing in a manic frenzy that enveloped every one around. If you were there, you were not “just watching”.

I came across it, in my search for a cold beer to start the night on the city. I kept following this faint beat all through Norzagaray street, when I stepped into the alley, my feet took over and instantly made me join in the celebration. “Who are these people” – was my question to every person I met while bumping into them on the way to the bar located on the middle of the alley. “I don’t know, but they got a party going on”: this sums up nicely every answer I got.

So I didn’t know who was playing, the street kept getting more crowded by the minute and my exits had been closed up by the new comers trying to figure out what was going on. On the short time that I was there the group played 5 songs never stopping to take a break. The players were sipping their drinks in-between music changes, and every few songs one of them would drop his instrument and run to the bar to get the group refills.

After the second beer I realized I was never going to get a still shot. So after half maneuvering, half dancing my way out of my safe corner, I moved out into San Sebastian street Everything from then on would be great, I knew it would. After you decide to hangout, and then the world thrusts you into a party such as this, you know Fortune is smiling at you. I’mk putting this in the Day to Day category, because this is what the City’s like, you never know what Old San Juan will show you. Enjoy the night.

First of all we’ve been selling craft beers in Candela for a while now and have met a few people that like going out and tasting as many different types of beers as they can in one night.

One of the clients we met the other night came up with the idea of doing an official sort of thing where you could come up and taste different beers at different spots in the Old City, so we decided to do it this Saturday the 25th of July since a lot of people are leaving the island and we’re going to be staying right here. We’re trying to make this Beer Hopping an event for our friends that are sticking around. We also think it’s a good idea to keep it small this first time around so we can beta test and work out the kinks for the next time we do it. If you’re reading this consider yourself a friend. You’re very welcome to join us.

Since we have a lot of friends with kids we decided to do it this Saturday at 8pm starting out in Don Pablo where we will have some samples for $10. That way people can taste and comment on the different kinds of beers. We will start with very light beers which are a great starter.

Sometime between 9:30 and 10 pm we’ll head up Cristo Street to Bodega Chic where we’ll have a few different beers with a sample of food, mainly appetizers, designed by Chef Brahim so the people can keep drinking and tasting some quality beer and food. Hecho en Casa

At 11:30 sharp we will hop over to Candela on San Sebastian street where we have the biggest selection of beers (more than 30 different brands) I’ll start djing at midnight in the back so you can taste some more and start familiarizing yourself with our music and selection. Believe me we’re going to have a lot of fun. So try to be there with us. Feel free to post ideas and ask any question in the comments we look thourgh them all the time. If you’ve been beer hopping before and have some tips , please let us know.

We’re waiting for a shipment of the last brands we’ll have available, once they’re here I’ll be making a few recommendations before Saturday so you know what to look out for. Stay tuned for some info on the beers, music, food and websites to visit.

Through the electronic grape vine that is the Internet I received information that this weekend of July 18 and 19, The National Park services are offering free tours in Castle San Cristobal and El Morro Fort!

Come one, come all! The tours are different for each site, the San Cristobal tour features a Tunnel Tour starting at 10:30 am, Out works walk at 2:30 pm and informational talks every hour on the hour. While the El Morro tours feature Outwork walks all day and informational talks also on the hour.

If you cant make it this weekend then don’t fret! There will be another free weekend on August 15 and 16,2009!

I strongly recommend the tunnel tour of San Cristobal to everybody, it’s an interesting experience that gives you a glimpse of what made these Forts so strong and how they relate to the entire city of Old San Juan. It also makes you think about what lies beneath your feet everywhere!

]]> http://www.livesanjuan.com/tourism/free-tour-weekends/feed/ 0 http://www.livesanjuan.com/uncategorized/gallery-nights-old-san-juan/ http://www.livesanjuan.com/uncategorized/gallery-nights-old-san-juan/#comments Tue, 07 Jul 2009 15:15:02 +0000 aponton http://www.livesanjuan.com/?p=174 Tuesdays: an ordinary day of the week with a blocked schedule. Fortunately, Old San Juan feels different. Every first Tuesday of each month, Gallery Night happens. Most art galleries stay open late to show new and permanent collections, while bars and pubs open late to serve the wild crowd.

During the summer, the Company for the Bussiness and Cultural Development for the Isle of San Juan, known as CODEVISA, does not sponsor this event since it works partnered with the Art School of Old San Juan. Still, some art galleries do open late on summers and keep the tradition alive.

Those of you who are not art fans or connoisseurs can still enjoy one of the favorite party nights in Old San Juan. Similar to the San Sebastián Street Festival, celebrated on January, Gallery Nights is characterized by the special appearance of many local musical guests, big party drinks, and gigantic crowds. It is mostly located in the San Sebastián Street, but other bars around the city offer a festive crowd. For instance, bars and restaurants in Cristo Street such as Don Pablo and Bodega Chic keep their music up and their drinks on with a different type of crowd (a little bit more chic). My favorite bars on this night, “El Batey” and “Karamelos” also put on a fiesta with more of a artistic and indie motif for those of you who want to enjoy the party, but not be part of the large multitude in San Sebastián Street.

As your day to day blogger, I’ll be sure to go tonight to my favorite bars mentioned above in order to do some “research” (by that I mean, drinking and partying) in order to comment on it tomorrow. Be sure to make a trip today to Old San Juan and have a few drinks. And if you spot a short guy drinking heavily, be sure to buy me, I mean him, a drink!

Sources: CODEVISA <http://www.codevisa.org/nochesgaleria.html>

*Picture(s) taken from Google Image.

Hunter Thompson is my hero. The man and his work have played a large part in my preparations to become a journalist. (In fact as I write this I downed a 40 of Colt 45). But the father of Gonzo Journalism was also a writer by trade, so journalism was not his only outlet, fiction was also explored in his personal moments. And in 1998, The Rum Diary, was finally published. Written in 1960, the book follows Hunter’s “adventures” in Puerto Rico as a young, go-getter journalist writing for a sports magazine.

The bulk of the story however is centered around Old San Juan. Hunter loved OSJ, and in the novel he goes to great lengths detailing all of the little nuances of 1950’s OSJ…from the bars he binged in, to the sites he found to be perfect for love.

Moving on to present times. The book is getting made into a movie, and it’s cast has taken over OSJ in baffling ways. The fact that Johnny Depp is reprising his role as Hunter Thompson, (aka Paul Kemp), has caused the city to be flooded by fan girls waiting for hours on end, just to catch a peek of the Hollywood heart throb.

But that’s neither here nor there. So in the mean time: here are some pictures of the sets and cars of The Rum Diaries that I was able to take before some hired muscle came after me and tried to interrupt my journalistic impulses!

The entrance for the newspaper Paul Kemp works at

And here’s the entire building. Fun fact: This was the actual

building that the San Juan Star used as a headquarters in the 50’s!

The production logo, taken from a cargo van on set

This car was used by Paul Kemp (aka Johnny Depp)

Please excuse the blur, this was when the hired muscle came along to try and mess with me

Cop car from the movie

Please pardon the blur, harsh security strikes again, this is a sample

from the newspapers displayed on the side of the San Juan Star building

*all pics taken from Toxic_Lunch’s personal collection

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