Photos

Take note New York! Modern America started here. The seven-square-block grid of Old San Juan was inaugurated almost a century before the Mayflower landed in Massachusetts. Choked by bumper-to-bumper traffic and inundated by over 5 million tourists annually, parts of San Juan can leave you wondering whether you took a wrong turn at the Miami airport. Beyond the 15-foot-thick walls of El Morro fortress and polished colonial artifacts of Old san Juan lie districts like Condado (where Cuba's 24-h gambling parties washed up in the early 60s), tranquil Ocean Park (with its manicured villas and quaint B&Bs), and Isla Verde (with its posh resort hotels and kitschy casinos). A city of myriad facets I found fascinating.