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In Old San Juan, Calle Fortaleza and Calle San Francisco have everything from T-shirt emporiums to jewelry stores to shops that specialize in made-to-order Panama hats. Running perpendicular to those streets is Calle Cristo, lined with factory-outlet stores, including Coach, Dooney & Burke, Guess, and Tommy Hilfiger. On weekends, artisans sell their wares at stalls around Paseo de la Princesa.
With many stores selling luxury items and designer fashions, the shopping spirit in Condado is reminiscent of that in Miami. Avenida Ashford is considered the heart of San Juan's fashion district. High-end chain stores such as Ferragamo and Gucci huddle together in a formerly derelict shopping strip, betting that the newly renovated luxury hotel La Concha will attract people ready to plunk down their platinum cards. A little farther west along Avenida Ashford are the one-of-a-kind clothing retailers that make this neighborhood worth a visit.
Just as in most other American cities, however, the real shopping occurs in the mall, and Plaza Las Américas—the largest in the Caribbean—is not to be missed. Known to locals simply as "Plaza," it's often host to artisan crafts fairs, art exhibitions, antiques shows, live Latin music, and pageants, depending on the time of year. For high-end shopping at stores like Saks and Louis Vuitton, head to the newer Mall of San Juan.
Thanks to Puerto Rico's vibrant arts scene, numerous galleries and studios are opening, and many are doing so in Santurce, Puerta de Tierra, and other neighborhoods outside the walls of Old San Juan.
This influential gallery displays art by the late Angel Botello, who was hailed as the Caribbean Gauguin as far back as 1943. (His works also hang in the Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico.) His paintings often feature the bright colors of the tropics and usually depict island scenes. Also on display here are works by other prominent local artists, Puerto Rican santos, and sculptures by Botello.
Among those who have displayed their works at Galería Petrus are Dafne Elvira, whose surreal oils and acrylics tease and seduce (witness a woman emerging from a banana peel); Marta Pérez, another surrealist, whose bewitching paintings examine such themes as how life on a coffee plantation might have been; and Elizam Escobar, a former political prisoner whose oils depict typically dark subjects. Exhibitions change frequently and focus on local artists like Bobby Cruz and Carlos Dávila Rinaldi.
