Rio Piedras

Street vendors

05-01-19 As we departed the bus for the Rio Piedras walking tour, our first local taste of the culture was a "pop-up street vendor."

Rio Piedras street

05-01-19 A main street in Rio Piedras reveals remnants of more prosperous times.

Closed retail

05-01-19 Since its economic downturn, many of the Rio Piedras retail businesses closed.

Open retail

05-01-19 Though some retail remains open, there are often limited customers in the area.

Street market

05-01-19 Street markets carry a variety of merchandise ranging from the practical to the eclectic.

Pop-up hat stall

05-01-19 Pop-up stalls are integral to the Puerto Rican entrepreneurial spirit within Rio Piedras.

Plaza del Mercado

05-01-19 In Rio Piedras the active market with the Plaza del Mercado plays an integral role within the community.

Local produce

05-01-19 The market within the Plaza del Mercado offers abundant local, fresh produce for sale.

Pineapples

05-01-19 Pineapples were creatively displayed at the Plaza del Mercado market.

Food court

05-01-19 The Plaza del Mercado is home to a popular food court popular for lunch.

Miss Batida

05-01-19 Miss Batida is a typical Plaza del Mercada food-court restaurant.

Guineos Niños

05-01-19 Steven Gragg was intrigued when he found Guineos Niños at the market.

Catholic Cathedral

05-01-19 An historic Catholic church anchors a prominent Rio Piedras plaza.

Iglesia de La Milagrosa

05-01-19 Though the lovely cathedral is abandonned, the Iglesia de La Milagrosa (Church of Our Miraculous Lady) inspires hope for a neighborhood staged for redevelopment.

Los Milagros

05-01-19 Through the fence, a snippet of the abandoned La Milagros school campus is captured.

Rio Piedras man-hole cover

05-01-19 Wow, the sacred geometries are integrated within the manhole covers in Rio Piedras.

ATM art

05-01-19 In Rio Piedras, even ATM machines benefit from "volunteer art."

Street scene

05-01-19 An everyday moment segues into simply a street scene.

Street art

05-01-19 The creative spirit is alive and vibrant in San Juan, especially in Rio Piedras, where I stumbled upon this lovely street art.

Street folks sleeping

05-01-19 Rio Piedras has a significant population who calls the streets their home.

PAD meeting location

05-01-19 The Casa de Cultura, alias Casa Ruth, hosted the Rio Piedras Professional Advisory Delegation for the presentations, lunch, discussions, and recommendations. According to the website, the Casa Ruth vision: That the community of Río Piedras becomes a center of cultural development for the rest of the Island.

Rio Piedras

05-01-19 As the rain clouds envelope Rio Piedras, the Professional Advisory Delegation afternoon program ends and delegates head back to the Land Economics Weekend host hoetel.

Cool floor

05-01-19 Casa de Cultera where the LAI Professional Adviosry Delegation was hosted, has an incredibly cool floor that is an optical illusion.