About San Juan

San Juan is the capital and largest city in Puerto Rico is located in the Northern Coastal Plains. San Juan was founded by Spanish colonists in 1521 and is the oldest city in Puerto Rico. Today, San Juan serves as Puerto Rico’s most important seaport, as well as the main manufacturing, financial, cultural, and tourist center.

San Juan is subdivided into 18 wards (barrios), 16 of which fall within the former (until 1951) municipio of Rio Piedras. 8 barrios are further subdivided in to sub-barrios, including both barrios of the former municipio of San Juan.

Old San Juan/Puerta de Tierra San Juan is a traditional, colonial city that is bordered by walls. As the seat of the island’s bicameral government, it houses La Fortaleza, home of the Governor and El Capitolio, the seat of the House of Representatives. The Senate, on the other hand, is located in nearby Puerta de Tierra.

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History

In 1508 Juan Ponce de León founded the original settlement, Caparra (named after the province Caceres, Spain, birthplace of the then-governor of Spain’s Caribbean territories, Nicolas de Ovando), today known as the Pueblo Viejo sector of Guaynabo, behind the almost land-locked harbor just to the west of the present San Juan metropolitan area. A year later, the settlement was abandoned and moved to a site which was called at the time Puerto Rico, a name that evoked that of a similar geographical feature in the island of Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, which meant “rich port” or “good port”. In 1521, the newer settlement was given its formal name of “San Juan Bautista de Puerto Rico”, following the usual custom of christening the town with both its formal name and the name which Christopher Columbus had originally given the island, honoring John the Baptist. The indistinct use of “San Juan Bautista” and “Puerto Rico” for calling both the city and the island led to a reversal in practical use by most inhabitants: by 1746 the name for the city (Puerto Rico) had become that of the entire island, while the name for the Island (San Juan Bautista) had become the name for the city.

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Fast Facts

Population:  442,447

Housing Units:  182,101

Per Capita Income:  $12,437

Area:  76.9 sq mi (199.24 km²)

Sales Tax: 5.5%

Website: www.sanjuancapital.com

Time Zone
The definition for time zones can be written in short form as UTC±n (or GMT±n), where n is the offset in hours. Here is an example given the local time in Puerto Rico and New York City at 12:00 UTC when daylight saving time is not in effect:
Puerto Rico Standard Time Zone: UTC-4 hours= 9:00 am
NYC Standard Time Zone: GMT/UTC – 05:00 hour = 8:00am

Climate

San Juan enjoys an average of 82°F (28°C) during the year. Although, 90°F or above temperatures are not rare during the summer, especially if the winds come from the south. In the winter, lows can drop to the 60s though the average winter low is 71°F. The coldest temperature ever recorded was 60°F on March 3, 1957 and the hottest was 98°F on October 9, 1981. San Juan has never reached 100°F. Rainfall is well distributed all year, but the months of February, March and April are the driest.

Taxes

IRS Puerto Rico
7 Tabonuco Street
Guaynobo, Puerto Rico 00918
(787) 622-8929

M-F 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Filing with no payment:
IRS
Austin, TX
73301-0215

Filing with a payment:
IRS
P.O. Box 660335
Dallas, TX
75266-0335

The IRS Home Page, www.irs.gov , has a lot of information available to answer many questions. Go to ‘Individuals’ and then ‘Overseas Taxpayers’ you will find a section of FAQ, which will take you to IRS Publication 54. Many questions of overseas taxpayers can be answered from that source.

By Car

Driving is on the right-hand side of the road. A valid continental U.S. driver’s license legally can be used in Puerto Rico for up to three months.  Driving in Puerto Rico is similar to driving in the United States, with the exception that signs are all in Spanish. Be sure to have your instructions written down before you begin, and check your route.  Distance markers are in kilometers and the gas is sold in liters.

Public Transportation

Metropolitan Bus Authority (AMA)

(787) 250-6064

Metrobus system

(787) 763-4141

The Metropolitan Bus Authority (AMA) operates in the San Juan metropolitan area. The bus stops are marked by magenta, orange and white signs which read Parada.

There are also mini-buses/taxis (“carros públicos” or “guaguas”) that usually carry between 5-14 people. Públicos are a good way of getting around, but be prepared to wait for the car to fill up and make little stops all along your route. This can add more than an hour travel time depending on how far you are going.

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Air Transportation

Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport  (SJU)

www.prpa.gobierno.pr/APMain.aspx

The airport is located in Carolina, 3 miles (5 km) southeast of San Juan.  It is the island’s main international gateway, and its main connection to the mainland United States. The airport serves as the Caribbean hub for American Airlines and American Eagle.

Car Rentals

Rates will probably be a little higher than in the United States. Car rental agencies are located around the island in the larger cities. Agencies include:

Alamo

www.alamo.com

Avis

www.avis.com

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Area code for San Juan is 787

Ashford Presbyterian Community Hospital
Av. Ashford 1451
San Juan, PR
(787) 721-2160

Telephone
If you’re calling long distance within Puerto Rico, add a 1 before the numbers. When you’re placing a call to the U.S. mainland or to anywhere else overseas, preface the number with 011.

Utilities
Electricity
Autoridad de Energía Eléctrica de Puerto Rico (AEE)
PO Box 364267
San Juan, PR  00936-4267
(787) 289-3434
www.aeepr.com

Water
Autoridad de Desperdicios Solidos
Sector el Cinco, Carr. Núm. 8838
Km. 6.3, Río Piedras P.R.
P.O. Box 40285
San Juan, Puerto Rico 00940-0285
(787)765-7575
www.ads.gobierno.pr

Cable TV and Internet
Liberty Cablevision
(787) 657-3050
www.libertypr.com

Telephone
Puerto Rico Telephone Company
800-981-8944
www.telefonicapr.com

Television

Radio

Newspapers

El San Juan Star
www.thesanjuanstar.com
English daily newspaper

Dining

Although Puerto Rican food is somewhat similar to both Spanish and Mexican cuisine, it also combines Spanish, African, Taíno, and American influences. They use indigenous seasonings and ingredients like coriander, papaya, cacao, nispero, apio, plantains, and yampee. Locals call their cuisine “cocina criolla”.

Cocina criolla (Créole cooking) goes back to the Arawaks and Tainos, the original inhabitants of the island. They thrived on a diet of corn, tropical fruit, and seafood. The Spanish added beef, pork, rice, wheat, and olive oil to the island’s foodstuffs. The Spanish planted sugarcane and imported slaves from Africa, who brought okra and taro (known in Puerto Rico as yautia). The mingling of flavors and ingredients passed from generation to generation among the islanders, resulting in the exotic blend of today’s Puerto Rican cuisine.

In most cases, coastal cities have the best selection of seafood – a great way to begin exploring local island cuisine. Try Caribbean Lobster, a sweeter variety than its Maine cousin. Dolphin fish and red snapper are also widely available, but the local seafood specialty is conch stuffed with tomato for a fritter or mixed into a ceviche salad. In cities and towns away from the coast, pork is widely popular.

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Historical Attractions

Capitolio

Avenida Ponce de Leon

San Juan, PR 00901

(787) 721 6040

Built on a hill overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, El Capitolio is in the Puerta de Tierra district near Old San Juan and contains both chambers; the Senate and the House of Representatives. Members of both houses have offices in respective annexes to the main building. The rotunda features the original copy of the Constitution of Puerto Rico, signed in 1952.

Cathedral de San Juan

153 Calle Cristo

San Juan, PR 00901

(787) 722 0861

A favorite stop for tourists, this marvelous cathedral was built in 1592, on the same site of the previous cathedral that was destroyed by a hurricane around 1584. Located on Calle Cristo, this gothic and neoclassical structure is situated in front of the historic Hotel El Convento in the heart of Old San Juan, and the Plazuela de Las Monjas. Besides the cathedral’s religious significance, history buffs can view the relics of Ponce de León that are preserved here in a marble crypt.

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Museums

Museo del Niño (Children’s Museum)

# 150 Calle Cristo

San Juan PR 00902-2467

(787) 722-3791

www.museodelninopr.org

Located on Calle Cristo, the Museo del Niño (The Kids Museum) is designed to appeal to and inspire children. However, it is both fun and educational for the entire family. Plan on several hours to tour the entire facility. Located in the heart of Old San Juan, this museum offers interactive activities and presentations in both English and Spanish.

Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico

299 De Diego Ave

Santurce, PR 00907

(787) 966-6277

www.mapr.org

The Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico is the island’s newest addition, and the museum has quickly become one of San Juan’s most beautiful landmarks. While the exterior boasts 1920s neoclassical architecture, once inside visitors find a center of learning, a computer laboratory and a family gallery. The facility houses a grand collection of Puerto Rican-made paintings and sculptures.

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Outdoors

Condado Beach
Ashford Avenue
San Juan, PR 00901
(787) 721-2400
On Ashford Avenue, Condado Beach affords its visitors white sand beaches and its beautiful Laguna (Parque Laguna del Condado (Condado Lagoon)). You will find this small beach near the Condado Beach Resort to be an excellent bathing place, but beware that this spot can get quite crowded with locals and their families on weekends.

Parque de las Palomas (Pigeon’s Park)
Paseo de la Princesa
San Juan, PR 00901
(787) 721-2400
Near the Paseo de la Princesa, families can take their kids to a fun place where they can interact with the local pigeons. Young children especially love this opportunity. The pigeons congregate here, always hungry, and for one dollar you can buy a bag of dried corn to feed them right from your hands. 

Sports

El Comandante

Calle 65 de Infantería

(787) 724-6060

Great thoroughbreds and outstanding jockeys compete year-round at Puerto Rico’s only racetrack, a 20-minute drive east of the center of San Juan.

The Puerto Rican Professional Baseball League

www.hitboricua.com

The Puerto Rican Professional Baseball League (Spanish: Liga de Béisbol Profesional de Puerto Rico or LBPPR) is the main professional baseball league in Puerto Rico. These teams are a part of the MLB Winter Leagues.  Currently consisting of six teams, the league’s champion participates in the Caribbean World Series.

Lobos de Arecibo (Arecibo Wolves)

Criollos de Caguas (Caguas Creoles)

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Walking Tour

Old San Juan
Start: Plaza de la Marina
Finish: Fort San Cristóbal
Time: 2 hours (not counting stops)
The streets are narrow and teeming with traffic, so walk carefully through Old San Juan (El Viejo San Juan). Beneficiary of millions of dollars’ worth of restoration since the early 1970s, Old San Juan is one of the world’s most potent reminders of the power and grandeur of the Spanish Empire. This tour begins at a point just to the west of San Juan’s cruise piers and encircles the perimeter of some of the best-preserved fortifications built by the Spaniards during the 16th and 17th centuries. En route, it passes beneath the governor’s historic mansion, La Fortaleza, and encircles Casa Blanca, before ending at a point beyond the entrance of one of the most fiercely guarded fortresses of the colonial age, Fort San Cristóbal.

Business Hours

Work Days: Commercial establishments may be open to the public on workdays from 5 a.m. to midnight. On Jan. 5, Dec. 24, and Dec. 31 work hours are from 5 a.m. until 9 p.m., even when they fall on a Sunday.

Sundays: Commercial establishments may be open to the public from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m. If a holiday falls on a Sunday it is observed as a holiday and the following Monday is a regular workday.

Currency & Banking

Local banks  and institutions include:
Banco Popular, which is considered the largest banking institution in the island, with over one hundred branches throughout the island
Banco de Ponce
Banco de San Juan
Banco Mercantil de Puerto Rico.

There are also branches of US banks:
Citibank
FirstBank.

Postal Service

US Postal Service
www.usps.com
There are US Postal branches located throughout the island, in addition to UPS, FedEx, Mail Boxes, Etc. and other private mail services. The rates and services are the same as in the United States.

Public School

Education is very important to Puerto Ricans. During Spanish rule, teaching was limited to Christian subjects. Prior to 1840 there were very few books on the island. In 1937 it was determined that students learn English. To this day, both Spanish and English are required subjects.  Education is mandatory between the ages of 6 and 17, and literacy is 90%. There are over 1500 public schools, over 500 private schools in Puerto Rico. The area ranks 6th in the world for students continuing to college.

Higher Education

Community Colleges

Community colleges exist for two major purposes. The first is to serve as a bridge from high school to college by providing courses for transfer toward a bachelor’s degree. Four out of 10 collegebound high-school graduates start their college education this way.

The second function of community colleges is to prepare students for the job market by offering entry-level career training as well as courses for adult students who want to upgrade their skills for the workplace. They often offer programs that are not available at four-year schools, like fashion design.

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