San Juan

From the Hotel's webpage: "In 1919, Frederick William Vanderbilt, scion of one of the wealthiest families in America and arguably one of the most influential men in the country, acquired oceanfront land in the exclusive Condado District of San Juan, Puerto Rico. He selected Warren and Whitmore. One of the foremost architectural firms of the time, boasting the designs of New York's Biltmore, Commodore and Ambassador Hotels and Grand Central Station to its name. To design the Condado Vanderbilt Hotel, an exclusive tropical retreat in the heart of the Caribbean." [url]www.condadovanderbilt.com/[/url].

[url]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHzjSwqiEs8[/url] anyone can enter for drinks (dress code at night, no sleeveless t-shirts). Excellent, friendly service. The really rich muckety-mucks have a private cigar lounge where they congregate.

From Moon Travel Guide: "By far the best nightclub for live contemporary Latin music—from rock and jazz to salsa and merengue—is Nuyorican Café (312 Calle San Francisco, Old San Juan, 787/977-1276, Tues.–Wed. 7pm–3am, Thurs.–Sun. 7pm–5am, free every night except $5 Fri, full bar). Don't bother looking for a sign; there isn't one. Just look for a gaggle of club-goers clustered around a side door down Capilla alley, which connects Calle San Francisco and Calle Fortaleza." [url]http://www.moon.com/destinations/puerto-rico/san-juan/entertainment-and-events/nightlife/nuyorican-cafe[/url].

From the Hotel's webpage: "Our History: In the 1970's this beautiful four story building in colonial Old San Juan housed the Centro Nacional de las Artes. The Centro was an artist collective that ran an art gallery, workshops for printing and silkscreening, and dance and music classes. In the spirit of this history we invite you to experience bohemian living in Old San Juan." [url]http://www.dahousehotelpr.com/[/url].

Also from Moon Travel Guide, [url]http://www.moon.com/destinations/puerto-rico/san-juan/entertainment-and-events/party-districts[/url]. Nightlife, [url]http://www.moon.com/destinations/puerto-rico/san-juan/entertainment-and-events/nightlife/greater-san-juan[/url]. Old San Juan, [url]http://www.moon.com/destinations/puerto-rico/san-juan/entertainment-and-events/nightlife/old-san-juan[/url].

Venues change, open and close.

There are attractive, friendly, non-pro women in PR (some from the mainland and also from other islands).

[QUOTE=BoricuaOnline; 1408428]Puerto Rico has all the ingredients to become the Singapore of the Caribbean (in economic terms) but has no power to negotiate with anybody.[/QUOTE]Hay Bendito! Your on crack! PR has nothing to offer the world in an economic standpoint besides rum and that is leaving the island too. The work ethic of Pr is infamous. I lived there for years and that island is a sinking ship. Most PRicans blame the US like Boricuaonline does. The fact is that the entire island is subsidized by the US and that has created a major work ethic problem (for decades). Their education system is a joke and it shows. Freshly built buildings look like they are fifty years old, the roads are the worse I have seen, and the apartment buildings keep big tubs to store water in because of the lack of adequate public services.

PR was useful to the US because of its geographic location. That usefulness is over now because of the aircraft carriers.

Many naive PRicans on that island that say things like when the US invaded Pr. Well that is historically inaccurate.

The mongering there blows too.

I rented with Hertz. Free to join Hertz Gold. I made the reservations online before the trip at Hertz's website. Hertz had a sale with rental prices starting at about $15US per day. For the jetblue terminal at SJU airport, there is a covered outdoor area, where the rental companies send their vans and minibuses to pick up their clients. Also new taxi vans there as well. The rental vans arrive every 5 minutes or so. The rental location for hertz did not seem very far from the jetBlue terminal. In the minibus the hertz driver gives the parking space for your car (gold members). No need to stop at the counter. Keys are in the car, some paperwork hangs down from the rear view mirror. I was given a new Ford Fusion, really nice, silver colored car. A worker will check the paperwork at a booth near the exit and then you are on your way. Easy to get onto the highway. Isla Verde section of San Juan is less than 10 minutes from the airport.

When returning the rental car, gas up in isla verde. I refilled the tank at around 3am, at a gas station just off the highway (before the airport when coming from condado). I didn't see a gas station at the airport.

There are some tolls on some highways. You may want to inquire about ez-pass, when you rent the car (I don't know if there are all electronic toll plazas).

[QUOTE=Groin Patter; 1410751]Hay Bendito! Your on crack! PR has nothing to offer the world in an economic standpoint besides rum and that is leaving the island too. The work ethic of Pr is infamous. I lived there for years and that island is a sinking ship. Most PRicans blame the US like Boricuaonline does. The fact is that the entire island is subsidized by the US and that has created a major work ethic problem (for decades). Their education system is a joke and it shows. Freshly built buildings look like they are fifty years old, the roads are the worse I have seen, and the apartment buildings keep big tubs to store water in because of the lack of adequate public services.

PR was useful to the US because of its geographic location. That usefulness is over now because of the aircraft carriers.

Many naive PRicans on that island that say things like when the US invaded Pr. Well that is historically inaccurate.

The mongering there blows too.[/QUOTE]Cannon fodder to fight in US wars. Seems the US has no problem having Puerto Ricans in its Military.

Excellent water pressure and plenty of hot water in the hotel where I stayed. The roads I drove on were in perfect condition. No political representation in the US Federal government (no taxation without representation).

Well educated Puerto Ricans there are plenty. My father had crystal clear blue eyes and he barely got past the 8th grade (no one would say that all blue eyed people lacked education).

Youtube video (not mine) showing an excellent 8 lane highway in Puerto Rico; [url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWG3wJw5ghE[/url]. I remember when I drove to Hamburg, Germany from Dusseldorf (many years ago) on the "famed" autobahn, it was a 4 lane highway, two lanes each direction (excellent road).

And I guess the Mormons who run Marriott Corporation (including Mitt Romney) had no problem pumping millions of dollars into PR, to restore "La Concha" hotel. Connecticut based Starwoods operates several expensive hotels in Puerto Rico.

And the Puerto Rican baseball team recently knocked the United States team out of the World Baseball Classic (Baseball a sport invented in Cooperstown, N.Y., beautiful town on a large lake).

[QUOTE=Jaosousa; 1410593]From Moon Travel Guide: "By far the best nightclub for live contemporary Latin music—from rock and jazz to salsa and merengue—is Nuyorican Café (312 Calle San Francisco, Old San Juan. 787/977-1276, Tues. –Wed. 7pm–3am, Thurs. –Sun. 7pm–5am, free every night except $5 Fri, full bar). Don't bother looking for a sign; there isn't one. Just look for a gaggle of club-goers clustered around a side door down Capilla alley, which connects Calle San Francisco and Calle Fortaleza."

[url]http://www.moon.com/destinations/puerto-rico/san-juan/entertainment-and-events/nightlife/nuyorican-cafe[/url][/QUOTE]I hung out at Nuyorican Cafe with my ex a couple of years ago and its a pretty nice spot. The El San Juan Hotel and Marriotts in Isla Verde are hot spots for meeting babes in July during the Salsa Congress. There are women in town from all over the world. I usually stay at the Hampton Inn or ESJ Tower when I go for work, but if you are looking for a good place that's reasonable check out [url]http://coralbythesea.com/[/url]

BTW, if you go to Santurce you will see a lot of Dominicans. This is a good place to eat, if you need an excuse to go there [url]http://youtu.be/uL-IfkPOptI[/url]

Also La Placita in Santurce is good I think on Wednesdays [url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jqm7EOFrKQ[/url]

Some nice boricua talent [url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0OOmP_VMhI[/url]

[QUOTE=Orgasmico; 1411012]I hung out at Nuyorican Cafe with my ex a couple of years ago and its a pretty nice spot. The El San Juan Hotel and Marriotts in Isla Verde are hot spots for meeting babes in July during the Salsa Congress. There are women in town from all over the world. I usually stay at the Hampton Inn or ESJ Tower when I go for work, but if you are looking for a good place that's reasonable check out.

[url]http://coralbythesea.com/[/url]

BTW, if you go to Santurce you will see a lot of Dominicans. This is a good place to eat, if you need an excuse to go there.

[url]http://youtu.be/uL-IfkPOptI[/url]

Also La Placita in Santurce is good I think on Wednesdays.

[url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jqm7EOFrKQ[/url]

Some nice boricua talent.

[url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0OOmP_VMhI[/url][/QUOTE]Thanks. As I mentioned in my trip report there was a an attractive bartender in Fat Tuesdays in Santurce, with tremendous caderas (hips). And some cuties came in, in that area I saw some attractive 30 year old professional type women (business clothes, on a Thursday night). [url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdLR4dFVjPE[/url]

[QUOTE=Groin Patter; 1410751]Hay Bendito! Your on crack! PR has nothing to offer the world in an economic standpoint besides rum and that is leaving the island too.

The mongering there blows too.[/QUOTE]Ay Bendito, you as many people with limited economic knowledge or with prejudiced views thinks the same. I do not know you, maybe you are an economics expert so I do not want to generalize and to offend you. There are lot of myths about puerto ricans, you mentioned a few. There is a waiting list of investors from around the world wanting to invest here, to develop transshipment ports and manufacturing facilities for in process products to be finished here. As a government economic and financial consultant I have had access to privileged information so I do not speak based on biased or prejudiced information. You only mentioned that I blame USA for our crisis but you skip that I also mentioned that goods things have also came from USA. The fact is that PR sovereignty resides in US congress and when they vote on matters that affect us good or bad things occurs here. Lately it has been mostly bad things. Puerto Rico has a bigger percentage of college graduates than USA and while US has renowned universities our talent in many professions has been recognized.

The horrible part of the welfare system we have here was created by the USA in the early 70's and while it helps people that have no way to get money because of health or other issues it also keeps thousands of people out of the workforce creating generations of mantenidos. Why a person is going to work for $1, 200 or less per month to pay food, housing, health, utilities and other expenses when they can get a bigger amount in government help and subsidies? At the same time they can work in the informal economy getting better revenue than mid class people without paying taxes. Welfare system should be amended.

Yes, USA sends 11 billion per year in financial aids which half of it comes from our social security and medicare contributions. It is very well documented, but they also get over 60 billions from PR operations. To say that USA sends and sends money and do not get a benefit from our political relationship is to say that the nice USA colleges graduates only morons to govern the country and to spend the money around the world without getting a benefit from it. I doubt that, although I disagree with US policy regarding Puerto Rico, that USA is that moron. I respect USA as a country that have provided great things to the world. But, man, I am not on crack, I am on Medalla and Don Q limon. Respectfully, BO.

[QUOTE=BoricuaOnline;1411172]Welfare system should be amended.[/QUOTE]Include Corporate Welfare in that amendment.

[QUOTE=Jaosousa;1411201]Include Corporate Welfare in that amendment.[/QUOTE]I agree. Comapanies that earns billions and pay less taxes than me.

Youtube description: "Plaza del Mercado, in the Santurce area of San Juan, a working fresh produce market surrounded by cafes bars and restaurants." [url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJFTsmNUGZg&NR=1&feature=endscreen[/url]

The strip club Frenchy's is on a narrow side street, 5 minutes from here. From Frenchy's I walked back to the Conrad Hotel at around 11pm or midnight.

I'm back in San Juan again for a week. Thinking of going to Luck7 again since I missed it last trip. Instead I did the massage place across from the Hampton. Wish I could find a local to come to my nice hotel. I hung around the bar at the hotel and casino tonight and it doesn't seem like any workers were around. Tried that last time and didn't see anything.

Any tips or insight is appreciated! Thanks

[QUOTE=M Fever;1417034]Instead I did the massage place across from the Hampton.[/QUOTE]Was the massage place worth it?