Life as Landlubbers in San Juan, Puerto Rico (Part 1)

Although I grew up in a small Indiana town, I’m no stranger to living in a city. Both Rob and I have spent our adult years living in cities, from Chicago to Pittsburgh to Denver. While we enjoy escaping to the outdoors for isolation, we also love all of the conveniences of city life: easy access to an airport, walkability, music and art scenes, public transportation, restaurants, and nightlife.

Last season we cruised from Palmetto, Florida through the British Virgin Islands, stopping in some gorgeous anchorages along the way. We saw pristine beaches, incredible snorkeling, lush green country sides, and crystal clear turquoise water. Our photo gallery doesn’t begin to do it justice. The Caribbean is full of unbelievable places. Many of our stops were in uninhabited islands and the rest in small settlements. Only at a handful of stops did we even have access to a grocery store. We were seeking out adventure and solitude and we found both. So when we first visited San Juan last May, we were amazed by what it felt like to be back in a city–to have supermarkets, music venues, art galleries, clothing boutiques all in walking distance. We were overwhelmed by all the options. We were only able to spend three nights in San Juan, but we knew it was a place we wanted to see more of. So we decided that we would live here after we hauled Kairos out of the water for hurricane season.

We have been living in San Juan for the last 6 weeks and we still love it. We are staying in a one-bedroom apartment in Ocean Park. Our apartment is quite a bit smaller than our last house, but is a mansion compared to our below deck space on the boat. Ocean Park is a tiny (0.2 square miles) residential pocket wedged between the more touristy and developed neighborhoods of Condado and Isla Verde. We are less than a block away from a tranquil, palm tree lined beach that stretches for miles and only a few blocks away from Calle Loiza, which is lined with bars and restaurants. Whatever we are in the mood for—trendy, cheap, casual, fancy, hipster—there is a nearby place that meets our needs. I wish we had the budget to try all of the great spots we have just outside our doorstep. Only a couple of miles to the west lies Old San Juan, which is a beautiful and charming area that is fun to visit. A nice residential neighborhood with easy access to everything San Juan has to offer, Ocean Park can’t be beat.

So, what is it like to live in San Juan, Puerto Rico? In many ways, San Juan is no different than any other US City. Over the last 6 weeks, we’ve enjoyed having these things back in our lives.

1. Easy Access–No Car Needed

We loved our home in Denver because it was within walking distance to everything we wanted. Unless we decided to go off exploring in the mountains, we didn’t need our cars on the weekend. The same is true in San Juan. The beach, restaurants, grocery store, Post Office, and pharmacy are all a short walk away. We did pick up a couple of bikes off Craigslist our first week in town so we could explore the city quicker. We’ve enjoyed biking around. But if want to check out something in a different neighborhood without getting sweaty, then we just request an Uber. Luckily for us, Uber opened in Puerto Rico about the same time we hauled out. It has made it easy for us to get around the city without breaking the bank. We’ll occasionally rent a car to go hiking in search of waterfalls or to check on Kairos, but for the most part a car is not needed for us.

2. A Great Art Scene

We are truly amazed and inspired by all the beautiful art work in this city. We’ve spent hours admiring works in art galleries and the Art Museum, but our favorite is the bright and vibrant street art that can be seen all across the city. It’s stunning.

3. Good Cheap Eats

What could be better for a couple of foodies on a cruising budget than a plethora of amazing food trucks and food stands? From our favorite arepas stand down the road where a $4 meal stuffs us, to the infamous and never-ending row of food kiosks in Luquillo, good cheap eats can be found all over Puerto Rico. We just have to be careful to keep our waist lines in check.

4. Craft Beer

Since we hail from Denver, the craft beer mecca of the world, it should be no surprise that we love a good IPA. Craft beer was a big part of our lives back in Denver. I was in a women’s beer club, where I was constantly learning about and discovering new beers. Before we left, Rob and I even started brewing our own IPAs. We haven’t started brewing on the boat yet, so most of the beer we’ve drank on this adventure is local lite beer. While an ice cold Medalla is certainly refreshing on a hot day, it’s nice to have other options again.

Our new favorite watering hole, it’s a bar. It’s a convenient store. The To-Go down the street from us is more than just a 24/7 convenient store, it has a bar inside with lots of seating. You can order beers and snacks at convenient store prices and they have a great selection of craft beers (including several IPAs) for under $2. On the weekends, you’ll find a young crowd pre-gaming here. And why not? There’s a great selection of beers for a third of the price you’ll see in any other bar and when you get the munchies there’s an entire aisle of Pringles to choose from.

5. Farmers Markets

Okay, so the farmers markets in Puerto Rico aren’t as fancy as the ones we went to back in The States. But after cruising in the Bahamas where fresh produce was incredibly difficult to find and cost a small fortune, we’re happy to stock our fridge with locally grown products again. Shopping at these markets has also introduced us to new foods. Turns out achachairu is a delicious little fruit and eggplant isn’t as foul as I was previously led to believe. Now if we could only learn to love plantains.

6. You’ve Got Mail

The Post Office in Puerto Rico is the same as the US, even the prices. That means it only costs 47 cents for a birthday card to be picked up at our apartment in San Juan, transported to a ship, carried through the Atlantic Ocean, trucked to Indiana, and delivered to my niece. That’s a bargain!

And where there’s USPS, there’s also UPS. And where there’s UPS, there’s Amazon Prime! Okay, so there’s no 2-day shipping. It typically takes 3-7 days for Prime orders to arrive. But I can still order just about anything in the world and have it shipped to my doorstep at no cost. This is NOT a luxury we had while cruising.

7. Cell Phone Service

There was no need to purchase a new SIM card, the AT&T coverage is great in Puerto Rico and my plan works just the same as it did in The States. While we were cruising, data and internet was sometimes difficult to come by. We are now spoiled with unlimited data again. May the binge watching begin.

8. Life in the Fast Lane

When we do rent a car to explore the beautiful countryside, getting around is a piece of cake. The rules of the road are the same in Puerto Rico as they are in the US. Puerto Ricans drive on the right side of the road and the signs are the same shapes and colors as in The States. Sure the words are in Spanish and highway markers use kilometers instead of miles, but for the most part driving in Puerto Rico is no different than in The States.

While for the most part, living is Puerto Rico is the same as life in the US, there are some noticeable differences. Check tomorrow’s blog post to learn about a few differences we’ve observed during our stay so far.