The vibrant retail pulse set among lush island allure and beachfront homes.
Gentle white-capped waves swirl deep Atlantic blue and turquoise waters against the powder sands of Condado’s coast, where the palm-lined, walkable streets beckon with an energetic mix of designer shops and world-class dining. Home to one of Puerto Rico’s most-traversed beaches, Condado is a bustling community with a bounty of luxury to offer.
Condado lies east of San Juan, connected by the Puente Dos Hermanos Bridge, which turns into the famed Ashford Avenue. The area began to urbanize in the early 1900s, starting as a streetcar suburb for those living in San Juan. Modern-day Condado is a mecca of high-end retail, nightlife, and sun-drenched beaches.
Packed with Spanish colonial boutique apartment buildings and luxe high-rise condominiums and sprinkled with a few gorgeous single-family homes that radiate with a vacation feel, Condado’s residential housing is in perfect harmony with its go-getting lifestyle and beachfront chill.
Condado is a trendsetter and a well-known vacation spot for celebrities because of its combination of Caribbean beaches and Miami-style shopping. It maintains a relatively small population, and yet, this little portion of Puerto Rico never loses its dynamic vivacity.
Just steps from the lapping waves, Condado’s Ashford Avenue is often compared to New York City’s famous 5th Avenue — due to its bevy of wonderful shops and high-end designers. Side-by-side with local boutiques and specialty shops are big names like Louis Vuitton, Cartier, and Gucci.
Ashford Avenue also holds some of the most exciting dining opportunities in Condado, including restaurants such as La Marqueta. This unique open-air venue is a hotspot for foodies, drink connoisseurs, and creative types. Along with a diverse daily menu produced by a collection of local chefs, diners here can enjoy the oceanfront views and innovative cocktails. Wicked Lily offers traditional Puerto Rican fare and an ever-busy bar that keeps up with the community’s active personality.
Another notable restaurant in Condado is the illustrious Mario Pagán restaurant. Its eponymous, award-winning chef has crafted a menu of upscale delights that range from melt-in-your-mouth lamb pastelles to decadent black Chilean sea bass. For an unbeatable refresher on those warm afternoons, there’s nowhere better than Crush Juice Bar. Their menu of healthy smoothie bowls, smoothies, and slurpable crushers is a great way to treat yourself after a day shopping or hitting the beach.
When the sun descends in a splash of pinks and oranges, those in Condado find there’s a bounty of nightlife right at their fingertips. Well-known for its remarkable ambiance and scenic location, the Mist Rooftop Bar & Kitchen is located on the tenth floor of the San Juan Water and Beach Club Hotel. Here, the laid-back lounge music and striking panoramas provide the perfect complement for happy hour cocktails and gastro-bites.
Residents and visitors also have access to several of the most thrilling nightclubs and hangouts, including the historic Vanderbilt Hotel. As a magnificent 5-star luxury hotel, Vanderbilt offers spa experiences, epicurean delights, and exquisite rooms. More than this, however, the hotel also comes with pool-side cabanas, ritzy lounges with live jazz music, and cigar rooms that guests and patrons can use. Right next door, its sister venue — La Concha Renaissance Resort — houses the 24/7 action-packed Casino Del Mar.
An island-wide celebration comes to life on Noche de San Juan, in which islanders take to the beach to perform backward diving at the stroke of midnight to purge negativity from their lives. The rest of the day and night is spent at the beach as well, or if you prefer, at one of the aforementioned luxury hotels and nightclubs, which hold massive parties to celebrate the holiday.
Condado is home to several excellent schools. Top educational opportunities include:
Maria del Mar Ortiz, or Maria, has been a leader in the financial services industry of Puerto Rico. She began her career as the assistant to Treasurer at BBVA before shifting her focus to the private client side of the industry. Contact Maria today.
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