La Perla, San Juan, Puerto Rico Information & La Perla, San Juan, Puerto Rico Links at HealthHaven.com

La Perla seen from Castillo de San Cristobal. The street on the left is Calle Norzagaray

La Perla is a slum neighborhood aside of the northern historic city wall of Old San Juan, Puerto Rico, stretching about 600 meters along the rocky Atlantic coast immediately east of the Santa Maria Magdalena de Pazzis Cemetery and down the slope from (north of) Calle Norzagaray.

La Perla was established in the late 19th century. Initially, the area was the site of a slaughterhouse because the law required them and homes of former slaves and homeless non white servants - as well as cemeteries - to be established away from the main community center; in this case, outside the city walls. Some time after, some farmers and workers started living around the slaughterhouse and shortly established their houses there.

La Perla population are mostly working class families. People have created a community with a strong identity.

In spite of its oceanfront location (where in most cities such properties would be home to the wealthiest individuals), in recent years La Perla has become more known because of the high rate of illegal drug trafficking and crime. During the night, many teenagers and adults enter La Perla to buy illegal drugs. Despite this, local Salsa and Reggaeton concerts are being held each week with the intention of shedding the bad image of the community.

Only three access points exist, one through the "Santa Maria Magdalena Cemetery", one on the east side and one through a walkway right in the center of the northern wall.

In 2009, Reggaeton group Calle 13 released a song in honor of this community named La Perla in collaboration with Ruben Blades, to show the beauty of La Perla, since group member Rene Perez is from this community.

[edit] Streets

The streets of La Perla are not indicated on most city maps:

Calle Tiburcio Reyes (western border, along the outside of the old city wall)
Calle San Miguel (mostly in the western part, along the north)
Calle Bajada Matadero (mostly in the western part, along the south)
Calle Lucila Silva (mostly in the western part, east-west through the middle, too narrow for cars)
Calle Augustin O Aponte (eastern part)

[edit] Census

In terms of the United States 2000 Census, La Perla is composed of Census blocks 3001 through 3010 (Block group 3, Census tract 4, San Juan, Puerto Rico. A population of 338 was reported, 198 housing units (29 unoccupied), and 169 households, on an area of 66,914 m² (16.5 acres).

La Perla belongs to and consists of the northernmost stretches of the sub-barrios Mercado (west) and San Cristóbal (east) of Old San Juan. The dividing line between the subbarrios is the imagined extension of Calle San Justo to the north beyond the old city wall to the Atlantic coast. The eastern part consists of Census blocks 3002, 3009 und 3010, with a population of 64, 35 housing units (4 unoccupied), and 31 households, on 34,572 m² (8.5 acres).

[edit] See also

Old San Juan

Coordinates: 18°28′09″N 66°06′58″W / 18.46917°N 66.11611°W / 18.46917; -66.11611