Panama, Casco Antiguo
Casco Viejo, San Felipe
A neighborhood is such a delicate fabric. Only now is Casco Viejo reaching enough residential critical mass to support, for example, a gourmet grocery store. It is funny, as it Super Gourmet in A Avenue has become the neighborhood equivalent of the “kitchen” at home, where all the family gathers while cooking and snacking.
As the neighborhood develops, more and more services are needed, but space is always scarce. In the medium term future, hotels are coming into town, but even without them, short term rental apartments (which tend to do pretty well and basically work as a dispersed hotel throughout the Casco) bring a bit of a tourist traffic in need of other things. We made a poll some months ago and the answers where incredible. From a laundry to a sushi bar, I think someone even mentioned somewhere to watch movies and a place to buy pots and plants. The community is coming together, a fantastic thing to experience. Not only through making business in the same neighborhood, but also supporting and being active in community programs. I remember someone dear once said: remember these days. These are the fun days. Once the neighborhood gets gentrified, you´ll be so bored. 
While I hope that day never comes, I have to say he was (and still is many times!) right. These are the fun days, where everything still has a twist, everything is hand made and each business has a heart behind it. Isn´t that the way it used to be?
