Urban Casita & Courtyard: Santurce Arts District
Entire rental unit in San Juan, Puerto Rico
- 2 guests
- 1 bedroom
- 1 bed
- 1 bath
Hosted by Richard
- Superhost
- 16 years hosting
Listing highlights
Dedicated workspace
A room with wifi that’s well-suited for working.
At-home coffee
Start your morning right with the drip coffee maker.
Richard is a Superhost
Superhosts are experienced, highly rated Hosts.
An 'urban casita' - like a country cottage in the middle of the city!
A note on booking: Since I started hosting AirBnb guests in 2009 I've always met my guests on arrival (no lockboxes) and been on-site during their stay. Since I'll be traveling often this year, I only open dates a couple of weeks in advance when I know I'll be in San Juan. But plans change, so feel free to send a note and see if I can unblock your dates.
The space
The casita suite is at the back of the house on the ground floor. There are two steps to from the street to the lobby and then two steps to the 'sunken kitchen' if access is an issue.
Guests use the main entrance and reception gallery to the house, but you have a private locked gate to your casita's exterior courtyard. From the semi-covered 'gazebo' courtyard, you enter your bedroom/ensuite private bath on one side and your ’sunken kitchen’ with a sit-up bar/counter on the other.
The bedroom has a king size bed, Roku TV, Wi-Fi, air conditioning, ceiling fan and closet area with robes and iron/board. The ensuite private bathroom has a sink, toilet and shower (no bathtub). King bed has Brooklinen sheets. Bathroom has towels and body wash, shampoo, etc.
The casita has a semi-open "sunken" kitchen (sink, gas stove (no oven), full refrigerator/freezer, microwave, coffee makers (Mr. Coffee, French Press, Nespresso and traditional stove-top moka espresso maker), electric kettle, blender, toaster, rice maker/steamer, air fryer/toaster oven).
NOTE: The casita suite does not have an enclosed 'living area'. The bedroom and kitchen open to a private courtyard with 'gazebo-style' covering that keeps light rain away and provides shade during the day. However, when it rains heavily, the courtyard does get wet - so you may get wet going from the bedroom to the kitchen. You should not leave computers, papers or anything in the courtyard that may get wet, since we can have short showers anytime in the tropics. (See photos for reference).
NATURE ALERT: The house has a very open design that encourages open doors and windows. There may be small lizards in the courtyard (we like them - they're cute and they eat mosquitoes).
Small birds and hummingbirds are common. If you're lucky, you'll hear a 'coqui' tree frog singing outside your gate til about midnight.
Mosquitoes blow in when the wind comes from the lagoons during rainy weather (we provide spay and have screens on the bedroom doors/windows) and the fan in the kitchen usually keeps them away.
We also have rather large 'palmetto bugs' that look like roaches and only live outdoors - these are common all over the island, even in resorts, so if you freak out at bugs, be warned. They only come out from the gardens on certain nights and local lore claims that the males expire after mating. They do not live indoors, they love gardens - so if they do find their way near you it is usually by accident.
Finally - we have a phenomena here in PR called 'Sahara Dust' or 'Bruma' - where sand from the African desert blows across the Atlantic Ocean and lands in PR. This is not pollution - but can cloud the sky and leave lots of gritty dust on the floors. Locals walk around the house in socks to keep it from sticking to feet - but its easy to clean up with the swiffers we provide in each unit.
Guest access
All guests enter the house through the same gate and front door. Please make sure to always double-check the front door and the front gate by pulling it with your hand to make sure that it is securely locked.
You'll enter the lobby and have access to beach towels/chairs, suntan lotions, bug stuff, umbrellas, tourist info/guides and reusable bags for the supermarket.
Follow the garden passage to the right and you'll find your courtyard gate.
Other things to note
IMPORTANT: We now have solar power panels and battery back-up to help avoid the frequent power outages in San Juan. This makes it CRITICAL that you turn off all air conditioners/fans, etc. when you leave your suite - since if power goes out and you're not in the suite, the battery may be drained before you return - leaving you without power until the electricity is restored or the sun returns..
---
Security Camera Usage: We have an exterior RING doorbell and also have an external camera focused on the exterior main door from the street to the lobby. This is purely a security issue, since it is a creaky old door and some guests have not locked the front door correctly or inadvertently unlocked the door when they remove their key. We monitor late night verify that it is closed correctly.
If we see that the door is open, we send someone to the house to make sure that it is securely closed for all guests and leave a message on the bulletin board to remind guests to double-check the door and make sure it is locked.
---
Puerto Rico Tourism Company Hotelier ID 1113.
AirBnb will calculate and charge PR Room Tax as part of your invoice.
A note on booking: Since I started hosting AirBnb guests in 2009 I've always met my guests on arrival (no lockboxes) and been on-site during their stay. Since I'll be traveling often this year, I only open dates a couple of weeks in advance when I know I'll be in San Juan. But plans change, so feel free to send a note and see if I can unblock your dates.
The space
The casita suite is at the back of the house on the ground floor. There are two steps to from the street to the lobby and then two steps to the 'sunken kitchen' if access is an issue.
Guests use the main entrance and reception gallery to the house, but you have a private locked gate to your casita's exterior courtyard. From the semi-covered 'gazebo' courtyard, you enter your bedroom/ensuite private bath on one side and your ’sunken kitchen’ with a sit-up bar/counter on the other.
The bedroom has a king size bed, Roku TV, Wi-Fi, air conditioning, ceiling fan and closet area with robes and iron/board. The ensuite private bathroom has a sink, toilet and shower (no bathtub). King bed has Brooklinen sheets. Bathroom has towels and body wash, shampoo, etc.
The casita has a semi-open "sunken" kitchen (sink, gas stove (no oven), full refrigerator/freezer, microwave, coffee makers (Mr. Coffee, French Press, Nespresso and traditional stove-top moka espresso maker), electric kettle, blender, toaster, rice maker/steamer, air fryer/toaster oven).
NOTE: The casita suite does not have an enclosed 'living area'. The bedroom and kitchen open to a private courtyard with 'gazebo-style' covering that keeps light rain away and provides shade during the day. However, when it rains heavily, the courtyard does get wet - so you may get wet going from the bedroom to the kitchen. You should not leave computers, papers or anything in the courtyard that may get wet, since we can have short showers anytime in the tropics. (See photos for reference).
NATURE ALERT: The house has a very open design that encourages open doors and windows. There may be small lizards in the courtyard (we like them - they're cute and they eat mosquitoes).
Small birds and hummingbirds are common. If you're lucky, you'll hear a 'coqui' tree frog singing outside your gate til about midnight.
Mosquitoes blow in when the wind comes from the lagoons during rainy weather (we provide spay and have screens on the bedroom doors/windows) and the fan in the kitchen usually keeps them away.
We also have rather large 'palmetto bugs' that look like roaches and only live outdoors - these are common all over the island, even in resorts, so if you freak out at bugs, be warned. They only come out from the gardens on certain nights and local lore claims that the males expire after mating. They do not live indoors, they love gardens - so if they do find their way near you it is usually by accident.
Finally - we have a phenomena here in PR called 'Sahara Dust' or 'Bruma' - where sand from the African desert blows across the Atlantic Ocean and lands in PR. This is not pollution - but can cloud the sky and leave lots of gritty dust on the floors. Locals walk around the house in socks to keep it from sticking to feet - but its easy to clean up with the swiffers we provide in each unit.
Guest access
All guests enter the house through the same gate and front door. Please make sure to always double-check the front door and the front gate by pulling it with your hand to make sure that it is securely locked.
You'll enter the lobby and have access to beach towels/chairs, suntan lotions, bug stuff, umbrellas, tourist info/guides and reusable bags for the supermarket.
Follow the garden passage to the right and you'll find your courtyard gate.
Other things to note
IMPORTANT: We now have solar power panels and battery back-up to help avoid the frequent power outages in San Juan. This makes it CRITICAL that you turn off all air conditioners/fans, etc. when you leave your suite - since if power goes out and you're not in the suite, the battery may be drained before you return - leaving you without power until the electricity is restored or the sun returns..
---
Security Camera Usage: We have an exterior RING doorbell and also have an external camera focused on the exterior main door from the street to the lobby. This is purely a security issue, since it is a creaky old door and some guests have not locked the front door correctly or inadvertently unlocked the door when they remove their key. We monitor late night verify that it is closed correctly.
If we see that the door is open, we send someone to the house to make sure that it is securely closed for all guests and leave a message on the bulletin board to remind guests to double-check the door and make sure it is locked.
---
Puerto Rico Tourism Company Hotelier ID 1113.
AirBnb will calculate and charge PR Room Tax as part of your invoice.
Where you’ll sleep
What this place offers
Kitchen
Wifi
Dedicated workspace
Free street parking
55 inch HDTV with Netflix, Roku
Select check-in date
Add your travel dates for exact pricing
Rated 4.97 out of 5 from 152 reviews.
Guest favorite
This home is a guest favorite based on ratings, reviews, and reliability
Overall rating
- 5 stars, 97% of reviews
- 4 stars, 3% of reviews
- 3 stars, 0% of reviews
- 2 stars, 0% of reviews
- 1 stars, 0% of reviews
Rated 4.9 out of 5 stars for cleanliness
Rated 4.9 out of 5 stars for accuracy
Rated 5.0 out of 5 stars for check-in
Rated 5.0 out of 5 stars for communication
Rated 4.7 out of 5 stars for location
Rated 4.9 out of 5 stars for value
Guests mention
Where you’ll be
Santurce, San Juan
Murals brighten this lively Carolina municipality, where salsa dancing spills from local venues and coastal breezes drift through residential streets.
From the host
When you arrive, you can explore on your own, or I'll take you on a walking tour of the neighborhood and show you all arts venues, restaurants, bars, supermarket, ATMs, way to the beach, bus stops, etc. and end up at Plaza del Mercado.
The Santurce area of San Juan was the center of all business, shopping, restaurants, theaters and nightlife from the 1940's - 1980's. Often referred to as the 'Times Square' of Puerto Rico. Our area of Ponce de Leon had so many exclusive shops and boutiques it was called 'The Fifth Avenue of the Caribbean'. There was an elegant 'Rainbow Room' style dinner club one block away at 'Top of the First' and the highest concentration of movie palaces in the Caribbean.
All this changed when TV came to Puerto Rico. While the US mainland had their 'golden age' of TV in the 1950's, it wasn't until the 1970's that Puerto Rico developed their own local programming. After this, people could just sit at home for entertainment and no longer supported so many theaters. At the same time, the Hato Rey business district was created - luring many businesses out of Santurce. The final blow came when Plaza las Americas opened in the 1980's and Ponce de Leon Avenue was no competition for the largest shopping mall in the Caribbean. The neighborhood gradually just faded away with abandoned buildings and theaters on every block.
But like many urban areas - artists and creative entrepreneurs discovered a wealth of great spaces - just a few minutes walk across the highway from the best tourism areas of Condado and Ocean Park. Started as a 'grass roots' effort with private clubs, galleries, bars, etc. in the areas surrounding the Fine Arts Center (4 theaters and Symphony Hall).
The Arts District was formalized with the opening of the Puerto Rico Museum of Art in a former hospital, The Museum of Contemporary Art in a former public school and the Conservatory of Music in a former Catholic School.
With the Miramar Historic District at one end and Sacred Heart University at the other - it now forms the highest concentration of arts in the Caribbean.
The neighborhood is still evolving - so some blocks are still abandoned and a bit shabby around the edges. This isn't a Disney-style gentrification area, but a real urban neighborhood that has everything from homeless to ultra-chic condos and lots of artists and interesting characters in between. But even the bad blocks are considered safe for tourists and have some of the best urban art in the world!
If you want a generic resort vacation, this may not be for you... but if you want a fascinating local experience with easy access to beaches, Old San Juan's UNESCO World Heritage, authentic Puerto Rico living and some of the friendliest people in the world - the Arts District might be perfect for your trip to San Juan!
Note: Some dates are blocked when the housekeeper is traveling. However, if you can arrive before they leave - or want to stay long term, email and I can open up dates on the calendar.
The Santurce area of San Juan was the center of all business, shopping, restaurants, theaters and nightlife from the 1940's - 1980's. Often referred to as the 'Times Square' of Puerto Rico. Our area of Ponce de Leon had so many exclusive shops and boutiques it was called 'The Fifth Avenue of the Caribbean'. There was an elegant 'Rainbow Room' style dinner club one block away at 'Top of the First' and the highest concentration of movie palaces in the Caribbean.
All this changed when TV came to Puerto Rico. While the US mainland had their 'golden age' of TV in the 1950's, it wasn't until the 1970's that Puerto Rico developed their own local programming. After this, people could just sit at home for entertainment and no longer supported so many theaters. At the same time, the Hato Rey business district was created - luring many businesses out of Santurce. The final blow came when Plaza las Americas opened in the 1980's and Ponce de Leon Avenue was no competition for the largest shopping mall in the Caribbean. The neighborhood gradually just faded away with abandoned buildings and theaters on every block.
But like many urban areas - artists and creative entrepreneurs discovered a wealth of great spaces - just a few minutes walk across the highway from the best tourism areas of Condado and Ocean Park. Started as a 'grass roots' effort with private clubs, galleries, bars, etc. in the areas surrounding the Fine Arts Center (4 theaters and Symphony Hall).
The Arts District was formalized with the opening of the Puerto Rico Museum of Art in a former hospital, The Museum of Contemporary Art in a former public school and the Conservatory of Music in a former Catholic School.
With the Miramar Historic District at one end and Sacred Heart University at the other - it now forms the highest concentration of arts in the Caribbean.
The neighborhood is still evolving - so some blocks are still abandoned and a bit shabby around the edges. This isn't a Disney-style gentrification area, but a real urban neighborhood that has everything from homeless to ultra-chic condos and lots of artists and interesting characters in between. But even the bad blocks are considered safe for tourists and have some of the best urban art in the world!
If you want a generic resort vacation, this may not be for you... but if you want a fascinating local experience with easy access to beaches, Old San Juan's UNESCO World Heritage, authentic Puerto Rico living and some of the friendliest people in the world - the Arts District might be perfect for your trip to San Juan!
Note: Some dates are blocked when the housekeeper is traveling. However, if you can arrive before they leave - or want to stay long term, email and I can open up dates on the calendar.
Meet your host
Where I went to school: Baruch College, CUNY - MBA
My work: Consultant - Tourism & Hospitality Marketing, Real Estate Broker
45+ times consecutive Superhost.
Travel the Caribbean for work, all over the globe for fun - but always glad to come home to San Juan!
Originally from Connecticut, I lived in New York City working in the travel industry, then owned a boutique hotel on the tiny Caribbean island of Saba before moving to Puerto Rico.
Living in the Santurce Arts District for 25 years, founder/president of MUSAN Arts Center one block from your suite.
Richard is a Superhost
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