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LOCAL Friday 1 March 2024

Exploring the Mainstreet of San Nicolas

SAN NICOLAS— At Just 11 Industry, the Community ucation or enjoyment.
miles southeast from Oran- Museum and the Carnival Carnival Euphoria is show-
jestad you will enter the city Euphoria, all within walking casing Aruba’s Carnival.
San Nicolas, also known as distance from one another. See how are Carnival has
Sunrise City or Chocolate The Museum of Industry is developed over the past
City. A city that is rich in situated in the Water Tower 65 years.
authentic culture and is- in San Nicolas and narrates The new San Nicolas
land charm. San Nicolas is Aruba's industrial history In the shadow of the refin-
Aruba’s second largest city which began in the 19th ery, an art capital is quietly
and was once a bustling century. Here you will learn beginning to grow. This is
company town dominated about gold, aloe, phos- the new San Nicolas, a
by the oil industry since the phate, oil and the tourism place that is starting to be-
early 1930’s. industries which made San come a magnet for all that
Nicolas once a bustling is young, cool and hip in
Over the course of four de- business center. Experi- Aruba. Indeed, San Nicolas
cades, its demographics ence the touching stories has all of the ingredients of
had changed immensely of those who were part of an emerging cultural hub
due to a stream of Afro-Ca- this history. — varied history, interesting
ribbean and South Ameri- Nicolaas Store built in 1940 architecture, and, perhaps
can workers who came and renovated in 2014 is most importantly, an urban
to fill the jobs in the oil re- the home of the Communi- layout that makes it walk-
finery between the 1920’s ty Museum. The collection is able. As you walk around,
until the 1960’s. To this day remarkable and spans mil- the streets are silent but are replacing broken down covering genuine and lo-
traces of the multicultural lennia. Ancient fossils stand the walls are loud, filled buildings with colorful art cally made arts and crafts
influences in culinary offer- next to tableaus of an au- with bright, colorful murals pieces that keep brighten- which reflect the diversifi-
ings and customs, housing thentically recreated colo- painted by a collection ing up SunriseCity. cation of the Aruban craft
and population are clearly nial kitchen and bedroom of artists from around the heritage and the artistic
visible in San Nicolas - more and 19th-century barber- world. Thanks to the efforts Must See, Do, Buy & Eat supply of artisans. Don’t
than anywhere else on the shop, just to name a few of of various art organizations A little bit of everything can miss out on trying the exqui-
island. the items of old-time Aruba in Aruba, such as Art Rules be found in the main street. site food offered by the ca-
that has been preserved. A Aruba and Aruba Art Fair, Stores selling shoes, cloth- fes and restaurants or just
Flow of history collection of artifacts and San Nicolas has had quite ing, jewelry you name it. enjoy a peaceful walk ad-
if you are looking for his- other objects of artistic, cul- the aesthetic makeover Arts & crafts by Cosecha miring the murals, mosaic
tory San Nicolas has it. Here tural, historical, or scientific with regards to vibrant store & Creative Center, a benches and all the history
you will find three amazing importance can be found street art. Each year more design store in which you San Nicolas has to offer.q
museums, The Museum of here for the purpose of ed- and more stunning murals can immerse yourself in dis-

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