Page 10 - aruba-today-20221212

Monday 12 deceMber 2022 locAl
A10

Exploring the Mainstreet of San Nicolas

SAN NICOLAS— At Just 11
miles southeast from Oran-
jestad you will enter the city
San Nicolas, also known as
Sunrise City or Chocolate
City. A city that is rich in
authentic culture and is-
land charm. San Nicolas is
Aruba’s second largest city
and was once a bustling
company town dominated
by the oil industry since the
early 1930’s.

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