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There was an article in AM Costa Rica this morning about the problems at El Pueblo.
"El Pueblo commercial center struggles with its past
By Elise Sonray
of the A.M. Costa Rica staff
It is called a tourist center, but some might say it looks more like a ghost town. A place once so crammed with people at night that no one could move now is populated with for sale signs and empty walkways.
So what happened to “El Pueblo?†That's what many tourists who return probably wonder. The commercial center in north San José is surrounded by freshly painted colonial architecture, filled with verdant gardens and antique alleys, but the souvenir shops and art stores are desolate during the day, and the nightclubs are less than what they once were in the evenings.
Most San José residents say it was the violence that deterred them. Shootouts and drug wars in Centro Comercial El Pueblo, were all over the news a few years ago. The U.S. Embassy itself banned its employees from entering El Pueblo in 2004, because of a shootout that killed a security guard.
For awhile it seemed as if every weekend brought another shootout.
But the president of El Pueblo says everything was exaggerated by the media.
The president, Marvin SolÃs Delgado, said there has never been an incident with guns inside the walls of El Pueblo in the center's 30-year history. However there were shootings that took place in the parking lot, including the man who killed guard Ricardo Bernardo Richards Campbell, 43, with a machine pistol just after he was kicked out of El Pueblo. And there is the case of Alejandro Durán Gómez, 22, shot in 2006 while trying to get a taxi after a night at one of El Pueblo's discotheques.
Some employees in El Pueblo admit that there have been numerous violent incidents. They say it is due to the increased violence in the country. “Violence has gotten stronger everywhere, there's an increased level worldwide,†said Alicia Aguilar RamÃrez, a shop owner in El Pueblo for seven years.
“Dangerous is not the right word for El Pueblo,†said Seidy Chaves Rojas, assistant to the center's council. “The entire country is more dangerous now.†Ms. Chaves said the country has changed greatly since the center opened 30 years ago, and that violence is more prolific everywhere.
Ms. Chaves is not far off. Violence in Costa Rica is perceived to be rising, as is the population and number of immigrants. President Óscar Arias Sanchez proposed 1,000 more police officers per year. Operatives in which police “sweep†zones and investigate hundreds of people at a time seem to be more frequent nationwide. Meanwhile, officials reported that tourism is going up and violence against tourists is going down. The country is doing well, according to the government. Places like El Pueblo say they are doing well too.
Despite the past and whether it was violent or not, there is one thing El Pueblo employees all seem to agree upon: Things have gotten a lot better. Safety wise, that is. Almost every employee emphasized the 24-hour surveillance and security cameras that were installed two years ago. There are 23 security guards who work directly for El Pueblo now, said SolÃs. Previously there were 16 contracted guards whom he described as cold and unfriendly. He also added that the doorways are guarded at night and people are searched before entering. And there is a metal detector.
As for tourists visiting during the day, many shop owners refuse to admit that numbers have gone down. “Many tourists from all over the world come here,†said Lidia Susana Castelli, an art shop owner and member of the local five-member council. “We've always had the same amount of tourists.â€
el pueblo interior
Colonial architecture and many individually owned storefronts give El Pueblo a unique flavor.
Ms. Castelli said she expected more people to come because of the beauty and renovation work being done in El Pueblo.
“90 percent of the tourists who come to San José still come to El Pueblo,†said SolÃs, adding that taxi drivers and hotel receptionists helped get the word out.
One shop owner who refused to give her name, said numbers have sunk greatly since she opened her store. “You have to ask the administration,†she repeated numerous times, “I can't say anything.â€
Ms. Aguilar agreed that the number of tourists had gone down. “We really hope more people will start coming,†she said standing in a friend's unpopulated souvenir shop. “We are now open 9 a.m. to 12 a.m.,†she said hopefully.
It's true, as youth start filing into the discos after sunset, the souvenir stores stay lighted and waiting in the darkness.
The nightlife still holds sufficient numbers, but, according to one cook who's worked at El Pueblo for six years, the place is not what it once was. “These walkways used to be full of people,†he said gesturing at the empty stone paths. Now promoters stand outside clubs coaxing passersby to enter. These same clubs once had long lines, said a guest.
According to SolÃs' numbers, weekends used to yield 10,000 people and now yield 5,000 to 7,000. They were scared off by bad publicity, he said.
Many older Costa Ricans who spent their youth dancing at El Pueblo clubs or listening to performers at the various bars are saddened by the current situation. There still are some locations like the Tango Bar that draw a loyal and specific clientel.
When asked about future plans, SolÃs mentioned new bathrooms, handicapped access ramps and restoring the structure to modern standards. El Pueblo management put up a new sign before high season and rebuilt the arch at the entrance. SolÃs also hopes many of the for rent spaces will be occupied by more souvenir shops.
“Many of the owners changed their services to offer high class prices and items,†he said. “The people who came here before don't come anymore.†SolÃs said cruise ships now only send a fraction of their guests to El Pueblo because they say there aren't enough stores.
“We are rescuing El Pueblo†said SolÃs, and the place looks beautiful. In the daily sunlight gardeners can be seen planting flowers, maids mopping the floors, and workers painting the walls, but they are the only ones in sight."
_________________  Pura Vida Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four essential food groups: alcohol, caffeine, sugar and fat. Alex Levine 
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Holy crap that's news, guess dirt floors, rodent infestation and no more than 5 cockroaches per square ft. in a kitchen aren't considered serious violations though. 
The current standard is if they find more than 3 female adult egg bearing roaches per square meter you have 30 days to reduce the population to the acceptable level. 
Should you fail to comply but the inspector feels you made an honest attempt to rectify the problem he is authorized to accept the payment of 10,000 colones in lieu of closure. 
