'Imagine the streets
of Toulouse or Paris but in Panama City,
Central America. the Casco Viejo section
of the City is very Reminiscent of the
French Quarter of New Orleans or perhaps
Havana and is the oldest city on the
Pacific Coast of the Americas. The Casco
Viejo section of the city lies at the
opening mouth of the Canal and just
out into the Bay.
The reason why there
is little Paris in Panama is because
in 1881 the French attempted to firstly
build the canal. Casco Viejo is where
they would hang out and most of them
live. There are French balconies over
narrow street below and you can identify
some Caribbean and Spanish Culture throughout
this area of town. However this mix
of cultures and architecture has made
Casco Viejo one of the most promising
areas of Panama.
There is a unique feeling
whenever entering Casco Viejo, you can
feel the passion, the arts, the historic
culture and architecture. The restaurants
in the area are some of the best Panama
has to offer and the walkway offers
some great Kuna Mola's and sight seeing.
If you walk through
Casco Viejo it is like walking back
in time, the building are over 300 years
in age and the narrow streets and renovations
make the area very warm and cultural.
You will see laundry hanging over ramshackle
railings, iron balconies have geraniums,
potted plants and bougainvillea vines.
Casco Viejo is focal
point of all Panama Cities architecture,
culture and arts. The CEnter for arts
is located in the area as well as the
theatre, art galleries, museums and
much much more. It is here in Casco
Viejo that you really can identify with
Panama's culture and people, these are
the real Panamanians.
UNESCO and the United
Nations for Education, Science and Culture
in 1998 identified Casco Viejo as a
site od world interest due to its architecture
and rich history. Currently Casco Viejo
is being renovated to its former glory
and once finished will be on the most
expensive neighborhoods in Panama.
Why
not check out the property tour of Panama
and the areas within the city!!
Why
Casco Viejo is a good investment!!
History
- Of the original Panama City
Casco Viejo is the only still
standing part and reeks history
and culture. The French and Spanish
architecture from the 1800's stands
all around and invites in a warm
and historic feeling. A rich history
of Pirates, Cathedrals and immigrants
makes this part of Panama City
a cultural gem.
Environment
- This is one of
the most cultural areas of Panama
where you can sip fresh coffee
at a street side cafe, or have
lunch in one of Panama's trendiest
restaurants. The area has a great
nightlife with some the best clubs
and bars in Panama. Beautifully
restored loft apartments and other
historical buildings, along with
the Presidential Palace and National
Theatre make this the most landmark-rich
area in the country.
Cost
- The Value of
property in Casco Viejo is very
depressed indeed due to squatters
taking control of the buildings
as landlords left due to rental
control disputes. However recently
the government has aided in the
revitalization of the area and
is moving the squatters to other
locations so that Casco Viejo
can once again be the heart of
Panama. Once the renovations have
been done it is sure that the
prices will sky rocket!!! There
are a limited number of buildings
to restore and the lack of land
to build means that prices are
100% sure to rise.
The
View - The views
of Casco Viejo are wonderful to
the eye. You can have an apartment
with Ocean views, a balcony overlooking
the streets below, etc. Imagine
have a rooftop BBQ with views
of the Americas Bridge, Ships
passing through the Canal and
the skyline of Panama. It is eye
candy at its sweetest.
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