It may seem that in the past years Loiza Street in Santurce has slowly morphed from a road lined with all sorts of retail establishments into a culinary thoroughfare, featuring trendy restaurants, pubs, and coffee shops for all tastes and styles. And while locals and tourists alike may enjoy a bite and a drink, and then go back to suburbia, their hotels or bed-and-breakfast, they overlook the fact that Loiza Street is the heart and home of a vibrant community that has existed for more than a century.
“Like we like to say: aquí vive gente, people live here,” said Mariana Reyes, the director of Taller Comunidad La Goyco, a truly unique project that has transformed the former Dr. Pedro Geronimo Goyco Elementary School into a thriving locale where programs, initiatives and activities keep the cultural and historic character and richness of the community alive, as well as offer resources that address the quality of life and well-being of its residents.
“One of our goals is helping the community thrive, defending the right of a livable city, becoming not only a cultural anchor but a place where the community can come together to tend the challenges it faces.”
The structure of Taller Comunidad La Goyco itself is a testament to the history of the community, having served as an elementary school for generations of children from 1923 to 2015, when it was closed, and the property then passed from the central government to the San Juan municipal government. It was around 2018 when the community began vying for La Goyco to become a cultural and social center since there were already successful cultural, social, and educational initiatives in the neighborhood.
“Residents would offer services to members of the community in different spaces even in their own homes,” said Reyes, who has called the neighborhood home for more than 20 years. “Workshops, classes, orientations were happening, and we saw an opportunity at La Goyco to bring everything together as well as retain a space that was emblematic of the community itself,” said Mariana Reyes, director of Taller Comunidad La Goyco.
While Taller Comunidad Goyco, Inc. was formally incorporated in 2020, the community had already begun revamping the property, that consisted of three buildings with a total of 24,000 square feet. They had to deal with termites to refurbishing former classroom spaces for their new endeavor.
“It was a very inclusive process. We believe that everything has something to offer and could add value,” said Reyes, whose late husband Tito Matos, a renowned master of plena music; was one of the most ardent supporters of La Goyco and held plena and bomba music workshops and classes at the former school seeing an opportunity to keep it alive as well as these musical traditions.
While La Goyco has hosted cultural events that range from exhibitions and concerts by artists, both well-known as well as emerging and cutting-edge talent, the role it plays as a purveyor of services that tend the well-being of the community cannot be understated.
“We view health as an integral part of the community, which is why we provide resources that range from a psychologist to a yoga instructor who volunteer their service as well as health-related clinics and activities,” said Reyes, adding that something as simple as workshops on how to use a mobile phone or computer can be empowering to senior members. “We serve as a place to meet, talk and resolve challenges.”
One of these challenges is the proliferation of short and mid-term vacation rentals in the neighborhood.
“La Goyco can be a unique and enriching experience for visitors, who can immerse themselves in the social and cultural life of the community. We believe more visitors are looking for this type of involvement,” Reyes concluded.
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