Panama: open city
By Juan Abelardo Carles
Photos: Javier Pinzón
Although it rests on the Pacific coast, the Panamanian capital is not very different from its Caribbean sisters, whose coastline barely separates it by eighty kilometers: it is bustling, frenetic and with a population whose tropical heat pushes them to live facing everything that happens in the streets and corners of their neighborhoods. For them, the months-long confinement was traumatic, to the point that they took to the streets with the impetus of the froth that rises from a freshly uncorked bottle of champagne, when the restrictions began to ease.
The city has been gradually reopening, with preventive measures, part of its commercial and cultural life. There are many challenges ahead and, of course, the latent possibility of backsliding if the COVID infestation rises; but what is certain is that Panama City is open, both for its citizens and for those visiting from abroad. Panorama de las Américas visits some of the spaces that, little by little, are coming to life and talks to the protagonists of the process.
Celebrating life outdoors
Science indicates that contagion is easier in closed environments than in open ones; that is why outdoor spaces had an advantage in this reopening. People flocked to parks such as Ancon, Omar and Metropolitano, and to seafronts such as the Cinta Costera, Amador and Costa del Este Boulevard. In the latter, on any given day, you can see people walking and then ending up in restaurants like those in Town Center Costa del Este, particularly those surrounding its central square.
It is a large open-air plaza and a gallery of open terraces above it, which has become a magnet for locals and foreigners alike, who seek a moment of solace for the simple, but now precious, luxury of seeing and hearing people and life. The immense space allows the groups to be well separated and many go with their children at dusk, waiting for the Pancho Motta Fountain to be activated, to see the spectacle of water and light. There is live music on weekends.
Town Center
“In truth, the structure of the property has accompanied us in this reopening process: we have a lot of height and space; in addition, people feel very comfortable in the rotunda and come to enjoy with their families,” explains Michelle Endara, commercial manager of Town Center CDE www.towncenter.com.pa. This place has become a place where, rather than looking for a purchase, a need is supplied, “with pharmacies, department stores, gym, organic markets and even a prestigious hospital coming soon; but beyond that, it is a place where, for moments, you go back to a time when there was no pandemic.
Town Center
Culture will help us to heal
Each space conceives new ideas to attract a clientele that is just beginning to take to the streets on a regular basis, after months of restrictions. Atrio Mall(www.atriomall.com), for example, maintains an active agenda of cultural events, including art exhibits, craft markets and pet fairs, among others, all with the proper biosecurity measures. Although these activities were already common before the pandemic, they have taken on new meaning, as Carla Ferro, its general manager, explains. “The customer already understood that to supply a specific consumer need, he can do it online, so he comes to the mall to look for a shopping experience, in a more humanized environment and with many ways to find what he needs.”
Atrio
Atrio has sought to stay current and in touch with the people: they were among the first shopping centers to sign a recycling agreement (with the Costa Recicla organization) and participate in the Botellas de Amor project (which makes urban furniture from recycled plastic). “Our client is a conscious individual, who comes not only to buy, but to be part of a community; they come in small family bubbles. Sometimes, in the children’s activities, some adults participate, because they feel the need to do things outside the home,” says Ferro. The second half of 2021 will be significant for Atrio Mall, as an educational entity will be installed on its premises, which will change the equation in the customer experience, through education, culture and art.
Atrio
Vaccination tourism possibilities
Although trade in Panama, in general, is focused on encouraging the timid resurgence of domestic demand, the possibility of a serious rebound in contagion indicators still weighs. The outlook could become clearer starting this month, as well as in August and September, with the arrival of nearly five million vaccines in the country, which would improve the already promising Panamanian indicators: it is the fourth country in the continent with the highest percentage of immunized population.
For Nadkyi Duque, president of the National Association of Shopping Centers of Panama, the priorities are clear: “We want to boost shopping tourism; but, due to the situations that neighboring countries are experiencing with new waves of contagion, we must be cautious and focus on speeding up the internal vaccination processes, so that our entire population is immunized, before implementing strategies to turn Panama into a vaccination destination”.
In this regard, the country’s shopping malls are prepared. “We have all the biosecurity protocols in place for users and workers, which has restored the confidence of our customers so that we can once again be that meeting point, entertainment and experience for their shopping experience. We believe that Panama has the strengths that will allow us to recover quickly from this crisis and once again become the favorite shopping destination not only for Panamanian families, but also for millions of tourists who visit us every year”.
The public is coming back
In addition to conventional commerce, other industries have begun to shake off the dust and fear to revive themselves and, of all of them, cultural industries are the most anticipated. Isabel Burgos manages, along with other partners, the La Estación Theater (www.teatrolaestacion.net) and, like almost all activities involving large crowds, had to close for months. Last March they opened, under different and very challenging circumstances. “It was a bit bumpy at the beginning, as expected, because the public was cautious not only for being in a closed place, but also because of the schedules, since we had a curfew.”
La Estación Theater
The theatrical proposal had to be modified. “We did intimate theater productions, with only twelve spectators on stage and a variety of monologues and two-actor productions. This warmed up the room and made the public see that the site was safe and we complied with all the measures required by the health authorities.” At first it was difficult, but Isabel notes that little by little, night after night, people are daring. “The public is returning, cautiously, but with a lot of joy and relief to be able to attend the rite of theater, which is a matter of being there in person, with other people, watching and living together in a story that they tell you live.”
New beginnings
The long confinement has helped many to rethink what they have, where they are and where they want to go. The Interoceanic Canal Museum (www.museodelcanal.com) is an example: its new director, Ana Elizabeth González, took office at the height of the confinement, with the mandate to carry out a total renovation of the entity, starting with the website and ending with the exhibition halls, through a refocusing of how they interact with their visitors.
Museo del Canal Interoceánico (Interoceanic Canal Museum)
“We inaugurated the first phase last May 26, while the second phase will start in August; but the biggest and most crucial part of the process will start at the end of the year and run until mid-2022. The halls need a complete renovation; there are some exhibits that have not changed in twenty years. We are redoing the script and museography, and contemplating new pieces in rooms. There used to be more text than pieces, and we want to focus more on the objects than on the text that accompanies them,” explains González.
Apparently, and even with the limitations that the pandemic continues to impose on us, the Interoceanic Canal Museum seems to have succeeded, since the museum has received more than 5,000 visitors since its reopening on March 26. “What pleases us the most is that most of the visitors are Panamanian adults, when in the past they were more tourists and school groups. This suggests to us that Panamanians’ interest in their culture is growing,” he concludes.
On Thursdays and Fridays, the Museum closes at 8 p.m., so your visit can be followed by an evening out in one of the many open bars in Panama’s Casco Viejo. The most popular seem to be the outdoor terraces, from where you can contemplate, with a good drink and even better company, the skyline of a city that wants to recover, little by little, the joy of living.
Atrio Costa del Este
Atrio Costa del Este is the first shopping mall in the exclusive area of Costa del Este. You will find boutiques, renowned international brands and restaurants of high trajectory, in a family atmosphere of experiences and entertainment. It has all the biosecurity measures, 500 indoor parking spaces and personalized attention.
An excellent option for passengers in transit at Tocumen International Airport, from which it is a fifteen minute drive. Open from Monday to Sunday from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., food court from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and restaurants from 12:00 m. to 9:00 p.m.
WhatsApp: +507 6065 3497
Facebook: Atrio Mall
Instagram: atriomall.cde
Town Center Costa del Este
Come to Panama’s social center par excellence. Town Center Costa del Este is much more than shopping: it is the most complete experience place in the country. Stores, restaurants, entertainment centers, gym, offices and medical offices with direct connection to the new hospital Pacifica Salud-Hospital Costa del Este are within reach.
Town Center CDE is pet-friendly and has a central outdoor plaza, bicycle parking, free wifi, eco-stations for electric vehicle charging and more than 3,000 parking spaces.
Instagram: @towncenter_cde
