My mom always used to tell me about Paseo de Diego, urging me to go there in between classes at the University of Puerto Rico, which was just a few blocks away. Hubs like the famous Paseo de Diego, a walkable, bustling street in San Juan that used to house Puerto Rican-owned stores, theaters, restaurants, and bars in the late 20th century were impacted, too. When the financial crisis deepened in Puerto Rico in the late aughts, the archipelago’s retail hubs dwindled, a reality that only worsened as the government filed for bankruptcy and natural disasters like Hurricane María and the 2020 earthquakes propelled millions to leave. Over the years, as mall culture spread in Puerto Rico, local stores like Kress, González Padín, and Infinito slowly lost the battle against U.S.