La Perla is a historical shanty town astride the northern historic city wall of Old San Juan, Puerto Rico, stretching about 650 yards (600 m) along the rocky Atlantic coast immediately east of the Santa Maria Magdalena de Pazzis Cemetery and down the slope from (north of) Calle Norzagaray. La Perla was established in the 18th century. Initially, the area was the site of a slaughterhouse because the law required the homes of former slaves and homeless non-white servants – as well as cemeteries – to be established away from the main community center; in this case, outside the city walls. Sometime after, some of the farmers and workers started living around the slaughterhouse and shortly established their houses there. History, location and description Located inside the Old San Juan Historic District, (The Pearl) was originally the site of a slaughterhouse, called . It was built in the 18th century outside the walls of San Juan by slaves who were required to live outside the city. Slaves built homes and lived near the slaughterhouse and later , (Puerto Rican farmers) who moved to San Juan, lived there. La Perla belongs to and consists of the northernmost stretches of Mercado subbarrio (west) and San Cristóbal subbarrio in San Juan Antiguo barrio. San Juan Antiguo barrio is located on Isleta de San Juan, an island off San Juan, the capital of Puerto Rico, and it is connected to the mainland by bridges and causeways. La Perla is in the Old San Juan Historic District which is managed by US National Park Service. La Perla has sometimes been described as a slum and as a shantytown, because many homes have been built without proper permits. While tourists have normally been deterred from visiting La Perla, some entrepreneurs have tried to change its image with art galleries, cafés and restaurants. , a local community group has coordinated tours. Only four access points exist into La Perla: one through the Santa María Magdalena de Pazzis Cemetery, and the others from Calle Norzagaray, named after Spanish soldier and colonial governor, Fernándo Norzagaray y Escudero. Calle Tiburcio Reyes (western border, along the outside of the old city wall) Calle San Miguel (mostly in the western part, along the north) Calle Bajada Matadero (mostly in the western part, along the south) Calle Lucila Silva (mostly in the western part, east-west through the middle, too narrow for cars) Calle