The Municipality of San José along with Mayor Johnny Araya plan to create a “Zona Rosa” (pink zone) along San José’s Paseo Colón. In Latin America, a “Zona Rosa” is described as a traditional neighborhood with shopping and nightlife. However, the term Zona Rosa was originally taken from a trendy neighborhood in Mexico City widely known for its upscale boutiques, bars, outdoor restaurants, excellent nightlife, entertainment and more. While I was a student in Mexico during my youth I visited this area many times.

Be careful not to confuse the term “Zona Rosa” with “Zona Roja.” The latter is the traditional red light district found in most Latin America cities.

Within a year Paseo Colón should be dotted with restaurants, cafeterias (coffee houses) and shops with outdoor seating to allow people to enjoy an open-air European atmosphere atmosphere amid dozens of newly planted trees and new sidewalks and pathways. The idea is turn this western entrance of San José into a tourist corridor for foreigners and to attract more Costa Ricans back to the city. The Municipality undertook an ambitious plan a couple of years ago to revamp the city by creating more pedestrian streets, repave some of the major existing thoroughfares, install underground wiring to eliminate unsightly telephone poles, create a China Town, to encourage people to move back to the city’s core by permitting the construction new high-rise condominiums and reducing crime. So far they have been right on target and the city’s ambience has been improving constantly.

The mayor also said that in additional parking will be permitted after 8 p.m. along Paseo Colón just as on Central Avenue, another main street located in the downtown area.

In previous articles I have written about the types of entertainment that are available in Costa Rica to keep retirees and Baby Boomers busy and happy. There are virtually hundreds of outdoor activities from which to choose since Costa Rica is considered a nature lover’s paradise.

Furthermore, Indoor activities also abound and are important during the rainy season. When the weather is bad, television can be a good source of entertainment. Currently retirees have several choices for viewing their favorite programs or movies from home. They can choose from Sky (formerly Direct TV in Latin America), Dish Network and regular cable providers like Amnet and Cable Tico to name a few.

An exciting new option will be the arrival Netflix in the not-too-distant future. Expanding its reach from two countries to the entire Western Hemisphere, Netflix Inc. plans to launch its successful online film and television subscription service across Latin America in a bid to maintain its sky-high subscriber growth. Netflix users in Latin America will have access only to Netflix’s online streaming service.

The company said its service in Latin America would be available in English, Spanish and Portuguese and include a mix of American and local films and television shows. It has yet to announce a price for the region, though analysts said they expected it would be similar to the $8-a-month fee it charges in the U.S. for online streaming. Netflix did not say how much content would be available in Latin America. It currently has more than 12,000 titles in the U.S. and more than 1,250 in Canada.

In case you don’t know, with 23 million members in the United States and Canada, Netflix, Inc. is the world’s leading Internet subscription service for enjoying movies and TV shows. Members can instantly watch unlimited movies and TV episodes streamed over the Internet to PCs, Macs and TVs. Among the large and expanding base of devices streaming from Netflix are Microsoft’s Xbox 360, Nintendo’s Wii and Sony’s PS3 consoles; an array of Blu-ray disc players, Internet-connected TVs, home theater systems, digital video recorders and Internet video players; Apple’s iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, as well as Apple TV and Google TV. In all, more than 200 devices that stream from Netflix are available in the U.S. and a growing number are available in Canada.

Baby Boomer Retirees and others over 65 years of age who consume olive oil (aceite de oliva) run a smaller risk of suffering a stroke or another harmful cerebral event. French researchers from the National Institute of Health and Research who studied 7,625 subjects for five years reached this conclusion. The group of people studied were from the areas of Burdeos, Dijon and Montpellier. Those who consumed olive oil had a 41 percent less risk of suffering a cerebral incident. One of the scientists who conducted the study stated that, “These types of attacks are more prevalent in people over 65 years of age. Olive oil is an inexpensive method of preventing this problem.” The results of this study were published in the U.S. Magazine, Neurology.

Baby Boomers who retire in Costa Rica can find a good selection of imported brands of olive oil in almost any supermarket. The Automercado supermarket chain has an especially good variety of different olive oils. They sell both regular and extra virgen varieties of olive oil. The latter is supposed to be the most healthy. It is dark green in color where as regular olive oil is yellowish.

Here are more benefits of olive oil not just for retirees over 65 but for people of all ages:

1. Alzheimers – this disease is associated with the clogging of arteries caused by cholesterol and saturated fat. Replacing other fats with olive oil will reduce the risk.

2. Flavor – It just tastes good. I guess I would have to say it is an acquired taste and some people just don’t like the bitter characteristic of some oils.

3. It’s Natural! – the best of olive oil benefits. Extra virgin olive oil is nothing but fruit juice extracted mechanically from olive fruit.

4. Blood Pressure – Studies now indicate that extra virgin olive oil may help to lower blood pressure. Patients were able to reduce or eliminate the need for medications when olive oil was consumed on a regular basis.

5. Nutritional Value – vitamins E, K, and A as well as polyphenols, squalene, oleocanthol, triterpenes and hundreds more micronutrients make olive oil a healthy choice.

6. Heart Health and Cholesterol – extra virgin olive oil is high in polyphenols (a powerful antioxidant) and monounsaturated fat which contributes to lowering bad cholesterol.

7. Oleic Acid – oleic acid (omega 9) makes up 55 – 85 percent of the fatty acids in olive oil.

8. Hydrogenated Oils – olive oil is not hydrogenated oil. Hydrogenation creates dangerous trans-fats found in margarine and many other packaged foods.

9. Cancer – researchers at the University of Oxford believe that olive oil may be just as effective in the prevention of colon cancer as fresh fruits and veggies. A diet rich in olive oil has been shown to reduce the incidence of colon, breast and skin cancers.

10. Gallstones – Olive oil promotes the secretion of bile and pancreatic hormones naturally and lowers the incidence of gallstones.

11. There are more olive oil benefits. It’s great for skin and hair care , used in natural remedies, and is a more versatile cooking oil than you may think.

Yesterday I went to San José with my son to view game six of the NBA Championship between the Dallas Mavericks and The Miami Heat. Costa Rica’s national soccer team or the “Sele,” as it is affectionately referred to here, had an important game scheduled against archrival Mexico at the same time as the basketball game.

We chose Chubbs Sports Bar so that we could watch both games simultaneously. Chubbs has at nine flat screen TVs so that its clients may watch a variety of sports at the same time. Every Sunday during the regular NFL season a different game is shown on each television enabling the bar’s patrons to watch their favorite team play. Besides the usual wide variety alcoholic beverages, their menu offers some good choices.

You can find out more about this bar including a map to show you how to get there at: http://chubbsbar.com

My son and I arrived about an hour before the games were going to start because we knew the place would be jam-packed at game time and we wanted to make sure we got good seats. We were lucky and found a place at the bar where we could watch both games at the same time.

Unfortunately, Costa Rica’s National Team got their collective butts kicked. The Mavericks did not share the same fate. Before the NBA Finals they were considered big underdogs to the star-laden Miami Heat in a best of seven final series. Prior to last night’s game the Mavericks had a three game to two game advantage over the Heat and needed only one more victory to win their first NBC Championship. Miami had their backs against the and wall with a ton of pressure on them to win the game, but Dallas prevailed and won the championship game by ten points 105 to 95.

Retirees will be happy to know that Chubbs is not the only place where you can view your favorite team in Costa Rica. There are other sports bars in the Central Valley and a couple at the beach. Even if you don’t live near a sports bar you can always purchase a Sky (like DirectTV), Dish Network or regular Cable TV package. Sky is the best option for watching the NFL since it offers a package that includes all of the regular season games. Dish Network will be your choice if you want an NBA package. I am a TV nut and have Sky, Dish Network and Regular cable TV. I think good entertainment is important and want to have the broadest selection of programs available. Don’t get me wrong! I don’t spend my whole life in front of a TV but enjoy having the option of watching almost anything I want.

If you decide to live or retire in Costa Rica there many entertainment choices to stay busy and happy. Television is just just one of them.

Movie theaters all over the San José area and in most large cities. Most of these theaters show first-run movies usually within a month or sooner after they are first released in the United States. Costa Ricans are cinéfilos or movie lovers. About 60 percent of all ticos go to the movies regularly. Today there are 80 theaters with 78 belonging to three major chains.

The first of Costa Rica’s multiple screen movie complexes was built in the San Pedro Mall over 15 years ago. The opening of this theater complex started a new trend of multiple movie screens located in shopping malls. The idea was to use the movie theaters to draw large numbers of people to the malls just like they do I the US.

You should not worry about understanding these movies since they are all in English with Spanish subtitles, except movies for children, which are in Spanish because very young children cannot read. You can search the local newspapers to see what movies are currently playing. Also, look in The Tico Times or any of the Spanish-language newspapers such as La Nación. Information about movies may also be accessed at www.whereincostarica.com/cinema or www.entretenimiento.co.cr (in Spanish). Admission usually costs about $4 depending on the theater. Retirees on a budget will like these low everyday prices. Indeed when compared to most places in the U.S. movies are a bargain here.

Magaly, or CCM, is the country’s biggest chain with 42 screening rooms located all over the country. Tickets may be bought by telephone with a credit card enabling you to make a reservation well in advance. Recently, CCM Cinemas announced that it plans to spend $4million remodeling their theaters at the San Pedro Mall, Real Cariari Mall, and Mall International in Alajuela. New screens, arm chairs, ticket booths and refreshment stands will be installed. The company also said that new 3-D technology will be installed at its theaters in San Ramón and San Carlos. Additional plans call for the construction of a theater complex at the new Plaza Lincoln Mall in Moravia north east of San José. Three of the theaters will have 3-D screens and the rest will have the lates digital technology. One bit of sad news from the chain is the closure of its original movie theater in Barrio California. A spokesman for the chain said that a combination of inadequate parking facilities, outmoded technology and the growing trend towards movie complexes in malls caused the old theaters demise.

Cinemark is a U.S. movie theater chain with an eight screen theater complex at the Multiplaza mall in Escazú. This theater boasts a top-quality digital sound system and tiered seating. It is one of the best places to see a movie in the country, and serves snacks and candies from the United States, hot buttered popcorn with real butter and free soft drink refills if you purchase a large size popcorn/soft drink package.

Cinépolis at the Terramall, on the highway to Cartago also has a state- of-the-art theater. It has 15 movie screens, three of which have VIP rooms with luxurious seats and George Lucas’ THX technology. Cinépolis plans to introduce 4-D technology to Costa Rica very soon. This innovative approach to movie theaters includes machines which produce fog, bubbles, different odors and sprinklers that enhance the settings of movies. Wow!

Avenida Escazú boasts the country’s first IMAX 3-D movie theater. It is the sixth IMAX in Latin America but the first in Costa Rica. México has two, Guatemala has one and Colombia has two.

The Sala Garbo, in San José, and Arte Cine in La Lindora shows alternative and independent films with Spanish subtitles. Finally, if you don’t like to go to movie theaters you can always rent your favorite DVD at your neighborhood video shop.