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A New York Times photographer recently returned to Panama City to create a photo essay of Avenida Central, a busy street in her old neighborhood. The result is a colorful and a beautiful look at the side of the city many don’t take the time to see.

The photographer, Rose Marie Cromwell, moved to Panama City in 2006 and lived in the city for a few years and she still returns regularly, according to the article accompanying the photos. Cromwell used to shop on the street and wanted to chronicle what she saw as the changes in the city.

Her photos, under the headline, “One ‘Last Look’ at a Changing Street in Panama City,” capture the diverse activity on the street, from old women shopping for their groceries to young men getting special haircuts.

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“I kind of saw it as this last look at this street that may not be the same as it’s been for a while,” she said in the article.

Her photos are a reminder that a visit to Panama City is still an authentic experience. The capital is a modern, vibrant international center, with skyscrapers and banks and fancy hotels. But it is still a real city, with its own history, culture and diversity

“For years, Avenida Central has been a place for the average resident to run errands,” the writer says. Observing the place and people, “you really get an idea of the diversity of cultures in Panama,” Cromwell said. “But I don’t know if you’d see it in most guidebooks.”

Cromwell’s photo essay can be found here.