Which tropical city should I move to?

[initiald]

Originally Posted by 10023

^ Yes. I don't know how anyone could even think about moving to Venezuela for the foreseeable future.



But how can anyone enjoy humidity?

There is absolutely nothing worse than having your clothes stick to you. I was in Tulum for a few days recently (that was the trade in exchange for my foodie pilgrimage to Oaxaca), and I took 3-4 showers each day. So uncomfortable.

I guess I'm just used to it. You just make sure you have dry clothes. If you are going out to get in your car and the car isn't cooled off you just leave your shirt off until you get there. Plus it's super easy - throw on a pair of shorts, a shirt, and sandals and you're out of the house in 15 seconds vs a cold climate where I imagine it takes and hour to get bundled up.

Honestly I ask the same questions about people that live in places like Boston or Chicago - how do they deal with that cold? because below 50 and I just can't stand to be outside.

Plus you have to put on SOOOO much clothes and it take forever. I don't even own an actual coat. When I get cold I have a hard time warming up, but when I'm hot, a few seconds of AC and I'm already better.

[Steely Dan]

Originally Posted by initiald

Honestly I ask the same questions about people that live in places like Boston or Chicago - how do they deal with that cold?

because everything is relative.

you call 50 cold, but to me that's the perfect outdoor temperature because i can do shit without sweating like a mo-fo.

"chilly" starts in the 30s/20s, and "cold" doesn't start until the teens or single digits (depending on what the wind is doing).




as for humidity, it is the most awful thing in our universe. it's even worse than creed (hard to believe, but true).

i've long fantasized about killing god just for creating the whole notion of humidity in the first place. what was that asshole thinking?

[mrnyc]

Originally Posted by Crawford

I always hear really negative things about Singapore. Obviously it's safe, prosperous, etc. but boring as sin. At least the young people I know always wanted to get the hell out and go to Tokyo, Hong Kong, or really anywhere else in Asia.

well, if you find cool architecture, a clean city, multi-ethnic mix, the tropics, major league clubbing, rampant open prostitution and gambling boring, then yeah.

otoh, for drugs they give you a speedy trial and you hang by the neck on the next friday. then there is the caning of course and that extends to beating people at work and kids at home and in school. i suppose you can gamble with that stuff too if you want to.

so singapore is not by any means boring. most people just go there briefly for work or layover for a day or so on their way to elsewhere on their sea travels, so i'm not sure they really know it very well.

[10023]

^ I was in Singapore for a week for work, but had a weekend, and there wasn't that much to do. The food, however, is phenomenal.

Originally Posted by initiald

I guess I'm just used to it. You just make sure you have dry clothes. If you are going out to get in your car and the car isn't cooled off you just leave your shirt off until you get there. Plus it's super easy - throw on a pair of shorts, a shirt, and sandals and you're out of the house in 15 seconds vs a cold climate where I imagine it takes and hour to get bundled up.

Honestly I ask the same questions about people that live in places like Boston or Chicago - how do they deal with that cold? because below 50 and I just can't stand to be outside.

Plus you have to put on SOOOO much clothes and it take forever. I don't even own an actual coat. When I get cold I have a hard time warming up, but when I'm hot, a few seconds of AC and I'm already better.

Sandals are for the beach. Only. T-shirts are barely acceptable to wear in town. I wear a suit to the office most days, and humidity is unbearable. And I don't consider running out of the house shirtless until the AC kicks in to be a viable solution. Also, what if you're walking and not driving?

As for cold, you buy a warm wool coat. You can always add layers to get warmer, you cannot strip naked in the heat. Hell, if it's above 90 then it's too hot even if you are naked. And you can go inside and warm up, but you can't rinse the sweat off when you come inside without taking a shower.

Here in London the annual temperature range is about 45-80 degrees Fahrenheit. Maybe a handful of days colder or hotter (but summers are never humid). That's about what I can handle.

[mello]

When I originally made this thread in Jan. 2013 I had come in to some money and thought things were going to take off and I'd be able to move internationally. Then it all came apart in the summer of that year so I am still in SD. I'm still looking at Medellin and possibly the North East Coast of Dominican Republic. Has anyone been to Las Terrenas in DR? I have heard that tons of Italians and French have flocked there at it's quite cosmopolitan for a small Caribbean beach town.

[Omaharocks]

^ IMO Medellin is a much better choice than anywhere in the DR, especially if you're looking for somewhere relatively cosmopolitan.

Culture in the DR is a fair bit more conservative, and there's considerably more racial tension then what you'd find in Colombia.

I haven't read through this thread, but why not somewhere that's more temperate-tropical, like Bogota?

[10023]

Medellin is by far the best place to live of any you've listed in this thread. Yes it's tropical, but the altitude makes the temperature tolerable.

I actually have a fairly good friend who has lived there for several years (as an expat), and has started a business (so he's well networked). If you want to know more particulars I can ask him.

[Pedestrian]

Port Au Prince

[Pavlov's Dog]

Originally Posted by mello

When I originally made this thread in Jan. 2013 I had come in to some money and thought things were going to take off and I'd be able to move internationally. Then it all came apart in the summer of that year so I am still in SD. I'm still looking at Medellin and possibly the North East Coast of Dominican Republic. Has anyone been to Las Terrenas in DR? I have heard that tons of Italians and French have flocked there at it's quite cosmopolitan for a small Caribbean beach town.

I know it's bordering on civil war right now if you wait until Venezuela totally collapses and you should be able to get some nice quality property for next to nothing. If they can start managing their country better you should see some nice appreciation and a great place to live. If not you really haven't lost much and should be able to rent it out.

Can any Venezuelans give us an idea of the current state of the real estate market and if there are indeed nice properties available for cheap? Are foreigners even allowed to buy property legally currently?

[10023]

Originally Posted by Pedestrian

Port Au Prince

[BTinLA]

Punto Fijo, Venezuela

[CaliNative]

Not sure if anybody mentioned Fortaleza, Brazil, but that is supposed to be nice with great beaches and pretty good climate. A Brazilian I used to work with she planned to retire there. Definitely a beach bum paradise, with a low cost of living, great food. City is large enough to have all the conveniences. Florianopolis down south is also nice.

[Xing]

Originally Posted by 10023

Poor people!

[initiald]

Originally Posted by Pavlov's Dog

I know it's bordering on civil war right now if you wait until Venezuela totally collapses and you should be able to get some nice quality property for next to nothing. If they can start managing their country better you should see some nice appreciation and a great place to live. If not you really haven't lost much and should be able to rent it out.

Can any Venezuelans give us an idea of the current state of the real estate market and if there are indeed nice properties available for cheap? Are foreigners even allowed to buy property legally currently?

Not sure if serious... or trolling?

At this point, I will be surprised if private ownership of land still exists after the next revolution.

[pablo95]

I think that among the most beautiful tropical cities to live in are the Colombian dependencies. There are very beautiful towns like Salento that is in Quindio, it is very quiet and with a pleasant climate. www.quehacerensalento.com

[kool maudit]

Istanbul is hardly tropical.

[CaliNative]

I used to have a Brazilian friend at work who insisted that Fortaleza was a very nice and affordable city to move to, and had a high reputation in Brazil.

[CaliNative]

Originally Posted by kool maudit

Istanbul is hardly tropical.

Istanbul climate is fairly moderate compared to more northern cities. It does sometimes snow, but usually melts quickly. Most winter days you don't freeze your keester off.

[Yuri]

Originally Posted by CaliNative

I used to have a Brazilian friend at work who insisted that Fortaleza was a very nice and affordable city to move to, and had a high reputation in Brazil.

Northeast Brazil average income is less than half of Southeast/South. They are considerably poorer than its peers southwards and much more violent.

It's a 3.7 million people metropolis, a state capital, and as such, of course has it has some nice upmarket neighbourhoods, good restaurants, etc., but even for a southern/southeastern Brazilian moving there, it would require lots of adaption, let alone from a person from W.Europe/US. Think of a person from Boston, New York or San Francisco moving to New Orleans, El Paso or Jackson.

For a developed country foreigner, thinking of big cities only, São Paulo, Curitiba, Porto Alegre and Belo Horizonte would be safer bets. Brasília is an autocentric nightmare and Rio de Janeiro has its management problems plus its laidback culture. Despite the beaches, I wouldn't recomment any big North/Northeast for living, only for tourism.

If we include the mid-sized cities, than Southern Brazil and Upstate São Paulo have plenty of 200k-1 million people cities with very good income, low violent rates and good infrastructure.

[iheartthed]

Originally Posted by yuriandrade

Northeast Brazil average income is less than half of Southeast/South. They are considerably poorer than its peers southwards and much more violent.

It's a 3.7 million people metropolis, a state capital, and as such, of course has it has some nice upmarket neighbourhoods, good restaurants, etc., but even for a southern/southeastern Brazilian moving there, it would require lots of adaption, let alone from a person from W.Europe/US. Think of a person from Boston, New York or San Francisco moving to New Orleans, El Paso or Jackson.

For a developed country foreigner, thinking of big cities only, São Paulo, Curitiba, Porto Alegre and Belo Horizonte would be safer bets. Brasília is an autocentric nightmare and Rio de Janeiro has its management problems plus its laidback culture. Despite the beaches, I wouldn't recomment any big North/Northeast for living, only for tourism.

If we include the mid-sized cities, than Southern Brazil and Upstate São Paulo have plenty of 200k-1 million people cities with very good income, low violent rates and good infrastructure.

A few years ago, my friend's job moved him and his wife from Detroit to Salvador, Bahia, for a 1.5 year rotation. When he told me they were going I wasn't sure they would like it, since the infrastructure in Salvador is much worse than Detroit. But they both loved it.

I personally like Salvador a lot too, and I would consider buying a vacation property there. I've never been to Fortaleza, but I heard that it has an even better climate than Salvador.