Best City in Colombia to Live?

[Hector_Lavoe]

So this site is nearly dead....but this is a serious inquiry for the Ex-Pats and other long-time visitors to Colombia who post (or used to post) on this site.

I am thinking here mostly of the larger cities in Colombia...in no particular order:
-Cali
-Medellin
-Bogota
-Cartagena
-Bucaramanga
-Pereira
-Barranquilla

Which city is your favorite and why? Or what have you found to be the pros and cons of the city (or cities) you have lived in or visited frequently?

[fathertime]

So this site is nearly dead....but this is a serious inquiry for the Ex-Pats and other long-time visitors to Colombia who post (or used to post) on this site.

I am thinking here mostly of the larger cities in Colombia...in no particular order:
-Cali
-Medellin
-Bogota
-Cartagena
-Bucaramanga
-Pereira
-Barranquilla

Which city is your favorite and why? Or what have you found to be the pros and cons of the city (or cities) you have lived in or visited frequently?

Hola!   I couldn't access the site for months and months, it said I was banned but it looks like Dan the man fixed it, thanks old boy!


Hey Hector, you aren't dead yet?    


I have become less tolerant of heat of the past 10 years so I might be more inclined to live in a city like Medellin.   That said, I already have a residence I bought in Barranquilla so I might experiment with that just to see if relaxing in a very warm environment is agreeable with me.  Working in it like I do now would be more than I'd like to bear I think. 


How are all the babes treating you?


Fathertime! 

[Dan Las Vegas]

Hector,


The best climate for me is Medellin, but I am learning towards living in a smaller place such as Villa de Leyva. But I will decide this coming year for sure and start looking for a place as retirement is getting very close for me.

[Hector_Lavoe]

Thanks for the input guys.


Had no idea FT already had a place down in BQ.


As a fan of colonial architecture: Villa de Leyva looks awesome. Though on the small side (population) for my tastes.

[Hector_Lavoe]

Delete: double post

[John W]

I had a similar experience as Father Time with being banned, although I could access the site at home, but not from my office.  From my office I would get the message that said I had been banned and it was not set to expire. 


I have spent the most time in Cartagena since that is where my wife is from.  Very hot and humid during summer months.  Many of the nicer neighborhoods are very touristy.  Per my wife who just returned from a solo visit to see family, there is a huge problem throughout the city with poor and desperate Venezuelans committing crime.  During my wife's visit one of her nephews was robbed of his bike and cell phone by a Venezuelan.  Shortly before she left for the trip another nephew's girlfriend and their 2 year old daughter were drugged by a taxi driver, rendered unconscious, and dumped on a side street in an industrial area.  The two year old was hospitalized and they thought she might have brain damage, but thank God she is ok.  Per my wife's family, crime is way up, including kidnappings for profit.  About two years ago my mother-in-law witnessed a kidnapping in her neighborhood.  She only lives in an estrato three barrio, so I was a bit surprised.  My wife and I are both concerned about visiting with our two children given the increase in crime and kidnappings.  Everybody knows everybody else's business in Colombia.  Everybody in my wife's old neighborhood knows she is married to an American, so we worry the wrong person might find out and try to kidnap our children. 


I have been to Medellin twice, and really like the city.  I could see myself living there.  I also spent a day in Coffee Country, and really liked the area in general, but did not spend any time in any of the cities there.  I would like to check out Pereira, Manizales, and Armenia. I think some of the smaller towns in that area have a lot of appeal.  I have spent about two weeks in Cali, but spent all my time there going out with women.  I did like what I saw of the city, but not sure I would want to live there.  I spent about three days in Bogota (stayed in Chico) with my wife just before she came up here, and we had a blast.  I really liked Bogota.  My wife lived there for a few years and says it is too cold for her.


If I were looking to move there after retirement (which is a long way off given that we have a two and four year old), I would check out Coffee Country, Medellin, and Bucaramanga.  Everything changes when you have kids though.  Although I was always careful, I never gave a second thought to traveling within Colombia, and had a great time on all my trips.  Now that we have two small kids, I am worried about going there with the family.  During my wife's first five years or so here, she used to ask about us possibly moving to Colombia.  She missed it and her family.  She told me when she came back from her recent visit that she misses her family a lot, but she has no desire to move back there given what she sees as the huge crime problem there now. 

[John W]

Fathertime- tell us about your your residence in Barranquilla.  How much was it, where did you buy it, are you renting it out, how do you handle everything from afar (wife's family?)  My wife wanted us to buy rental property in Cartagena and have her family manage/oversee it.  No way I would do that.  I doubt I'd ever see a dime of any rent paid. 

[fathertime]

Fathertime- tell us about your your residence in Barranquilla.  How much was it, where did you buy it, are you renting it out, how do you handle everything from afar (wife's family?)  My wife wanted us to buy rental property in Cartagena and have her family manage/oversee it.  No way I would do that.  I doubt I'd ever see a dime of any rent paid.

Hola old boy!   I think I bought it under 2 years ago now.  New construction in a high rise near buena vista. It appears to be very nice. I say appears because I've never set foot in it.  To be earnest I'd have to look up the price but I'm guessing 70k or something like that, actually might have been less. It was an all cash purchase. 


It is for my son.  Currently occupied by my wife's family.  I never intended for it to produce any direct financial benefit for me.   I'm happy/satisfied wife/boy will always have a place to go that is already paid for. 


If I recall right both you and hector are also in Southern California, we all probably live within 20 miles of each other.  Real estate is so stupidly high here, it is always tempting to cash out, and live like a king abroad, but I think I'd be board, as my life's blood is business, and I don't know that I would be up to doing that in Colombia.  I've still got work to do Southern Ca., yet when the time is right I may make the leap at least some of the year.   Meanwhile I'm considering letting my wife find another place in Barranquilla to park some dollars.  It would have to be upscale, as the dollar continues to be rather strong, and I wouldn't want the hassle of idiot/loser people in a place I own. I'd rather leave it empty than have a jackass in it.   Maybe let the wife collect whatever rent she could get from a trusted upstanding family member or something, at a below market rate, just to keep it occupied.     


Insofar as your wife wanting a place in Cartagena, I'd say, Why not, if the money is available.  If it is crucial money needed for expenses here then maybe not.   


Fathertime! 

[Elexpatriado]

I have lived in Cali, Medellin , Envigado, Bucaramanga and Manizales.

I actual came back to Manizales a second time  to livevso yall know where my feelings lie.

[robert angel]

Pereira, Colombia sounds, looks pretty good to me, but lack of Spanish speaking ability would probably frustrate me too much to make me happy. But it looks and sounds nice. Then again, the feeling I get is that Cartegena or Barranquilla's women might have personalities more my style, if I was ooking for change. Looks like our next international vacay is to Dubai, then to Armenia for snow and some R&R. I never thought I'd be going to Armenia!? But originally it was Dubai, then Maldives or Seychelle Islands, but they want to see snow more. Armenia is a real bargain, with good food and friendly people. My sister in law works in the Dubai as an RN for the royal family's hospital and likes Armenia because it's not too far away, yet it's very different in climate, terrain and people.

[Cali-vet]

Hector Villa de Leyva is very attractive but is very small and heavily visited by tourists both Colombian and foreign. I don't think it would be a good choice unless you were an old married man. Curious fact: it was the home of Elvis Presly's drummer.

[Hector_Lavoe]

Hector Villa de Leyva is very attractive but is very small and heavily visited by tourists both Colombian and foreign. I don't think it would be a good choice unless you were an old married man. Curious fact: it was the home of Elvis Presly's drummer.

Yes, too small for my tastes and the climate is on the cool side for me too.

Had no idea Bill Lynn was born in Colombia. From what I read he moved back to Colombia for retirement before he passed away.   

[Cali-vet]

Yes I think he opened a bar or restaurant there.

[cajunito]

The spouse spent most of her life in Bogota, and that's where her daughters live, but neither of us wants to live there. Next year we'll be retiring to Colombia and it'll probably be Fusagasuga or Ricarte, low cost of living and nice climate.

[Cali-vet]

While Hector is interested in one of the larger cities Dan Las Vegas should check out San José del Guaviare. I was there briefly a couple of years ago and if I weren't't anchored where I am I would consider moving there. It's a small city with an El Centro full of restaurants that are very active in the evening. Lots of pretty girls about. No one ever mentioned an issue with crime while I was there. Nice small airport and "taxi" service to Bogotá in seven hours or so. Nearby is the nacional park Serranía La Lindosa with the twelve thousand year old cliff paintings. Lots and lots to explore.