www.CostaRicaTicas.com

I come down to SJ, 6-7 times a year, for the past few years. I'm in my late 40s and plan to retire when I hit 50. Housing prices in my home city is very high. A basic 1 bedroom apartment, in an ok neighbourhood, will cost over a $1000/month. It's one of the reasons I want to retire in Costa Rica, but not the only one. The others are obvious...weather, pros and non-pro Ticas.

My question for the retirees and others is "where would you live in the SJ area and why"

Just like in the States, it's all about the money.

Different barrios = different money..........and for all of the same reasons as in the States.

Very true, but my OP is "where would you live in the SJ area and why?" Value for your money, close to amenities, nice neighbourhood, etc..

Thanks for your response.

Those of us that live here, live in certain areas based on what is important to us. Is the premise of your question to gain information for yourself to use to find a place to live? If so, tell us what is important to YOU and maybe you will get more specific answers.

The premise of my question is to gain info on why you live/would live in that certain neighbourhood...nice area, reasonable rent, close to amenities. This would give me a snapshot of the neighbourhood.

What's important to me? That's a hard question for me to answer. I'm not very picky. I live a very simple lifestyle. I walk, take public transit, and sometimes taxis from point A to B. One thing I know is that I don't want to live in an ex-pat enclave(nothing wrong with it).

i don't live in SJ but keep an apartment there. its in barrio Don Bosco that Don Carlos mentioned.
its pretty reasonable at 450 a month w security gates and i have rarely seen any of my neighbors.
lots of places to eat in walking distance. about 15 minutes typically by taxi to the downtown area. i've walked it in 30 minutes or so.
my place has 20 units or so but there are several new high rise apartments there. they go in the 1000 plus range and are really nice. gyms and pools etc.
i would be comfortable living in the area because its pretty darn quiet, might have something to do w that cemetery across the street.
if iwas buying a house i would probably look at rohmorser? i think thats how its spelled. kind of like escazu without the higher price tag imo.
city born and raised so i like visiting the rural parts but need to be close to action.

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im way deep into nothing special
riding the crest of a wave breaking just west of hollywood

Thanks LAdiablo for your response. Very informative. $450/month, is that typical for that neighbourhood? Rohmorser, is that area NW of La Sabana?

In San Jose alot changes in one year.

After being here for a minute, I would have to agree with Seabreeze. It kind of depends on what you plan on doing while you are here and what you need in a place and area.

I live a little west of the Estadio Nacional. It is convenient to my work and also anything else I may want. Downtown is just a short cab or bus ride. Cost of places varies depending on what you are looking for, but the area is safe, there are lots of women and the the park is very close as well.


the DR


<-----Still OG'n it from the shadows........

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“In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity"

As the other guys have said, it depends upon what you want. I had a condo in Belen that I liked for its amenities, quiet and safety. However, it was just too far out to bring chicas home with me from downtown. I think Escazu, Heredia, SantaAna, etc. are of the same situation. An 8-10,000 colone taxi ride each way today.

I also lived briefly in Rohomoser (near Paseo Colon) and although it was less expensive, the neighborhood had many dogs that started barking as soon as the sun came up at 6:00 AM. Several friends have lived in the San Pedro area and prefer that area since it's reasonably close to downtown and many chicas live in the San Pedro area or come thru San Pedro on the way to downtown.

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Slut Puppy in Training

Is low self esteem a prerequisite for being a good Ho or is it a result? ;-)

i would say at this point i probably have a good deal for that area. the landlord has tried to raise rent the last few times it came up and i bluffed him i was moving so he kept it at 450. the building i am in has a couple of vacancies atm and i guess he didn't want another. and some of the buildings are newer inside etc so i am sure it varies. but i would think 5-550 is reasonable to expect for a one bedroom in this neighborhood.
i am down every other month typically if you want to see the area/apartment.

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im way deep into nothing special
riding the crest of a wave breaking just west of hollywood

i live in sabana sur and pay 660$ plus 100$ utilities a month. thats for three bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and reasonably nice quality construction. its safe too.
im also sharing it with two friends (who i trust 100% <- this part is really important) so its really cheap
for me.
i got everything i need in walking distance and downtown is about a 2k col cabride.

As others have said, the main things and most important is what you want to spend most of your time doing, what life style you are use to, and what your monthly funds are. The thing I have seen happen many times over the years is guys moving here thinking they have to live in this area or that area. Then after a few months here and learning more about the different areas and (most important) life in Costa Rica, they realize they would be better off, and happier, in another area.

There are many who move here thinking they have to live in the gulch or very close so they are always close to the action where they are going to spend almost all their time. For some of those it worked out. For many more it becomes old and boring after a while. Living in the gulch means either "old and run down but cheap" or nice, modern, and expensive!!! It also means noisy, and in my opinion, much more dangerous than many other areas, and dirtier than many other areas.

There are many nice residential areas all around Chepe as other have mentioned. But what works for one may not work for the next guy. What I recommend to guys is to look for a small livable place fairly close in and preferably without a lease (hard to find but there are a few) where you can live for a few months till you have a better feel for where YOU want to live.

I had the advantage of having visited here for 10 years and having known people here (Ticos) for all those years. I had visited almost all areas around Chepe, I had input from friends who knew me, and I knew what to expect living here (I thought ) As with anywhere, life is never 100% what you expect it to be. But because of working with Latinos for 30 year, having spent a lot of time here, Mexico, and Colombia, and having been married to a Latina, I do feel I was a little better prepared for life in CR than most.

In 8 years I have lived in 3 different apartments, all in San Pedro which is the only place I ever really looked. But things have changed and I am now thinking of moving again. Why? though San Pedro is close in, has a lot of shopping and things to do, is safer than many areas, is cleaner and more modern than many areas, it is also for those same reasons a very popular area to live. Traffic has become terrible most of the time everyday and forget trying to get home between 4:30 and 7 pm if you live anywhere east of the Mall. This is actually true of a lot of areas around Chepe. My first place was a two bedroom furnished in a condo building for $450 plus electric, cable, and internet. It is now $600 a month. The second place was a very nice and very large 2 bedroom/ two bath/ furnished with a sun room and a private garden area that was $900 This was really a bargain price - it had been $1000 but because of construction next door they had lowered the price. Both were close to the Mall and 10-15 minutes to the gulch. I now live much farther out in a totally Tico area that is very nice and safe in a very small 1 bedroom place that is actually the maids quarters of a large very modern home (main house has 6 bedrooms and 5 baths) $475 including all utilities, cable, and internet. It fits my life style today as I go to Chepe maybe 2-3 times a week (bus stop 1/2 block form the door) but I spend little time in the gulch.

A couple of other things that I feel are important are: How good is your Spanish!! Living in an area like where I am and not speaking the language I would think would create a lot of problems. What are your needs in terms of food--where I live there are several small "Tico sodas" but no fast food place nor American type places. But there is a supermarket a block away. What about bringing chicas to your place? As has been mentioned, if you live too far away the taxi can get expensive. But most important--many landlords (especially if they live close) will not like it if they see you bring chicas in all the time. There are several places here that do not allow guys to bring chicas in at all. Be sure and ask!!! Another thing that often happens here is they will raise the rent if it is a Gringo looking. Using realitors that "specialize" in finding places for Gringos will almost always be much more expensive than if you found the same place on your own. If possible get a Tica to do the calling for you and have her get the price. Even then when they find out it is a gringo they will try to change the price.

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Old and retired but still bang, and bang, and bang!!!

Ever the contrarian, I'd ask the OP why he has zoomed in on SJ as at least a long-term transition place? Not bustin', and I sure remember what this site's about, but aren't some other spiffy cities worth a least a couple of visits (no, I'm not talking about the Latin "Wrinkle Cities" but vital places)? Medellin has got to be worth a visit or two, and there are others in South America. I'm challenging him in a gentle way to explain the unique appeal of SJ. Remember, he's much younger so project SJ into the future..
But comes to that, maybe the Embassy in Rohrmoser will rent out it's rooftop penthouse-with-garden-and-waterfall for cheap. << Now I am busting...

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"A man accustomed to hear only the echo of his own sentiments, soon bars all the common avenues of delight, and has no part in the general gratification of mankind"--Dr. Johnson
"Amen, brother"-ED

Is SJ my final destination for retirement? I don't know. I'm doing research and wanted varied responses to the OP. Posting on CRT seems like a good idea. Getting responses from people on the ground will give me an idea of the different areas of SJ. My needs at this point is not important. I want the view point of the respondents without considering my needs.

Jazz, the rooftop at the embassy is unavailable. They said something about the rooftop houses sensitive equipment for their continuing observation of the Chinese embassy...gathering info so they can find a decent chino restaurant in SJ(no luck so far)