East of Panama City’s San Francisco sector you’ll find new developments with much to offer…all of them between the vibrant city center and Tocumen International Airport. The largest and most convenient of these, Costa del Este, is favored by well-heeled Panamanians. The majority of these are white-collar types who speak English.
I can remember being new to Panama City. It could be incredibly frustrating…and at the same time, incredibly fun. I got lost a lot…that’s how I learned about my favorite back roads and out-of-the-way shops. I had to go out of my comfort zone to meet people…that’s how I discovered the best venues and networking events.
This cool mountain town is welcoming and attractive—and hardly a secret. And yet…new arrivals are breathing fresh life into Atenas. Right now I’m at Kay’s Café. Canadian Ania Dudek recently revamped the beloved expat hangout. She didn’t strip the menu of classics like chicken parmigiana or chocolate cake. But she did call her Polish mama for recipes, adding zing with savory mushroom pierogis and Hungarian pancakes...
Panama City. It’s the kind of place that wows first-time visitors. The downtown area, which shines and twinkles with sky-scrapers and deluxe hotels…the deep blue waters of the Panama Bay…the romantic Casco Viejo sector, dripping with colonial gems. There are scads of concert and performance venues, green spaces galore...it’s incredibly modern and unexpected.
Before Panama was a blip on their radar, Fred and Renee Proctor, originally from New York and Boston, lived a dream life. They spent 11 years sailing their charter boat, the Pepper, around St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands. “I want your job” was a constant refrain from customers who had enjoyed a day aboard the Pepper...
A typical warm, sunny day in the tropics…it’s a marvel to behold. Postcards can only convey so much. But oh, that first true glimpse of the Caribbean...Stepping onto sparkling white sands surrounded by grass-green palms, the dense rainforest filling the in-between spaces with deeper, darker shades… The sunlight playing on baby-blue waters…the clean...
I am in Parque Omar, home to an amphitheater, events room, library, picnic area, public pool, soccer field, baseball pitch, volleyball court, basketball court, tennis court, and a large covered area that doubles as a skating rink and aerobics area.
I can’t remember the last time I woke up to anything but the sound of my alarm. Today, however, I awake to the sound of birds. Lying in my bed, I hear the occasional bark or rooster’s cock-adoodle-doo…the breeze blowing through the trees and rattling fallen leaves… muffled sounds of salsa music coming from a neighbor’s kitchen. Comforting, small-town sounds...
Panama stands out among the world’s top expat destinations, due to its solid infrastructure, First World amenities, beautiful beaches, and proximity to the U.S. But, there is so much more to this country than meets the eye. Panama City for example offers every option, for the foodie, culture vulture, or tree hugger in all of us.
For Wendy and Simon Langford, life wasn’t bad. They had a modern, “smart” house in Seattle and a good income. But the daily grind kept them from spending time together.