Not TV or illegal drugs but the automobile has been the chief destroyer of American communities,” wrote urban observer Jane Jacobs. She had a point. So many U.S. cities are not terribly livable. they’re congested. They’re expensive. They’re impersonal. They are not places people think of retiring to, nor places people walk around.
So imagine this: being in a city that makes you feel healthier. A city that invites a stroll, where you breathe clean air, lounge in parks, and take your pleasure in museums and cafés. A city where you can rent an apartment right in the center for hundreds of dollars a month, not thousands.
In the right places, you can enjoy the benefits of a big city—ease of getting in and out, access to almost anything, great cultural offerings, excellent healthcare, and you’ll also have the perks we don’t necessarily associate with cosmopolitan cities in the states, like self-contained neighborhoods, lots of green space, and stretches of walkable, enjoyable cityscape.
Medellín was a revelation when I first visited. I stayed in a hilly neighborhood with streams tumbling through parks, cafés lining the streets, and I explored the rest of the city on a sleek metro connected to cable cars that swung me high above the city. This month, IL Colombia Correspondent, Nancy Kiernan, reveals the city’s five most livable neighborhoods.
Urban Malta comes complete with crusader-era buildings, seafront promenades, and views of the Mediterranean. And not only is the Maltese government offering residence to foreign property buyers who spend over a certain amount, but follow the advice of IL Correspondent Barbara Diggs and you could see a healthy rental return on your island home.
IL Correspondent, Wendy Justice, explains how she found the best of an old city alongside the promise of the new in Johor Bahru, Malaysia. “You probably won’t be here for more than a few days before being treated to some kind of festival,” she says.
No musing on livable cities would be complete without mentioning Cuenca, Ecuador. As IL Correspondent, Wendy DeChambeau, reveals, it ticks all the boxes of a livable city on a manageable scale.
—Eoin Bassett, Editorial Director
With its wonderful selection of craft beers and chocolates, Brussels, Belgium’s capital, has much to recommend it at any time of year. But in November, you have even more reason to visit this modern European metropolis, when the Brussels Light Festival returns to town.
What would happen if Edgar Allen Poe, Timothy Leary, and Stephen King had a powwow and created their own art? I can’t say for sure, but having seen what lies within the Prohibido Centro Cultural in Cuenca, Ecuador, I suspect its contents would come pretty close.
In many poor countries around the world, if something can muster up a pulse, it’s eaten—all of it. This used to be the case in Spain. Today, culinary tidbits like cock’s comb are rarely seen at the butcher shop, much less on dining tables. But other bits of animal anatomy still appear in classic regional dishes. Barcelona’s famous food market, La Boquería, takes its name from boq, meaning a sheep’s stomach—which may give some idea of what’s on offer. Here are some old-time specialties to try…if you’re up to it.
The Romans loved to lounge in hot water, so it’s no surprise that Italy today is littered with the remains of ancient bath complexes and mosaic-covered pools. One of their most revered respites was Saturnia, in modern Tuscany. Roman mythology says that Saturn, the wielder of lightning, threw down one of his bolts here and caused the hot water to flow. It hasn’t stopped since.
Many people who bought gold during the crash of 2008 made spectacular profits in the following years. And they deserved to make spectacular profits. They took what felt like a huge risk when few others had the courage.
By 6 a.m., the vendors are already setting up on my little lane in Chiang Mai, the university city of nearly 1 million people in northern Thailand that I call home. Fruit stalls and coffee stands, with waffles and egg breakfasts, line the lane; I can eat outside on little stools or take what I want back to my condo.
It’s hard not to fall for the Mediterranean island nation of Malta. At just 122 square miles, it may be the smallest country in the European Union. But the tiny multi-island archipelago has a lot going for it.
“The town is overflowing with charm and beauty,” says Jack Bramy, who has found his ideal retirement spot in Puerto Vallarta, on Mexico’s Pacific coast. “It’s everywhere, from tiny local bistros to the narrow cobblestone streets climbing up the hillsides."
“Although I don’t live at the beach, I am close enough that I can go whenever the mood takes me. Just knowing it’s always there is amazing,” Pennie says. “I love the surf, as long as it isn’t too rough. Getting past the breakers and watching the waves roll in...so peaceful.”
“I woke up this morning and saw 30 or more horses grazing in the bamboo forest across the street from our home,” says Roger Wergin. “How’s that for a tranquil retirement view?” Roger and his wife Cyndy feel they made the right decision when they bought a lot and built their three-bedroom, two-bathroom home in a gated community.