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
When I first arrived in Panama in 1990, I was surprised at the level of comfort and convenience that I found in everything from shops and supermarkets to telecommunications services. That was in 1990—things are even better now.
Monday blues are a thing of the past in my new home, the tropical island of Roatán. In fact, in winter, when all the snowbirds return, we have a social gathering we call “Mondays Don’t Suck” at a stunning, secluded beach on the island.
All the good things you’ve read about Cuenca are true. Its historic center, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is breathtaking. The city has ideal weather, great culture, a setting in a gorgeous part of the Andes... and a wonderfully low cost of living.
You probably won’t be in the Malaysian city of Johor Bahru for more than a few days before you’ll be treated to some kind of festival. This multicultural metropolis seems to have celebrations practically every week of the year.
When you ask expats why they chose Medellín, Colombia’s City of Flowers, the first answer is almost always the weather. I have to agree. Daytime highs in the low to mid-80s F and evenings in the mid-60s F mean you never need to wear more than a light jacket to be comfortable. Our apartment doesn’t have a thermostat; I just open or close the windows to regulate the temperature. Having great weather means you can be outside all the time to enjoy the city. And Medellín has something for everyone.
Traveling south from El Poblado on either Poblado Avenue or Las Vegas Avenue, you can´t tell where El Poblado ends and Envigado begins. Often referred to as “Medellín´s suburb,” Envigado is an increasingly popular option for expats looking for El Poblado’s ambience but with a lower cost of living.
Big gains. A steep increase in value. That should be your end game. Sometimes this comes as a result of a Path of Progress event: A new road, airport, or other piece of infrastructure leads to a price increase.
I wasn’t so much scared of the height as I was scared of the width—and the wind. Definitely the wind. I thought I needed a better perspective on things. And that meant perching myself on the narrowest of steps, 300 feet above the Danish capital, Copenhagen.
In these days of financial uncertainty, it makes sense to preserve some of your wealth in gold. Humans have treasured gold for millennia. And with China and India’s increasing appetite for gold (thanks to those countries’ growing middle classes), it’s not going to go out of fashion anytime soon.
You’ll find many B&Bs in the charming town of San Miguel de Allende, in Mexico’s Colonial Highlands. But Barbara Poole’s Casa de la Noche, a 14-room B&B, is the only one that can boast of having been a bordello until it closed in the mid-1960s.