If you want everything the city offers, it stands to reason you have to live in one. And since the first cities popped up in Mesopotamia about 4,500 B.C., they have offered us much…constant convenience, stores of all sorts, art galleries on the doorstep, cuisine from all corners of the world, theaters, superb museums, healthcare specialists, clinics, hospitals, cafés…
But too often this abundance of amenities demands a trade-off. Air pollution, overcrowding, the time-consuming drag of getting around, exorbitant rents, and crazy utility bills. It’s no surprise that neuroscientists in Germany have research showing that living in a city stresses you out and makes you more anxious and prone to depression.
Here’s the thing: As you’ll discover in this issue, it’s possible to have all the amenities and comforts a big-city lifestyle provides, while also living at a more human pace and experiencing a strong sense of community. In the right places, you can benefit from everything that makes a small town attractive…but also enjoy all the amenities you expect from a big city…
IL editor, Jason Holland, walks you through the best urban lifestyles in Mexico’s Colonial Highlands. All walkable cities, among their magnificent colonial mansions and plazas, you will find a world-class symphony orchestra, libraries, free concerts in parks, excellent hospitals, and folks who take the time to talk, slow down, relax and enjoy life.
The most livable city in Vietnam is waiting for you. Cafés line the riverfront, you can hit the mall, or pop into a little corner store, and expats are spending as little as $850 a month to live there, in front of 20 miles of often-deserted white-sand beach.
Ecuador is a heavy hitter when it comes to “big-city comfort with a small-town feel.” IL Correspondent, Jim Santos, explores Ecuador’s “City of Music” where a perfect climate means air conditioning and heating bills are a thing of the past. What most captivated Mike Herron and his wife, Susan, when they first visited Cuenca—Ecuador’s most popular retirement haven—is that it offers “all the amenities of a large city but feels like a series of neighborhoods interspersed with greenery from four rivers.”
—Eoin Bassett, Editorial Director
As this month’s cover story on Mexico’s Colonial Highlands reveals, the city of San Miguel de Allende is never short of festivals for you to enjoy. If you’re spending some time here this October, you’ll get to enjoy La Calaca, which kicks off toward the end of the month.
I am told not to smell it before I eat it, but that’s just not possible. Even in a sushi restaurant, it is by far the most pungent scent. The sickly sweet smells of moldy cheese and feet keep passing me by.
Buenos Aires, the Paris of South America, has more than its fair share of Parisian-style cafés. Two of the most famous are Café Tortoni and La Biela. Both are known for their ambience, history, architectural style, clientele, and classic espresso drinks.
There’s a loud crack, and a chunk of ice the size of your fist skitters across the floor. The ice-crushing machine has fired a shot again—no surprise, since it’s over 50 years old. Somebody has ordered an Ais Batu, or “ABC.” This translates from the local Malay language to Crushed Mixed Ice, a blend of sweet corn, red beans, several flavors of Jell-O, and condensed milk on a bed of ice: All for $1.14. Perfect for a hot day. I’m sitting in the Fortune Coffee Shop in Kota Kinabalu, on the island of Borneo in Malaysia.
Agriculture-focused stocks have been devastated by years of lower prices and higher supply. China, among the world’s largest importers of grains and fertilizers, has seen its hyper-growth stall.
Even though my wife Susan and I live in the midst of a historic, colonial city, at night we are lulled to sleep by the sounds of the Tomebamba River flowing just across Pasaje Imbabura street.
For Janet Hitchens, exploring the lush hills of Panama’s Veraguas province is a far cry from battening down the hatches for cold Michigan winters. “People come here and feel better because of the weather,” she says. “I like to think of it as like Michigan in July."
Nine years ago I bought an ocean-view home in Nicaragua and have lived here ever since. It was the best decision I ever made. I could never have afforded a house like mine in the U.S. My French doors open onto my patio, where I can watch the ocean waves crash over the rocks. My yard looks like a jungle—coconut palms, fruit and avocado trees, a herb garden, and so many colorful flowers: plumeria, hibiscus, marigolds... Thanks to the bargain price of real estate in Nicaragua, I own a slice of ocean-view paradise on an acre for just $132,000.
Over the course of more than six years living in Ireland, Michael and Karin Shepherd have enjoyed the friendliness of the locals many times. But one example really stands out.
One thing I like about Ireland is how the colors change throughout the year. On sunny summer mornings, the summer wildflowers are in full bloom everywhere. In the spring, the roadsides are bright with wild daffodils.