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
The sound of fiddles, flutes, and tin whistles fills the hall as people of all ages kick up their legs and dance the night away. One older gentleman begins a low, traditional melody and soon the whole room falls silent.
"Not only were the meds I needed easily available, but the low cost of healthcare literally saved my life.” That’s what expat Roger Carter has to say about the excellent healthcare he’s found in Southeast Asia.
When checking out retirement spots in Ecuador, there are a few things that retirees look for. A great climate is usually first on the list, followed closely by an affordable cost of living. Everyone wants good infrastructure, but some hate to lose the “small-town” feel, which inevitably happens with bigger cities. Cuenca, for instance, has most everything an expat could need, and many have found their ideal retirement there—but with around half a million people, it’s just too big for some.
“Da Nang is the most livable city in Vietnam.” I thought I was the one to come up with this observation—I was pretty pleased about it, actually. But ever since I came up with the phrase, I have heard it again and again from my Vietnamese friends and from expats I’ve met.
I turn the corner and walk on the narrow sidewalk, up a gentle slope. The street is cobblestone. The surrounding buildings are centuries old, painted in rich shades of burgundy, amber, and burnt umber. An older woman going home from the market, laden with bags, walks by.
One thing that makes the lifestyle in the Colonial Highlands so appealing is the ideal temperatures much of the year—no air-conditioning needed. During the day, expect temperatures in the 70sF, cooling off into the 60s F at night and dipping into the 50s F in the wee hours.
Bids bounced from one side of the auction room to the other amid the rapid-fire patter of the auctioneer. The price rose thousands in a couple of seconds. I wasn’t even bidding on the property but I could feel the excitement.
As retirement nears, your goal is to build a nest egg. Something to retire on and perhaps even leave in part to pass to your children and grandchildren. Maybe you’ve diversified your assets: gold and silver, securities accounts, cash, and even a rental property for cash flow.
A small piece of paperboard with a picture of Major League Pittsburgh Pirates player Honus Wagner on the front fetched $2.8 million at auction in 2007—the mother lode of all tobacco cards.
When it comes to expat living, many U.S. retirees naturally lean toward Latin America. Not Michael Wells. For the 64-year-old Californian, the Far East has always fascinated him.