Neighborhoods around Mayaguez

I am curious about that area as well. Someone must have some input.

I like Mayaguez. It's the first place in PR that I spent any time in. That was 13 years ago. I fell in love with it and always wanted to go back. The people in the neighborhood would come out on the side walks at night and play dominoes and have a beer and would go back in the house about 9 or so. At night all I heard was a dog barking once in awhile and the baby in the apt. downstairs crying. I tried to get back there for the next 10 years. I finally made it. What a surprise I was in for. The place became so crowded and noisy 24 hrs. a day. There are still some neighborhoods in Mayaguez that are nice to live in. The advantages are that all the stores are close but now they are constantly packed. Supposedly nobody in PR has any money but Walmart and the mall are always packed shoulder to shoulder. Same with the restaurants. They have some good schools there. When we went to PR we tried to find a place to live there. My wife is from Mayaguez. But we had very little time to find a place and couldn't find anything suitable quickly. Actually I would have preferred living there. But the drawbacks are that it is very crowded and very noisy all the time(in most places). It's still worth a check. Especially if you are coming from a place like Costa Rica. They have several hospitals there but medical care almost anywhere on the island leaves a lot to be desired. If it wasn't for the constant bombardment of noise, high prices and too many people I'd love to live there. But those are some of the things I couldn't get used too. Then again, they don't bother everyone. It's definitely worth a check  They also have a beautiful Plaza. And there is a lot to do there. I would avoid looking for a place way up in the hills surrounding the town. I know people who live up there and they have problems getting services and it's not uncommon for roads to get washed out . The only way to find out for sure if you like it is to go there.You can't just go on what we have to say on the forum.My wife says there is no community swimming pool. They have an Olympic size pool in the college but it's only for students, faculty and their families.

Sounds aweful!

Well, it's a city. I think it's the third largest on the island. And it's old. It's got some great things and some not so great things. Just like any city. But it's tough to escape the crowds and the noise. Noise mostly being speaker trucks and VERY loud Reggaeton  playing in the cars driving by. Don't expect the island to be  a pristine paradise when you go there. Unless you have the money to live in those places that are sheltered from daily life.

Im really looking for a mellow place in the hills.. Just not too far from the beaches. We are still intent on the west coast.

You can still find that, but it's getting more difficult. The island is very crowded and even the far out places  are now becoming affected by the noise, etc. Finding a place you are looking for is a matter of the luck of the draw anymore. You could be like my friend Gary who has lived there for 12 years and loves it. I don't think he lives anywhere near the beach though. He lives in what's called the Campo, out in the sticks so to speak. When he first moved there I'm sure it was one of the most peaceful and quiet places he's ever lived. But with the advent of the population, noise and crime explosion on the island it's not as  safe or quiet as it used to be. It's all going to depend on what neighbors you have. You could be lying in bed one night and discover that there's a local Four track club running through the hills and trails all night long every night. Or you could hear nothing but the sound of the coqui. You never know until you are there. Your neighbors could be wonderful or a nightmare. If you do find an area you like, ask the people who live in the area how reliable the utilities are in that spot. Some places are much better than others. The best places to live for that are near a hospital or near the Alcalde's house. Whatever house you get, it helps to have a cistern in case your water is shut off. And having a generator is pretty much mandatory. All in all though, I think you will find it an improvement over living in Costa Rica. The best person for you to talk to on this forum is probably Victorglass. He lives in Rincon and can give you better advice on that particular spot on the west coast than I can. He's obviously become more acclimated to the local culture than I have and can help lead you in the right direction

Thanks for the responses.  When we visited we stayed in Isabela and yes, there were many loud cars driving by.  But we just turned up the white noise in the kid's bedrooms .  We were also thinking of finding a place in the hills because we're looking at a school for my son there.  It was beautiful when we drove through it.

Neighbors are always luck of the draw.  Even living in Wisconsin I've had to deal with druggies, heavy metal bands and just annoyances next door, so it's everywhere.  I thought the people in PR were friendly when we visited, so I'm still optimistic.

Neighbors are indeed the luck of the draw wherever you go, even in the seemingly quiet countryside of Puerto Rico. I say the things I do in my posts not to be negative but rather to let people who are considering going there that it may not be the wonderful paradise they think it is. It can be for some but there are a lot of things about that island that most people just aren't aware of and there are a lot of things you don't find out about until after you are there. And those things are both good and bad. Think with your head not your heart. Do your research. Visit, visit, visit the island. Base your final decisions on sound reasoning, not wishful thinking. Be especially dilligent if you have children. Education and their environment is of the utmost importance. I was a Navy Brat and moved every 2 years. I had to leave my friends and school and go to a brand new place and make new friends and go to a new school. It wasn't a piece of cake but it did teach me a great deal about adapting in life. Even after doing that I can't imagine moving to a new place where they don't speak the same language, have the same customs, the schools are different and nothing is familiar. But if done right it can greatly expand their horizons and broaden their abilities to deal with the world as adults.

As always great advice here!

Definitely try to get a place with a cistern, as GreggK recommends. Being without running water is terrible, e.g., not being able to flush a toilet for 4 days.

GreggK wrote:

You could be like my friend Gary who has lived there for 12 years and loves it. I don't think he lives anywhere near the beach though. He lives in what's called the Campo, out in the sticks so to speak. When he first moved there I'm sure it was one of the most peaceful and quiet places he's ever lived. But with the advent of the population, noise and crime explosion on the island it's not as  safe or quiet as it used to be

Yes I still love it here. I guess our luck is that we are on a dead-end road and that most people here are (distant or close) family of my wife.Since everybody knows everybody we all try not to bother another. After 10 PM the only thing you hear are the coquis.

You're right, I'm not really close to a beach, 20 minutes is what I have to drive to get there.

The crime situation in our small neighborhood is not too bad either. The fact that "everybody" knows that here in the Campo people have weapons and know how to use them and (again) our dead end road helps.
Then again a couple of months ago we had several killings pretty close to our place. We could hear one shoot-out from the porch, different (semi)automatic weapons and single shot guns. When all was said and done two people were dead, 4 or 5 wounded, the police found hundreds(!) of shells of at least 6 different weapons.
The last killing in our area was half a year ago so it's not too bad.

But, all in all I'm a happy camper.

NomadLawyer wrote:

Definitely try to get a place with a cistern, as GreggK recommends. Being without running water is terrible, e.g., not being able to flush a toilet for 4 days.

Also, especially if you're out in the boonies, get a gen-set. I use mine at least once a month..

Sounds like Gary has a similar situation to mine but Im a five minute drive to the beach. We have a cistern here in CR and we use it a few times a week. Basic infrastructure here is a joke that I still cant wrap my head around. Maybe Montezuma was just getting me ready for PR?

On a sidenote the PR forum is great. I prefer the crowd here over the CR forum.

Thanks