Walking/Pavements

I'd say all of Malta would be the same for walking as you describe.  Balzam/Attard is from what I saw really nice - we're considering moving there from Mosta.

There you have the huge park around the presidential Palace and it would be really good for a walk (even etc), that whole area is nice.

Thanks volcane. I do still like the area, so not ruling it out. We didn't get quite so far into Attard today as the park but maybe we'll get up that way tomorrow. The other problem is that there don't seem to be many properties available here at the moment so that may force us to look elsewhere at least to begin with.

Is Mosta generally busier than Attard?

everywhere is busy I dont know, its impossible to say - different times of days, different types of busy.

😁

Maybe the more realistic option is to give up walking!

felinefine81 wrote:

😁

Maybe the more realistic option is to give up walking!

You'll get used to it. Gozo is the same and we managed just fine after the first few days. Malta is... well it's all very, very busy. Even the smaller towns/resorts. You stop noticing it after a while. Unless you have shitty/loud neighbours. Then you move.

the only long smooth decent quality pavement i can think of is the walk st julians to sliema along the waterfront - its a lovely walk, but be nicer to have one near by.

Around mosta the sideways are fine, but the heat coming off them etc, its not really a place for walking.

We went up into Naxxar tonight and I got a better feeling from it. Wider main street, pavements seemed better. Also more facilities in a smaller radius. It looked like you could get almost everything you need day to day without a car. It's a bit further to work though.

Checking bus routes etc tonight but will line up some viewings there I think.

Any thoughts on Naxxar?

I live in the South, pavements are same dangerous here, especially when wet they are very slippery, but here you can walk on the street without risk of getting hit by a car 
The South is not (yet) that much developed like other areas, but this is what I like here.
And at the end, you can get everything you need, if not, you can always go downtown 
Imho "development" in Malta means lots of people, multi-storey apartment blocks, clogged streets, noise, air pollution and overpriced shops/restaurants - 20 years ago I would have loved this ... now I prefer to have space to live

It sounds like the pavements in a lot of places, that's one of the reasons you'll see most people walk on the road. We live just up from Spinola Bay, so the walk from there along the coast is very wide and lovely to walk, but the streets around this area are just the same as you're describing.

Hi felinefine,

Welcome to Malta (finally )

As for the sidewalks: My wife and I were talking about this very issue today when we were going for a walk here in Mellieha (along the beach) with our 5-year-old and our baby in the pushchair. Sidewalks suddenly end, are too narrow, cars are parked on them, tourists (and locals) waiting for the bus won't move to the side unless you literally run into them with the pushchair... In my experience, it's the same anywhere on Malta, but like matm911 said, in the south it might be a bit better because you can actually walk on the road without risking your life (and I really mean risking your life... about 2 weeks ago a man actually got killed when he was run over trying to cross a busy road here in Mellieha...)

re Naxxar: I think it's a good area to live in - a good friend of mine used to live there, you can reach shops etc. on foot, buses are ok, rents are ok (though - as you know - this time around rents are often unreasonably high in all areas...)

As for "more developed" areas: my feeling is that "development" in Malta is synonymous to "unplanned and, at times, never to be completed building of often not very pretty blocks of flats" - but that may just be my opinion...

Thanks everyone. matm911 you don't have to commute for work do you? What you're describing sounds better but I'm sure I've read before that the commute from the south to central can be slow.

Would be great to get somewhere slightly developed but not too developed! Will see what the agent comes up with tomorrow.

We're enjoying exploring anyway, loving the weather and have had some fab food at Melita in Balzan 🍕🍝🍦🍸

felinefine81 wrote:

Thanks everyone. matm911 you don't have to commute for work do you?

Of course I have to, 12 km every day ... takes me about 15 Minutes 

What you're describing sounds better but I'm sure I've read before that the commute from the south to central can be slow.

That's true, therefore I live and work in the South  The North has similar advantages.
If you work in the centre, you have to face a lot of traffic regardless where you live.
Especially in winter with flooded/blocked streets ... terrible ! (but for this weather I have my Land Rover 

Thanks Bernie! I'm glad it's not just me with the pavements!

We stayed in Mellieha Bay the last time we were here and noticed the pavement issue in some places... but today was a whole other level. At one point it was 'shared road' with pedestrians and cars, but along the edge of the road the bushes and trees stuck out so far you were walking right in the middle of the road. If two big trucks or vans had come along...

It's just about ok during the day when people can see you but I can imagine it being a real danger if you had to walk it at night.

I know I am worrying, but half the time when I'm walking I'm focusing on just not falling over if my knees give way. Having to be so aware of that, plus slippy bits, sharp drops, hidden steps... I think I'll save it to the weekend and so somewhere else for some exercise. Maybe the steps up and down to Ghajn Tuffieha?! At least the effort there gets you to a nice beach 😁

Sam and volcane - thanks. It sounds like if we want to walk for pleasure we could travel in to the coastal walk which would be easier for me to do.

Appreciate all the suggestions so much

One of the things I dislike most about Malta. I live near the Sliema Promenade and have sent numerous emails to city council re: sidewalk issues on side streets. Deplorable. My 78 year old mother fell 2 winters ago and broke her shoulder. Malta could be such a lovely place with a bit of effort on the part of the authorities; it really is too bad.
Give up walking? It's one of the best things in life! Though it does seem many people have done just that and race around in cars instead. Speak out about it as much as you can. I intend to when I return in the fall.

One of the first things I recall asking my partner on our first visit was why do people retire here? It's clearly a death trap of crap pavements and old people falling is a major issue

Couple with shoddy healthcare and it really is a bad idea

My mom visited a few weeks ago and fell down the stairs at mdina due to a loose corner that came out under her. Lucky just scrapes and bruises.

Add to that the slippery dog excrement......

felinefine81 wrote:

We went up into Naxxar tonight and I got a better feeling from it. Wider main street, pavements seemed better. Also more facilities in a smaller radius. It looked like you could get almost everything you need day to day without a car. It's a bit further to work though.

Checking bus routes etc tonight but will line up some viewings there I think.

Any thoughts on Naxxar?

Hi Feline,

I live in Naxxar and always thought we had it bad with a lack of pavements but I guess it's just the smaller side roads, main roads are fine for walking. We've been living here since December last year and love it so much that we don't ever want to move. It's dead quiet at night (I hate noise in any form), the people are lovely including my greengrocer who doesn't rip me off, there's a Scotts, GS, Miracle Foods and Maypole all within a short distance of where we live. Add to that frequent buses to Birkirkara / Valletta (where partner works) and 2 direct buses to Sliema (where I work) and we have the perfect location

It's definitely manageable without a car. Both bf and I don't like cars and have been living car free for over 12 years - best choice ever. Price wise Naxxar beats other locations as well, we're paying 900E for a 3 bed penthouse with a huge terrace overlooking Mdina and Mosta Dome. It's interesting to hear your views on Balzan & Attard - we often visit the San Anton Gardens and love walking through the Three Villages. Never noticed the lack of pavement much.

Haven't been too active in the forum here for a while but let me know if you have any questions. Been following your blog as well, it's great and reminds me of our move!

blackangelheart that's a great message to wake up to this morning- thanks! It has filled me with hope and optimism now

If we move to Naxxar I owe you a glass of wine!

Re Balzan/Attard. We are staying just across the road from San Anton Gardens this week and the pavement around here is fine. It's not too bad between here and Smart supermarket either. But we were wandering around looking at residential areas in Balzan and had some difficult spots- my worry would be walking from home to the bus stops for work etc. 

The most difficult bit was when we walked from here to the Santa Lucia Cafe in Attard, I found it really challenging. The height of some of the kerbs is crazy! Then with dips, hidden steps, slopes with the strange slippy cement, and of course no pavement at all, I was shattered by the time we got there.

Some geltato made me feel better though 😀

Nange and volcane- i'll definitely be concerned when my parents visit, will need to be extra careful.

Ray - dog poo- yip, spotted that too!

Before we moved my husband said to me at one point that he might like to walk around barefoot (he often does on holiday). I just laughed!

Be very, very careful when using sidewalks after rain. They can get extremely slippery (not sure why) - it's like walking on ice.

mantasmo wrote:

Be very, very careful when using sidewalks after rain. They can get extremely slippery (not sure why) - it's like walking on ice.

It's because of the fine grained concrete they use, without broken stones for good grip.
The water forms a slippery layer on the smooth surface.
This and the use of slippery tiles for stairs is a sign of bad workmanship ... but it was cheap for sure 

If you don't want to spend money for good quality, do not complain about bad quality 

To be honest, I personally appreciate that Malta is a country which does not make it easy to love it ... otherwise it would be even more crowded 
You cannot expect a high level of development and low cost of living. Infrastructure is paid with taxes, and as the majority only pays some 100 or 200 Euro of taxes every month, you cannot expect too much.
Things are changing fast here, the last few years I saw nice projects in public infrastructure and domestic/commercial buildings and restaurants/pubs made of high standard.
I can see the first results of the new (mandatory) building standards and renunciation of poor/bad/cheap workmanship 

Everything is possible, even here, if you 1.) have the information/open mind and 2.) willing to spend respective money.

@ felinefine81: buy shoes with slip-proof sole ... even sandals/flip-flops with good grip are available.
I threw away the 5 Euro plastic clogs and bought 40 Euro Crocs - you'll feel the difference 

matm911 wrote:

You cannot expect a high level of development and low cost of living. Infrastructure is paid with taxes, and as the majority only pays some 100 or 200 Euro of taxes every month, you cannot expect too much.

This is very true actually. I think that many actually pay 0 in taxes tbh.

Just one thing - Malta is not cheap. At least not any longer. It used to be much cheaper but prices are going up. It's one of the more expensive countries to live in if you enjoy good takeout food, eating out, coffee-to-go, want a decent office to work from, etc. It all adds up so quickly in Malta. It's only cheap if you cook at home, shop around for deals, work from home (in case of self employed), etc. It's very circumstantial.

Some places like Sliema have become ridiculously expensive and you really do have to watch what you buy and where. Which is a shame. A slice of cake in a half decent coffee shop can cost 4.5-5.5+2.5 for a coffee... when it costs about 3.5-4 euros total pretty much anywhere else. These relatively small price differences add up to a good +1000-1500/month so any tax savings are quickly wiped out... unless you make A LOT of money.

Will try to get new shoes. Just been for another walk for supplies in Balzan and I'm feeling quite despondent. Nearly fell/slipped a few times and got stuck unable to cross roads because of traffic several times too.

Much worse down here than the north where we stayed before. Makes me wonder whether an even longer commute to work would be a better option

mantasmo wrote:

Just one thing - Malta is not cheap. At least not any longer. It used to be much cheaper but prices are going up. It's one of the more expensive countries to live in if you enjoy good takeout food, eating out, coffee-to-go, want a decent office to work from, etc. It all adds up so quickly in Malta. It's only cheap if you cook at home, shop around for deals, work from home (in case of self employed), etc. It's very circumstantial.

Some places like Sliema have become ridiculously expensive and you really do have to watch what you buy and where. Which is a shame. A slice of cake in a half decent coffee shop can cost 4.5-5.5+2.5 for a coffee... when it costs about 3.5-4 euros total pretty much anywhere else. These relatively small price differences add up to a good +1000-1500/month so any tax savings are quickly wiped out... unless you make A LOT of money.

Where are you getting your cakes and stuff from?  It's nowhere near that price for a piece of cake.  Costa Coffee is expensive, but aren't they all no matter where you live?

I don't find Malta expensive, coming from France it's a lot cheaper and after a recent visit to the UK I was glad to get back before I ended up poor.  I found it shockingly expensive there.

Sam4321 wrote:

mantasmo wrote:

Just one thing - Malta is not cheap. At least not any longer. It used to be much cheaper but prices are going up. It's one of the more expensive countries to live in if you enjoy good takeout food, eating out, coffee-to-go, want a decent office to work from, etc. It all adds up so quickly in Malta. It's only cheap if you cook at home, shop around for deals, work from home (in case of self employed), etc. It's very circumstantial.

Some places like Sliema have become ridiculously expensive and you really do have to watch what you buy and where. Which is a shame. A slice of cake in a half decent coffee shop can cost 4.5-5.5+2.5 for a coffee... when it costs about 3.5-4 euros total pretty much anywhere else. These relatively small price differences add up to a good +1000-1500/month so any tax savings are quickly wiped out... unless you make A LOT of money.

Where are you getting your cakes and stuff from?  It's nowhere near that price for a piece of cake.  Costa Coffee is expensive, but aren't they all no matter where you live?

I don't find Malta expensive, coming from France it's a lot cheaper and after a recent visit to the UK I was glad to get back before I ended up poor.  I found it shockingly expensive there.

Again it depends on where you are. Sliema waterfront is super expensive compared to pretty much anywhere else. There are cheaper places, but that's why I said that you actually have to watch the prices. You can't just walk into pretty much any place and walk out without feeling ripped off lol.

Yep both UK and France are very expensive. Malta is cheaper, but it's not cheap. That's all I'm saying.

Having just paid 6 months worth of Malta rent on a 9 night hotel I think you'be just been in Malta too long and lost perspective of costs elsewhere. Go to Belgium and pay €9 for a bottle of filtered water in a restaurant for some perspective.

I do not compare how much I earn or how much certain things costs (I even do not need certain things anymore since I moved here), but how much I can save at the end of the month - and here at the end of the month I have about 2 times more left on my bank account than I had in Austria.

Some things are much more expensive here, that's true, but:
Last weekend in M'xlokk, one large Pizza for 2, pint Cisk and sparkling water for 10 Euro.
afair, a cappuccino at Café de Paris costs 0.80 and is as good as everywhere else   
I have 2 cars, one motorcycle and a scooter and annual insurance plus tax cost me less than for one car in Austria.
The monthly rent of my apartment plus water and electricity is half of what I paid in Austria.
2 big bags full with fruits and vegetables cost me 10 Euros, for this you cannot get that much in Austria.

And the work-life balance is much more balanced here 

It's all about making the best of what you have right now ... there's no perfect place on this earth

matm911

Do you know what the commute would be like from M'xlokk to Mreihal. Is it just out of the question?

My husband likes the idea of getting away from the centre altogether- anywhere with slightly less traffic. But the issue then is the commute.

We were wondering where on earth everyone was going at 11am on a Tuesday!!

When I was working at the old airport it took me 15 Minutes from M'scala, so I guess 10 Minutes from M'xlokk ... and another 10-15 minutes more from Luqa through Qormi to Mriehel. All in all about 20-30 Minutes - if you drive before 8am and avoid 4-6pm you can even use the main roads 

I hear you! Pavements are awful and I don't know how disabled people must cope. We live in Attard with a baby (so using a buggy) and at first like you I felt quite shocked by the pavements (or lack of!!) and the speed at which cars go past. However now I think Attard is better than Balzan or Lija or Naxxar for sure and you do just get used to it. If it's really a huge problem then Sweiqui might be better. It's a residential area so quieter but there are still supermarkets and shops in walking distance

Oh when I say get used to I mean "walk on the road" and ignore the pavements like the locals

BrightBug wrote:

If it's really a huge problem then Sweiqui might be better. It's a residential area so quieter but there are still supermarkets and shops in walking distance

I live in Swieqi and the paths are no better.  It's safe though, so walking on and off the road doesn't feel like you're dicing with death.  The traffic isn't fast and all around St Julian's feels safe with traffic because it's that blocked half the time the cars don't build up any speed. I walk along the coastal road most days towards Sliema, but to get to it I've got a five minute walk that consists of dodging the rubbish bags, a series of broken pavements, half pavements, no pavements, massive curbs and traffic coming from every direction.  You get used to it and what seemed like danger doesn't seem so bad after a while.

So I think no matter where we choose, we will have to contend with the pavements. I think our focus now has got to be on where we'd have an ok commute to work and where we'd have a good quality of life. I would love to stay on the coast - being able to see the sea would be so good!

Staying in Balzan at the moment, it feels a bit claustrophobic.

However, by the looks of the map, driving from most of the coastal areas to my work would involve fighting our way through some busy areas. It would also be good to stay somewhere with a bus link so that I could potentially get by without a car. Close to my work, Fleur De Lys seems to be the stop with the most routes connecting.

Any suggestions if we decide to have a longer commute for the pleasure of living by the sea? The quieter the area the better. Not asking for much am I?! 😁

The property agent helping us is definitely earning his fee!

The promenade from St Julians all the way to Tax biex is a nice walk, but yeah pavements are awful. Just yesterday some stupid old bat coming round the corner of a side street in Sliema drove right up the pavement and nearly over my toes. She was completely oblivious to it, too busy puffing on her ciggy.

The only advice I can give is to look at as many properties and also areas as possible. Sometimes what looks good on a map is completely not how you imagined it, e.g. Msida and Pieta near the water look nice but when we viewed flats in these areas we didn't like it. Naxxar for us was love at first sight so I'd say go out there, visit each area that has properties you like and within your budget and then figure out the commute. No point in having a short commute but hating where you live because it's not right for you. Those extra 25min I spend on the bus I usually try and get some work done or I read a book. Plus, I often get to work from home because I convinced my boss that the traffic is horrible and I lose more time on the bus

Agree with blackangerheart on this one You need to see and feel the area.
Another thought I had,  what about a different side of Malta that has more open spaces and greener? Like Siggiewi or Rabat - not sure how comuting would be by public transport though. For someone working in Sliema and surrounding areas these would be too far, but in your case it may actually work.

Thank everyone, we're def going to see lots of areas, I just want to instruct the agent where to take us, rather than just pleading with him for help like I did the other night!

So I was actually looking at Rabat this morning because the bus route is direct to my work from there. I don't know much about it, but it seems to have things to do and restaurants. I can't see a supermarket on the map though, so maybe it would be local shops and then an online order?

We are on a small island in the middle of the sea, so we wanted to live near the sea, for the view, walks, swimming and other water activities ... and it should be more quiet and relaxed than the center, but offer necessary infrastructure.
2 min to the next market, 5 min to the restaurants, 5 min to the beach, 5 min to the countryside, 10 min to the next large supermarket ... and it's very quiet during the night.

I also like Zurrieq, Zebbug, Siggiewi, Dingli, Naxxar, Gharghur, Manikata, Mellieha ... but they all cannot offer what I'm looking for to live there. I go there quite often, but I prefer my fishing village. This is my preference, others have focus on other things.

And yes, if you live "remote", sooner or later you will buy a car or scooter
Marsascala to St. Julians takes 25-30 min with the scooter, parking included, Marsacala to Cirkewwa 45 minutes - try to beat this with a bus 

You can live wherever you want on the island, you only have to choose the right means of transport to commute.

felinefine81 wrote:

... and then an online order?

If you manage to be at home when the delivery man comes ... they have the habbit, not to turn up as agreed ... how much time I've wasted to wait for a delivery ...