Just got back and am more confused

I'm guessing by theatre you mean movie, is that correct?  If you mean actual theatre productions unless you want to attend the expat productions there won't be any professional productions, unless you stay in PC.

There is a movie theatre in David in the Chiriqui province. 

Check out viviun.com, encuerta24.com, http://boqueteforsale.com/ - (there are only 3 of them over 20 real estate companies in this one area of Panama)

I don't suggest you actually buy anything in Panama until you live there 6 months.  And then only buy the property through the government of Panama (when you are ready I have a contact who does this and only this since he's been cheated several times by regular realtors).

If you want to see property in Las Tablas/Pedasi contact Tedd at Panama Equity Realestate.  He's a young American expat who lives there.

Not sure what you were expecting out of Panama. It is a third world country.  There are just pockets of places where expats are building communities and hoping to live like they do in the States in Panama (Coronado is one of those places).  There are 10,000 expats in Boquete for example.

There has also been a rash of crime happening between Gorgona and Rio Hato.  If you want detailed links to reports and crime in certain areas let me know.  The beach areas are being targeted right now. 

Panama is an allure for people because its cost of living is low.  We rented for $300 a month and then did grocery's for $300 a month so we lived there for $600 a month.  Can't do that in the US, but we also lived like a local.  And that's a whole different ball game. 

Remember, the locals are still living on less than $600 a month in income.  Malnutrition is rising among the locals.  There are no food stamps in Panama or unemployment insurance so if you have nothing, you have nothing. 

littlejon wrote:

Just got back from my first trip to Panama to see what "places" I might like to think about retiring to.  I stayed in Casco Viejo and found it comfortable.  However, it seems it's also the most expensive place to buy in Panama, but also the best investment.  In my original thinking, I really thought Panama City, being as large as it is, would have me finding neighborhoods with theatre, restaurants etc.  and though it does, it wasn't what I was imagining.  So that now leads me to think of moving further from the city to get more for my money as housing in the city does not give much "bang for the buck".
Unfortunately during this trip I was unable to make it to Las Tablas, Playa Blanca or other areas on the outskirts.  Does anyone have information on these areas regarding size of town/city, size of expat community and entertainment options, theatre, restaurants, shopping.
In general I didn't fall in love with Panama, yet didn't hate it either.  I found some beauty and saw a lot of garbage also, so having some thoughts as to if this is right for me.
CMichael- thanks for the info about Casco Viejo and El Cangrejo....actually liked both best of all I saw and happened to drive through Il Chorillo a couple of times (got lost)....all I can say is WOW, and I'm from New York City, you would think I would have been hardened to such neighborhoods.

Hey Jon,

I'm sorry to hear it wasn't what you expected. I was actually talking to my wife about you today on the drive home (after picking her up from work). I was telling her that I wasn't surprised by your findings. Although Panama City has definitely cleaned up and modernized since my first visit (12 years ago), it's still missing quite a bit. It's not Chicago, where you can literally walk out your front door any night of the week, and just walk into a live stage play (or theater). There's an expat group that puts on live plays here quite often. I know they did a live version of Reservoir Dogs not too long ago and they're pretty active. Here's their site. www.anconguild.com/

I think there's a theater group in Boquete too.

Here, you kind of have to know where you're going if you want to go anywhere or find anything. Casco Viejo kind of has its own central entertainment area, but in Panama City, you won't just walk along and bump into stuff. First of all, it's not really a walking town. The sidewalks are horrible here for the most part. Second, everything is kind of confined to certain areas. So if you want nightclubs, you go to Calle Uruguay or Zona Viva on the Causeway. If you want casinos (although they're everywhere here) you go to the Via Veneto area. And advertising here sucks. So, you might have missed some really cool shows while in town, but didn't know you missed them.

Il Divo came here for a concert, and I found out at the last second, too late to buy tickets, because I happened to see a billboard on the side of a building. I had no idea they were here and my wife absolutely loves them. Another example, an old co-worker of my wife, who we haven't seen in a long time, turned up the other day when I was checking out The Visitor magazine. If you've never seen The Visitor, it's a free magazine that keeps expats up to date on all things Panama. I was checking out their events section yesterday, and saw that my wife's old co-worker was the host of a Burlesque theater show and party that took place on Valentine's Day. That probably would have been a cool show to check out.

So there are things to do here, but it's not New York City or Chicago.

You mentioned seeing the garbage. Yeah, that's something that's slowly getting better. And again, that depends on what area you visit. Costa del Este, on the outskirts of the city, is what I consider to be the Wellington, Florida, of Panama. It's extremely clean, all condos and high-end homes. Of course, Chorrillo, which you mentioned, is nasty for the most part.

I can't stress enough, and I apologize if I didn't emphasize this when I wrote you before you took your trip, it's really hard to see the true beauty and opportunity Panama presents, without leaving the city.

If you really want the bang for your buck, in my opinion, you won't find it in Panama City. However, once you leave the city, it is small town Panama. Some of the small towns are still third-world. El Valle is a clean, mountain community, that to me feels too much like a resort town to call home, but it's beautiful. I've mentioned Pedasi a number of times. It has an awesome expat community (not all American), but it's small town. It's like the Mayberry of Panama. Altos del Maria is a mountain area that I've never had the chance to visit, but everyone I know who has been there, loved it. Coronado is the most expat-friendly beach town in Panama, but you're not going to find theaters and museums and ballet and opera. Boquete is the most expat-thick mountain area, and like I mentioned, they have a small theater troupe, but again, it's small town. It has a lot going for it compared to some others, but if you want the hustle and bustle of the city, you're not going to find it anywhere other than the city. Not here in Panama. David is the closest thing to Panama City you'll find, and it's still not PC. Las Tablas is probably one of the cheapest and friendliest towns, but it's one of the most third-world too. When I say third-world, I don't mean you won't find high-speed internet, but you also won't find an LA Fitness, Whole Foods, and oftentimes even a McDonalds.

Man...sum it up, to get the most bang out of your buck, you'll want to find a small town in Panama that has what you want/need. Then, just travel into Panama City when you want a night on the town. Panama City has a lot going on, a lot that I'm still discovering after nearly 4 years here, but Panama City's number one problem from a tourism standpoint, is it's still very much who you know and what they know. You have to get out, meet people, read all the magazines and newspapers available, read these blogs, visit the new restaurants, etc.

I just found out from a magazine that there's a cafe in Casco Viejo that plays independent movies every Tuesday night. How cool is that? I'd love to sit, have a beer, eat a little something, and watch a movie...not in an actual movie theater.

Chris

Hi Chris,
thanks for the input....Please don't think my trip was anything but totally enjoyable and not disappointing at all.  I guess by seeing pictures of Panama City with it's impressive skyline, I was surprised to see so many small structures tucked among the glass towers. And being a city boy, I should be used to seeing garbage in the streets.  The biggest confusion (for us) is that my partner and I are trying to imagine what our needs and wants will be as retired people 6 to 10 years from now.  We vacillate from saying we want a view of the water (not necessarily waterfront, just a view)  to saying a cityscape is cool and walkable.  We live in the city now and don't get to theatres (movie or live) often at all, so is the need for them later on just an aspiration of mine.? On top of our wants (and needs) lies the necessity of renting out our purchase for the duration until we actually can use our place.  That leans us towards the City.  Honestly we both like El Cangrejo and Casco Viejo a lot!!!  I liked the neighborhood and walkability of Cangrejo and well Casco Viejo,  the restaurants and plaza's were exceptional, along with the architecture.  I loved that they were bringing the cinta Cintero (is that right) up to Casco Viejo since I can see myself taking a very long walk or bike ride along the water from Viejo to the other end of the city.  Funny you mentioned Altos Del Maria,  the other couple we traveled with looked there so we got to see the area....very pretty and amazing views, but a little too suburban for my liking.  I was confused with Coronado...Being a large expat community, I couldn't find a main road or street through it and we ended up on this back road that was EXTREMELY rough and torn up.  Because of this, I don't think I got the real picture of Coronado, but the other couple drove and none of us really knew where we were going.  They mentioned an area called Playa Blanca,  what are your thoughts on that area??
Anyway, we hooked up with a realtor and I think we're focusing on the areas mentioned above; Cangrejo and Viejo.  My opinion is that Viejo is a better investment as to the amount of work being done there.   I see another trip in the future to get a better handle on it.  Now that I have a vision of Panama, I can make the next trip more with my eyes open as I will know what to expect.  Thanks again for the information and assistance and we have a feeling that in ten years Chorillo will be a demand real estate area.  I just found it funny that we were told to avoid the area by you and a few other people.  And we kept driving into it (by mistake)....oh well, at least I can say I saw it.  In fact we ate at a restaurant on 11th and it was fine walking there.  A sure sign that Viejo is expanding.
Jon