Living in Escazu - What is it like? Free online video included.

If it's good enough for some of the most important diplomats in the country, then maybe it's good enough for you too... Many people ask me why I have lived in the different areas and here's why.

I used to live in Trejos Montealegre in Escazu which is situated right off the main highway (pista) that goes from the capital city San Jose out towards Santa Ana and Ciudad Colon.

During rush hour, it can take 30 minutes to drive into the edge of San Jose but I normally plan my appointments so that I'm never travelling during the busiest times. I had enough of that in London and New York City to keep me going for a lifetime - thank you!

So during off-peak hours it normally took me about five minutes to get to the outskirts of San Jose and maybe fifteen minutes in total before I parked my car to go to the National Theatre which is right in the middle of San Jose...

Over the years, I have lived in various parts of Escazu, in a huge apartment in an area called Bello Horizonte, in a 180 year old adobe house in San Antonio de Escazu, a brand new bungalow near Los Antojitos restaurant before moving to Trejos Montealegre, a luxury penthouse apartment near Paco for a year and a half, a luxury home in Puerta de Hierro Santa Ana (sold in May 2008), a rental apartment in Santa Ana and then I bought a lovely new apartment in Rohrmoser on the edge of San Jose.

My home in Trejos Montealegre was a spacious, open four bedroom, three and half shower (there are no baths in my house) home with a small garden at the front and at the back. One feature that I loved about my home is that were three indoor garden areas that are open to the sky. One was off the living room, one was off the dining room and other was just off the hallway to the bedrooms.

There is a huge underground water tank in my back garden, the water pressure was ideal for those back blasting showers and there's always plenty of hot water.

Now you're thinking with all that garden type stuff that my landscaping costs were outrageous... You would be right! I had a three man team that came every 2-3 weeks and for a mere US$25 - they kept the place immaculate. Outrageous, right?

Different areas appeal to different people and although I would prefer to live in the middle of 'nowhere' surrounded only by hills, trees, cows and peace... If I did that, I would not have my cable internet access which is crucial for my businesses...

You can obviously access the internet and try sending emails via the regular telephone line but an athletic carrier pigeon would be quicker. If you plan on spending more than one hour a day online - you must have cable internet or you will probably regret it. Make sure that you ask your real estate agent about that if it's important to you...

Costa Rica Living in Escazu Video: To watch this short video with most footage coming from the Trejos Montealegre area in Escazu, please click on the small white triangular Play button in the middle of the screen below and allow a few seconds for the video to begin.

I am at my computer for a minimum of twelve hours a day so relatively fast internet access is absolutely crucial for me... I pay about $90 per month for 'fast' 256K/512K cable internet through a local company called Amnet (www.amnet.co.cr) You can get faster access in certain areas but, expect to pay more.

I love Trejos Montealegre because it is safe, secure and normally very quiet residential area close to just about everything you could possibly want.

If you want to, you can easily walk to three different supermarkets (Saretto, Perifericos, Mas por Menos), dozens of restaurants and a number of 'fast-food' outlets including TGIFs, McDonalds, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Bagelmans, Rosti Pollos, Tony Roma's, many banks (ScotiaBank, Primerica, Banco Cuscatlan, Banco de Costa Rica, HSBC) and 'Tom-Tom's' my favourite German delicatessen, a brand new 'Hugo Boss' store, a General Electric appliance store and numerous others.

We are also only five minutes away from one of the largest, most modern and certainly most luxurious shopping malls in Central America called MultiPlaza where, you will find all the top-end stores and a terrific multi-screen movie theatre.

The most modern, best equipped hospital in Central America 'CIMA' is literally 500 metres away from Trejos Montealegre.

There are numerous diplomat residencies in Trejos Montealegre in Escazu which should give you a clear indication of the 'highly secure' nature of the area. Please don't dwell on the fact that it's the taxpayers of those countries forking out an obscene amount of money for the staff to live in homes that most people only dream of...

There is a private security company contracted to protect those diplomats and they patrol the area every single hour of the day and night. They will not be protecting your home but this obviously makes the area just a wee bit more secure.

The lowest rent I have heard of in this area is about $400 per month (few and far between) up to about $5,000 per month so there's a wide range of properties. I paid US$950 per month in rent for my house which is a pretty good deal in this neighbourhood. The weather is so gorgeous here that I don't need heating and I don't need air conditioning ever...

There is an excellent, well maintained private swimming pool on my street and about 300 meters away there is a very modern gymnasium called MultiSpa. They have terrific equipment but I really can't stand the 'music to kill people by' that they insist on playing. I have complained but I guess they feel they aren't catering to my age group... (I was 45 at the time)

There are three small park areas in Trejos Montealegre that are ideal for dog walking, your morning 'Tai-Chi' perhaps and one in particular that's ideal for children to play soccer or baseball.

Talking about children there are also many excellent schools within easy driving distance of Escazu:

You can see a list of many of the Private Schools in the Central Valley area here.

Written by Scott Oliver, author of How To Buy Costa Rica Real Estate Without Losing Your Camisa and Costa Rica's Guide To Making Money Offshore.

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