Digital Nomad Stories

The Best Neighborhood In The World To Live

• Anne Claessen • Season 2 • Episode 156

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Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live in the world's coolest neighborhood? Buckle up, because we're taking you on a captivating journey through the energetic streets of Medellin, Colombia. 

This episode is a goldmine of insider tips, so if you're a digital nomad or dreaming of becoming one, prepare to be inspired!

Connect with Kendra:

Speaker 1:

Hey Nomads, welcome to Digital Nomad Stories, the podcast. My name is Anne-Klaassen and, together with my co-host, kendra Hasse, we interview digital nomads. Why? Because we want to share stories of how they did it. We talk about remote work, online business, location and dependency, freelancing, travel and, of course, the digital nomad lifestyle. Do you want to know more about us and access all previous episodes? Visit digitalnomadsdoriesco. Alright, let's go into today's episode.

Speaker 2:

Welcome to Digital Nomad Stories, the podcast. My name is Kendra and I'm your host today. And today I'm happy to share some insights about media here, because the time out just announced that currently the world's coolest neighbor to live is Medellin, in Colombia, and I'm here. So I thought it's an amazing opportunity to just share with you some insights why it could be like this, like what is the amazing thing about Medellin and how I'm experiencing it. So first you might hear some more background noises today. That's because of just authentic Medellin nowadays. So I'm recording this episode in one of the co-working cafes and that is the first fact. It's like this vibrant neighborhood, so it's difficult to find a quiet place, but at the same time, that's a beauty behind it where we'll come later. So just to give you like the authentic experience. So, first of all, why could it be and I was reading a little bit about it. The time out says it's like this late back atmosphere, so it's like relaxing. Also here it's like chilled, cozy. It's like in a huge city, but you feel like the neighborhood is a huge city, but you feel like in a little town, I would say like in a little village, and on the same time, it's like super vibrant, animated. You have like this local flavor. That's what I love so much. It's because, like this local people here, they are like always smiling, talking loudly and singing, so you always hear noises, but that's like this, this happiness that's in there. You know, there's vibrant energy. So it's like this. Next, because, on the one hand, you have like more, more international people here, but still it's not this internationalized neighborhood. You still have this traditional Colombian traditions, for example, fruit sellers, like men who are walking with their little carry-on box, let me say, around the street wanting to sell avocados, mangoes, papaya, banana, and you still see like a lot of local people on the street, whereas, for example, in Bogolado, another neighborhood in Colombia, you see a lot of international people. So if you prefer this, then you go there.

Speaker 2:

But let's go a little bit more into detail. So what you might also ask, first, as a due to know whether it's like this working environment, right, like this remote working, and here, yeah, what I said is like always a little bit noisy, but for sure you can also find reworks where you can rent your phone booths, whatever, to have a silent surrounding. But what is like really beautiful here is like more and more co-working coffees are popping up. So a lot of beautiful coffees. And what I love about it, it's not so just white or black, it's like a lot of green. The city is so green, so it's full of plants, of flowers, and this vibe you find in the coffees, and there you always see people working or meeting for a coffee, reading a book. So it's a perfect place if you like to go to nice coffee places Just enjoying, for example, the taste of coffee, because it's also one thing.

Speaker 2:

Colombia is the country for amazing coffee and one more local coffees are selling local, fairly traded, organic coffee and it tastes amazing, not comparable with the coffee you get in the supermarket. So this is one thing. And also the internet connection is quite good for Colombia, so you can really rely on the internet if you need it. I don't know like I'm not a programmer, but for the work I do in the computer it's quite okay. So yeah, so there you have, like just in Lauderdale, I could name you 20 coffee places where you can go see it work.

Speaker 2:

For example, right now in Wuhan, I just opened three months ago and they are having really a coffee farm in close by, like two hours in the mountains for Medellin and here they sell their authentic coffee and when you're sitting in the garden they have all these coffee plants. Then you have simiakow working where you really are, so on to self, with sort of people working, yeah. Then you have, for example, naturalia Cafe where you also get like healthy lunch, healthy serve. So it's like whatever you want you can find here and if you have any question and coffee you can always reach out to me. Then, besides the working, the safety right.

Speaker 2:

So I feel it's a neighborhood where I walk around super relaxed. I just got a bike because I'm from Germany and what I love and what I'm missing when I'm living as a normal I don't know is going to other places, is going by bike wherever I want. So I highly appreciate cities where I just can use my bike as a transportation, and Lauderdale is a perfect neighborhood for it and because it has so many biking rail also cycling roads, and I just got to use bike for 80 bucks and it's like super good. So it's also a thing that's going more here, like people going by bike, and it's for me it's also an amazing opportunity because then you're not stuck in the traffic jam and although you can all the time get them over here, it's easy or no real.

Speaker 2:

It's also everything walking distance, so you can really just walk, going by bike, taking a cab and feeling safe. Obviously, I mean, we are in Colombia so you need to have your precautions and you have to also have a gut feel, but it's in general life. I feel safe, yeah, and there's then like the beauty also is like when you walk around this neighborhood. When you bike around this neighborhood, you see all this green plants, this beautiful flowers, the people selling all the fruits, so it's like also colorful green and it feels like a holiday walking around the city, right, so it's like beautiful. And also beside this you have parks here If you want to climb and live it down. So just 20 minutes walking from here, you have Parque Estu de Rio. It's a little artificial park now and next to the river where you also just can sit to check your book, and from there you have a nice view on the mountains. Another thing I love about it is that you are like millions of cities surrounded by the mountains and at night you see, like the mountains, all these lights there, all this beautiful flavor With this the weather, obviously, if it's a green city, it's raining, right, but the rain it's like maybe one hour, really two hours, and then the sun comes out again. The people here call it like the city of the internal spring and like this it is. You know, it's like I mean like around 23 degrees, so it's always like a comfortable climate. Sometimes it's raining, sometimes it's sunny, but it's like yeah, it's like, really I would say, a great mixture Not too hot, not too cold. One thing where also this neighborhood is so vibrant here you have the city called Las Atenas, so the 17th Avenue, and there's like nightlife. So there you have this typical Colombian dance where people drink beer, guadientes, but also all those dance schools and little dance bars where you can, if you're into them, if you want to learn it or if you already danced it salsa, bachata, tzu, kitsumba so every night you find on the street a possibility to learn to dance, like dance classes, and afterwards the so-called socials. So socials are you just go and every song you can dance with a different person, so you really learn dancing and you enjoy also dancing. And then usually at some point there's like a little dance show, like for 10 minutes a couple who really dances amazingly like Chateau Sars showing their show, and this is personally something I really enjoy, because for me it's like this is what I also searching when I'm going to a city having this possibility to also dance. So you're working the entire day, but then you don't need to fear this feeling of missing out or being stressed like after work. You just dance a little bit and you can relieve the stress and start the next morning again.

Speaker 2:

And what I love then doing is going to the gym sports or meditate. And there's also amazing in Lauderdale because here you have a variety of possibilities due to sports. You have crossfit gyms, you have functional training gyms, you have yoga studios, you have normal gyms, you can even go for one. Here's also the stadium where you can see a lot of soccer games, but besides that, there you have the pool, you have volleyball, you have tennis courts. You see people in the local and that's full of locals having a one-bed taking their bike and locals going by bike to exercise, or they are like open air sumba classes, so you can really find your way to exercise here. And also the yoga studios are beautiful that are opening up, and also the crossfit gyms are really good, high quality and, as I just said, locust.

Speaker 2:

One thing I really also mentioned already in the beginning, but one thing I really love about this neighborhood, lauderdale, is this co-living and co-creation and collaboration of locals and internationalites. So it's not that you are like in a caffeine and they are just internationalites or just locals. Like the locals are happy to meet the international people, they are open to learn new cultures. They are super-entersed also in learning to speak English. Also, if they cannot, they really try to communicate with you and they always try to help you so that you feel comfortable, that you feel safe, that you feel at home here, they say, like this Mikasa is the gaza, so my house is your house.

Speaker 2:

And also I also lived in other digital nomad areas, for example, san Marcos in Guatemala, where you just where it's like super divided locals with internationalites, or you maybe need a certain period of time there, but this is what I really appreciate here. Also in the events, like in the socials, I said, like the dances at night you get, you see, like international people who want to learn, who already dance, and the locals who just can dance amazingly, from whom you can learn a lot when you dance with them, and so also that's a way to make local friends, right. Besides this, then, dancing sports, where it's like this mixture. What I currently observe, what is really, really growing in Medellin, is all this conscious, mindful event seen. So here, like every week, like now you can find possibilities to go to a woman's circle, to a man's circle, conscious dances, like ecstatic dance, kakao ceremony this weekend is a full moon, so a lot of full moon activities like yoga, full moon kirtan, this music, singing, journaling, workshops, work, sound healing, amazing massages, family constellations, like whatever you are looking for you find here. Or also like connecting events, like just having authentic conversations with other, with locals and nomads.

Speaker 2:

I just went this week. It's called Foxy Small Talk. You find it in several areas around the world, in different cities, and they have said you meet each other and you are not talking about ah, where are you from, but maybe, for example, what really makes you feel alive, so you generate the creepers of printed relationships. And I laughed. We were like 50%, 50% locals, 50% International. You know it's trying to talk English, international is trying to talk Spanish, so it was really like this heart to heart meetings. Also, I'm organizing the women's events.

Speaker 2:

I already would forecast and I see the trend that medellin is also becoming a hotspot for conscious events. And then also like because of the surroundings of medellin, so that's not about the neighborhood but the surrounding so many cute villages, little towns within, like this, green, majestic mountains, with rivers, with waterfalls. So one thing I don't like so much about medellin is that everything in the ocean I love to swim, or with us, but then I just take a bus that leaves every hour to one of the villages nearby, one or two hours, and then they are amazing, beautiful, with us, or waterfalls, you can swim, wait and just relax the day. And yeah, that's amazing. At least think if I forgot something.

Speaker 2:

Maybe I just coming back to this because one when I was reading about why medellin was nominated as this or became this world's coolest neighborhood, I also read that because the stadium is here and it's cool when Columbia is playing or the local football club or another one. You hear like the people partying, you see the fireworks and usually you get a ticket to join it and it's a huge adventure.

Speaker 2:

it's an amazing experience to join one of the local football soccer game here. So this is also one food.

Speaker 2:

Maybe it's another topic, because what I really like about laurinus is also this variety of restaurants, because it's not just like, for example, here in Bovallado, where you have all these expensive international restaurants that are charging. I mean Columbia is affordable, right, still, clearly it's like way cheaper than Europe, but it's like not that cheap anymore as one year ago. So also the prices are going up a little bit. But for example Bovallado you have those fancy restaurants.

Speaker 2:

I mean you can go there just 15 minutes by cab if there's a traffic jam, and but here in Laurelis you have this mixture, yes, these fancy restaurants, but also you find like local food, local fast food. You know those little corners where you can buy bananas, palito de queso, arapahiere, you know shuris, so just to name a few and like you find local food, like when there's a pizza, it's like this typical, like beans with pork, belly, fried egg rice. I mean it's like super heavy, you cannot eat it so much, but sometimes you can find it. But then, if you're going to be vegetarian, healthy food, there are so many amazing restaurants and they sell, for example, the plate of the day, the menu of the day for lunch, and this is really affordable. It's with entwins main dish and then it is served a juice, a fresh fruit juice. What's also like the beauty here, all these fresh fruits and, yeah, this you can also find in. Then also the health stores, where you can get all your good ingredients for preparing healthy food.

Speaker 2:

Like the first time I was in Colombia, 2014, I was lacking a little bit some possibilities to not have too heavy food, and this has completely changed. Like here in the stores, you can get whatever you want. So another thing where I started talking about was like the prices. Now that might also be something interesting for you. So, for example, going to a social at night costs you two euros.

Speaker 2:

Having a lunch like this menu I told you is like five euros. Having a super fancy dinner at night can be under 15 euros, but still it's like going to Poblalia, the neighborhood like this five euros. So it's still on the thought of. And, for example, for my gym, for a really cool crossfit studio, I am paying 60 euros per month. So you know that it's like you just need to see. It depends, like maybe now for you think about tenorets, but she did just because before one year ago it was like 30% less. So that's why it's also because of the change rate what is increasingly in the crisis housing. So, as more and more people want to live now in Loreles, obviously the apartments are less. There's a high demand, so the prices are raising, but on the same time, more and more co-living are opening, so more and more places are opening where you can find it.

Speaker 2:

Here's also Airbnb, but also Viko, for example. It's a cheaper platform to find apartments. There are so many Facebook groups, so where people rent houses. So I think, depending on your budget, you will find something. You can find an amazing loft or you can afford a room in a shared apartment whatever you need. Yeah, I think this is the most important thing and I will not make this episode too long, so it's really just to give you some quick insights. When you plan to come to Medellin, text me. It's like my home base. I will be here for the next months now, and also the Facebook groups here are working really well, for example, experts in medicine or female entrepreneurs' medicine. There you can find something.

Speaker 2:

Now, when I said female entrepreneurs, I might have touched on the point that, obviously, if you're not so much into the conscious event but in building your business, in being with other entrepreneurs, that's also a hotspot. I mean, you have so many networking events and the beautiful thing is here, I feel, people are supporting each other. So if you're coming with a project society, our business or if you're already super advanced in your business and you just want to work remotely or show people in your solutions, he has an open mind, that mindsets, so people love it or welcome it to see other people advancing in their projects, helping each other. You find lovely connecting events so that's also an opportunity For me, for example, hosting kind of these events. You also find places you can rent. So, yeah, maybe to not make it like too much a dream and just thinking about honestly from my heart, what do I not like about living in Lauderdale-Ness? The first thing that comes to mind I love it because I'm this vibrant person the noise. So in case you feel you really need your wealth, you cannot have so much noise at night. You just search like an apartment that's a little bit in the outside of your work Lauderdale-Ness, and maybe then you ensure that you have good internet connection at home and you just work from there. And for me, obviously missing the ocean, if you like, super-notion-lower, but the West it's all good. You also have one central comission, so a huge warehouse. I mean more like all the international stores, like Levi's, h&m, whatever they're not in Lauderdale-Ness but in other neighborhoods, but you can go there if you need to buy stuff like this. So I really like for myself.

Speaker 2:

To sum it up for me, I recommend it fully to the people. I really feel at home here, because I feel safe. I feel I can be authentically me, and that's beautiful, because people appreciate you, how it shows you are. You can really do what you find events depending on your character. You find what you need and you can create your everyday life based on your needs, what you want to do, and this is something I really really appreciate that I can really create here my routine, that I need to feel for the most and shine my light, right? Yes, so, having said this, I hope to see you here and, yeah, which out to me if you have any question. I hope it was useful for you, I'll be back.

Speaker 1:

And that's it for today. Thank you so much for listening. I appreciate it very, very much. I would appreciate it even more if you could leave a review on Apple Podcasts for me. That way, more people can find this podcast, more people can hear the inspiring stories that we're sharing, and the more people we can impact for the better. So, thank you so much if you are going to leave a review. I really appreciate you and I will see you in the next episode.