Moving to Lima

[kellyinlima]

Hi Everyone. I am moving to Lima in Nov and can't decide between Miraflores or San Isidro. I'm mid 40s, like tennis, yoga, good restaurants and will need spanish lessons. I'll be renting a furnished apt. Which would be a better neighborhood? Thanks.

[sunflower]

Miraflores and San Isidro are both very good neighborhoods, where you can play tennis, have your yoga and Spanish lessons. I think nobody can decide which district is better for you. And a lot depends on where exactly you live. You should come here and then decide for yourself. Personally I prefer Miraflores. Why? Traffic is horrible nearly everywhere in Lima, but Miraflores still has a real center with everything in walking distance, lots of shops, restaurants, entertainment and all sorts of activities close by. For me it still has a special charm and I feel home. Even though San Isidro has it's beautiful Parque El Olivar, lots of high end restaurants and shops, it's still the financial center of Lima and misses the special something. But that's only my personal opinion.

[Jalapenomel]

Here are the pros/cons lists for me:

Miraflores: more entertainment, easy to walk to bars, restaurants, clubs, lots of tourists, lots of traffic, relatively safe, easy access to taxis and combis

San Isidro: quieter, more upscale, lots of nice restaurants/bars, Lima Golf Course, more of a suburban lifestyle, less traffic, less tourists, less night life, easy access to combis and taxis, relatively safe

[Alejandro]

Try to find a place close to Ovalo Gutierrez (district limit between San Isidro and Miraflores) and you will get the best of both places in a 15 block radius.

Good luck
Alejandro

[kellyinlima]

Thank you for your responses. I will be going there next week to look for a place for nov so I will look around.

[FSolt]

We just moved here last week and chose the area near Ovalo Gutierrez and couldn't be happier. We lived here once before, many years ago with the kids, and lived out in the suburbs. Now we're in the center of everything and I love it.

[jontul]

We will welcome you with open arms when you arrive. I remember when I landed permanently, and it is an exciting time in life. Miraflores and San Isidro are both acceptable for newcomers, but my best experiences in Lima thus far are those when I ventured out (with a Lima resident, of course) to areas outside of those districts. You can live in a "nice" area, but don't forget that there's a whole new world waiting for you here. As for Spanish lessons, I paid a LOT of USDs for them when I got here, but I've learned so much more by just meeting and talking to the residents. They love teaching their language and it will be the speech you need everyday rather than "book learning". Much more practical.

[mayac22]

Hi everyone.
We received the confirmation today from my husband's job about relocating to Lima. Finally!!! We have been waiting for this for a while now. Visited Lima 4 times by now, and love it more and more.
My question is: we do have two German shepherds that we are taking with us, they are big part of our family. I am looking for a place in Miraflores or San Isidro. Will be there in November in person and will have about two weeks to find place. I really want to live in an apartment overlooking an ocean, but my husband thinks they might not let our dogs to live in an apartment. What are the rules there normally? Does depend on an owner or condo rules and regulations? Hope someone can help me figure out small problem. Do we have to live in house with big dogs like that??? Thank you.

Maya

[el conquistador]

I don't understand why people want to live in Miraflores or San Isidro. Like they are the only places in Lima. Those places are dull. People don't greet each other on the street. No markets with a great vibe.
And wherever you go in those areas you have to pay the high gringo rates. Rent, food, water, electricity, arbitrios. It's a tourist (gringo) trap. That's why most Peruvians don't live there.

And when you walk around in S Isidro or Miraflores, every 2 minutes someone yells 'hey, gringo' at you.

And when you walk around Parque Kennedy, someone tries to steal your handbag or wallet, or tries to sell you drugs or begs you for money.

[ehat]

I live in monterrico, but I do see the appeal of living in Miraflores. More stuff to walk out your door to (maybe not supers) but other things like shops and cafes. Having the ocean nearby seems nice too, apart from excess mold. I feel like its also more walking friendly, like strolling friendly. If i strolled where I was I woud be going on a walking tour of strange limeño architecture. I think its also closer to expat activties, so if you want to meet up for coffee or game night, all you do is walk out your door.

On the other hand, I think Miraflores is too packed. I like having the option of choosing whether or not I want to be jostled on the streets by fast walking business people and tourists. I think traffic is horrendous in San Isidro and Miraflores. Rush hour sucks. But it also sucks in la molina. I guess just weigh the pros and cons and know what you are looking for..thats what these forums are for right? helping people make informed decisions....

[kellyinlima]

What street is the Starbucks where you all meet on Monday nights? Maybe I will join you this Monday.

[TonyLeslie]

The address for Starbucks is 718 Av Begonias, adjacent to Scotiabank and across from Tottus.

Just be careful because there are two Starbucks in the same street. If you finish up looking at people coming and going into Ripleys store, then you are at the wrong one. Just cross the street and walk back to where you can see Tottus. We start at 3.00 p.m for a beginners Spanish conversation class with Musiclover and others start arriving from 4.00 p.m. We usually go through to 6.30 - 7.00 p.m and some of our group come after they finish work.

Our core group comes from about 5 different countries and we are always happy to see new faces

[el conquistador]

Our core group comes from about 5 different countries and we are always happy to see new faces

Which are the countries?

[Lloyd007]

Something much cheaper but very close to Miraflores is Magdalena or San Borja.
Magdalena is also on the ocean front and they are doing a lot of things to make it a better and more attractive area than what it has been over the years. It's only about 10 minutes in to Miraflores from there and you can cut your rent in half, easily.
San Borja is also nice and is about 15minutes further inland. Much more residential, but again you can probaly cut your rent in half compared to Miraflores and San Isidro.

On the plus side, Miraflores is ACE and has many more pro's than cons. Sure, it is a bit more expensive, but you know what they say - you get what you pay for. And that is true here, just like anywhere.

[TonyLeslie]

Which are the countries?

The countries are USA, Australia, Canada, England and Sweden with Scotland, New Zealand and Malaysia becoming additional regulars and Peru if you count two of the wives that come after they finish work. We have had many additional people call in from the above mentioned countries as well as from Germany,
Eastern Europe (Can't remember the spelling of that one) and Wales to mention a few.

[Marcole Peru]

Eastern Europe (Can't remember the spelling of that one).

Kyrgyzstan