Thread: Best place to live

If you are white American with children, where would you like to live in the Panama, EXCEPT the Panama City?

What is this, a popularity poll? How do you imagine the responses will be useful?
E.g., if you asked the same question about the US, and 2 people say "Denver" and 3 say "Seattle" and 4 say "Tampa," what have you learned?

If, on the other hand, you are still trying to figure out where YOU should live, then start by creating a list of what's important to you -- then we can maybe give you a more narrow shopping list of locations that could work for you. See http://www.panamaforum.com/living-pa...uirements.html (Where To Live With These Requirements)

Then, stop trying to do all this research online and get yourself down here, for at least 2 weeks, and tour the places that sounded good to you in cyberspace. (I also get the impression you've not yet read any books. Buy the Moon Guide to Panama, and read it. Every page.)

a perfect answer!

I want to focus on some region ,for example where are the best schools

Outside of Panama City you may want to look at Chitre? I think there is a private school. For the most part Panama City would be the best.

Define "best schools." Does it need to be bilingual? Or are you willing to put your kids in a Spanish-only school? And, what grade levels are we talking about?

I just prefer Panama City.

I want to focus on some region ,for example where are the best schools

Like virtually every place in the world, the best schools follow the largest population -- it's simply supply and demand. Good schools require money, and that means they need paying students, and that means they need a demographic that's sufficiently large to pay enough of those tuitions.

So, Panama City has the best schools -- but you said you don't want to be there.
Second best schools will be found in David, because it is the second-largest city (about 300K people).

From your previous posts, it appears you want a more "natural" sort of environment. Therefore, I would suggest looking at areas just outside of David -- you can find affordable, quiet, semi-isolated places that are still within 15- or 20-minute drive.

However, there are not a lot of ex-pats in David, and not a lot of rich people -- and those are the ones who fund high-quality bilingual schools. So, when I say schools in David are 2nd to Panama City, I mean that they're a distant 2nd.

There's a large ex-pat community (and money) in Boquete, about 30 minutes from David, but I don't *think* that's the kind of place you're looking for. And the vast majority of those ex-pats don't have school-age children.

PS: Keep in mind, some people think the climate in David is too hot -- so you might try to head up in the hills a bit, where the elevation creates some cooling.

I want to focus on some region ,for example where are the best schools

Like virtually every place in the world, the best schools follow the largest population -- it's simply supply and demand. Good schools require money, and that means they need paying students, and that means they need a demographic that's sufficiently large to pay enough of those tuitions.

So, Panama City has the best schools -- but you said you don't want to be there.
Second best schools will be found in David, because it is the second-largest city (about 300K people).

From your previous posts, it appears you want a more "natural" sort of environment. Therefore, I would suggest looking at areas just outside of David -- you can find affordable, quiet, semi-isolated places that are still within 15- or 20-minute drive.

However, there are not a lot of ex-pats in David, and not a lot of rich people -- and those are the ones who fund high-quality bilingual schools. So, when I say schools in David are 2nd to Panama City, I mean that they're a distant 2nd.

There's a large ex-pat community (and money) in Boquete, about 30 minutes from David, but I don't *think* that's the kind of place you're looking for. And the vast majority of those ex-pats don't have school-age children.

PS: Keep in mind, some people think the climate in David is too hot -- so you might try to head up in the hills a bit, where the elevation creates some cooling.

I don't know from first hand experience, but an expat contact of ours apparently has her kids in a private school in Penenome. She says it is excellent and it sound very inexpensive. This is a nice and popular area, and really close to the beaches. A little too secluded for me, but if you don't want the city, this is close but quiet and remote. She actually lives at Playa Blanca (close to the resort) and didn't express any issues about getting the kids to school.

I think Panama City is the best choice since it is having the largest Expat population. Since I am not married, I have never thought about settling down here... But if I ever decide to make Panama my home, then I will go for Panama City. Boquete and Penenome also seems like good choices.

Any comments on the Arraijan ? I have my eye on mini farm there, it is close to the Panama city…