Good Location to live - city or closer to coast?
 

Hi

Im moving to Manilla this Aug....I haven't got a clue where to start looking for a place to live.

Ill be moving out with my 5 year old daughter and my partner. We are very fond of the coast and have always wanted to live near the coast, but would that be reccomendable in Manilla??

Which are the best areas in the city? I need to be near expats and a good school.

Any info would be appreciated....

Thank You

Vina

Re: Good Location to live - city or closer to coast?
 

Some of the poorest people in the Philippines earn their living by fishing and they don't particularly care about the beach....its their dustbin!
Beautiful pictures of white sand and blue water but you would need to buy an expensive apartment in a resort or luxury house in a private coastal subdivision like "Canyon Cove" to experience the nice things. Another way would be find a clean beach in the middle of nowhere but it wouldn't do you much good with school requirement.
At the end of the day it depends how much you have in the bank ;)

Re: Good Location to live - city or closer to coast?
 

I have heard the the beaches out by Cavite are reasonably clean, If you want to move away from Mannilla. Cagayan De Oro city is quite pleasant, I spent a month there last year and intend to retire there ......God willing

Re: Good Location to live - city or closer to coast?
 

Another consideration is for your little girl and who will be her friends :frown:

Live amongst nice people and she will hopefully bring nice children home to play with. Bear in mind also that children friendships will mean contact with the adult parents/family and choosing a scruffy area could be embarrassing.:o

I've noticed that some well heeled school children seem proper little snobs when seen in large companies ie SM malls. Something you cannot explain to children who see a fun friend as just that fun.

Re: Good Location to live - city or closer to coast?
 

Traffic in Manila is a nightmare, don't choose an area too far from the places you need to get to regularly. I went to the international school when it was next to bel air village, took me 5 minutes not even to get to school. My friends outside of town could use more than an hour to get there on a good day.

I would personally not recommend the seaside in manila..serious pollution.

There are a number of gated communities with big expat populations in central makati and quezon city. Rents are not cheap though.

Re: Good Location to live - city or closer to coast?
 

What is the best way to find rental properties in Manila? Most sites list only a few properties and mostly in tower blocks.
I would only want a house in a gated community. Are there any areas favoured by ex-pat UK citizens?
And if the man's wife was a Filipino, does it cause 'social problems' (i.e is snobbery and social division a feature of the ex-pat community)?
It does seem odd that huge rents are required for properties in such a poor country.

Re: Good Location to live - city or closer to coast?
 

I took a house in Bulua for 6mnths last year and only paid P4500 (NZ$125) per mnth rent. Granted it wasn't in Mannilla or a gated sub division, but it was a very pleasant little house and I was treated with respect the whole time and so was my wife, Although initially I was "The Americano" lol, it does pay to look around though.

Re: Good Location to live - city or closer to coast?
 

Its the well known saying, location location. You pick the area and have to apy the going rate. Admittedly many poor people but also others who are working in jobs and can afford to live better. You will find that the houses accommodate large families.
Transport and accessibility are also important, no one wants to walk around in 30 odd degrees. Tower blocks will be on aircon and they don't come cheap power users.
Public transport is not expensive so better to live on the outskirts of the city and commute each day. LRT or busses, avoid the Jeepneys:eek:

Re: Good Location to live - city or closer to coast?
 

Rule #1: Anywhere away from your wife's family is good! ;)

I've lived in Zambales for ten years. The scenery is beautiful, and the beaches are clean. The locals are friendly and honest, and the schools are good (by Filipino standards!). Broadband and satellite TV are available. There are plenty of ex-pats to talk to, but no foreigner girlie bars outside of Olongapo/Subic. :thumbup:
My wife is from a city, but she would never move back.

Re: Good Location to live - city or closer to coast?
 

Check out http://www.buyandsellph.com/

As for gated communities, I would advise Forbes Park or San Lorenzo Village both in Makati. These two are within the city and even if you don't have a car, taxis are very easy to come by even at odd hours.

If you prefer south of Manila, you can opt to stay in Ayala Alabang Village which is a little bit inconvenient if you don't have a car since taxis prefer not to travel in south metro.

Re: Good Location to live - city or closer to coast?
 

Coastal residences in Manila is a little complicated. Why not try Subic Bay instead? ;) Just joking. Just make sure to stay away from pollution-thick coastal areas and you'll be fine.

Re: Good Location to live - city or closer to coast?
 

Kudos to that. This is actually a region where you can see a burst of stars at night.

Re: Good Location to live - city or closer to coast?
 

Cebu City is a few minutes away from nice beach resorts.

Re: Good Location to live - city or closer to coast?
 

It is very important to live in your chosen area for at least a year to experience the everyday life before paying for something more permanent.
We discovered what seemed like a nice quiet barangy close to a town and had a place built on a beach lot very central, in fact across from a busy sari sari store.
Friendly locals and gorgeous sunsets from our balcony. I built some plywood boats (www.pinoyboats.net) and we had a good time for a couple of years.
.......BUT... the standard of living with the local people left much to be desired and we couldn't stick it, think that initially we looked on the bright side and tried to ignore the rough bits, even living at the beach house only at the weekends the situation got on our nerves. Very secure because we were friendly with all the locals and helped with teaching the poor kids.
Selling the place brought some monied Filipinos because my website photos looked enticing and we had it built by an English builder to high specs. Once they saw the mediate surroundings they never returned. We made a loss quite obviously but put it down to experience.
There are sights that you (or your friends) don't need to be exposed to in your retirement dream home. ....and the noises !! :eek: