Why I Love Living in San José, Costa Rica

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I stand out in front of my house. Over the rooftops I see beautiful mountains dotted with houses and other small buildings. Then a car drives by with one of the local soccer teams’ flags out the window. I shout to him my approval of his choice of soccer team, and he gives me a thumbs-up. As I go inside the house, I read a part of the newspaper giving a brief description of a performance put on by a musical group from China that I am planning to go to in the evening.

I love San José, Costa Rica because of the scenery, the friendliness of the people, the diversity of available activities, and most of all because I have lived here for sixteen years, and it is my home.

In San José there are a myriad of culturally diverse activities. Groups come from all over the world to perform in the National Theatre, in the Melico Salazar Theatre, or even for free in churches or outdoors. For example, several years ago the famous Italian opera singer Pavarotti came to perform at the National Stadium.

The great thing about living in San José is that many of the places where these groups perform are close and accessible enough to be reached by car or by the easy and dependable public transportation. Also there is plenty of incredible Costa Rican architecture to see; the National Theatre is a work of art in and of itself, filled with paintings and sculptures, and the many churches are points of interest too. The cultural diversity in San José is stunning, from wonderful plays and astounding music groups to superb architecture.

For people not as interested in the types of activities mentioned above there are plenty of other awesome things to do. In San José there are many malls filled to the brim with stores of all sorts and movie theatres showing the same movies that play in the United States, at a fraction of the cost.

In one of the malls there is even a VIP movie theatre where the seats are reclining chairs, and the movie attendants will bring food to the viewers. Also there are plenty of places to skateboard, parks equipped with basketball courts and soccer fields, and even a place to zip line in La Sabana Park. San José is just filled with incredible things to do, whether you like cultural activities or other pastimes.

Another wonderful thing about San José is the people. I love to start conversations with people about soccer teams. If I see someone in a soccer jersey of the team I like, and I tell him how much I like his shirt, the next thing I know we are having a full conversation about the championship.

The people are very friendly, and most try to help as much as possible. If a senior citizen or a pregnant woman gets on the bus, a young man will get up to give him or her his spot. The people are also very willing to give directions to someone who is lost that asks them for help. The old-fashioned value of relationships is still alive in San José, so people are very friendly.

There is wonderful scenery in San José. In the parks there are beautiful, tall, graceful trees that provide shade to the benches where people sit. No matter where you are in the Central Valley, beautiful mountains always surround you.

The best thing is that even though San José is not right in the jungle or on the beach, it is very close to both. Beaches are very accessible with the closest being about ninety minutes away. The jungle and tropical rain forest are also about an hour or two away. The landscape in San José and the surrounding area is very beautiful and accessible.

Costa Rica, especially San José, is a wonderful place to live. There are many things to do. If you like artsy things and cultural diversity, there is plenty in San José. If you like other kinds of activities, there are malls with movie theatres and stores. The people are friendly, so whether you know them or not you still feel a sense of camaraderie. Costa Rica’s capital with its astounding scenery is very close to other beautiful sights. San José, my home, is great.

Written by Daniel M, a young man who was born in Pennsylvania, USA in 1991, and has lived in San Jose, Costa Rica since he was two and a half months old.

Andrew Makarik

to@welovecostarica.com

Andrew Makarik is the main editor of WeLoveCostaRica, a fan of this sunny country. He is also a loving husband and a has a lovely daughter. By being a devoted family man and the biggest Costa Rica fan, he wants to make more people feel at home there. WeLoveCostaRica unites people and helps them find new home or a new travel destination. This website is a friendly community where everyone can find not only information, but also new friends and travel pals. Andrew is also passionate about IT and programming, so he himself maintains a friendly atmosphere in this cozy environment of WeLoveCostaRica.com.