I love the Big Apple; there is no place like it on earth that I have visited. No other city can hold a stick to it. However, after growing up in New York and living and working as a Chef in the city for many years I felt in my heart, mind and body I needed a change.

I moved around the U.S. a few times, lived and worked in some nice places, but something was always missing. So here are my top 8 reasons I left New York and finally found what I was looking for, Costa Rica.

  1. The Jungle.

    With over 75% of Costa Rica’s land mas being designated as national parks or reserves, there are countless places to explore and see the beautiful wonders of mother nature right here in the is tiny country, smaller than the size of Lake Michigan.

    From tropical rain forests to active volcanos, hiking in the jungle here is so much better than the concrete jungle of New York. Here at least you are dodging plants, bugs and wildlife which can be exciting. Unlike taxis, street con artists, lunatics of all sorts and those pigeons (I used to call rats with wings) that poop everywhere.

  2. The Noise:

    Some people love the loud sounds of cars, trains and honking horns, sometimes it can be exciting but not all the time. The noise of working in a kitchen can be deafening at times, just ask any old chef a question, he may respond, “excuse me can you repeat that a bit louder.”

    Costa Rica offers me the soothing natural sounds of exotic birds chirping and singing their morning songs, or the howler monkeys calling the troupe together, and my all-time favorite is the sound of the waves crashing on the pristine beach of Playa Hermosa, my home town.

  3. The Crowds

    Have you ever walked down Madison Avenue say 5:00 pm on a Friday? There is barely enough room for you, let alone fifty thousand people trying to hurry up to catch the subway.

    I walk to beach at least 4 days a week, I would be lucky to see 20 people most days. A busy beach day there may be 100 people on a mile long stretch of sand. The only time Playa Hermosa would be considered busy, would be Christmas week, but if you compare it to say Jones beach in New York, it would still look deserted

  4. The People

    I love the Costa Rican people, I am sure you have read about how warm, welcoming and friendly Ticos are! Say “Buenos Dias” or good morning to a total stranger in Costa Rica and you will be greeted by a big smile and a salutation of good day back. Now that’s what the world needs.

    I remember walking down Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, as I did many times, making eye contact with the guy heading towards me and I smiled and said good morning, what I got back in response was a sour look and a comment “I am not interested” and he looked the other way and just passed by.

  5. The Traffic Gridlock

    In Guanacaste, gridlock means I am waiting for a small herd of cows to cross the road with a cowboy on horseback moving them along to the next pasture.

    In New York? WOW! It can shut down almost the whole city at once. Now that’s not to say that does not happen in San José, the capital as it does. Hence why I live in Guanacaste and the beach.

    6. My Kind of Costa Rica Traffic Jam.

  6. The Stars

    I am not talking about Hollywood here, have you ever taken a walk on the beach at night in Costa Rica?

    Well I do often as it just amazing to me to look up at the sky see all the beautiful twinkling lights in the heavens. In Manhattan at night I looked up and wondered where the stars are? There is so much light pollution you can hardly see any. Not on a electronic billboard or a lights of Broadway.

  7. The Food

    Now being a retired Chef you would think, I miss all the great restaurants in the Big Apple, and some of the exotic items you can get there. Sometimes I do. But there are a lot of great restaurants here in the area serving fresh wholesome dishes, even the small local sodas (the name for a typical Costa Rica restaurant).

    However, there is nothing better than walking to the beach and buying fresh fish for that night’s dinner right off the boat, caught only hours ago.

    The abundance of natural fresh produce is amazing. Grocery stores? Sure there are seven to go to within an eight mile radius of Playa Hermosa. But I head to the local farmers market on Fridays and get the best quality produce and tropical fruits for the lowest prices.

    What about meat you may be thinking, well there are many great local butchers to get free range beef, pork, lamb and chicken and they taste like they should.

  8. The Beaches, Playa Hermosa Guanacaste

    Playa Hermosa is the beach town I have called home for the last eight years. The first time I visited Playa Hermosa in 2001 I said to myself, “this is the place I want to live”.

    The soft sand and surf are perfect for swimming paddle boarding, snorkeling and all sorts of water activities. The Beach is lined with various types of palm trees from coconut to Christmas palms.

    Joseph and a friend having a picnic on the beach.

    Being a “Costa Rica Certified Blue Flag Beach” enhances the feeling even more, knowing beach is clean sanitary and safe to hang out and swim. Within an hour’s drive I can be on over 50 different great Pacific beaches from small almost private coves where I am the only person to wide open long stretches of beach with surfers catching great waves.

    I remember as a young adult, going the beaches of New York out on Long Island and such. I had to get there by 7 am on a weekend just to be able to find a spot to lay my towel. I don’t miss that at all.

Put Joseph To Work For You Today To
Find Your Perfect Property in Costa Rica!

Written by ‘Retired’ New York City Chef Joseph Emanuelli who now spends his days as a fully licensed and accredited Costa Rica real estate agent helping his customers find their perfect home, condo or land to build on in Costa Rica at the perfect price.

Joseph specializes in the areas of Playa Hermosa, Playa del Coco, Playa Panama, Player Ocotal, Playa Matapalo and Sardinal all of which are within easy driving distance from Costa Rica’s International Airport at Liberia.

His licenses and qualifications include IRS (International Real Estate Professional), and ACP (Accredited Commercial Professional). Joseph is also a certified member of ICREA (International Consortium of Real Estate Professionals), he belongs to NAR International (National Association of Realtors) , and is also a member of the CRGAR (Costa Rica Global Association of Realtors).

Joseph believes that he is uniquely qualified to help his customers because of the expertise he has built up in the local marketplace since 2007. Being a fast responder and having all of the right connections to get his clients fully set up in Costa Rica also play a part in his success.

You should also remember that Joseph has had 15 years of investment experience in Costa Rica to further bolster his knowledge of the local market and the legalities involved; giving him the many necessary skills to excel at serving both sellers and buyers.

His 30 years in the hospitality industry have given him the knowledge to help him exceed customer expectations, but his main goal in life is to help you find the right property at the right price.

Top 8 Reasons Why I Left New York City and How I Finally Found What I Was Looking For in Costa Rica.

Article/Property ID Number 5495

[custom_script adID=195]

Are you interested in this property?

Please fill out the form below or click this link to email us.

Name
Email
Phone Number
*** Fields marked with * are required to fill
Request Information

Are you into beautiful Costa Rica?

All interesting things you want to know about Costa Rica are right here in our newsletter! Enter your email and press "subscribe" button.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *