I don't like the title to this article, yet.. 
90% of what is said is true.
Note: the prices are not updated either. Probably this article was written before dollars went down! So, it would be wise to double the prices there.
I have added some little notes in red. 
LOL
Today: 1 US Dollar(s) = 2.0312 Brazilian Real(s)
A First World City At Third World Prices
On the first day of December, my husband and I packed our bags and took off on a year-long journey through South America. This is not our first such expedition, but it is definitely the longest. The goal of our trip is simply to continue traveling and exploring the world outside of the United States. This time around, however, we have a secondary objective of finding a pleasant place to relocate in a few years. The high cost of living in the U.S. coupled with the never-ending homogenization of our culture have been the main factors contributing to our wandering eyes.
We began our trip in Brazil which is a strikingly beautiful country. (I agree!) Most of it, however, would not suit our tastes for more than a week or two of vacation from time to time.(Nor mine!) Nearly all of the action is concentrated on the beach regardless of what part of the country you are visiting.(Well, we have almost 8.000km of beaches!! But we do have LOTS of inland! ) Brazilians live for the beach (All 290 million people??), and while we enjoy it ourselves, we believe there is more to life than sun and sand. (I so much agree on that one!)
After two months of beach-hopping, we have found a marvelous city that is rarely mentioned in travel books and certainly not on the list of “great escapes” as a retirement haven. Situated on a plateau at an altitude of approximately 3000 feet (actually it is 1.000m high, is it the same?? I need a converter! LOL), the city of Curitiba in southwestern (Southern!! Rio and São Paulo are in southwestern) Brazil was our first stop after flying back from the northern coast. It was supposed to be a pit stop on our way to Uruguay, but as it turns out, we still haven’t left after nearly two weeks. Its’ unique location provides a climate that can best be described as eternal spring. This place is fantastic.
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Parque Barigüi with the skyline of Champagnat neighborhood in the distance | |
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Before we arrived, we read some information that said Curitiba is the 3rd cleanest city in Latin America. Needless to say, we were a bit skeptical. The 3rd cleanest city in Latin America? Seems like a dubious distinction. (Good heavens, she is right.. what can I say....) It would be kind of like holding the record for the most home runs ever…in the minor leagues.(Ouch, that hurt!) A lot of wonderful things come to mind when we think of Latin America, but “clean” is certainly not one of them. (CRIES) Were we ever wrong about that. HA There!This city is truly spotless, not by Latin American standards, but by every first world standard. (I'm smiling again)
The only thing that can rival Curitiba’s cleanliness is its’ diversity. In the late 1800’s, the government realized that the area around Curitiba would not develop without a major increase in population, so the state began an immigration policy to attract new residents. New immigrants were given land grants, with the best land going to the earliest arrivals. The Italians were the first to take advantage of the program, but later settlers came from Germany, Poland, the Ukraine, France, England, Holland, Japan, Syria, Lebanon and Israel. The influence of European, Middle Eastern and Asian immigrants is apparent at every turn. Almost every park in town has a memorial dedicated to the immigrants from a particular country or region. Usually the park is the focal point of the neighborhood where they settled. (Very correct)
Due to the excellent weather and quality of life, Curitiba has been one of the fastest growing cities in Brazil. It has quadrupled its population in the last 40 years to roughly 2.3 million in the metropolitan region and 1.4 million in the city itself. (Actually, 1.8 million right now) It also seems to have avoided many of the growing pains of other cities around the world by having a very long range plan for handling the growth. They have been practicing “urban planning” for several decades to deal with problems like pollution, sanitation, water supply, housing, etc. In spite of the 3rd world label they are stuck with, this is no 3rd world city. It is impeccably clean, traffic is almost nonexistent, public transportation is efficient, there are parks and green space everywhere and the crime rate is low. (It is, indeed) In fact, to find a bad part of town, you have to drive for quite a few miles outside of the city center. Unlike so many other places, the heart of the city is safe at all hours of the day or night. (I would not go that far... Just don't wear a Rolex, a Bvlgari or a Vitor Hugo and you will be safe! heheheh )
During our exploration of the city, we have visited the gorgeous botanical gardens, the opera house (an all-glass structure built in a ravine complete with a waterfall), the Oscar Niemeyer museum of architecture (“The Eye” as the locals call it), the city zoo on the outskirts of town, the main public park with a mini-zoo featuring toucans and other native birds, the 24-hour a day shopping avenue and the old historic quarter. We also went jogging in Barigui Park which is Curitiba’s answer to Central Park. It’s an oasis in the middle of the city with beautiful views of the skyline. (My favorite and closest to home, among the 25 parks in town).
There are countless other museums, parks, galleries, shops and restaurants to be explored with the help of the marvelous mass transit system. It is fast, efficient, inexpensive and privately owned. There are several different types of buses around Curitiba, all of which are part of an intricate network. There is no subway, but one of the bus lines functions in the same manner as an above-ground subway. The bus stops are tubular in shape and you pay going into the tube rather than on the bus. This line has dedicated lanes and straight routes throughout the city with less frequent stops. Different lines go around the city to connect various neighborhoods and the suburbs. The complete coverage of the bus lines and the on-time service all but eliminates the need for a car in the metro area. (I couldn't say it better.) Regardless of your destination, you can easily get within a block or two using the buses. (I would rather walk!!)
Curitiba is an extremely livable city for anyone coming from the United States. It has every modern convenience of the first world (Here we go.. rub it in.. I don't care!!), and in some cases offers things that we can no longer get at home. HA! We have been wracking our brains to come up with things that we enjoy at home that we cannot get here in Curitiba and our subscription to Netflix is the only thing on the list.(what is Netfix??) This small problem can be overcome by visiting one of the many elegant shopping malls in town, all who have movie theaters, all who show first-run American movies in English.
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Moreover, there is a feeling in Curitiba that has long become a thing of the past in much of the United States. As you walk down the streets, every time you turn a corner, there is a small independently owned record store (real vinyl), a neighborhood book store, or a CD store filled with jazz, blues, classical and other types of real music. (In other words, there is CULTURE in the 3rd world! hehehe) All of the restaurants are neighborhood specific and specialize in their ethnic cuisine as well. The best thing about Curitiba is that there are no Best Buys, Starbucks, Barnes and Nobles, Taco Bells or Macaroni Grills. (Why would we need that??) Yes, there is the occasional McDonalds (and Burger King! LOL Although I prefer Subway - hmmm), but it is easily avoided. These are all mom and pop (pop?) stores and restaurants that have a real connection to their neighborhood and their city.
To top it off, no matter what part of town you find yourself in, if there is a restaurant or bar with more than 4 tables, they will have live music – generally of the Latin jazz variety. The most enjoyable part of our stay has been strolling aimlessly down the streets at night stopping for a beer or glass of wine anytime we hear a band we like – but only one drink per stop, because we know there will be more great music just around the corner. (This is about being in a 3rd world country - rolls eyes - we know how to have fun!)
While Curitiba has little in common with cities like New York or San Francisco, the “neighborhood” characteristic that is shares with them is very appealing. Each neighborhood in the city is separated from the next by nothing more than a street, so when you cross the street you’re never sure what’s coming next. One day we crossed the street in Japan Town and immediately stumbled upon the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. We continued for a few more blocks to find a whole row of English-style pubs. A little further and its restaurant row in Little Italy. It’s wonderfully diverse and yet the people here seem to live side by side in tranquility. (Yeah, I like that too. That means there is no prejudice around here, missy.)
The only thing about Curitiba that doesn’t make sense to us is the cost of living. Considering the quality of life here, prices are almost ridiculous.(If you get paid in dollars, you mean??) We did some apartment hunting to see what it would cost to relocate here. In the most affluent neighborhood in the city (Batel), a 3000 square foot apartment in a high rise overlooking one of the quaint parks can be rented fully furnished for US$700 a month. (In your dreams!) Tack on an extra US$50 for twice weekly maid service. (I pay my housekeeper U$30 a day + transportation, and we don't earn Dollars here!) We’re not sure we’d ever need 3000 square feet of living space, but that seems to be the high end here in the most exclusive part of town. We also saw some nice fully furnished 2-bedroom apartments in the central city for US$180 – US$250 a month.(that's possible, I wouldn't live there, though) Prices on other items are equally inexpensive. A week’s worth of groceries for cooking at our apartment cost $30. (only if you don't have kids and is fasting for religious beliefs! HAHAHA) An elegant dinner in Little Italy with a bottle of wine ran $20. (I wouldn't call that "elegant" LOL)
We always knew we could live for less in Latin America than in the United States, but we thought we would have to accept lesser quality products and service in exchange for the reduced cost. (That is prejudice again. We don't all live on top of banana trees! LOL) We have finally found a city with a 1st world standard of living at a 3rd world cost. (What about calling us.. erm.. "2nd world"?? Or a "country in development process"?? - sounds nicer! LOL) We would not be at all surprised if we end up coming back here for a more lengthy stay – perhaps for good. Curitiba is urban living at its finest. (That's what I'm telling ya!) :)
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