Country Article / Postcards

Insider Reveals Panama City's Top 11 Neighborhoods

Date: 05/30/2006

Dear International Living Reader,

First, the Spanish conquistadors came and used Panama's narrow isthmus as a trade route. Then came the French, followed by the Americans, who came here to build the canal.

Today, Panama City is again changing--the city's skyline and business character is developing to bring it into the 21st century, far ahead of any other city in the region.

Ten minutes from the airport you begin to see the soaring skyline of Panama City, which never fails to impress first-time visitors. The number of skyscrapers creates a striking panorama that is unique, even by world standards. The metropolitan area of Panama City is proof of the country's rapid modernization.

My family and I maintain homes in both Panama City and on Taboga Island (a ferry ride from the city). We have a school-age son, so we need the education facilities of the city, and we felt we would miss the urban sophistication having just moved from Japan. A year ago, not long in Panama City, we moved to Punta Paitilla--for many years, a quiet residential area downtown...until the Punta Pacifica neighborhood began construction. Today, from our balcony facing Punta Pacifica (southeast from Paitilla) we observe unprecedented growth of condo tower after tower.

As I write 15 buildings are under construction.

Panama City is a teeming modern and international capital famous for its cultural diversity. It has numerous interesting neighborhoods where you could consider living, depending what you want to be near:

Waterfront: Punta Paitilla, Punta Pacifica, Balboa Avenue.

Parks: San Francisco, Bella Vista, La Cresta, El Cangrejo, El Carmen.

Restaurants: Obarrio, Marbella, El Cangrejo, Bella Vista.

Hilltop neighborhoods: La Cresta, El Cangrejo.

Banking districts: Bancaria, Obarrio.

Panama City offers an urban lifestyle, but not always an easy one. For example, in numerous areas, streets, streetlights, and sidewalks are in disrepair. This can be a challenge for those who love to walk.

We weighed everything and chose a highrise in downtown because we can walk to fine restaurants, banks, malls, supermarkets, and many offices. From where we live, we get a cool ocean breeze most days and never need to turn on the air-conditioning.

Approximately 50,000 Americans have moved to or purchased property in Panama. Why such a boom? If you've been reading our reports in these Postcards, you already know the answer: Panama offers a high quality of life at affordable prices, and a spectacular environment.

Cynthia Cudmore-Mulder
For International Living