Medellín

wasn't crazy about the town - the surrounding country is gorgeous

The water is perfectly safe to drink. It's more trustworthy than the water in my city back in the States. The air quality is not good at all. If you go by Plume, you will see what days you should engage in outside activities. The ride from the airport is a little wild, so Dramamine may be useful. Uber is illegal, but it's the best way to not get ripped off by your driver (taxis used to get me all the time), just make sure you sit in the front. Be sure to check your route once you're out of your Uber to make sure you didn't get scammed as well (this has only happened to me twice). Your trip should end when you get out of the Uber. Good neighborhoods for foreigners include the following: El Poblado (expensive, good night life), Laureles (more authentic, good street night life), Envigado (farther away from some cool areas, but very chill, more authentic, cheaper), Guayubal, and more. No matter how good the AirBNBs downtown look, just don't do it. Don't be on your phone outside at night. Put it away and you'll probably be fine. The internet is fine! I work every day on the internet and have never had any trouble in any neighborhood. Food can be very cheap outside of El Poblado. Other than the amazing fruit selection, the food is bland in most restaurants. Spice is not really a thing here. Last thoughts: cars will not stop for pedestrians, go salsa dancing every night, and you can find a cheap gym - just keep looking!

I visited Poblado for about a week. I had absolutely no problems with the Internet while I was there. Maybe it was because I was in Poblado, but I never experienced slowness or anything of the sort. Pros of Medellin: spring-like weather, inexpensive, reliable Internet, plenty of shopping and creature comforts, cosmopolitan, friendly people. For cons, a big one is air pollution. Medellin is located in a higher altitude valley. There are many old cars, buses, and (especially) motorcycles belching exhaust into the air. It's difficult for pollutants to disperse because of the city's geography. I.e., there's plenty of smog and there's no debate regarding the negative health impact. To Medellin's credit, the city acknowledges the problem, monitors pollution, issues advisories, and is trying to change, but obviously change doesnt happen overnight. Other cons: The more Spanish you know, the better (not really a con, just is), gringo price gouging, some safety issues (use extra common sense).

Lived here for a year with my wife and two kids. The city is great for families and pets. Internet was slower than average but the coffee was great! For families, Poblado or Laureles is a good area. Most buildings in Poblado have security guards and a perimeter surrounding it. Not so much in Laureles. For young adults, Parque Lleras. The downside for me was that there wasn't much to do outside of Medellin compared to Europe. No trains to go from city to city. Most people fly. Getting from city to city by car means hours on a windy two lane road. I used T-mobile international plan which gave me 2G unlimited internet for free. It was good enough to check e-mails, texting and sending pics. Not so good with video. On the bright side, service and food is extremely affordable. Uber was only means of transportation. Just make sure someone is always sitting in the front seat since it's illegal and could get pulled over. Overall great city, my kids loved it and so did my wife. I'd go back but after a year there i'm good for a few years.

Very livable. Great weather, clean, inexpensive and very friendly. I recommend the Laurels area. It's quieter, cheaper, more authentic, and cleaner than Poblado but not as compact. Envigado is supposed to be a very nice area as well. Don't alone at night anywhere no matter the neighborhood.

The food wasn't great by my standards. I could have done it wrong, but it was no Thailand. Lots of potatoes, heartiness. Groceries were affordable, like most things compared to North America. Local beer and anejo is pretty good. Weirdly, Uber is both available and illegal (EasyTaxi was fine).

Wifi can be spotty in cheaper Airbnbs. Helpful to have a few hundred words and some phrases in Spanish to get around, people are very friendly and mostly patient with gringos. Air quality around traffic was not great. There's an above-average level homelessness, from US perspective, be extra careful walking solo at night.

A pretty fun intro to South America, all told. Scenic and budget-friendly.