Living in Puerto Rico

[Mike LLC]

I'm currently living in Tucson, Arizona. I'm a white guy, semi-fluent in Spanish. I'm considering moving to Puerto Rico. For those of you in the know, is this a pretty cool place to live? I understand the women there are smokin' hot. I know it's pretty touristy down there. Are the folks there pretty cool or are they pretty anti-white dude? I've never even visited this place, nor do I know anyone who has visited there. I did, however, live in Mexico for 6 months and enjoyed it very much. Are there any jobs down there for a low-timer?

Thanks for your time,

Mike.

 

[Singlecoil]

Been there three times visiting a good friend who married a local. Its all about the Spanish. If yours is good, you will be well liked. San Juan is a long way from Tuscon, however. San Juan is East Coast; you can't wear jeans everywhere.
As far as the babes, if you like the type that take an hour or two to get ready to go out, you'll feel right at home.

 

[Capt. Haddock]

I lived there and in the US Virgin Islands for two years, it was nice, no problems being white and a big advantage to speak Spanish. (I don't).
It is also a good place to find starting jobs since many Caribbean air-taxi operators and commuters have lower requirements. I recommend Cruzian Rum and many of the excellent local Cuban restaurants.

 

[surplus1]

I'm currently living in Tucson, Arizona. I'm a white guy, semi-fluent in Spanish. I'm considering moving to Puerto Rico. For those of you in the know, is this a pretty cool place to live? I understand the women there are smokin' hot. I know it's pretty touristy down there. Are the folks there pretty cool or are they pretty anti-white dude? I've never even visited this place, nor do I know anyone who has visited there. I did, however, live in Mexico for 6 months and enjoyed it very much. Are there any jobs down there for a low-timer?

Thanks for your time,

Mike.

Racism is not a problem in Puerto Rico unless you choose to make it one. Puerto Ricans come in all shades just as other Americans do in any large metropolitan area of the mainland. There are white, black and mixed race Puerto Ricans with the majority of the population being of mixed ethnic background. The "culture" is definitely latin american and of course the language is Spanish, but in the San Juan metropolitan area a great many people are bi-lingual and fluent in English. There is no anti-white anything. The prejudices that do exist have nothing to do with race, and everything to do with attitude. If you can remember that Puerto Ricans are "Americans" just like you or me, you will have no problems. Puerto Rico is NOT Mexico; it's very different from that. Mexico is used to the "gringo" mentality; PR is not. You won't be in a "foreign country" and as long as you don't act like you are, everything will be OK.

The idea that PR is "touristy" is a misconception. There are parts of the San Juan Metro area where you'll see a lot of tourists, but on the rest of the island that is not the case. There is nothing that I would call "touristy" about outlying cities, towns and rural areas, just country folk with a different language and culture.

Keep in mind that San Juan (metro area) is a large city, there's a lot of unemployment and consequent poverty. Like NY or Philadelphia, there's a lot of crime and the hoodlums prey on folks that make it obvious they are visitors. Be careful, especially after dark, in the "touristy" areas of Santurce and Isla Verde in the vicinity of the big hotels and beaches.

Whether or not Puerto Rico is a "nice place to live" depends on a lot of things but mostly money. If you have enough money, any place can be "nice", if you don't then its not so "nice". If you like a Latin American atmosphere and accept that you are the visitor, not the locals, you can have a great time. Again remember, Latin American and Mexican are not the same. The only thing they have in common is the Spanish language. Since you speak some Spanish that will help a lot. Don't be surprised when you discover that the Spanish of PR, is just as different from the Spanish of Mexico, as the English of NY is from the English of Texas. Note also that a great many Puerto Ricans don't think that PR is a "nice place to live" and have left the island. The migration is mostly motivated by economic concerns.

Someone said something about the Virgin Islands. In my opinion, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands are as different as night and day. The "Virgins" are definitely "touristy", the language is English, the culture is not Latin and there are big racial problems between "whites and blacks" in the Virgins, much like you would find in a Southern city, but not as subtle. If you're into beaches, 3 of the world's 10-best, are in the US Virgin Islands. If you are a rum drinker, the reference to Cruzan Rum is a good one. It is among the better rums made in the West Indies.

If you go, keep the chip of your shoulder and you'll have a great time. Flying in the Caribbean is realitively "easy" and 95% VFR. A "low-timer" can often get work more easily than on the mainland, after they get to "know" you.

 

[jsoceanlord]

i've been in san juan for 3 years and don't speak spanish.

i'd say it's like being in baja california, which can be really good and really bad at the same time. that's how i'd sum up PR - really good and really bad at the same time.

there's some 'politics' - it can be who you know, not what you know. cost of living can be cheap and also expensive.

macho is in, in a casual way

check; caribbeanalpa.com
and;prwow.com

vieques air link is hiring

 

[Ty Webb]

Surplus-

Excellent post.

The only things I would add is that Don Q (Seralles) is even better than Cruzan, especially if you can find any of the finer stuff, which sips like a cognac.

The flying is highly seasonal . . . . . most hiring is between November and April. ALso, many carriers are scheduled, which means you need to have an ATP, even if it is only an Aztec.

Last, the areas you talked about- I would think that Condado and also Old San Juan should be listed as places to be very careful late at night . . . . . . Also, no sales tax, and no IRS taxes . . . . . . . at least not when I was there 5 years ago.

Good luck. Oh, yeah, it is almost impossible to find a job without actiually going over there and knocking on doors. Don;t even bother jsut faxing crap over there- you have to be there. DOn;t forget to check out Isla Grande airport, too.

 

[Typhoon1244]

A couple of suggestions for when you get there:

Almost everybody there speaks at least some English. And even if you're Spanish isn't stellar, folks are flattered if you make an attempt. (Over the past decade or so, the Japanese population of Puerto Rico has been growing...technology-based business, you know. They work very hard to speak the local language, but you haven't lived until you've heard Spanish with a Japanese accent!)

Oh, and they do not speak "Spanglish" down there. A "truck" is a camion...not a "troka" like they call 'em in Texas.

Don't spend a lot of time in San Juan and think you know all about Puerto Rico. Get out and see the island. The best seafood is in Fajardo, on the east coast. Drive through El Yunque and then head for Ponce...the fastest way to go from rain forest to desert. Check out Dorado Beach.

And if you get into a mountain town called Gurabo, tell them you know Cuty (KOO-tee) or Paquita--my mother and grandmother, respectively--and you'll be welcomed by just about everybody.

 

[surplus1]

Ty,

I agree with what you've said. Should have mentioned Old San Juan as caution area after dark and been more specific about Condado, which is in Santurce.

By the way, on your "no IRS" note, that's true but if you're a legal resident of PR you will have to file and pay taxes to the PR Revenue Service, also due on 4/15. The rates are lower but it's not a "free ride" tax wise. Full credit for anything paid to PR if you also have to file with the IRS.

There's a good golf course at a place called El Dorado (between SJU and the town of Arecibo on the north PR coast. Also good surfing on the north coast and around Rincon on the SW tip of PR. Hook up with a local club and they'll show you the waves.

Don Q does make some good rums too, as long as you're not buying the stuff made for export. That's not much better than Bacardi; that is the Barcadi made in PR. The real Bacardi, made in Cuba (banned in the US mainland) is a fine spirit.

Speaking of fine spirits, the main A.H. Riise liquor store on St. Thomas (once you get by the cruise ship specials) is probably the finest liquor store in the Western Hemisphere. There is little of anything worth drinking that they don't have, if you know what to ask for, and you can't beat the prices. For the beer drinkers, its all the same slop but to me Corona is better than India and even the latter is better than most domestic brews. (Hard to find good beer anywhere unless you're in Munich, FRG.)

For sailors (which doesn't include people riding in power boats), the waters of the US and British Virgins offer some of the best fair weather sailing in the world. For game fishing, the Blue Marlin taken off St. Thomas in season are hard to beat. It's an expensive sport, but if you can afford it - WOW!

If you do go down that way and you like to eat, not the golden arches junk, try to get over to St Martin (French side) where you'll find quality restaurants that rival the best food in Europe. Expect to spend some bucks though.

As an earlier poster pointed out, if you want to mingle with the jet set in PR, you'll need some good clothes, including a jacket and sometimes even a tie. Jeans and wife-beaters won't cut it.

Have fun.

 

[Typhoon1244]

Jeans and wife-beaters won't cut it.

Unless you hang around downtown Gurabo on a Saturday night...

 

[TurboS7]

If you love latin island women you will love Puerto Rico, it helps to make up for any bad on the island. Friday and Sat night tend to be unbelievable after 11PM. Everyone loves baseball and it is a true pass-time. Couldn't be a more wonderful place to build flying time.

 

[datafox]

"Pull the plug on Puerto Rico"

I worked for a regional airline in SJU/TJSJ for a couple years around 2000. I also grew up in the Bronx. Puerto Rico is the Bronx, only hotter.

Some highlights of my experience:

My "junk" airport car was stolen from the SJU parking garage while I was flying airplanes away from the island before a hurricane.

Then, I bought a motorcycle, which too was stolen outside my home...and I lived in Isla Verde, which is a touristy area.

It took an entire day at the telephone company to attempt to get phone service installed at my home.

One of our female F/O's got assaulted by a Puerto Rican while on the beach in Isla Verde.

There was some accident at a hydroelectric plant in the mountains and there was no running water in Puerto Rico for 5 days. There was human waste everywhere!

The public buses don't run on schedule, so one may be around in 5 minutes, or an hour, or manyana.

Female's tend to have overly large butts. If you are into that, then you will be in heaven...but, remember even a "normal" women with little fat has a ridiculous large butt, on average.

I know some Spanish, but Puerto Rican's talk very fast and it is difficult to understand. Even one of my friends from South America had difficulty understand them. They also talk very loud.

Mind you, Vieques bombing was going on at this time so I understood some of their hostility.

The airport has some of the coolest approaches in the world (The Bridge Visual), and the controllers are great...but:

AVOID PUERTO RICO!

My opinion is you'd be much better off on St. Thomas, St. Croix, St. Maarten, etc.

Good luck!

 

[Capt. Haddock]

datafox said:

AVOID PUERTO RICO!
My opinion is you'd be much better off on St. Thomas, St. Croix, St. Maarten, etc.

Well, the Cruzians that live on St.Croix have a different attitude

First time in the post office (US Postal Service) I politely asked if I could have some stamps please, the native postal service lady looked at me with an unfriendly frown and replied aggressively: "GIVE ME THE MONEY FIRST!!"

Next time I said aggressively "GIVE ME SOME STAMPS!!" the same lady replied with a friendly smiled and axed (asked) "do you live in town man?"

 

[Typhoon1244]

AVOID PUERTO RICO!

This reminds me of people who say "avoid New York."

People either love it or hate it. There doesn't seem to be any in-between.