Puerto Rico

[HawkOpt]

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I have read a few posts about the school in Puerto Rico but non of them mention too much about what life is like in Puerto Rico.
I was wondering if anyone could tell me what it is like there, is it anything like life in the US or is it much different. I lived in Nicaragua for a couple years and it is much different over there; bars on all the windows, very poor, lots of crime, crazy drivers, etc... Is it anything like that? Nicaragua is a 3rd world country and I don't think that Puerto Rico is.
Also I am fluent in spanish but my wife is not, would she have any problem getting around w/o knowing any spanish? Thanks for the help.

 

[ppa93]

I have read a few posts about the school in Puerto Rico but non of them mention too much about what life is like in Puerto Rico.
I was wondering if anyone could tell me what it is like there, is it anything like life in the US or is it much different. I lived in Nicaragua for a couple years and it is much different over there; bars on all the windows, very poor, lots of crime, crazy drivers, etc... Is it anything like that? Nicaragua is a 3rd world country and I don't think that Puerto Rico is.
Also I am fluent in spanish but my wife is not, would she have any problem getting around w/o knowing any spanish? Thanks for the help.

I dont think your wife will have any problem since Puerto Rican are bilingual. They do speak English, so she should have no problems. Regarding the life over there, I am not sure. I think it should be nice since it is an island, so fresh air, nice beach, and etc.
IT isnt 3rd world country, so I suppose there should be no crime. I dont know about driving there
I hope that helps

 

[xmattODx]

IT isnt 3rd world country, so I suppose there should be no crime.

Do you care to retract the above statement?

 

[ppa93]

Do you care to retract the above statement?

I know I am generalizing, but it isnt true. thats why I said I supposed there should be no crime. I didnt say there was no crime

 

[Dr Who]

I'm from NYC but I have lived off and on in Puerto Rico the last couple of years. In my opinion you cant really judge PR based on the US any more than you can compare Minnesota and Los Angeles. But if you want to have an idea PR reminds me of some parts of Florida, Miami and Orlando come to mind.
Like any other place (yes, the US included) there are very nice places and not so nice places. It is US territory so saying that it is a third world country is wrong. In the US there are many, many places that could be considered "third world", so I consider that point moot.
I'm not trying to diss the US but if you notice, most of these people who say that PR is "third world" have never even visited the island. They base their opinions on misconceptions, biases or just plain ignorance.
Considering that I am originally from NYC I consider the island a pretty nice place. Life is not as fast paced as in the city and the weather is very nice all year.
The most difficult aspects for US mainland residents is getting used to the culture, although it is very americanized spanish is still the main spoken language. I dont consider that a huge propblem though because you get used to it pretty fast. The people are very nice and the women are just beautiful 👍 . Like I said the island reminds me a lot of Florida, lots of art deco buildings and huge malls all over.
I wouldnt listen much to what most of these kids write about the island. As i mentioned before the vast majority have never set foot on the island so they are not the best source for info. Do a search on Puerto Rico on SDN and you will find that there are some SDN'rs from the US mainland that go to the PR school. PM them and you will get the straight scoop from people who actually made the move there.
I believe those are the ones that you should ask and not these people who give out advice on things they obviously dont know anything about. If you need anything just PM me.

Dr Who

 

[HawkOpt]

thanks for the input.
What can you tell me about the houses? From what I can tell looking on the internet It looks like they are much diffferent from the ones here in the US. It looks like most of them are made out of cement, no carpet, and with bars on the windows, a lot like they are in Nicaragua.

 

[Dr Who]

yes they are mostly in cement (a necessity considering that the island is in Hurricane alley). As for the bars, yeah most houses have bars on them but I guess its more a cultural oddity than anything, if you go to most spanish speaking countries they all do it. So I wouldnt consider it indicative of anything. I'm not saying there isnt crime, yes there is, but its mostly confined to certain areas. I wouldnt lose sleep over it (and I havent).
If you have so many doubts then why dont you come to Puerto Rico as a tourist for a visit, if you know people who already live there, better yet. Avoid the tourist traps, rent a car drive around the island and stay in small hotels in the out of the way towns. You can come with a group of your friends and really have a nice time.
The only real way to get rid of doubts is to experience it for yourself.
PM me or any other SDN'r that lives in PR for the real inside scoop on when is the best time to visit and what places to go to. Also it gives you a chance to visit the school personally, visit the admissions office and get a feel for the place.