Information on possibly relocating to Puerto Rico?

[nawtiegurl]

I was wondering what the pros and cons would be for a couple and their three kids to move to Puerto Rico.I know it's got great weather, and it's cheap to live there, but theres got to be some downsides as well.Are there areas where there are alot of people from the mainland who have relocated there? Are they spread out? Are the locals nice to expats?Any information, of good or bad points , or any insight would be appreciated. thanks in advance!

[erikrich]

I am a Puerto Rican and I'm sorry for others who may not like what I am going to say but... for your own good, as especially for your kids- STAY AWAY from Puerto Rico. I live in Florida and have lived also in Virginia, and though I miss my island, everytime I read the news or somebody calls me form PR and tell how terrible is the job market there, there is no way I think of returning there soon.

Puerto Rico has almost no jobs. That is why there are more Puerto Ricans here in the States. I hope I will not tire you but I want to give you a good advice on how things work in PR.

People generally won't get a job for their merits and skills, but what political party they support. Many people find jobs by meanings of having a close friend or a family member; many of these people do not have even 10% of the minimum requirements. People who are in the highest positions tend to be exceedingly arrogant and competitive. I myself worked with a Puerto Rican fellow in Virginia who resulted to be one of the most idiotic, nauseous, arrogant, stupid persons I have met in my life. In Virginia. Many, like him, come here and do not even help their kind. In Puerto Rico, it's much worse. And that told by people I know that work or have worked in Puerto Rico.

Public schools are good, but the environment in schools is disastrous. Unlike here in the United States where many public schools mandate students to stay inside the school, there they wander around outside and you can see them talking to sexual predators and strangers overall. The education system management in Puerto Rico is a joke. Your kids will have to be very interested in learning in school in order to avoid the peer pressure to fall into drugs and other social problems. So it won't be that different from schools in the USA; but drugs is a big problem in Puerto Rico. In the other hand if you want to be "safer" you would have to enroll them in private schools which are pretty expensive. And there, though less than in public schools, they will still find trouble with student fellows.

But the most important reason why you should stay out of Puerto Rico even after retiring (which I myself have considered being Puerto Rican myself) is the terrible wave of violence and crime in the island. The lack of jobs and the negativity daily spoken by the local press and media have turn people more and more violent and less compassionate. You will see many people complaining around, just rent a car when you visit and see how people keep hunking at you, passing through the shoulder in a highway instead of waiting to pass through the left lane, and be careful not to hunk a lot to anybody or fight for a parking 'cause you can lose your life in the process. Driving in Puerto Rico is significantly more dangerous than driving in the U.S. (perhaps except in Miami, NYC, LA and other big cities) since people tend to be very aggressive.

In these last years, people who have retired and live in their humble homes after working all their life have been subsequently been assaulted by thieves and most of them have died because they kill them so they keep their money. Recently a professional engineer in the area of Ponce was viciously killed by a son of a @#%$#Q^ because he lost a race in the local speedway as a consequence of the killed man being the main engineer working in the car of the person that won the race. Many people have also died because they have accidentally crossed between shootings of drug dealers, this can be usual in highway when one drives runs after another car shooting at it a la Hollywood movie, killing innocent people in the process. Lately, there have been many infanticides in the island, too.

Puerto Rico is very dangerous. I recommend you to move to Hawaii instead, and if you live in a rural area in the U.S., stay there. Puerto Rico is beautiful in terms of its climate, geography, location, and is one of the most beautiful places you can find on Earth, but the other side of the coin is frightening. Visit the island instead and be careful.

[Nessa]

Unfortunately, I have to agree with everything posted above. Puerto Rico is going thru a very rough time right now. I recently posted how a gallon of milk costs $5.90. I had someone post that I was crazy that she bought milk for $2. Well the Milk price is controlled by the government, so a gallon is 5.90 everywhere on the island. A loaf of sandwich bread is 2.69, you might find a sale, but that is the regular price. My daughter was in High School there and Department of Education just cut student hours to 5 hours of class, so she was taking 8 classes in 5 hours. I just left the island last week and am in Chicago. I love PR but living there is horrendous.

[Desii]

I'd have to agree as well. It is a gorgeous island & would be great for vacations, but there are no jobs, way to much criminality, everything is very expensive, and the government deteriorating our economy. Schools couldnt get worst and us college students are fighting for our rights of a public education. I would say to rethink it, & have other options.