The seaman Paul Guaguin saw Rio de Janeiro from the deck of a ship and decided to become an artist. We first saw Rio de Janeiro in 1981 and fell it in love with it. Time has passed, but here we are again. The microphone clicks on, the flight attendant tells us the time, it's 6 AM, June the 7th.  We are to place all carry-on bags under the seat or in the overhead compartment, we are to move our chairs into an upright position and fasten our seat belts. We are informed that we are about to land at Antonio Carlos Jobim International Airport, where the temperature is 79 degrees, and that we are bid welcome to Rio de Janeiro.

'Thank you,' I say to no one in particular; as I look out the window at the city below  '...I'm happy to be home again.'

Here I was back in Rio, just about to make the startling discovery that I could finally afford to live here, here in my favorite city, and beyond that, that I could actually live here cheaper than I could live anywhere else I wanted to live, and more than that, the most startling discovery of all....   that I could buy an ocean view apartment for the amazing price of only $21,000.

My purpose for the trip was to research the real estate conditions in Rio de Janeiro for this magazine. For this purpose I wanted a central location to work from, so I had picked a hotel in Copacabana where I could take exploratory trips in every direction and do an analysis of each of the better neighborhoods for prices and living conditions.  As I've already more or less implied, I was in for a number of pleasant surprises.

Less Than Half Price.

After checking into my hotel I had an excellent lunch at the Siqueira Grill in Copacabana. Just before going to lunch I had exchanged some dollars into the Brazilian Real at 2.41 Real's for the dollar. The meal was enormous, steak, sausages, grilled chicken livers, quail eggs, beets, bean salad, three different cheeses, creamed spinach, various vegetables plus other odds and ends, all washed down with a half dozen Brazilian Pilsner's.

If I could have eaten more I would have, as the menu was endless, all cooked in the Churrasco style.  There was a wide assortment of deserts that would have done justice to the finest French restaurant, there was also fresh fruit, espresso, juices, and anything the imagination might consider.  When I went to pay the bill it came to a little more than 10 Real (BRL).  Obviously something was wrong.  I walked outside and sat down at a bench on the beach and pulled out my calculator.  I had paid about $2.50 for a $15 to $20 meal, how could this be? In an instant it struck me what had occurred.  The price in the restaurant were pegged to the Real, and the Real was being treated as if it were still being pegged to the dollar on a one to one exchange ratio.

In other words, to the restaurant they had just charged me $10 for a meal, but due to the exchange rate I'd gotten it for only $2.50. In a fit of excitement I rushed over and bought a copy of El Globo, Rio's major newspaper. I turned to the Real Estate section and my excitement was confirmed.  Apartments were for sale in Copacabana for BRL60,000 - or, US$24,896. I could buy an apartment in the world's most exciting city for $25,000 - I knew in an instant that I'd hit the jackpot.

Tall And Tan

Rio is eleven miles long - and in most of the best neighborhoods not much more than a half mile to a mile wide.

To explain this odd anomaly, consider that Rio is a city pressed between a steep mountain and the ocean. The city is long and narrow. The best neighborhoods for anyone wanting go buy real estate are Flamengo, Jardim Botanico, Ipanema, Leblon, Copacabana, Lagoa and Santa Teresa.  My favorites have always been Flamengo and Santa Teresa. Flamengo would appeal to most readers, but Santa Teresa will only appeal to the more adventuresome.

Santa Teresa

Santa Teresa, one of Rio's oldest neighborhoods, was built on the lower and middle slopes of Corcovado mountain to escape the heat and humidity of the low lands. Therefore, it offers majestic views of the harbor, Pão de Açúcar (Sugar Loaf,) and the surrounding hills some of which contain favelas. Santa Teresa is the Bohemian section of Rio de Janeiro, filled with artists, expatriates, writers and some international fugitives. It was the home of the famous British train robber Ronnie Biggs, a long time fugitive from British justice.  It is nestled within a set of hills above the center of the city. Picturesque and village-like, it it is filled with vividly painted turn-of-the-century houses; spectacular views of downtown, Guanabara Bay, Sugar Loaf, and Corcovado; and it hosts several cozy restaurants and bars; plus the famous antique bonde (streetcar) that clatters its way through the winding cobblestoned streets.

Prices In Santa Teresa

I visited Santa Teresa first, and found its streets were romantic and peaceful.  Of all the areas described in this article, Santa Teresa is the only area which still has some remnants of Rio's crime problem. Caveat Emptor!  During the day it is a very peaceful neighborhood, but at night people from the surrounding favelas are said to enter the area and can be a source of crime.  Rio's crime problem is less than a third what it was a few years ago, and in most ot the areas I visited the crime problem has been almost totally eliminated.  Santa Teresa is going to appeal more to artist types than to those seeking a luxury apartment.

If you are an artist type, it is very probable that you are going to want to live in Santa Teresa. The buildings are older and there are not as many available as in other areas of the city, hence prices in Santa Teresa are more difficult to write about.  I saw a store front with an apartment behind priced at BRL80,000 = US$33,200 - It would have made a good coffee house, small gallery, architects office, or display space for photography. I also saw a three BR, two bath condominium in a newer building for - BRL110,000 = US$45,643 - it did not have the ambiance of the older buildings, but it was more than acceptable.  Those wanting something in the Santa Teresa district are going to have to pound the pavements and do some searching.  Not so for the other areas I am about to describe.  The reason for this is that the choice properties in Santa Teresa are older, separate, free standing structures that are not part of the mainstream real estate market.  I admit that it is high on my list of preferable areas, because of it's unique ambiance and artistic feel.  My guess is that a desirable older house is going to cost me around $US75,000 - a price I feel comfortable with, as prices in this area were around $150,000 to $US200,000 just a few years ago and will probably go back to that price again when the currency problems are resolved.
 

Flamengo - An Area Reborn

Another of my favorite neighborhoods is Flamengo, and area where I lived for several months some years back.  There has been a tremendous resurgence in the Flamengo district, especially in the classy waterfront area.  This area has many older beautiful buildings, sporting excellent DECO architect (see photo) without any of the crime problems of Santa Teresa.

Look at these prices:

  - -  Classic Building - Excellent view - large living room, ample kitchen, 2 BR, 3 baths, maids quarters, garage. BRL120,000 = US$49,800
  - -  Flamengo Beach Studio Apartment - large kitchen, bath, view. BRL51,000 = US$21,150
  - -  Magnificent Location - living room, den, 2 BR, furnished kitchen, facing park, garage. BRL148,000 = US$61,4000
  - -  Near Botofogo Beach - View of Pão de Açúcarr, 3 BR, living room with view, patio balcony, 2 baths. BRL150,000 = US$62,450
  - -  Panoramic 180 degree view - cinematographic vista of sea and Pão de Açúcar, 4 BR, 3 baths, maids quarters, luxurious fixtures and kitchen amenities, double garage, two full verandahs. BRL320,000 = US$132,800.

There are countless more.  I could list a full webpage of Flamengo properties with prices just like this.  Imagine, a beach front studio apartment in Rio de Janeiro for $21,000!  -  Note that beach front in Flamengo doesn't mean directly on the beach. There is a park between the beach and the residential area, but what a park!  Jogging trails, museums, picnic areas, exercise areas, and other recreational facilities. Flamengo does not have the flash of Copacabana; what it does have is a great deal of quiet charm.

Coming Back To Rio

Many people who moved to the new subdivisions in Barra da Tijuca have moved back to neighborhoods like Flamengo.  Living in the suburbs is fine, but nothing can compare with living in Rio itself.  There is always something to do and see in Rio.

The Cariocas (Rio Dwellers) are a fun-loving people who know how to live. There is no end of entertainment, including opera, ballet, soccer, samba, theater, countless movie houses, good jazz, great eats, surfing, diving, rock climbing, hang gliding, biking, jogging and living the good life in general, all without ever having to leave the city.

Where else can you find so much?

Copacabana!

The Brazilian songwriter Antonio Carlos Jobim once made the statement that there won't be equality in the world until everyone gets to live in Copacabana. Few places in the world can match the excitement of Copacabana.  Just walking down the street is an adventure.  If eleven million Cariocas aren't enough company for you, join the millions of tourists who visit Rio de Janeiro for fun and sun. Restaurants, clubs, shows, tours, beach events, dancing and enjoying the good life is a big part of life for Cariocas as well as the endless stream of tourists that visit Copacabana each year.

Interchanging with the tourists can be as much fun as interchanging with the natives.

Living in a modest penthouse in Copacabana would appeal more to those under the age of 50 then those over. Walking from the beach towards the mountain that backdrops Copacabana one moves from the hectic splendor of the beach with it's endless round the clock volleyball courts, swimming, jogging, sun tanning, roller blading, snack bars, coconut juice vendors, bathing suit vendors, splendid looking bodies, beachfront cafes, tourist hotels, skyscraping condos, diamond vendors, jewelry stores, and international ambiance towards two blocks of bustling shopping, cyber cafes, grocery stores, drug stores, flower stores, hotels, espresso stands, shopping centers, department stores, chic clothing stores and more.  Past that one enters the peaceful tree covered streets of private residences, homes and condos.  I'll give you some advice.  Buy one. 

Excellent Prices

• Copacabana - Front view of the sea. 2 bedrooms, recently remodeled. BRL183,000 = US$76,000
• Copacabana - 3 BR, 2 Bath, Ocean view terrace, BRL160,000 = US$66,400 
• Avenida Atlantica - Ocean Front -  Living room, den, 3 BR, 2 Baths,  fully featured kitchen, garage,  verandah. BRL450,000 = US$186,600 

Living on Copacabana Beach has always been a dream beyond the reach of most of us.  In the US you couldn't get a backwater condo in Miami's racially tormented streets for twice the price.

For less than the price of an average home in the USA you could live on the world's most exciting beach, and take my word for it, Copacabana is as exciting a place as you'll ever see.

Imagine living there!  I've been in this area a thousand times and I've never grown tired of it nor have I ever failed to find pleasure in wandering through it's streets, eating at it's cafes, restaurants, and espresso bars, and enjoying it's special Copacabana ambiance.

The beach is like no other, it's better than a side show, better than a three ring circus, it has a cast of characters you couldn't afford to hire, a lineup of beautiful women that have found the secret of inspiring awe, add to that all manner of international tourist, adventurer, artist, and expatriate ready to carry on a conversation about life around the world.

The Paris Of The New Millennium

I once had a vision that Rio would some day become what Paris was in the 1920's, perhaps given the current monetary situation that may yet come to pass.  What created the special ambiance of 1920's expatriate Paris was a combination of factors; the French acceptance of other races and cultures, the French celebration of art and things artistic, the overwhelming beauty of Paris, and most of all the depressed state of the money in France following WW I -  These same factors exist in Rio de Janeiro today almost to the letter.  Few people in the world are more tolerant than the Carioca, and few places have a better city environment to offer at such bargain prices.  Consider that you can live for five years in Rio for what would currently get you by in Paris for one year.  Those flocking to Paris today are chasing Ernest Hemingway, Henry Miller, Annis Nin, Sylvia Beach, James Joyce, and other Lost Generation figures who if they could come back to earth would probably be headed to Rio rather than Paris.

What Rio has to offer the expatriate is the world of tomorrow, coupled with architectural charm, an exciting culture, and all of the accruements of living a modern lifestyle at a price anyone can afford.  Paris offers the same thing, but the view is a backwards view through the wrong end of the telescope.  Paris is overpriced, the real estate is minuscule and cramped, the possibilities limited.  Paris is a view towards the past, Rio is a view towards tomorrow.  I like the view.

Other Areas - Other Factors

There are other areas besides the areas mentioned.  Ipanema is considered more stylish and chic than than Copacabana, but I found real estate there that was also a bargain. Let's talk about these other areas and some of the other factors that make Rio a good expatriate destination.