We routinely read the comments of other expats making the move to Portugal on the endless Facebook pages of the several groups we follow.  One constant line of questioning is “Where should we live?” Whether they plan to make the move soon, or years form now, we see so many folks from many different countries who agonize over choosing the “right” city or village. As if there exists one “best” place to live that is a secret being guarded. Unlike most, we did not think all that long or hard about where in Portugal we wanted to live. We did not come five different times to tour all the different parts of the country. We came once, for 2.5 weeks, to simply confirm our instincts. We used criteria & logic to narrow our options way down. I’m not saying this is the only way to do it. But, it was our way.

We did not want to live in an area that was based primarily on tourism where the seasonal population changed dramatically or where things would be sleepy in the off-season. We did not want to live where expats were a huge percentage of the population. That ruled out the bottom quarter of the country, the Algarve, even though the weather and beaches there are lovely.

We don’t like terribly hot summers. That ruled on most of the eastern and central part of the country even though there are many charming cities and villages there.

] A great concert in a cool & convenient venue.[/caption]

We wanted to live in a populated area where there was much to do and easy access to everything we needed including good doctors and hospitals. We wanted a lifestyle where we could rely on public transportation and not need a car.  We wanted to be within an hour of a major airport. That pretty much narrowed it down to the areas covered by either the Lisbon or Porto metro/train/bus systems. Lisbon is fascinating, but was a bit too pricey for us and headed in a more touristy direction. So, we chose the greater Porto area even though the weather is a bit chillier in winter than we’d like.

The city of Porto appealed to us but our budget would not get us the type of apartment we wanted within the heart of the city. Even looking over-budget we had a difficult time finding a place with any kind of a pleasant view which has always been important to us. When you are surrounded by high buildings, the view can be pretty blah, and the interior pretty dark.

We made our first trip to Matosinhos (15 minutes outside of Porto) because of the encouragement of a realtor recommended to us that we had not yet met. The day she first picked us up at the metro stop, it was pouring rain with gale-force, bitter-cold winds. We were both feeling under-the-weather and not really excited about looking. First she drove us past some popular larger apartment complexes. Too sterile for us. Then we parked at the local mercado and walked into that nasty wind down Rua Brito Capelo to stand in front of a building where she had seen an apartment listed by an associate that she thought we’d like. Wayne & I both felt it immediately. This was a “neighborhood.” Not perfect by any means. Sort of on the fringe of being revitalized. But, full of life, history, and local characters – even on that blustery day.  It certainly wouldn’t appeal to every expat we’ve met. But, to us, it felt like a perfect home base. A few days later, we saw the apartment and decided that we could make it work for us even though it had many flaws. Less than a month later, it was ours.

Just this week, the merchants and municipality erected dozens of large signs showing the history of our street and its cross streets over the centuries. (With one side in Portuguese and the other in English!) We like the civic pride here. If we live long enough, we believe we will see it continue to improve. Last night we walked two blocks to a cool, renovated old venue for a piano/string quartet concert. We saw a world-class show of the caliber that would have cost us $80 or more per ticket in Charlotte. The total for our 2 tickets here was 12.50 euros. Being able to walk home after in just 5 minutes and feeling completely safe on the streets at nearly midnight is an appreciated perk. When it comes to choosing a place to live, just stick to your goals and priorities and trust your gut.