1.) the Weather! In and around the Central Valley the temperature is mild, with many of the hillside areas having year round climate in the 70’s. In many other areas, especially along the coasts, there is very high humidity and temperature extremes. Without full time air conditioning and dehumidification systems, issues such as mold and mildew can take a high toll on all electronics as well as personal health. Around San Jose, things are much milder and most homes operate without either air conditioning nor heating systems. This is more relevant than you may think coming from a less humid region.

2.) More things to do / less isolation! Many of the popular places around Cost Rica are very small. After a week, you know every place. After a few months they get old. Everyone ends up as a hermit in the jungle, and coming from more active places, this can be emotionally draining. I love getting into nature more than most, but being isolated gets old, and being more central allows for a greater range of fun.

3.) Proximity to the regional airport! Costa Rica has a lot of varied experiences and when one takes advantage of traveling light on Sansa airways, one can fly for little expense to all sorts of destinations without hours of time on the narrow 2 lane public roads. One can fly from San Jose to Tamarindo, or all the way to the Osa, or the Caribean, or Tortuguero, or Manuel Antonio, etc, and can get there without hours in traffic. Some of my friends take this approach on their visits, seeing multiple different area without the hassle of long days committed solo to getting between their adventure.

4.) Proximity to the international airport! It’s not just for people that are traveling often for work…weekend getaways are varied and cheaper than being in CR. A short hop on an international flight can take one to all parts of Mexico, Guatamala, El Salvador, Roatan’s or Panamas Dive centers, or even to an enormous array of fun and culture and art and gastronomy in multiple spots in Colombia, Peru, or Ecuador. Central America has a lot of variety, and can take the stress off of only being in CR. There are also direct daily flights to all sorts of other countries in the world.

5.) gastronomy- escape going to the same few restaurants in coastal towns and explore a world of yumminess. Again, the challenge of the smaller towns is that the options get old quickly. San Jose has a lot of differing barios with a world of cuisine to explore. Many places also have amazing lunch deals for the worker class, where one can get full for really fair deals. My favorite areas is Bario Escalante, which has a myriad of design concious offerings in old remodeled houses, with bars, restaurants, cafe’s, and galleries clustered in a comfortable walking district.

6.) There is ART and CULTURE to explore- there is a larger arts scene than you may realize. I never knew the depth of the scene before running into Honey. It’s certainly not as vast as many metropolitan cities, but there is a large variety of things to explore, from museums to galleries to film to theater and live music, to urban street festivals, and on a regular basis.

8.) Shopping! There are lots of boutiques for female fashionistas as well as tons of hardware stores for the guys, with far more selection that what is found in smaller towns. I’m admittedly not much of a shopper, so am no expert on specifics, but definitely have had many trips to San Jose to get things that were nearly impossible to find in more rural areas.

9.) Meet more people! Half the population lives in the Central Valley- it is an international mix of cultures within a core of friendly locals. All the Embassies have mailing lists and events and happenings on a regular basis. If you are single, the majority of the opposite sex lives here, and most are well educated.

10.) You can have it both ways- a house elsewhere for nature immersion, and a home in the City for less isolation. Real estate in general is less expensive in the Central Valley, so more bang for the buck.