www.CostaRicaTicas.com

I made my first trip in July of 2013. A lot of things I was warned of (or read here to be wary of) I never saw any traces of. Specifically, the street beggars around HDR were gone. Cops were all over the place. I walked the streets and never felt threatened. Ok, I did screw up and entered a park at night, but that was just asking for it in my book ... a stupid act.
Vets: what are you seeing now in SJ? Is it safer? Cleaner? Is this just a momentary minute of cleanup?
Has Costa Rica changed for the better (regarding the mongering scene)?
Are we safer in the gulch? And, do you think any of this spells the end of the 'good ol days'?

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bypassin' kinky, and usin' the whole chicken!!!

[quote="BashfulDwarf"]I made my first trip in July of 2013. A lot of things I was warned of (or read here to be wary of) I never saw any traces of. Specifically, the street beggars around HDR were gone. Cops were all over the place. I walked the streets and never felt threatened. Ok, I did screw up and entered a park at night, but that was just asking for it in my book ... a stupid act.
Vets: what are you seeing now in SJ? Is it safer? Cleaner? Is this just a momentary minute of cleanup?
Has Costa Rica changed for the better (regarding the mongering scene)?
Are we safer in the gulch? And, do you think any of this spells the end of the 'good ol days'?

This is no relationship between the perceptions of safety and actual safety. In other words, we feel safe or not independent of the actual risk. The crime rates have gone up a great deal in the last twenty years; San Jose is not a sleepy little mountain town anymore where you can walk around any time of day and night without risk. The risks over the last decade have been more or less the same, but there are risks.

I do not believe CR sucks for mongering, but it is not as good as it was a decade ago. Ten years ago there were many great options for MPs for 12 bucks; not so much anymore. Also, there were a great many more Nicas and Ticas that were part timers. There was a far more lax immigration policy that made the diversity and variety a lot better. Meals 10 years ago in Sodas and the Mercado Central where dirt cheap; inflation has been horrible, and I can now eat as cheaply as home.

Also, many of us found places that we far prefer to San Jose; that is where a lot of the debates about mongering sucking are coming from. Some negative changes in the scene, but mostly some of us have now been to many, many places, and finds San Jose in the middle of the pack. Long Star makes a great steak if you have never had steak before (not really, but you get the metaphor).

Of course, the notion of the good ol' days is relative. If you are new to San Jose, it is going to feel like the most exciting place in the world; and it would be! If you feel at home there, and that is where you like to go for a variety of reasons; it will be perfect. I would submit though that for those who have been exploring new places, San Jose will be great mostly for a couple of reasons. One, it is easy to get to. Two, it feels like "home." Three, it still is a solid option where you really don't have to work very hard.

Of course, all of this is IMHO.

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I said hey baby, take a walk on the wild side.
Lou Reed

Is the bullet dent still in the elevator door at the Rey?

Last I checked the bullet dent is still there. At least as of June 2013

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Not banned yet...

do not talk to anyone? not even a hello?
i find the people of SJ friendly especially if you act like a normal person. speaking some spanish certainly helps.

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im way deep into nothing special
riding the crest of a wave breaking just west of hollywood

I felt very comfortable walking around the town. IMHO the people seemed friendlier than my hometown. Of course this was in the daytime.
I like the city that I visited. I am hoping its the same city I visit on Labor Day. And on Halloween. And for my fourth visit, whenever that may come.

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bypassin' kinky, and usin' the whole chicken!!!

Mr Bdwarf
I have only been coming to CR since 2000, and after growing up in Detroit, carrying concealed weapons in my career for 20+ yrs, I was fearless when I first came to CR. Now, looking back, and having experienced a dozen+ years--many 4 months/yr-- I would describe myself more as clueless originally. This site, most definitely, opened my eyes to many of the perilous short comings of CR, and the rest I witnessed. IMHO, CR has experienced an increase in crime--perhaps for several different reasons. The reason that I believe is the most dominant is the increased flow of the devil's dandruff from Colombia and the culture that it spawns. After 9-11, air was not the #1 option for shipping, so the Colombian entrepreneurs turned to the waterways--which put CR in direct line for re-fueling, etc. My first few years coming down we used to rent houses in Tarcoles, and more and more, we would hear from the local fishermen that running fuel, food, chicas, whatever was way better than fishing. The downside was that most everything was exchanged for one of Colombia's top 3 C's--chimba, counterfeit $, and co..... What I have witnessed in my years there is that this bartering has infiltrated the culture of CR on so many levels, none of them good. Of course, there are many other reasons for, what I believe is a higher level of crime, requiring increased vigilance--but, I don't think this opinion should be ignored. I am not down there 4 months out of the year anymore--1 or 2 trips a year, so many other places, pero cuidado siempre, mi amigo. Always watch what you are doing, those around you, and observe Rule #1-don't be stupid. Consider yourself lucky, so far
Disclaimer: excessive rum was responsible for this lengthy discourse

The first time I came to CR was about 5 years ago. In the last five years, I have been coming here almost every other month or even more frequently. I will not claim myself as a person who knows everything, and I sure do not have any knowledge of how San Jose was 20 years ago. CR may not be as safe as 20 years ago, but speaking from my experience, I feel a lot safer now than 5 years ago. I also feel that streets are cleaner.

Maybe it's because now I do know where not to go, which street corner can be dangerous or the shear fact that I speak Spanish now. Who knows. I visit local bars and clubs, and occasionally I may party harder than I really should in those places. I have not been threatened in any of those places. I know bad things have happened and still does time to time. But those things happen in Denver where I live which I consider as a very safe place to live.

I certainly would not recommend to a newbie to walk alone intoxicated midnight from Del Rey to HLH. I do it all the time, but I walk aggressively, I don't even look at trannies, and I know any potential dark corners to avoid. If I don't like what I see outside of a hotel or bar, I don't hesitate to take a cab. During daytime, there are places I won't go because it's a bad neighborhood and/or I have no desire to go to such places. But I do walk around all over the place visiting local bakeries, sodas, mercados etc. Many establishments remember me after few visits, say hola with a smile on their faces in San Jose and outside of the city. I really enjoy interacting with locals. I have not felt threatened during day time at all.

I believe senior members and expats have great amount of information and give very useful advise. I remember reading the Newbies section of CRT religiously when I was a newbie. Also, there are a lot of awesome people in many different establishments who are willing to help you out with no expectation of anything in return. I have met so many nice people and made a bunch of friends.

I believe everyone has his own style of traveling/mongering/partying. But whatever you do, make friends, explore CR, and do CR as you see fit. CR has a lot to offer inside and outside of San Jose. I believe you are on the right track to doing CR your way.

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Yo-Eleven!!
Pura Vida!

Avoid the "white" Hispanics and you will be fine.

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The most dangerous adversaries are the ones that come with a smile instead of a sword

I read a lot about beggars surrounding DR, and that the girls used to insist on a cab ride to get to Morazan from DR (which is across the street). I believe this stuff, but it wasn't there in the first week of July.
Do you guys think it's just a temporary reprieve, or is the govt starting to clean up the area?
What other major changes are you seeing taking place (both good and bad)?

Diablo, I am naive enough to have no idea what the devil's dandruff would look like in my presence, and I'm happy about that. Of course that means I don't have the insight to peer behind the curtain, and instead have to ask about it on the board.

I don't doubt that organized crime flourishes in CR ... it does so in my hometown as well. And provided you stay out of their way and off their radar, you can limit the chance with issues from them. Of course, they have their hands into every business imaginable, but in some ways that is a benefit to us. To misquote: "business makes for strange bedfellows", and I suspect there are certain instances where OC and the govt both see a clear benefit in actions that can make an environment 'safer' per se.

Of course, I have no idea if this is happening, or has ever happened. I'm just curious as to whether CR (or the SJ Gulch area) may be changing in a happy way or not.

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bypassin' kinky, and usin' the whole chicken!!!

well the number one prostitution area in CR isn't likely to attract the best people BD. there are nice people in SJ but if you cruise around looking like you've never been there before, and only frequent the mp's and DR, KL et al, its likely you will think its a shithole.
and as Diablo says the drugs are there. they are there in every big city in the world. its ugly. and crack, meth and cocaine change everything. when those things are all present as well as foreign dollars on vacation and a poor country its a toxic mix. look at it or choose to pay no attention its still going to be there.
and no i don't think its getting better in that regard. any attempt to clean it up has to be temporary. take a cab ride around the barrios and you'll get an idea why.

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im way deep into nothing special
riding the crest of a wave breaking just west of hollywood

true. I never left the gulch except to cab over to Escazu.
I'm wondering if the new police presence and the cleaner streets is going to stay. I hope it is. I felt safe on the pedestrian paths. I didn't feel like a target in Calle 6. Yes, we are all potential targets of random crime, but lets face it, some people just ask for it.
I enjoyed walking Mercado Central. I like being around people. But when I go back and read the posts of old, it seems so far removed from what I saw, that it brings up these questions.

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bypassin' kinky, and usin' the whole chicken!!!